Defense`s Feeds

General Dynamics tapped for LCS Planning Yard Services | Bahrain gets 12 Vipers | Spain and South Korea to swap aircraft

Defense Industry Daily - Mon, 02/11/2019 - 05:00

Americas

The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair awarded General Dynamics, Bath Iron Works with a $15.6 million contract modification for LCS Planning Yard Services. The work is for the USS Jackson and future Independence-variant littoral combat ships. Planning yard services include design, material kitting, logistics, planning and execution. The work is specifically for waterjet assembly battle spares for the littoral class ships. The shipyard uses the waterjet cutting machine to fabricate new parts or replace worn parts while the ships are being maintained. The USS Jackson is the third Independence-class littoral combat ship to be built and the second Independence-class ship to carry standard 7 meters long rigid-hulled inflatable boats and improvements in corrosion protection and propulsion over the original Independence design. Work under the modification will take place in Virginia and Maine and is scheduled to be completed by March 2021.

The Naval Sea Systems Command contracted General Dynamics Mission Systems with a $14.5 million modification to exercise options for Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement (SEWIP) Block 1B3 full-rate production. SEWIP is an evolutionary acquisition and incremental development program to upgrade the AN/SLQ-32(V) electronic warfare system. The AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare Suite or „slick-32“ is the primary electronic warfare system utilized by the US Navy. The system achieves EW objectives by providing full threat band frequency coverage, instantaneous azimuth coverage, 100 percent probability of intercept and simultaneous response to multiple threats. It can detect aircraft search and target radars well before they detect the ship. SEWIP provides enhanced shipboard electronic warfare for early detection, analysis, threat warning, and protection from anti-ship missiles. SEWIP Block 1 focuses on obsolescence mitigation and special signal intercept. Work will take place in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and is expected to be finished by May next year.

The Naval Surface Warfare Center awarded Leidos Inc. $33 million to develop Digital Video Surveillance Tech in support of the Navy’s efforts to modernize guided missile ships. The DDG modernization program includes a full spectrum of technical support and supplies for Navy bases, shipyards, repair facilities and contractor facilities within the continental US. The USA’s Guided Missile Destroyers include the Arleigh Burke-class the and Zumwalt-class destroyers. The Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Philadelphia Division coordinates and plans technical and engineering support services for the DDG modernization initiative. Work is scheduled to be complete by February 2024 and will take place in Reston, Virginia.

The Navy contracted Boeing with $23.1 million for the repair of various avionics equipment used on the F/A-18 aircraft. The Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole aircraft variants based on the McDonnell F/A-18 Hornet. Work will take place in Lemoore, California and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is scheduled to be finished by December 2021. Working capital funds in the amount of $23,108,547 will be obligated at the time of the award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Middle East & Africa

The US Navy contracted Bell Helicopter a $240.3 million contract modification for the manufacture and delivery of 12 Lot 16 Ah-1Z aircraft for Bahrain under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The DoD’s FMS program facilitates sales of U.S. arms, defense equipment, defense services, and military training to foreign governments. The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter that features a four-blade, bearingless, composite main rotor system, uprated transmission, and a new target sighting system. At the time the sale was approved, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Bahrain would use the AH-1Z to improve its capacity to deter regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense. The sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major Non-NATO ally which is an important security partner in the region.

Europe

Russia’s Beriev A-100 early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft made its first flight as part of the preliminary flight test program. Beriev A-100 is a Russian-built airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A strategic military transporter. The aircraft is developed to replace the Beriev A-50 in the Russian Aerospace Forces service. The external shape of the A-100 is similar to the A-50, with the main radar array housed in a rotating dome mounted on two struts above the fuselage. The mass production of the aircraft is scheduled from 2020.

Asia-Pacific

South Korea and Spain are launching negotiations on a proposed deal to swap Spanish military transport planes with Korean trainer jets. Talks are expected to start this month. In November, Spain proposed to Korea to trade some of its A-400M Airbus transport planes for KT-1 and T-50 trainer jets produced by Korea Aerospace Industries. The A-400M Atlas is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It can also perform aerial refueling, and medical evacuation when fitted with appropriate equipment. The KAI KT-1 Woongbi is a single-engined, turboprop, basic training aircraft. It is the first completely indigenous Korean aircraft ever developed. The Kai T-50 is a supersonic advanced trainer and light combat aircraft. Spain has reportedly ordered 27 A-400Ms from Airbus but has decided to sell 13 of them, four to six to Korea. The country received consent from Airbus. In return, Spain hopes to get 30 KT-1s and 20 T-50s. If the deal was realized it would mark South Korea’s first export of aircraft to Europe.

The US Army Contracting Command awarded Textron Systems with a $7.1 million contract modification for contractor logistics support of the One System Remote Video Terminal (OSRVT) for Australia. The OSRVT delivers dismounted troops full-motion video and telemetry from the aircraft’s payload, just as it can be seen from the ground control station. It is able to receive information from a very wide range of UAVs and sources. The modification is part of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Maryland and is expected to be completed by May 7 this year.

Today’s Video

Watch: U.S. Navy’s New, More Lethal Frigate is coming into Focus

Categories: Defense`s Feeds

One for All: AAI Textron’s UAV Control System (UGCS/OSVRT)

Defense Industry Daily - Mon, 02/11/2019 - 04:48

OneSystem UGCS
(click to view full)

Can the Army create a universal ground control system for UAVs? The ability to use hundreds of comparatively cheap UAVs from different manufacturers has been a blessing to ground forces, who finally have the comprehensive aerial coverage they want. It can also be a curse. If each system has its own unique controller and vehicle – or worse, its own receiver and screen – the result will be chaos.

Enter AAI’s One System ground control offerings, which are a step toward a more universal future. This Spotlight article covers the One System concept, its ongoing development, its current reach, and future technology initiatives and requirements that will affect UAV ground control.

AAI’s One System

RQ-7 Shadow, Iraq
(click to view full)

Ground Control Stations for UAVs have 2 main functions. One is secure control of the UAV’s flight and payload(s). The other involves communication back to the larger command network, and the ability to send the UAV’s data to other nodes in the network.

One System uses a 3-tiered set of offerings. One is the full ground control system (GCS), mounted in a shelter. They can fly and land the UAV, control sensors or weapons, and communicate with a range of back-end systems to share data with other platforms and/or send it back to command personnel. The next tier down is a Portable GCS that offers flight and payload control, but very limited communications capabilities. At the lowest and most widely distributed tier is the ROVER-based One System Remote Video Terminal (OSRVT) and its companion MDAS directional antenna, which are currently receive-only.

The original One System platform was designed for Textron subsidiary AAI’s RQ-7 Shadow TUAS (Tactical Unmanned Aerial System). It was also compatible with other UAVs, including the IAI/AAI RQ-2 Pioneer, AAI’s Aerosonde, the IAI/Northrop Grumman RQ-5 Hunter, Northrop Grumman’s RQ-8 Fire Scout helicopter UAV, and Bell Helicopter Textron’s Eagle Eye VTUAV(Vertical Takeoff Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) tilt-rotor. The Block 1 system ran on Sun Solaris, with some ancillary Windows-based communication equipment, and communicated with the UAV over an analog datalink, using a directional antenna. It deployed in a 2-console S-788 Lightweight Multipurpose Shelter, which can be mounted on the back of a Hummer, and had about 6-10 “information exchange” requirements for back-end compatibility with other communications systems.

MQ-1C Sky Warrior
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The next step was compatibility with General Atomics’ Predator-derived MQ-1C SkyWarrior UAV. The One System Block 2 implementation made several changes. The most visible change for SkyWarrior One Systems was the move to a larger an S-280C/G containerized shelter, in order to accommodate 3 consoles and more communications equipment.

The biggest Block 2 changes involved the Block 2 software, which now included compliance with NATO’s emerging STANAG 4586 for standard UAV control system interfaces, and with the USA’s digital Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL). With those changes, One System would be able to control any UAV that uses the TCDL as its communications link, or complies with NATO’s STANAG 4586 protocols. The other big shift in the Block 2 software was the explosion of information exchange requirements. This ballooned from Block 1’s 6-10 line of sight options to over 150 compatibility requirements, including beyond line of sight options like Satellite Communication (SATCOM).

AAI is moving to transfer this expertise back to existing platforms. It’s transitioning to the Block 2 software for fielded Hunter and Shadow Ground Control Systems, in order to give them TCDL compatibility. Other platforms like the RQ-8 Fire Scout VTUAV will also be incorporating TCDL, creating a common baseline that will make it much easier to plug future UAVs into a common control system.

MQ-8A firing Hydra
(click to view full)

The next steps for One System are two-fold.

One is the move toward a Universal Ground Control Station (UGCS). This Block 3 shelter will include the latest generation of hardware running Block 2 software on Red Hat and Montavista Linux. It can be mounted in S-788 or S-280 shelters, or installed on board ship. The number of information exchange requirements will exceed 300.

The other shift involves the One System Remote Video Terminal (OSRVT). Because it’s based on ROVER, it can already receive information from a very wide range of UAVs and sources, from Aerovironment’s hand-launched RQ-11 Raven mini-UAV to an F/A-18 Hornet equipped with a LITENING surveillance and targeting pod. OSRVT Block II, also known as BDRVT, will use the legacy Shadow datalink to create bi-directional links, and give OSRVT operators on the front lines control of the UAV’s sensor payload.

Portable GCS version

The big challenges for OSRVT II are two-fold. Wider bi-directional control of more UAV types will require a common datalink system. AAI is working with Army, Marines, and to some extent the USAF, to ensure interoperability via the digital TCDL link. The other challenge goes deeper, and involves the UAV’s internal control avionics. The UAV’s owner must be able to maintain full responsibility, which means control of the sensor payload must be split from control of the aircraft. For some UAVs, full OSRVT II compatibility will involve internal avionics modifications. Eventually, however, all US Army unmanned aircraft will transition to a common set of control system standards that should remove this problem.

Control of multiple UAVs is possible via One System, but in practice it isn’t used. The Universal GCS network architecture will certainly let the system use multiple datalinks, but communication is point-to-point and based on directional antennas. That makes it hard to efficiently link up with multiple UAVs spread out over wide areas, unless airborne electronically-steered antenna panels or wide, high-bandwidth satellite coverage are present.

Work is actually under way in both of these areas, via satellite constellations like AEHF and the less-secure WGS, and research involving AESA radars as broadband communications links. At present, however, the cost/benefit ratio involved hasn’t justified development of OSRVT-related options.

Contracts and Key Events FY 2012 – 2019

V2 upgrades.

UGCS
click for video

Note that most initial One System purchases are tied up in the original buys for related UAVs, such as the RQ-7 Shadow, MQ-1C SkyWarrior, and MQ-8B Fire Scout VTUAV. Buys as usually expressed as “Unmanned Air Systems,” which include the control systems and related equipment as well as the UAVs themselves.

February 11/19: Australia The US Army Contracting Command awarded Textron Systems with a $7.1 million contract modification for contractor logistics support of the One System Remote Video Terminal (OSRVT) for Australia. The OSRVT delivers dismounted troops full-motion video and telemetry from the aircraft’s payload, just as it can be seen from the ground control station. It is able to receive information from a very wide range of UAVs and sources. The modification is part of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Maryland and is expected to be completed by May 7 this year.

Dec 20/12: Support. AAI Corp. in Hunt Valley, MD receives a $22.1 millon cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to cover Contractor Logistics Support for the One System Remote Video Terminal.

Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, MD with an estimated completion date of Dec 30/13. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 1 bid received by US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-13-C-0016).

Aug 29/12: Support. Textron’s AAI Corp in Hunt Valley, MD receives a $7.3 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification, ordering OSVRT technical services. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, MD, with an estimated completion date of Aug 20/13. One bid was solicited, with one bid received. by US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-06-C-0190).

July 9/12: Shadow V2. Textron’s AAI Corp in Hunt Valley, MD announces a $358 million award from the US Army’s PEO – UAS for engineering support and system upgrades that will create a fleet of 45 full RQ-7B v2 Shadow systems. Deliveries of 43 systems for the Army and 2 for the Marine Corps are expected to begin in late 2013.

This is a typical example of major ground system advances embedded in a UAV contract. The RQ-7B v2 system incorporates a number of UAV improvements, including weapon hard points on the extended wings, and expanded flight endurance from 6 to 9 hours. It also includes the new control system set: Universal Ground Control Station (UGCS), Universal Ground Data Terminal (UGDT), Portable Ground Data Terminal (PGDT) and Portable Ground Control Station (PGCS). The new UGCS adds several improvements, including multiple radios in convenient locations, dual 30-inch monitors, more comfortable seating and more room, individually controlled vents for heating and air conditioning, and white boards.

New RQ-7B = new OSVRT

May 6/12: Production. Textron’s AAI Corp in Hunt Valley, MD receives a $50.75 million firm-fixed-price contract. The award modifies an existing contract associated with RQ-7 shadow UAVs, in order to buy Universal Ground Control Stations (the OneSystem upgrade).

Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, MD, with an estimated completion date of July 31/13. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received by US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-08-C-0023).

FY 2007 – 2011

Data link; ground control stations.

MDAS, Soldier w. OSRVT
(click to view full)

March 27/11: Sub-contractors. ChandlerMay announces that it has received the “Above and Beyond” award from Textron System’s AAI Corporation in Hunt Valley, MD, to recognize their performance providing major Ground Control Station (GCS) subsystems to the RQ-7 Shadow program in 2010.

ChandlerMay has been partnered with AAI Corporation since 2001 on the Shadow TUAS program, and continues to provide vehicle-mounted ground control stations, portable ground control stations (PGCS); plus maintenance, RESET, and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) for the ground control stations. The “One System®” GCS, now being upgraded to the “Universal Ground Control Station,” undergoes final integration and test at AAI’s facility in Hunt Valley, MD.

April 12/11: Production. AAI Corp in Hunt Valley, MD receives a $6.7 million cost plus fixed-fee contract for 1,184 one system remote video terminal (OSRVT) systems. Work will be performed at Hunt Valley, MD, with an estimated completion date of Oct 31/12. One bid was solicited and one received by the US Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-06-C-0190).

March 14/11: Upgrades. AAI Corp. in Hunt Valley, MD receives a $7.4 million firm-fixed-price contract to add new receiver components into the OSRVT baseline. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, MD, with an estimated completion date of Aug 31/11. One bid was solicited with one bid received by the US Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-06-C-0190).

June 26/09: TCDL. Textron subsidiary Army Armaments Incorporated (AAI) in Hunt Valley, MD received a $32.1 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the modification that exercises options for additional engineering services hours to support tactical command data link (TCDL) in Shadow 200 UAV systems. Work is to be performed in Hunt Valley, MD, with an estimated completion date of Oct 30/10. One bid was solicited with one bid received by the U.S. Army Contracting Command/CCAM-AR-A in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-08-C-0033).

April 30/09: Support. Textron subsidiary AAI Co. in Hunt Valley, MD received a $29.2 million cost plus fixed-fee contract for 12 months of Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) of their One System Remote Video Terminals (OSRVT) and its Mobile Directional Antenna System (MDAS).

Work is to be performed in Hunt Valley, MD, with an estimated completion date of April 30/10. U.S. Army Contracting Command, AMCOM Contracting Center, in Redstone Arsenal, AL manages this contract (W58RGZ-06-C-0190).

May 5/08: Support. AAI Corp. in Hunt Valley, MD receives a $14.5 million cost-plus-fixed fee contract for 12 months of Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) for their One System Remote Video Terminals (OSRVT) and its Mobile Directional Antenna System (MDAS).

Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, MD, and is expected to be complete by April 30/09. One bid was solicited on January 2008 by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-06-C-0190).

Sept 18/07: Production. Smal business qualifier AAI Corp. in Hunt Valley, MD received a $13.2 million modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for One System Remote Video Terminals (OSRVT) and the accompanying Mobile Directional Antenna System (MDAS).

Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, MD, and is expected to be complete by Dec 31/09. This was a sole source contract initiated on April 17/07 by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-06-C-0190).

Additional Readings

DID appreciates the technical assistance of AAI Textron’s Divisional Vice President of One System Programs, Tom Bachman.

AAI Textron – The One System.
CDL Systems – NATO STANAG 4586
DID Spotlight – ROVER Sics TacAir on America’s Enemies
DID/DII FOCUS – Warrior ER/MP: An Enhanced Predator for the Army
DID/DII FOCUS – The Fire Scout VTUAV Program: By Land and By Sea
DID Spotlight – Breaking Down UAV GCS Barriers on ground control interop and cross-vendor compatibility.
DID – UAV Data Deluge, Video, Search, Fusion

Categories: Defense`s Feeds

EDA renews Cooperation Arrangement with the Athena Mechanism

EDA News - Thu, 02/07/2019 - 12:41

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq and Hans-Werner Grenzhäuser, the Athena Administrator, have signed an arrangement renewing the framework for future cooperation between EDA and Athena.

The Cooperation Arrangement signed on 1 February 2019 aims at replacing the previous arrangement which was signed on 27 February 2015 and was valid for a limited period. It offers the option for any CSDP Operation/Mission Commander to call upon EDA to provide technical and overall administrative support for their most complex procurement procedures. The full text of the arrangement is available here.

Under the previous arrangement, the Agency has supported the EU Training Mission in Mali for the procurement in Europe of a medical incinerator between May 2015 and February 2016. EDA also supported operation EUFOR ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a cost-benefit analysis of camp management in the Sarajevo Camp Butmir from July to October 2015.

In addition, the Agency supports CSDP military operations and missions with other projects as well as contracted support pre-mission solutions. On the project side this has so far included cyber awareness seminars, maritime surveillance, personnel management as well as management of geospatial information. Contracted support reaches from satellite communications to wider logistics support.

This has already been the case for CSDP military operations in the Central African Republic (EUFOR RCA and later EUTM RCA), the Mediterranean Sea (EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia), Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR Althea), Mali (EUTM Mali), Somalia (EUTM Somalia and EUNAVFOR Atalanta).

Most recently, EDA also started supporting the newly established Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) with contracted communication services, and it is supporting CSDP civilian missions as well.

The Athena Mechanism

Athena is the mechanism established to administer the financing of the common costs of European Union operations having military or defence implications governed by Council Decision 2015/528/CFSP. The Council Decision allows for arrangements to be negotiated with Union bodies to facilitate procurement and/or financial aspects of mutual support in operations in the most cost-effective manner.

More information:

Categories: Defense`s Feeds, European Union

Navy wants Cost-Reduction of F-35 | USS Gerald R Ford successfully defends itself | China to build new nuclear aircraft carriers

Defense Industry Daily - Thu, 02/07/2019 - 05:00

Americas

The Navy tapped Lockheed Martin with a $90.4 million contract modification to reduce the cost of the F-35 Lightning II Air System. The modification provides for the identification and execution of cost reduction initiatives. The F-35 single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighters are the most expensive airplanes of all time. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said at the end of January that the program had a lot of opportunity for performance improvements. In late 2018 a Defense Department assessment obtained by Bloomberg news prior to its official release revealed that the F-35B is not projected to meet the expected service life of 8,000 fleet hours but could be as low as 2,100 hours. Lockheed Martin will aim to complete the cost reduction efforts by June 2022.

The Navy contracted Q.E.D. Systems with a $11.5 cost modification for third party advanced planning services in support of Navy service combatant ship classes CG 47 and DD G51. Work includes Chief of Naval Operations Availabilities, Continuous Maintenance Availabilities (CMAVs), inactivation CMAVs, sustainment availabilities, modernization and re-commissioning availabilities as well as continuous maintenance and emergent maintenance windows of opportunity. The CG 47 or USS Ticonderoga is a guided missile cruiser and was the first combatant ship to feature the Aegis combat system. This allows the ship to track and engage multiple targets much more effectively than any ship previously. However, the Ticonderoga-class cruisers were becoming too expensive to continue building, and were too difficult to upgrade: In came the DDG 51 or USS Arleigh Burke. The Arleigh Burke uses a slightly downgraded version of the Aegis combat system, which allows for launching, tracking, and evading missiles simultaneously. Work under the modification will take place in Virginia, California and Washington and is scheduled to be completed by February next year.

Raytheon along with the US Navy successfully completed the first test of the USS Gerald R. Ford’s Ship Self Defense System Integrated Combat System. The live fire test successfully engaged an unmanned aerial vehicle target off the coast of California. The USS Gerald R. Ford or CVN-78 are a new class of aircraft carriers. The ship is equipped with two newly-designed reactors and has 250 percent more electrical capacity than previous carriers. The improvements will allow the ship to load weapons and launch aircraft faster than ever before. The Ship Self Defense System processed the cooperative engagement capability data, determined the appropriate engagement ranges, passed launch commands to the missile and scheduled dual band radar support for the engagement, Raytheon said. The test was the first of several planned for the ship this year.

Middle East & Africa

For the first time ever, German military personnel is stationed in Israel as the training of German Heron Turboprop (TP) medium-altitude, long endurance (MALE) remotely piloted aircraft system crews began at the end of last month. The German Luftwaffe is spending eight weeks learning how to operate the Heron TP in the reconnaissance role. The training of the first six crews follows the current regulations and operational capabilities of the system. The training includes the handling of the system in normal operation as well as in case of an error. Germany will lease five Heron TP unmanned aerial vehicles and four ground stations ordered by Airbus Defence & Space Airborne Solutions from Israel Aerospace Industries. They are adapted for Luftwaffe requirements.

Europe

Russia is about to receive 12 Uran-6 defining unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). The Uran-6 is a multi-functional, mine-clearing robot that can be deployed in mine reconnaissance and area clearance operations to detect and remove explosive ordnance as well as anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. The robot was manufactured by JSC 766 UPTK, a subsidiary of Rostec’s Kalashnikov Group, for the Russian Armed Forces. Twelve updated Uran-6 multipurpose mine clearance vehicles will be delivered to the military districts and central units in 2019. The updated Uran-6 maintains the physical dimension of the original model at 4,565 mm long, 2,015 mm wide, and 1,470 mm tall. The vehicle weighs 6 tonnes without its mine clearance subsystems.

Asia-Pacific

China is building four more nuclear aircraft carriers as Beijing is trying to keep up with the US Navy. China currently only has just one carrier in active service – the Liaoning. The US has 20 in operation. America also expects the USS Gerald R. Ford, the biggest carrier in the world, to join its fleet next year. China made it clear it is keen to expand its aircraft carrier battle groups so it can defend its growing overseas interests. Four of at least six aircraft battle groups, China plans to have in service by 2035 will be nuclear-powered, as the country tries to equal the US in naval strength. Each battleship will reportedly be equipped with electromagnetic aircraft catapults similar to those already utilized by the US Navy.

Leonardo is offering to procure a light combat aircraft (LCA) or a fighter lead-in trainer (FLIT) for the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Jane’s reports. This comes after a recent request for information (RFI) from Malaysia. The procurement is expected to feature an initial 12 LCA/FLIT aircraft for an estimated cost of about $300 million, with an option for another 24 units. It is possible, the requirement will be centered around the M-346FA. The M-346FA fighter attack aircraft can be deployed in ground support roles, including air-to-ground attack, tactical, close air support, counter-insurgency, and interdiction with precision guided munitions. The Royal Malaysian Air Force is planning a future modernization program called „Capability 55“ or „CAP55“.

Today’s Video

Watch: Amazing Facts About USS Gerald R Ford CVN 78

Categories: Defense`s Feeds

Carrier Signal: China’s Naval Aviation

Defense Industry Daily - Thu, 02/07/2019 - 04:50

SU-33s: folded, landing
(click to view full)

In 1998, the former Russian carrier Varyag was bought by a Chinese firm for use as a “tourist attraction.” Nobody believed that, and by 2005, she was in drydock for secret refits. Still, a carrier needs planes. Near the end of October 2006, Russia’s Kommersant newspaper revealed that Russian state-run weapon exporter Rosoboronexport was in negotiations with China to deliver SU-33s, a variant of Sukhoi’s SU-27 Flanker with forward canards, foldings wings, an arrester hook, a reinforced structure, and other modifications that help it deal with carrier operations and landings.

By 2009, Russian media were reporting a breakdown of negotiations, citing low order numbers and past pirating of Russian SU-27/30 designs. China built on that prior piracy to produce its SU-33 look-alike “J-15,” with the reported assistance of an SU-33 prototype bought from the Ukraine. It’s now 2012, and China’s myriad deceptions have served their purpose. They don’t have an active carrier force yet, but they’re very close.

A Carrier for China

The PLA Navy has made contradictory statements regarding its wish to have an operational aircraft carrier, but most expert observers believed they were working on a program to do so. Those beliefs were correct.

The Liaoning

China’s Dalian Shipyard refitted the 65,000t ex-Soviet Navy aircraft carrier Varyag (previously Riga), which the “Chong Lot Travel Agency” acquired from the Ukraine in 1998 for $20 million. She was in in extremely poor condition, as one might expect of any ship after a decade or more of serious neglect. Indeed, she spent 16 months under commercial tow circling in the Black Sea, while negotiations proceeded with the nervous Turks to allow her to be towed through the critical Bosporus Strait. The Turks didn’t have anything against China, per se. They were just afraid that the ship’s size and condition would result in a shipping disaster. After a long trip, Varyag arrived in China in 2002, and entered drydock in 2005.

China’s assurances that the Varyag was destined to be a floating hotel were ludicrous on their face, and very soon they were sharply at variance with the ship’s observable paint job. Nobody with a gram of sense ever believed the cover story. The real question was whether the Chinese believed they could bring Varyag up to operational status, or whether they planned to just use the ship as a learning platform, in preparation for their own construction efforts later.

The carrier was commissioned in 2012 as the Liaoning, and there is every indication that China plans to make it fully operational. Weapons have been fitted, including close-in gatling guns and short-range air defense missiles.

Real operation, however, requires planes.

In October 2006, SinoDefence.com reported that China would spend $100 million to buy 2 Su-33 fighters from Komsomolsk-on-Amur Production Association for ‘trial and evaluations,’ with delivery expected in 2007-08. Reports claimed there was also an agreed option for another 12 Su-33 fighters, with the potential for the deal to grow to 48 SU-33s and $2.5 billion.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that this was simply a ploy to rip off Russia’s design. Russia backed out of the sale, and tried to negotiate a much larger up front commitment from China.

Unfortunately for the Russians, the Chinese acquired an SU-33 prototype from the Ukraine, married it to their past experience copying SU-27/30 fighters, and created the “J-15” instead.

China landed a J-15 on the Liaoning in late 2012, opening the way to a true naval aviation force. With 2 more locally-built carriers underway, that force can be expected to grow quickly. American naval observers keep stressing the decade-long amount of time required to train and field an effective carrier force, but China has a wealth of engineering talent, and a large aviation force to draw on. Don’t be surprised if the Chinese beat American predictions by a comfortable margin.

Reports and Key Events

1st J-15 landing
click for video February 7/19: More nuclear aircraft carriers China is building four more nuclear aircraft carriers as Beijing is trying to keep up with the US Navy. China currently only has just one carrier in active service – the Liaoning. The US has 20 in operation. America also expects the USS Gerald R. Ford, the biggest carrier in the world, to join its fleet next year. China made it clear it is keen to expand its aircraft carrier battle groups so it can defend its growing overseas interests. Four of at least six aircraft battle groups, China plans to have in service by 2035 will be nuclear-powered, as the country tries to equal the US in naval strength. Each battleship will reportedly be equipped with electromagnetic aircraft catapults similar to those already utilized by the US Navy.

September 29/15: China could be constructing its first indigenous aircraft carrier, according to analysis released by Janes. The PLAN currently operates the Liaoning carrier, an ex-Ukrainian Navy Kuznetsov-class design. Satellite imagery appears to show a previously unknown hull under construction at the Dalian shipyard, where the Liaoning has previously undergone refits and maintenance work.

May 4/15: China’s J-11D fighter has completed its maiden flight. The upgraded D model also reportedly includes the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system developed for the J-16, which the PLAAF received last year. The new aircraft is also purported to boast composite materials and improved air to air capabilities. However, reports have detailed how the PLAAF may require both the J-11D and the Russian Su-35, in order to fill a capability gap before China’s fifth-generation fighters enter service.

Nov 25/12: China announces the 1st at-sea landing of a J-15 aboard the Liaoning. “We have done all these test flights from the very beginning, and finally we mastered the key skills for the landing of carrier-borne aircraft,” says People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) deputy commander Vice-Admiral Zhang Yongyi. China People [in Chinese] | Xinhua | Al Jazeera | India’s Economic Times.

J-15 carrier landing

Sept 25/12: Liaoning. Chinese authorities officially confirm that they have commissioned the “Liaoning” as their 1st aircraft carrier. Chinese MoD [ in Chinese] | Washington Post | WSJ.

Commissioned

April 25/11: J-15. Pictures of China’s new “J-15 Flying shark” carrier-borne fighter are published in China’s state-owned Global Post. Its uncanny resemblance to Russia’s Su-33 is noted by all and sundry. Defense Tech.

June 4/10: J-15. Russian sources are quoted in RIA Novosti as saying that China will have a hard time duplicating the SU-33. Col. (Ret.) Igor Korotchenko, a member of the Defense Ministry’s Public Council

“The Chinese J-15 clone is unlikely to achieve the same performance characteristics of the Russian Su-33 carrier-based fighter, and I do not rule out the possibility that China could return to negotiations with Russia on the purchase of a substantial batch of Su-33s… Korotchenko said China was unlikely to solve technical problems related to the design of the folding wings and to develop a reliable engine for the aircraft, although the first J-15 prototype reportedly made its maiden flight on August 31, 2009, powered by Chinese WS-10 turbofan engines.”

In the end, they seem to do fine. Note that the picture accompanying the article is actually a Chinese J-10 land-based fighter.

Dec 17/09: China’s carrier, which is reportedly known as the Shi Lang (after the Chinese general who took possession of Taiwan in 1681), now has a radar mast. The ship is under guard, but it can be seen from a nearby highway, painted in the gray shade used by the Chinese navy. Many workers can be seen on the ship, with lots of visible change to the superstructure, and material is seen going in and out. The Chinese have reportedly been in touch with Russian naval construction firms, and may have purchased plans. StrategyPage adds:

“Late last year, China announced that its first class of carrier aviators had begun training at the Dalian Naval Academy. The naval officers will undergo a four year course of instruction to turn them into fighter pilots capable of operating off a carrier. China already has an airfield, in the shape of a carrier deck, built at an inland facility.”

March 20/09: Chinese defense minister Liang Guanglie reportedly tells visiting Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada that:

“Among the big nations only China does not have an aircraft carrier. China cannot be without an aircraft carrier forever… China’s navy is currently rather weak, we need to develop an aircraft carrier.”

The Agence France Presse report adds that earlier in March 2009, China Daily quoted Admiral Hu Yanlin as saying:

“Building aircraft carriers is a symbol of an important nation. It is very necessary… China has the capability to build aircraft carriers and should do so.”

March 13/09: Jane’s Defence Weekly reports that negotiations are continuing for the SU-33 sale:

“Negotiations for the sale of Sukhoi Su-33 carrier-capable combat aircraft to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) are still continuing with both sides interested in coming to a final agreement, Russian industry sources have told Jane’s . “Previous reports that these discussions are at an end or that the ‘contract has been cancelled’ are incorrect,” said a Russian source close to the programme.”

SU-33 carrier launch
(click for 3-view)

March 10/09: The Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper reports that Russia is refusing to sell China SU-33 jets, citing past piracy of the design for its SU-27 fighters. China initially sought 2 SU-33s for its “trial basis” order, which are a modified variant of the SU-27. Subsequent negotiations reportedly raised the “trial” order to 14 of the 50 aircraft China said it wanted, but that was not enough to remove the basic problem.

In 1995, China received a license for the production of 200 Su-27SK fighters; that agreement was later terminated at 95 planes. China cushioned the blow by ordering a total of 110 SU-30MK2s between 1999-2003, but they are now producing a “J-11B” fighter that appears to be an SU-27 with Chinese radar and avionics, and Chinese WS-10 engines in place of Russian Lyulka AL-31s. The issue was reportedly raised at the 13th meeting of the Russian-Chinese Committee for Military Cooperation in December 2008, without resolution.

If Russia believes that its SU-33s are being ordered so they can be cloned by the Chinese, creating a future with no further orders from China, and a cheaper version of their weapons offered for global export, then their lack of interest in a deal is understandable.

Note that concerns are also being raised in Russia around ongoing production of Russian-derived Cold War era designs by Eastern European countries, which could create future diplomatic incidents. Pravda report.

2001 – 2008

Varyag, under renovation
(click to view larger)

Dec 31/08: More carriers. Japan’s Asahi Shimbun:

“China will begin construction of the country’s first domestically produced aircraft carriers in Shanghai next year, with an eye to completing two mid-sized carriers by 2015, military and shipbuilding sources said. Beijing is also expected to complete work on a never-finished former Soviet aircraft carrier moored in the northeastern port of Dalian, to provide training for carrier-based pilots and crew. The two 50,000- to 60,000-ton carriers will rely on conventional propulsion systems, not nuclear power…

According to sources close to Shanghai municipal authorities, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding facilities was completed this fall on Changxingdao island at the mouth of the Changjiang river near Shanghai. One of the four docks there is for construction of the aircraft carriers, they said.”

Contracts signed for the provision of aero medical evacuation services in Europe and Africa

EDA News - Wed, 02/06/2019 - 16:29

The European Defence Agency has just concluded multiple framework contracts with Global Helicopter Service GMBH, Elitaliana S.R.L. and Starlite Aviation Operations Ltd. for the provision of fixed and rotary wings medical evacuation services in the context of EDA’s Support of Operations. The contracts run until January 2023 for a maximum value of 120 million Euro.

In national and multinational operations, the provision of In-theatre aeromedical evacuation services is often a challenge. In many cases, capabilities are not available from Member States and outsourcing is necessary to provide air medical evacuation services through private companies. Experience shows that contracting on the spot under time pressure is mostly not a cost-effective solution. Having in place ready-to-use arrangements is very beneficial to ensure immediate availability of services, whilst equally reducing the administrative burden and achieving economies of scale.

The overall purpose of the AIRMEDEVAC project is to efficiently and cost effectively provide contributing members with an option to order ‘ready-to-use’ commercially available In-theatre aeromedical evacuation services through EDA. The 4 contributing members (CM) today are: Austria, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The project is open to all EDA participating Member States, EU entities as well as third states having an administrative arrangement with EDA.

The contributing members have mandated EDA through a Project Arrangement (PA) to manage the project including the negotiation of Multiple Framework Contracts (FWCs) and service requests on their behalf. The contracts concluded today are the result of a close cooperation dating back to 2016 between EDA, the EU Military Staff and the contributing members to define the requirements and evaluate the services required. EDA has been in the lead of the process up to the conclusion of the contract and will continue to be fully responsible for its management throughout the implementation.

The contractors offer services to evacuate patients from the point of injury to the initial Medical Treatment Facility (Forward AIRMEDEVAC) or to transfer them between in-theatre Medical Treatment Facilities (Tactical AIRMEDEVAC) in the context of national and/or international defence and/or security operations. Services include access to a wide range of Rotary and Fixed-Wing aircraft in Europe and Africa to meet a variety of operational needs, both abroad and at home.

The project constitutes an efficient pay-per-use solution that does not impose any binding financial commitments beyond services requested. It is quick and flexible and will reduce the administrative burden for members who do not have to run their own bidding processes since they can rely on the EDA framework contracts.

More information:

Categories: Defense`s Feeds, European Union

EDA teams up with European aviation organisations for 2019 World ATM Congress

EDA News - Wed, 02/06/2019 - 12:43

“Europe for Aviation” is the theme around which European aviation organisations working to implement the Single European Sky (SES) will gather at this year’s World ATM Congress, from 12 to 14 March in Madrid, Spain.

Strong collaboration between European aviation organisations (civil and military) is proving key to generating growth for the industry and to meeting the passenger demand for safer, smarter, greener and more seamless air travel, in line with the EU Aviation Strategy. Over the course of the 3-day Congress, these organisations will come together to show how through collaboration they can go much further in tackling pressing challenges, such as air traffic delays and congestion, drone integration, digital transformation and cyber security.

The “Europe for Aviation” stand and theatre (#849 and #1151) will host a wide range of debates, presentations and guided walking tours, illustrating the collaboration in action between European aviation organisations working to implement SES, namely the European Commission, EUROCONTROL, SESAR Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU), SESAR Deployment Manager (SESAR DM), European Aviation Safety Agency, European Defence Agency, Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), and EUROCAE. In doing so, the organisations will show how between them they cover the full project management cycle from policy and funding to research and deployment.

Look out for:

Official opening by Director General of DG MOVE, Henrik Hololei with the Executive Directors/Director Generals of each of the participating organisations.
Single European Sky Awards ceremony (#SESAwards) followed by a networking drink (12 March, 17:00).
Panel debate sessions on the looming capacity crunch, global interoperability, civil-military collaboration, standardisation, and the future of the Single European Sky.
Technical sessions on U-space and drone integration, communications navigation and surveillance (CNS), datalink services implementation, digital transformation and cybersecurity.
A series of SESAR walking tours on the latest technological advances underway by SESAR partners, and their status in terms of research and development, and deployment.
Dedicated stand for networking with SES partners, featuring interactive and virtual reality experiences.

Follow #EuropeForAviation for updates from:
@Transport_EU @eurocontrol @SESAR_JU @SESAR_DM @EASA ‏@EUDefenceAgency @INEA_EU @EUROCAE1

Europe for Aviation

Europe for Aviation” is the theme around which European aviation organisations working to implement the Single European Sky will gather at this year’s World ATM Congress. Over the course of the 3-day Congress, these organisations will come together to show how through collaboration they can go much further in tackling pressing challenges, such as air traffic delays and congestion, drone integration, digital transformation and cyber security.

Categories: Defense`s Feeds, European Union

Navy orders two more LCU 1700 | Rafael test-launches SPIKE NLOS | Australia transitions from Black Hawk to MRH90

Defense Industry Daily - Wed, 02/06/2019 - 05:00

Americas

The Navy contracted General Dynamics Bath Iron Works a $126.2 million contract for DDG 51 class integrated planning yard services. The DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. The ships were designed to fulfill the strategic land strike role with Tomahawk missiles, antiaircraft warfare role with powerful Aegis radar and surface-to-air missiles, antisubmarine warfare and antisurface warfare. Planning yard services include design, material kitting, logistics, planning and execution. The majority of the Planning Yard services work will be performed in Maine. Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, also currently manages post-delivery maintenance and modernization activities for DDG 1000-class ships and LCS-class ships.

The Navy awarded Swiftships LLC a $26.7 million contract modification to build two more Landing Craft, Utility (LCU) vessels. The newly-ordered LCU 1701 and 1702 are the second and third in their class. A contract for the first LCU 1700 was awarded back in April. Landing Craft Utility is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from assault ships to beachheads or piers. LCU 1700 is supposed to replace the existing LCU 1610 class of amphibious landing craft on a one for one base. The 1700 will be a rugged steel craft with a design life of 30 years. It will include a highly reliable and fuel efficient heavy lift platform whose capability will be complementary to the faster air cushion landing craft which have a significantly shorter range, smaller payload capacity, no habitability, and operating hour limitations. Work under the contract modification will take place in Louisiana and is scheduled to be completed by May 2021.

Canadian Commercial Corp. won a $11.4 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract from the Navy to support Navy ship and weapons systems test events like target presentations, planning and conducting of test, and analysis and evaluation of the assigned surface weapons systems during test events. The deal also includes systems engineering and program management support. Canadian Commercial Corp. (CCC) is mandated to facilitate international trade on behalf of the Canadian Industry. The company has two core lines of business: International Commercial Business and Global Defense and Security. CCC supports Canadian companies contracting into the defense sector primarily with the United States and Canadian exporters. Work under the contract is scheduled to be finished by February 2024.

Middle East & Africa

Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems test-launched its SPIKE NLOS air-deployable missile launcher from a Tomcar light buggy. The SPIKE NLOS missile, also know as Tamuz 5 is precision-guided and able to hit a target up to 30km away. It is part of the fifth generation electro-optical SPIKE family, used in 31 countries worldwide. NLOS stands for „Non Line of Sight“ and the NLOS is indeed significantly larger than other SPIKE variants. It weighs 70 kg and uses a fiber optic link similar to other Spike versions, but only out to 8 km, after which it employs a radio data link for command guidance. The Tomcar, which carries the air-deployable missile launcher, weighs 1,350kg and holds up to eight rounds. This technology gives armed forces a low-weight, maneuverable precision element that can be dropped into enemy territory and identify static and mobile targets with high precision and without the use of GPS.

Europe

The Russian Armed Forces are about to receive its first Tu-160M modernized strategic bomber in 2021. The Tupolev Tu-160 is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Russian Aerospace and Defense Company Tupolev. It is the largest Mach 2+ supersonic aircraft ever built. For two decades the Tu-160 was the USSR’s, and later Russia’s, only supersonic, nuclear-armed strategic bomber. In the early 2000s, Moscow paid Kazan, a subsidiary of Tupolev, to finish assembly of two incomplete Tu-160 airframes. The Tu-160M will be equipped with advanced on-board defense systems, a modern communications system with enhanced anti-jamming capability and advanced weapons to enhance its combat capabilities. The aircraft will be powered by NK-32 second series engines, which will considerably increase its flight range and duration.

The British Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Tornado jets returned home for the last time after almost 40 years in service. The stalwart of Britain’s bomber force since the days of the Cold War carried out its last operational strike on January 26, when a pair of Tornados hit five positions in Syria, all of which were being used by fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The last operational sortie by Tornado GR4s was on January 31. Two Tornados flew an uneventful patrol over Syria, recovering safely to base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus after a mission lasting six and a half hours. The weapons capabilities of the soon-to-retire Tornados are now being delivered by RAF Typhoon jets. The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, multirole fighter designed as an air superiority fighter.

Asia-Pacific

The US Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a $11.7 million contract modification in support of the Japanese government. The modification is for non-recurring engineering to incorporate the Multifunctional Information Distribution System/Joint Tactical Radio System into the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The Multifunctional Information Distribution System/Joint Tactical Radio System is a four-channel radio. It runs the Link 16 waveform and up to three additional communication protocols, including the Airborne Networking Waveform. The system enhances operational effectiveness without consuming more space, weight or power. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the latest version of the E-2 featuring the new AN/APY-9 radar, radio suite, mission computer, integrated satellite communications, flight management system, and improved T56-A-427A engines. In October 2018 Japan has greenlighted the purchase of nine E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft from the US. Work under the modification will take place within the USA and is expected to be completed in June 2020.

Australia is developing the special forces role of the NH90 or MRH90 transport and assault helicopter, Jane’s reports. The Australian Defense Force began cross-decking the social operations forces role from the Sikorsky S-70A Black Hawk to the MRH90. The NH90 is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multirole helicopter developed in response to NATO requirements for battlefield helos, which would also be capable of being operated in naval environments. It is the first production helicopter to feature fly by wire flight controls. A four-axis autopilot is also integrated with the fly-by-wire system, as are mission and navigation systems to enable greater autonomy during operations and to reduce pilot workload. The flight envelope of the NH90 is capable of all-weather day-and-night operations, ship-borne operations during high sea states, across a temperature range from ?40 °C to +50 °C, and up to a maximum altitude of 20,000 feet. The standing up of the MRH90’s SOF capabilities is part of a wider enhancement of Australia’s special operations helicopter forces.

Today’s Video

Watch: RAFAEL’s SPIKE NLOS Air-Deployable Launcher ? Firing Test

Categories: Defense`s Feeds

UK Tornados Biding Time

Defense Industry Daily - Wed, 02/06/2019 - 04:56

Tornado GR4
(click to view full)

With the retirement of the RAF’s Jaguar fleet, the core of Britain’s land-based tactical air fleet rests in a pair of multinational European fighters. The new Eurofighter Typhoon is one of the top 3 air superiority fighters in the world, and enhancements are finally beginning to give it some precision strike capability. The mainstay of the existing fleet is made up of the British-Italian-German Panavia consortium’s Tornado aircraft, in both F3 air defense and GR4 low-level precision strike configurations.

The F3s are being pushed aside by the Eurofighters, but the GR4s were expected to remain in place until 2025. A 2007 effort added LITENING surveillance and targeting pods, to improve the aircraft’s close air support capabilities on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan. Now a GBP 253 million (about $496 million) “Capability Upgrade Strategy (Pilot)” program seeks to take the next steps, and is intermeshed with the Tornado fleet’s successful ATTAC fixed-price through-life maintenance program…

Tornado GR4
(click to view full)

Under the CUS (P) program, BAE will design, development, integration and embodiment of an upgraded Secure Communications System and the introduction of a Tactical Data Link Capability onto the Tornado GR4 fleet, along with the integration of the Paveway IV laser/GPS guided bomb.

The program will deliver the upgrade in 2 stages.

Tornado CUS (P) Capability A will incorporate the secure communications upgrade, and integrate the troubled Paveway IV bomb that was recently the target of an effective short-term fix. The Paveway II+ bombs are already operating in Afghanistan. The improved secure communications will allow pilots to talk securely to air controllers on the ground, E-3 AWACS and R1 ASTOR surveillance aircraft, and other combat aircraft on the same operation.

The Tornado CUS (P) Capability B release will provide the Tactical Data Link upgrade. Tactical Information Exchange Capability (TIEC) is the project name adopted for the introduction of a common system solution that provides Link 16 and IDM data link communications for Tornado GR4 and Harrier GR9 fleets. TIEC will not use a standard MIDS-LVT black boxes, substituting an equivalent item which is lighter, slightly smaller, and comes in a single box instead of 2 boxes. It also reportedly offers higher bandwidth for information sharing than Link 16 alone.

The design and development of these capability insertions will take place at BAE Systems’ site at Warton. Once they are developed and tested, fleet upgrades will take place as the aircraft are cycled through the Combined Maintenance and Upgrade facility at RAF Marham, as part of the ATTAC maintenance program. The British have found that combining scheduled maintenance and upgrades is an excellent way to save money, and improve the percentage of planes available for use.

Updates

February 6/19: Homecoming The British Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Tornado jets returned home for the last time after almost 40 years in service. The stalwart of Britain’s bomber force since the days of the Cold War carried out its last operational strike on January 26, when a pair of Tornados hit five positions in Syria, all of which were being used by fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The last operational sortie by Tornado GR4s was on January 31. Two Tornados flew an uneventful patrol over Syria, recovering safely to base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus after a mission lasting six and a half hours. The weapons capabilities of the soon-to-retire Tornados are now being delivered by RAF Typhoon jets. The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, multirole fighter designed as an air superiority fighter.

March 30/18: Introducing BriteCloud The British Royal Air Force (RAF) will be the first air force in the world to field the new BriteCloud countermeasure system produced by the Italian company Leonardo. The decoy will be deployed on the Tornado G4 fighter-bomber. BriteCloud is an electronic radar jamming system that can fit into a fighter’s chaff and flare dispenser without modifications and will provide enhanced protection from advanced guided missiles. The countermeasures update comprises an active, expendable decoy which is capable of luring an incoming radar-guided missile away from a host aircraft. The acceptance into service follows a series of tests carried out by the RAF in the United States in June 2017. These live firings saw dozens of BriteCloud decoys launched from Tornado GR4 aircraft by the RAF’s 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron against high-tech radar guidance systems. The RAF’s remaining two squadrons of Tornado GR4s are scheduled to be retired by April 2019, with the type’s capabilities to be assumed by the service’s Eurofighter Typhoons via the Project Centurion activity, and subsequently by the UK’s incoming fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35Bs.

October 26/16: The UK RAF has commenced an operational evaluation of upgrades to their Eurofighter Typhoon, giving it the ground-attack capabilities of their Panavia Tornado GR4 fleet. Enhancements include additional human-machine interface integration and increased air-to-surface targeting capabilities for in-service tranche 2 aircraft, which will contribute to its future role. Munitions to be eventually integrated include MBDA’s Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air and Brimstone 2 air-to-surface missiles as well as the Storm Shadow stand-off air-to-surface missiles. The RAF plans to have the Typhoon take over from the Tornado by the end of 2018.

July 17/15: Two Brimstone ground-attack missiles reportedly detached from a Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 fighter-bomber during landing on Wednesday morning. The aircraft saw a heavy landing at the RAF’s Aktrotiri base in Cyprus, which has been used to launch operations against ISIL in Iraq. The missiles did not detonate and there were not reported injuries.

Nov 25/10: BAE Systems announces that a Tornado GR4 has successfully made its first test flight with the Tactical Information Exchange Capability (TIEC), during a test flight from Warton aerodrome in Lancashire. The airborne Tornado successfully made contact with the supporting E-3D Sentry aircraft and the Tactical Data Link Support Unit at RAF Waddington.

BAE Systems is expected to complete development flying of TIEC on Tornado during 2012. This will lead to Aircraft Design Authority clearance mid 2012 with delivery of an operational capability later that year. Unfortunately, Britain is going to phase out all of its GR4 Tornado aircraft quite early, keeping only a few for use in Afghanistan until 2014-15. BAE Systems.

Additional Readings & Sources

UK MoD (Jan 14/08) – RAF jets to get Â£350M technology boost. The MoD places the Tornado program’s value at GBP 253 million.
BAE Systems (Jan 14/08) – BAE Systems Awarded Â£200m Tornado Capability Upgrade Contract. Also DID conversations with BAE.
DID FOCUS Article – Britain’s Future Contracting for Availability Approach
DID Spotlight – Britain Hammers Out Through-Life Support Framework for Tornado Fleet. Fully implemented. Describes some of the challenges at a front-line level as well, including the need for a “Dirk Gently” approach to maintenance.
DID FOCUS Article – The Wonders of Link 16 For Less: MIDS-LVTs (updated)
DID (Dec 9/07) – My PGM for a Fuze… Paveway-IV Hits Trouble in Britiain

Categories: Defense`s Feeds

Save the date: Capability-Driven Defence Research and Innovation Conference

EDA News - Mon, 02/04/2019 - 14:15

Under the auspices of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Romanian Ministry of National Defence, in cooperation with the European Defence Agency (EDA), organises a conference on the theme of “Capability-Driven Defence Research and Innovation”.

The conference will take place on 26 March 2019 in Bucharest at the Palace of the Parliament venue.

High-level representatives from Ministries of Defence, defence research centres, industry and the European institutions will discuss the present and future opportunities as well as challenges of the Capability Driven Defence Research. The event will showcase the new prioritisation instruments for defence research, technology and innovation, highlight the fusion that can be achieved on research priorities at National and European level and provide an update on the latest developments on the European Defence Fund. Moreover, the conference will provide to participants insights and lessons learned from some of the most successful R&T collaborative research projects which have been implemented under the framework of EDA.

A formal invitation, including the full programme will be available in the coming weeks.

Inquiries regarding the event should be directed to: conference2019@dpa.ro

Categories: Defense`s Feeds, European Union

Navy orders 20 MT7 for LCAC | Kuwait gets support for its Super Hornet | IAI provides India with MRSAM systems

Defense Industry Daily - Mon, 02/04/2019 - 05:00

Americas

The Naval Sea Systems Command Washington awarded Rolls-Royce a $42 million contract modification to procure 20 Marine Turbine (MT7) engines for the Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) 100 Class craft in support of the Ship to Shore program. The LCAC-100 is a new class of landing hovercraft being developed by Textron Marine and Land Systems for the U.S. Navy. The craft are to replace the aging LCACs (landing craft, air cushion) in U.S. service. The LCAC 100 will enhance the US amphibious force’s ship-to-shore capacity with a rated load capacity per craft of 74 short tonnes. LCAC-1s have a 60-short tonne-rated payload. The landing craft was originally designated the Ship-to-Shore Connector and is intended to support the rapid movement of Marine expeditionary forces from naval vessels to shore and will be able to tactically deliver personnel and heavy equipment. The LCAC 100 craft consists of four MT7 turbines. The Rolls-Royce MT7 delivers between 4 to 5 MW and shares common core architecture with the AE1107C-Liberty aero engine that powers the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. Work under the modification includes production of the MT7 engines and delivery to Textron Marine Systems for assembly, and will take place in Indiana. Completion of the work is expected to be in December 2020.

The Navy tapped Raytheon with a $15.9 million contract modification in support of the Zumwalt Class combat systems program office. The modification includes a provisioned items order of DDG 1000 class mission systems equipment interim spares. The DDG 1000 or USS Zumwalt is the lead ship of the Zumwalt class and a multi-mission surface combatant designed to fulfill volume firepower and precision strike requirements. DDG 1000 has a ‘tumblehome’ hull form, a design in which hull slopes inward from above the waterline. This significantly reduces the radar cross section since such a slope returns a much less defined radar image rather than a more hard-angled hull form.The Zumwalt is equipped with two Advanced Gun Systems, which can fire the Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP). LRLAP was originally meant to be one of a range of land attack and ballistic projectiles for the Advanced Gun Systems. However, LRLAP procurement was cancelled in 2016.

The Navy contracted Northrop Grumman $11.3 million for aerial refueling envelope expansion and objective tanker qualification testing in support of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the latest version of the American all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning E-2 Hawkeye aircraft. It features a new avionics suite including the new AN/APY-9 radar, radio suite, mission computer, integrated satellite communications, flight management system, improved T56-A-427A engines, a glass cockpit and planned changes are to enable aerial refueling. Work under the deal will be performed in Maryland and Florida and is scheduled to be completed by January 2021.

Middle East & Africa

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Devision in Maryland contracted Kay and Associates Inc. with a $63 million contract modification to exercise an option for maintenance and support services for F/A-18 C/D and associated equipment in support of the government of Kuwait. Developed by Boeing, the F/A-18 C/D aircraft are the two variants of the F/A-18 Super Hornet, which is a twin-engine, supersonic, all weather multirole fighter jet. The Kuwait Air Force ordered 32 F/A-18C and eight F/A-18D Hornets in 1988. However, the country’s F/A-18C/D fleet is supposed to be replaced by a mix of Super Hornets and Typhoons. Kay and Associates provides maintenance and engineering services to industry and government customers. It offers aircraft maintenance, armament, and rotary-wing weapons systems as well as maintenance and production support services for army tactical and non-tactical ground vehicles and support equipment. Work under the contract, which is expected to be completed by January 2020, takes place at the Almed Al-Jaber Air Base, the Kuwaiti Air Force Headquarters, the Air Insitute/Air Defense Base and the Subhan/Air Defense Base.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) signed deals worth $93 million to provide India with naval Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) systems. The contracts were signed with the Indian Navy and Cochin Shipyard Limited. The company will supply complementary systems for the Indian Navy’s Barak-8 air- and missile-defense system. The MRSAM system is jointly developed by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization in close collaboration with IAI’s Elta, Rafael and additional companies in both countries. It is used by Israel’s navy as well as by India’s naval, air and ground forces. Each MRSAM system includes several state-of-the-art systems such as digital radar, a command and control system, tracking radar, interceptors with advanced homing seekers and mobile launcher systems.

Europe

The Finnish Ministry of Defense received responses from five manufacturers as part of its its Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet replacement program HX-FP. The program envisages an acquisition of 64 aircraft, with the information packages soliciting information on aircraft, training systems, maintenance tools, testing equipment, weapons, and sensors. HX-FP is valued at $8.03 billion. The Air Force wants to retire its fleet of F/A-18 C/D Hornet jets between 2025 and 2029. Sweden, USA, France and Britain made proposals. The aircraft types covered in the proposals are Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin’s F-35, France’s Dassault Rafale, the British-made Eurofighter and the Swedish Saab Gripen. The Saab proposal includes both the single-seat Gripen E and the dual-seat Gripen F versions.

Asia-Pacific

In Russia’s Khabarovsk Region close to the Chinese border, Su-35S fighter jets practiced interception of mock enemy aircraft that violated airspace during the exercise. The pilots trained offensive and defensive maneuvers in a wide range of altitudes and improved their combat skills as part of tactical flight missions. The Sukhoi Su-35 is a single-seat, twin-engine, supermaneuverable aircraft. The introduction of the Su-35S into service with the Russian Air Force is part of Russia’s state armament program for 2011-2020. In January 2016, four of Russia’s Su-35S were deployed for the first time to Syria.

Today’s Video

Watch: USS MICHAEL MONSOOR – FULL CAPABILITY ANALYSIS

Categories: Defense`s Feeds

Navy orders five Fire Scout UAS | Sallyport to provide Iraq F-16 Support | Netherlands roll out first F-35

Defense Industry Daily - Fri, 02/01/2019 - 05:00

Americas

The Navy awarded Northrop Grumman with a $55.1 million contract modification for the procurement of five Fire Scout MQ-8C unmanned air systems (UAS) and two lightweight fuel cells. The Fire Scout is a next-generation, unmanned air system designed to support land and sea-based military operations. It is meant to perform missions including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cargo resupply, and communications relay. It provides naval forces with extended over-the-horizon intelligence-gathering capability. The MQ-8C Fire Scout’s airframe is based on the commercial Bell 407, a mature helicopter with more than 1,400 airframes produced and over 4 million flight hours. The MQ-8C Fire Scout is an upgrade to the existing “B” variant. With a larger airframe and its ability to autonomously take-off and land on any aviation-capable ship, the “C” can fly nearly twice as long and carry three times more payload than its predecessor. On the contract awarded to Northrop, the company will do the work in California, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, and various other US locations and should be finished by August 2021.

Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest contracted RQ Construction Inc. with $41.4 million to design and construct a maintenance hangar in support of the EA-18 Growler aircraft at Naval Air Station in Whidbey, Washington. RQ Construction specializes in design-build projects in federal, public and private markets. The EA-18G Growler is a variant of the F/A-18F Super Hornet and provides tactical jamming and electronic protection to US military forces and allies around the world. The Boeing EA-18G Growler replaced the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler in service with the US Navy. Since 2017 the EA-18Gs are also in service with the Royal Australian Air Force. The Naval Air Station Whidbey Island is the only location where Growler pilots receive training of “touch-and-go” passes that simulate landing on aircraft carriers. The new facility by RQ Construction will provide high-bay space for aircraft maintenance, maintenance shops, and open bay warehouse space for aircraft equipment and administrative spaces. Work will take place in Oak Harbor, Washington, and is expected to be completed by July 2021.

The Navy tapped Nordam Group Inc. with a $7.9 million firm-fixed-priced contract for testing in support of the Super Hornet F/A-18 E-G 11 flight control surfaces. The Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E Super Hornet is a single seat version of the fighter, while the F/A-18F has two seats in tandem. The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm M61 rotary cannon and can carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. Additional fuel can be carried in up to five external fuel tanks and the aircraft can be configured as an airborne tanker by adding an external air refueling system. Work will be performed in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is scheduled to be completed by January 2020.

Middle East & Africa

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center awarded Sallyport Global Holdings a not-to-exceed $375 million contract action to provide base operations support, base life support, and security services in support of the Iraq F-16 program. Sallyport Global provides contingency operation support services to support individuals and business enterprises working in Iraq. The company offers fire and emergency, environmental, power production, protective, operations and maintenance, training, procurement and logistics, and design and constructive services. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics. In September 2010, a possible Foreign Military Sale of 18 F-16IQ aircraft with the associated equipment and services to the newly reformed Iraqi Air Force was made public. Last year the Iraqi Air Force announced, that it will receive 13 additional F-16 aircraft in 2019 bringing the fleet to a total of 34 fighters. Work under the current contract will take place in Balad Air Base, Iraq and is scheduled to be finished by end of January, 2020.

Europe

British Defense Contractor BAE Systems received a contract by the UK Ministry of Defense (MOD) to supply 155mm smoke and illuminating artillery rounds. The deal is valued at $20.9 million. BAE Systems will produce the shell bodies at its UK facility in Washington, England, and assemble the smoke and illuminating artillery rounds into the shells at the Glascoed facility in South Wales. The company will employ the existing Assegai Carrier design developed by German tank manufacturer Rheinmetall for the manufacture of the shell body instead of designing a completely new round. According to BAE Systems, this approach saves time and money. The smoke and illuminating rounds are designed to offer a longer burn duration and intensity. They are utilized in the battlefield for obscuring or lighting during day and night operations.

Lockheed Martin rolled out the first operational F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter for the Netherlands. The aircraft will be temporarily based at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, where it will join the USAF’s 308 Fighter Squadron for international training before being transferred to Leeuwarden in the Netherlands this year. The Royal Netherlands Air Force is procuring the F-35A to replace its Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons. With the first of 37 aircraft set to enter operational service at Leeuwarden later in 2019, the type’s second operating station at Volkel is expected to open in 2021. Until now, more than 360 F-35s have been delivered internationally and are now operating from 16 bases worldwide. Ten nations are flying the F-35, seven countries have F-35s operating from a base on their home soil, five services have declared Initial Operating Capability, and two services have announced their F-35s were utilized in combat operations. According to the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, the F-35 program already generated more than $1 billion in contracts for Netherland’s industry.

Asia-Pacific

Indian President Ram Naht Kovind announced today, that the Indian Air Force is preparing to welcome the Rafale fighter aircraft in its fleet in order of strengthening its strike capabilities. Rafale is a French twin-engine, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. The aircraft is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions. The Rafale was one of six aircraft competing in the Indian Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft competition, which was a competition to supply 126 multirole combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force. In 2012 the Indian Air Force announced Rafale as the preferred bidder. However, this sparked a political controversy. The Congress and other opposition parties have been attacking the government over the Rafale deal, alleging corruption and accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of favoritism. The government has denied the allegations.

Today’s Video

Watch: High Alert! US Navy Spy Plane Intercepted by Russian Su-27 fighter jet over Baltic Sea

Categories: Defense`s Feeds

The New Iraqi Air Force: F-16IQ Block 52 Fighters

Defense Industry Daily - Fri, 02/01/2019 - 04:52

F-16IQ (D)
(click to view full)

Iraq’s military has made significant strides in recent years, and the country is ordering more advanced military equipment to match. A slew of 2008 requests aimed to spend over $10 billion to buy advanced armored vehicles, strengthen its national military supply chain, build new bases and infrastructure for its army, and even buy advanced scout helicopters. Budget shortfalls have stretched out those buys, but that situation is easing, even as Iraq’s air force continues to make progress.

Anxious to complete its transformation and stand fully on its own, Iraq is pushing to begin flying its own fighters within the next couple of years – and is looking to buy American F-16s, rather than the Soviet and French fighters that made up Saddam’s air force.

Iraqi Air Force Evolution

Iraqi T-6A trainers
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Iraq’s purchase of armed scout helicopters was significant, because an Air Force that had once been one of the strongest in the region is currently reduced to few dozen planes and helicopters, with no front-line fighters, or attack helicopters with precision munitions. The ARH order would be a significant step forward in aerial combat power, though they will be employed in the internal anti-terrorist battle rather than acting to secure Iraq’s sovereignty against neighboring countries.

That level of security requires the ability to control the air over one’s own country, which is why the USAF has always planned to remain in Iraq for a number of years as a guarantor. The question that remains is how long they will be able to remain as a guarantor, and when Iraq will have an air force that can realistically assume even minimum-level air policing duties.

Iraq is slowly building its fighter force from the ground up. Cessna light planes serve as primary trainers, and some of the larger Cessna 208B Caravans have been modified to perform surveillance or even combat strike roles. T-6A Texan II turboprops serve for the next level of fighter training. After that, Iraq’s pilots have to go to the USA, to train on supersonic T-38 Talons. That will change when Iraq receives its own advanced jet trainers in 2015, and their selection of the L-159 ensures that these jet trainers will also end up serving a secondary combat role. “Iraq’s New Trainers: The Czech Is On The Way” has more coverage of Iraq’s choices.

USAF F-16s, Iraq
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In terms of its front-line fighters, its chosen F-16IQ Block 52s show a pattern of slight downgrades from the more advanced F-16C/D Block 52 base systems. The official export request’s determined avoidance of sophisticated air to ground weapons like GPS-guided JDAMs, or advanced air-to-air missiles, also seems designed to assuage regional fears. The net effect seems cleverly calibrated to give Iraq an air defense force that can handle aging threats from Syria or Iran relatively well, and perform strike missions within Iraq, without being a serious threat to more advanced air forces in the region. Regional memories among its Arab neighbors, as well as Israeli concerns, make that a smart starting point. Upgrades can always take place later, and the F-16IQs have at least some of the equipment required to handle more advanced weapons.

First flight took place in May 2014, and the 1st delivery of 2 planes is scheduled for September 2014, with at least 2 arriving every month thereafter. All 36 ordered fighters are expected to arrive by the end of 2015.

Even delivery of working fighter jets only represents a first step, rather than a solution. The 2010 formal DSCA request was just the beginning of a process that can take between 4 – 10 years from request to full operational capability, and Iraq is likely to fall somewhere in the middle. There’s much more involved than just flying a plane. For starters, Iraq will also need to implement and stand up radar surveillance and command and control capabilities, in order to tie its fighters into a working system. Then there’s the need for effective maintenance and support, something the Iraqis have had trouble executing with platforms that are much less complicated than an F-16. Not to mention training in an Iraqi environment so that everyone is on the same page, and effective parallel training of critical and difficult jobs like Forward Air Controller troops in the Army.

Local efforts should be possible some time in 2015, but realistically, Iraq won’t be able to enforce national air sovereignty before 2016 at the very earliest. A number of analysts have believed for some time that it will be years later than that, and effective close air support will take longer still. If it ever happens at all.

Contracts and Key Events 2014 – 2019

1st flight, 1st F-16IQ delivered, but they won’t go to Iraq; F-16s won’t solve Iraq’s core problem.

February 1/19: Support for Iran The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center awarded Sallyport Global Holdings a not-to-exceed $375 million contract action to provide base operations support, base life support, and security services in support of the Iraq F-16 program. Sallyport Global provides contingency operation support services to support individuals and business enterprises working in Iraq. The company offers fire and emergency, environmental, power production, protective, operations and maintenance, training, procurement and logistics, and design and constructive services. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics. In September 2010, a possible Foreign Military Sale of 18 F-16IQ aircraft with the associated equipment and services to the newly reformed Iraqi Air Force was made public. Last year the Iraqi Air Force announced, that it will receive 13 additional F-16 aircraft in 2019 bringing the fleet to a total of 34 fighters. Work under the current contract will take place in Balad Air Base, Iraq and is scheduled to be finished by end of January, 2020.

February 21/18: Planned Deliveries The Iraqi Air Force will receive 13 additional F-16 aircraft in 2019, bringing to 34 the number of fighters operated by the service. Quoted by the Arabic-language satellite TV channel Al-Hurra, Brig. Gen. Andrew Croft, deputy air commander of CJTF-OIR’s land component said that the new aircraft will increase Baghdad’s capabilities in eliminating terrorist organizations and will be strengthened by International training, scheduled to take place at Balad Air Base. In January, Sallyport Global was awarded a $400 million foreign military sale (FMS) contract to support Iraq’s F-16 mission at Balad, with work to include comprehensive life and logistics support, security, construction, and base operation support services up until January 2019.

February 1/18: Contracts-Support Iraq’s F-16 fighter program has received a $400 million contract that covers the provision of base operations support, base life support, and security services in support, to be undertaken by Sallyport Global Holdings. Awarded by the USAF on Monday, work will support F-16-related contractor personnel at Balad Air Base, Iraq, running until January 30, 2019. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $196,000,000 will be obligated at the time of the award.

November 07/17: The Iraqi Air Force has received delivery of three additional F-16 fighter aircraft, bringing the number of the aircraft currently operated by Baghdad to 17. A total of 36 F-16s were ordered back in 2014 at a cost of $2 billion, although two have subsequently crashed during the training of Iraqi pilots in the US. The most recent arrivals touched down at Balad airbase, north of the capital Baghdad.

July 21/17: The US Air Force has awarded Textron Aviation Defense a $8.8 million contract to refurbish 15 T-6A Texan II training aircraft for the Iraqi Air Force. Work on the foreign military sale will be conducted at Inman Ali Air Base in Iraq, with a completion date scheduled for the second quarter of 2018 in order to meet Iraq’s demand for F-16 pilots in 2019. The light turboprop training aircraft serves as the main training platform for Iraqi pilots operating its main fleet of F-16IQ Block 52 fighters.

August 10/16: Iraq’s Defense Ministry has received delivery of its latest batch of four F-16 fighters. This brings to eight the number of fighters operational out of 36 promised by the US government. The sale goes toward bolstering the country’s growing air force fleet, replacing older Su-25s, in the government’s fight against the Islamic State.

March 2/15: Iraqi fighter pilots will continue to be trained in Tucson, Arizona after the Air Force gave a one year extension of Iraq pilot training. The $32 million deal will see Lockheed Martin continue the training of F-16 pilots until the end of February 2017. Baghdad has build up its fleet of F-16s in recent years, with 18 bought in 2011 and a further 18 purchased in 2014. The first pilots arrived in Tucson back in November 2014.

July 10/15: In response to recent reports in the Iraqi press, the US Embassy in Baghdad has stated that the country’s F-16IQ Block 52 fighters due for delivery will not be based in Jordan, as claimed by an Iraqi MP earlier this week. Embassy officials stated that the claims were “completely false”, with the F-16s set to operate out of Balad Air Force base, the location of recent intense fighting. The delivery of three Iraqi Air Force F-16s to the base was hampered by security concerns, with the aircraft instead delivered to Arizona for training.

Nov 10/14: Delivery. The situation around Balad remains unsettled enough (q.v. June 30/14) that the US government is going to deliver Iraq’s F-16s to Tucson, AZ instead. Pentagon spokesman Col. Steven Warren:

“We are going to deliver three F-16s to Tucson in December… then one per month after that through May for a total of eight F-16s. We expect the Iraqi pilots will begin flying their own aircraft for continuation training beginning in January…. All maintenance for the F-16s will be provided by [contracted] logistic support…. So they’re continuing their training, but instead of training using U.S. training aircraft they will now use their own aircraft in Tucson.”

The training will be better, but it does delay the existence of a serious air sovereignty force in Iraq. It also gives the USA some extra leverage over Iraq, via its decisions about delivery. Sources: Pentagon, “Iraqi Pilots to Train on Iraqi-purchased F-16s in Arizona”.

July 4/14: Training. Delivery isn’t the only problem for Iraq. From Stars and Stripes, “Iraq lacks ability to fly F-16s it seeks, US trainer says”:

“Twelve of the 18 Iraqi pilots undergoing F-16 training are at an Air Force facility in Tucson. Two have advanced to the final stage and should be certified to fly as lead pilots in mid-August, according to Tom Fox, a civilian government employee who manages the F-16 training program.

Six others have qualified as wingmen who would accompany the lead pilot in separate planes, and four are in basic training, Fox said. The plan is to train a total of 54 pilots. Fox said Iraq was having trouble paying the agreed-upon price for the training, so the Air Force created a payment plan to make it more affordable and keep it on track.”

June 30/14: Civil war delay. As the Iraqi government’s authority collapses in the north, it has affected F-16 delivery. From the Pentagon, “U.S. Continues Military Aid to Iraqi Government”:

“While the department hasn’t placed any restrictions on the F-16 aircraft delivery process in Iraq, [US Defense Department spokesman Army Col. Steven] Warren said, the relocation of contractors from Balad will cause some impact. Advances by ISIL militants triggered the evacuation of contractors from the air base.

“I don’t have a specific timeline for how the relocation of contractors from Balad will affect the delivery of the F-16. It certainly will,” he said. “These contractors were part of the process; they’re no longer operating in Balad.”

June 5/14: Delivery. The 1st F-16IQ is formally delivered to Iraq at a ceremony in Fort Worth, TX. A group of 3-4 jets will be ferried to Iraq before the end of 2014. Reuters:

“Lockheed said the Iraqi order would keep the F-16 production line running through late 2017, but it continues to bid for new orders in hopes of continuing production through 2020.”

Sources: Reuters, “Lockheed to deliver first of 36 F-16s to Iraq this week”.

Delivery

May 7/14: 1st flight. Lockheed Martin successfully completes the 1st flight of the Iraq Air Force’ inaugural F-16IQ Fighting Falcon. Pictures show that it’s a 2-seat F-16D derivative. Sources: Lockheed Martin, “First Iraqi F-16 Completes First Flight”.

1st flight

May 1/14: On the ground… A Wall Street Journal report offers a poor review of the Iraqi military’s performance, citing desertion, poor logistics, and insufficient support. Prime Minister Maliki’s policies of ethnic division haven’t exactly helped, and the conflict next door in Syria ensures that many Sunnis are returning home with even more battle experience. Close air support is especially problematic:

“In January, Gen. Dulaimi says, he was passing through a dense urban area of Ramadi in a column of nearly 50 Humvees, tanks and armored cars. They were ambushed by what he describes as hundreds of militants carrying machine guns, grenade launchers and improvised explosives…. [but] he was told that there were no airplanes capable of operating at night…. After nearly five hours, Baghdad sent a Russian-made prop plane loaded with two missiles—its maximum capacity. One of the missiles landed a direct hit, scattering the antigovernment commandos.”

The prop plane was almost certainly a very American AC-208 Combat Caravan, but it illustrates the problem. The other bad news is that even the arrival of F-16s isn’t going to help in the near term. The difficulty of conducting close air support without killing your own troops or making even more local enemies goes up sharply at the F-16’s high subsonic speeds, and even fancy gadgets like Sniper ATP surveillance and targeting pods won’t replace trained Forward Air Controllers on the ground and long experience working together. Sources: WSJ, “Fledgling Iraqi Military Is Outmatched on Battlefield: On Eve of Elections, Demoralized Army Is Losing Fight Against Islamist Militants” | See also: Defense One, “Iraq’s Elections Setting Up ‘Worst Case Scenario’ “.

2012 – 2013

Iraq buys 2nd batch of 18; F-16 ancillary orders placed.

L-3’s F-16 sim
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Oct 25/13: In an interview with Reuters, Deputy National Security Adviser Safa al-Sheikh Hussein continues to press for F-16s, and adds a newer request: drones. Apparently “al Qaeda insurgents… are making swift advances in the west of the Iraq,” though a more cynical observer might say that their growing problem is the logical outcome of a consistent “we win, you lose” anti-Sunni approach by Iraq’s government. At any rate, Hussein says:

“The first thing the Prime Minister will ask for is to accelerate the processes for the shipment of drones and F-16s…. The initial response from the U.S. was positive, but it depends on the delivery time. We want them immediately… [but] Iraq will not die if it doesn’t get American weapons. Many countries are offering military equipment”

This last assertion is true, to a point. If they want Medium Altitude, Long-Endurance drones, the field shrinks once you step beyond the USA and Israel. If you want armed UAVs, the field shrinks to almost nothing. Fortunately for Iraq, the last couple of years have seen major steps forward in the MALE UAV field. Neighboring Turkey’s new Anka is unproven, and just lost its engine when China’s AVIC bought Thielert. Nearby in the UAE, the unarmed Predator XP-1 joint venture is still American enough to create problems if the USA demurs; but ADCOM’s United 40 is available and intriguing, albeit unproven. Italy’s Selex ES can offer Falco drones, which serve with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UN, but offer just 8-14 hour endurance; Falco EVO reportedly boosts that to 18 hours, which is more acceptable. Piaggio-Selex can add the larger P.1HH Hammerhead UAV, based on a civil aircraft and offering both heavier payloads and high-speed coverage. Then there’s France’s Sagem. Their glider-derived Patroller-R model’s 20 – 30 hour endurance is extremely well suited to border patrol, and its low payload isn’t an issue in that application. Sources: Reuters, “Iraq to press U.S. on drones, F-16s to fight al Qaeda”.

Sept 16/13: Training. L-3 Link Simulation & Training announces a contract modification to build the Iraqi Air Force 2 F-16 Block 52 Weapon Tactics Trainers (WTTs), 2 brief/debrief systems and 1 mission observation center, which will accompany the 2 Full Mission Trainers (FMTs, q.v. Feb 28/13) they’re already under contract for.

F-16 Block 52 FMT #1 is expected to be operational at Balad Air Base, Iraq during Q1 2015, with the rest of the systems ready to go by Q4 2015. The WTTs are a full cockpit simulator, without the FMT’s full motion simulation and 360 degree view. Instead, they’re more like a realistic cockpit with a screen up front. You can network the 2 simulator types, however, which will allow the Iraqis to train cooperative missions of up to 4 pilots. Sources: L-3, Sept 16/13 release.

Aug 2/13: Training. The Royal Jordanian Air Academy in Amman, Jordan has been issued a $29.4 million task order to pay for English language and technical training to Iraqi Air Force students. Training will be at the Royal Jordanian Air Academy, and is expected to be complete by Aug 8/14.

The US Air Education and Training Command Contracting Squadron/LGCI (International Contracting Flight) at Randolph Air Force Base, TX acts as Iraq’s agent (FA3002-12-D-0006, #0006).

Aug 5/13: The US DSCA announces Iraq’s official request to import an Integrated Air Defense System of surface-to-air missiles, ground radars, command and control, etc. Fulfillment of the $2.4 billion request is critical, if Iraq wants to give its small F-16 fleet any chance of enforcing its aerial sovereignty. Read “Iraq’s New Integrated Air Defense System” for full coverage.

June 10/13: Radars. Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems in Linthicum Heights, MD receives a maximum $115 million firm-fixed-price contract to provide 38 AN/APG-68(V)9 radar systems: 16 for the Royal Thai Air Force and 22 for the Republic of Iraq. This foreign military sale also includes spares for F-16 operators Egypt, Morocco, and Pakistan.

The 22 radars would equip the 2nd ordered squadron, with 4 left over for spares.

This is a sole-source buy, as it must be, and $51.4 million is committed immediately. Work will be performed in Linthicum, MD, and is expected to be complete by Dec 20/17. The USAF Life Cycle Management Center/WWMK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, acts as the FMS agent for these orders (FA8615-13-C-6018).

April 2013: SIGIR report. The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction’s quarterly report [PDF] discusses Iraq’s F-16 fleet. Lieutenant General Robert Caslen, Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq (OSC-I), had this to say:

“The two F-16 cases are designed to bring 18 aircraft each, with the first delivery of two planes scheduled for September 2014. Two will arrive every month thereafter, completing delivery by the end of 2015. Iraq would like them all today. They have given me a letter requesting acceleration, but they understand that we are accelerating as fast as we can. We were in the process of building the airbase infrastructure at al-Assad, and then they switched to Balad. That slowed things down. The F-16 cases, from a production standpoint, are on track. Pilot training is on track. We had some hiccups on pilot training – a couple of guys washed out – but we’re on track now.”

April 30/13: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Corp. in Fort Worth, TX receives an $830 million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification for 18 more F-16IQs and associated support equipment, technical orders, integrated logistics support, contractor logistics support and “an electronic warfare system” (Raytheon ACES or ITT AIDEWS, per the Dec 12/11 DSCA request).

$406.7 million is committed immediately, and work will be performed in Fort Worth, TX with an expected completion date of December 2018 [Pentagon May 6/13 correction]. Iraq knows what it wants, so these contracts are sole-sourced buys, with the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WWMK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH acting as Iraq’s FMS agent (FA8615-12-C-6012, PO 0008). Some contracts for ancillary equipment may be competed, but those are handled as separate buys anyway. Recall that the DSCA export request’s total was up to $2.3 billion, with exact numbers to be settled through negotiations.

18 more F-16IQs

Feb 18/13: Training. Iraq becomes L-3 Link’s 11th export customer for F-16 training simulators, via an order for 2 full F-16 Block 52 simulators with HD World and Simusphere HD-9 technologies. Iraq’s simulators will also incorporate L-3’s simulated Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, which is worn by the pilot, and “a geo-specific visual system database of Iraq.” The US military has certainly visited often enough, so you’d expect them to have that part down pat.

The simulators will be built at L-3’s Arlington, TX facility. No delivery date was given, but the simulators’ importance for training Iraqi pilots makes that date information worth knowing. L-3 Communications.

Dec 17/12: Support. BAE Systems announces 2 contracts from Indonesia and Iraq valued at nearly $63 million. They’ll provide F-16 support equipment, test systems, and spares from their Fort Worth, Texas facility by early 2014.

BAE Systems has delivered more than 25,000 support equipment and test systems to more than 24 countries worldwide, and is working hard to carve out a niche in F-16 upgrades as well. Like their rival Lockheed Martin, BAE has a strong regional network, and they will work hard to develop their regional relationship with Iraq.

Nov 29/12: Sniper ATP. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Orlando, FL receives a $31.9 million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, time and material contract to supply Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods for the Iraq Air Force. This is the 1st Iraqi order, and it may just be a sum to get production started, rather than the full amount. Combined, Iraq’s 2 DSCA requests would let them order up to 40 pods.

Work will be performed in Orlando, FL, and is expected to be complete by July 2015. It’s a Foreign Military Sale transaction, so the AFLCMC/WNKCB at Robins Air Force Base, GA manages the contract for their Iraqi client (FA8540-13-C-0008).

Oct 18/12: 18 more? Acting Defense Minister Sadoun al-Dulaimi tells Reuters that Iraq has signed a contract for another 18 F-16IQs, on the same terms as the initial 18-plane buy. He adds all of Iraq’s F-16s are expected to arrive before the end of 2018.” Confirmation has been sketchy so far, beyond Reuters.

Duliami reportedly added that Iraq was also talking with American officials about buying air defense systems and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. That’s an interesting comment, because Iraq just bought Russian counterparts to those systems. Reuters | Iran’s Press TV.

Aug 22/12: The Pentagon says Iraq’s F-16IQs will begin arriving in 2014. Defense News | DoD Buzz.

July 24/12: F-16s, Batch 1. Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, TX receives a $199.3 million firm-fixed-price, time-and-material, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to finish providing the government of Iraq with 18 F-16IQ fighters, plus support equipment, technical orders, integrated logistics support, and contractor logistics support. Lockheed Martin confirms that this figure is added to the $835 million Dec 5/11 contract, and not the beginning of a 2nd F-16 order.

Note that even those 2 contracts’ combined $1.03 billion (about $57.5 million per fighter) leaves out important items like $45 million for radars (vid. March 14/12), and other “government furnished equipment” add-ons. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, TX, and will run to May 30/18. The ASC/WWMK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (FA8615-12-C-6012).

July 13/12: DB-110. Goodrich Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems in Westford, MA received a $71.5 million firm-fixed-price, time and materials, and cost-reimbursable, unfinalized contract action/letter contract for 4 DB-110 reconnaissance pod systems, for use on Iraq’s F-16IQ fighters. The amount involved suggests a substantial training, infrastructure, and service component, in addition to the pods; Oman’s cost for its same-day 4-pod contract was just $34.3 million.

Goodrich’s exportable derivative of the U-2 spy plane’s SYERS cameras offer 3 separate optical fields of view, and the pod has been ordered by 12 customers: Britain (Tornado), Egypt (F-16 C/D), Iraq (F-16C/D), Japan (P-3), Morocco (F-16C/D), Poland (F-16 C/D), Oman (F-16C/D), Pakistan (F-16C/D), Saudi Arabia (F-15S), the UAE (F-16E/F), and the USA. The DB-110 can be operated autonomously on F-16s, controlled by the pod’s reconnaissance management system, while imagery is viewed on the cockpit video display. Iraq’s Dec 15/10 and Nov 14/11 DSCA requests each specified up to 4 pods, as a competition between BAE’s AARS and Goodrich’s DB-110. The DB-110 appears to have won, and it’s a fairly high-end system to export to any country that’s a security concern. Then again, Pakistan and Egypt already operate them.

Work is to be complete by Sept 30/18. The ASC/WINK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract on behalf of its Foreign Military Sale client.

March 14/12: Radars. Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems in Linthicum Heights, MD receives an $87.8 million dollar firm-fixed-price Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program contract, to provide 43 AN/APG-68v9 radar systems to the Republic of Iraq (22), the Royal Air Force of Oman (15), and the Royal Thai Air Force (6). Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, MD, and is expected to be complete by March 3/15. The ASC/WWMK at Wright Patterson AFB, OH manages this contract (FA8615-12-C-6047).

The AN/APG-68v9 is the standard radar for new F-16C/D aircraft. Northrop Grumman cites a 33% increase in air-to-air detection range over earlier versions, plus ground-looking synthetic aperture radar with mapping and 2-foot point target response. They also claim that the radar’s reduced weight, power, and cooling help contribute to 25%-45% lower support costs, though their baseline comparison for those costs isn’t clear.

Jan 20/12: Training begins. Gannett’s Military Times reports that:

“The first of the Iraqi pilots that will learn how to fly F-16s recently arrived in Tucson with the 162nd Fighter Wing, an Air National Guard unit that specializes in training foreign pilots to fly F-16s, said wing spokesman Maj. Gabe Johnson. The Iraqi pilot is slated to start the academic part of his training on Jan. 23 followed by hands-on flying from February through September, Johnson said.”

2011

Iraq delays F-16 contract, then issues it. Iraq requests another 18 F-16s. So, what’s that backup option?

USAF F-16 w. AIM-9L/M
fires AGM-65D Maverick
(click to view full)

Dec 12/11: 2nd Squadron Request. The US DSCA announces [PDF] Iraq’s request for what amounts to a 2nd operational squadron of F-16IQs, plus weapons. The request for 18 more fighters would bring Iraq’s total to 36, but unlike their initial December 2010 request, the figure given is up to $2.3 billion, instead of $4.2 billion; 1st-time sales are always more expensive.

Also included: site survey support equipment, Joint Mission Planning System, Ground Based Flight Simulator, tanker support, ferry services, Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices (CAD/PAD), repair and return, modification kits, spares and repair parts, construction, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics support services, ground based flight simulator, and other related support. Along with the F-16s and support, Iraq is interested in:

24 F100-PW-229 or F110-GE-129 Increased Performance Engines. There are strong signs that the initial buy will use the F100-PW-229s from Pratt & Whitney, but a number of air forces fly a mix of both engines, including Egypt & South Korea. Time will tell.
24 APG-68v9 radar sets, the most modern radar available in Block 50 aircraft;
20 pairs of Conformal Fuel Tanks, which mount along the back/top of the F-16;
20 AN/ARC-238 Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System radios;
120 of VSI’s Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) helmet-mounted displays. The previous request hadn’t included them, and 120 is a very significant number. It may serve as an early indicator that Iraq is looking at an all F-16 fleet for its 6 planned squadrons.
20 AN/APX-113 Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF) Systems (without Mode IV)
22 ITT ALQ-211 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suites (AIDEWS); or Raytheon Advanced Countermeasures Electronic Systems (ACES), including the ALQ-187 Electronic Warfare System and AN/ALR-93 Radar Warning Receiver. The previous DSCA request had only specified ACES;
22 AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispensing Systems (CMDS);
20 Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), using Standard Positioning Service (SPS) commercial code only

On the weapons front, the request includes:

19 M61 20mm Vulcan Cannons
10,000 rounds PGU-27A/B target practice 20mm ammunition
30,000 rounds PGU-28 SAPHEI (semi-armor piercing high explosive incendiary) 20mm ammunition
120 LAU-129/A Common Rail Launchers, which fit the F-16’s wingtips. They can be used with all AIM-9 missiles including the AIM-9X, and with the AIM-120 AMRAAM;
100 AIM-9L/M-8/9 Raytheon Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. These missiles are effective, and the AIM-9M missiles are still in widespread American use, but they’re a generation behind the current AIM-9X;
150 AIM-7M-F1/H Raytheon Sparrow Missiles. A couple of generations behind current beyond visual range air-to-air missiles. They lack the current AM-120 AMRAAM’s independent radar guidance and other improvements;
Undetermined number of LAU-117 Maverick launchers;
50 AGM-65D/G/H/K Raytheon Maverick Air to Ground Missiles;
230 MK-84 2000 lb. bombs;
800 MK-82 500 lb. bombs;
200 GBU-12 Paveway-II laser guided 500 lb. bombs;
50 GBU-10 Paveway-II laser guided 2,000 lb. bombs;
50 GBU-24 Paveway-III laser guided 2,000 lb. bombs with longer glide range and a “bunker busting” warhead;
20 Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper or NGC AN/AAQ-28 LITENING advanced surveillance and targeting pods. As noted earlier, almost certain to be Sniper;
4 BAE F-9120 Advanced Airborne Reconnaissance Systems (AARS) or Goodrich DB-110 Reconnaissance Pods.

Potential contractors include:

BAE Advanced Systems in Greenlawn, NY
Boeing Corporation in Seattle, WA
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in St Louis, MO; Long Beach, CA; and San Diego, CA
Raytheon Company in Lexington, MA; and Goleta, CA
Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, TX
Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control in Dallas, TX
Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support in Fort Worth, TX
Northrop-Grumman Electro-Optical Systems in Garland, TX
Northrop-Grumman Electronic Systems in Baltimore, MD
Pratt & Whitney United Technology Company in East Hartford, CT
General Electric Aircraft Engines in Cincinnati, OH
Goodrich ISR Systems in Danbury, CT
L3 Communications in Arlington, TX
ITT Defense Electronics and Services in McLean, VA
Symetrics Industries in Melbourne, FL

Iraqi Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Anwar Amin has admitted that the 1st F-16IQs won’t be operational before 2015 at the earliest, and USAF adviser Col. Steve Burgh adds that recruiting and training Iraqi pilots who can speak English, which has become the international language of aviation, remains a big challenge. Implementation of this particular proposed sale will require multiple trips to Iraq involving U.S. Government and contractor representatives for technical reviews/support, program management, and training over a period of 15 years. Agence France Presse | Fort Worth Star-Telegram | Stars & Stripes | Wall St. Journal [subscription].

F-16 request #2

Dec 5/11: Well, those mystery aircraft are still a mystery. But the initial funding for the F-16 sale isn’t. Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, TX receives an $835 million firm-fixed-price, time-and-material and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for 12 F-16C and 6 F-16D Block 52 base aircraft, plus support equipment, technical orders, integrated logistics support, and contractor logistics support.

There are still other expensive parts like Pratt & Whitney engines (tipped by the “Block 52” designation), Northrop Grumman radars, etc., still to be bought, and modifications to be made to bring the planes to F-16IQ Block 52 status – unless those are covered by the “technical orders”. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, TX, and the contract runs to May 30/18. The ASC/WWMK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages this contract, as an agent for the government of Iraq (FA8615-12-C-6012).

Nov 4/11: Two separate Arabic reports by the Al-Baghdadeya satellite channel shed more light on Iraq’s timelines and plans. One quotes Iraq’s parliamentary Commission on Security and Defence, saying that Prime Minister Maliki will be pressing the USA for accelerated F-16 delivery by 2013, and denying any existing deals to lease further aircraft from the USA or elsewhere.

The other report quotes the same committee, which says that Iraq will need at least 6 fighter squadrons in order to exert full control of its airspace. That works out to about 78-96 aircraft, depending on how they choose to define squadrons. Absent foreign help, that will take some time.

Nov 14/11: Iraqi Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee Chair Hassan Sinead had an interesting teaser for us all. Translated from URA Agency’s report [in Arabic]:

“The next week will see the flight of military aircraft to Iraq since 2003, as part of our national armament efforts for the protection of Iraqi airspace.” Sinead did not mention any other details about the quality of the aircraft, saying only: “you will see next week.”

DJ Elliott, who compiles the Iraqi Order of Battle, had these thoughts regarding the possibilities:

1. Mirage F1s in storage in France.
2. Obsolete MiGs in Serbia [I hope not]
3. Iran returning some Fighters [unlikely]
4. Salvage [unlikely]
5. Loaned from US
6. Not a “Fighter” but instead just a Jet [E.G. the Czech L159s? This is my bet.]

DID agreed with his top-odds pick, and that eventually came true. The deal had been in the works for some time, and L-159s were just the next step up from Iraq’s fielded T-6 trainers, but they can carry a wide array of aerial and ground attack weapons. We saw stored Mirage F1s as the 2nd most likely option, since there may be Iraqi pilots who have flown them before, a critical requirement for a true stopgap. Loaned F-16s from the USA are certainly possible, with the proviso that pilot training requirements mean they won’t be effective for a year or so. The one “instant delivery” option we might add is a loan from Gulf Cooperation Council countries: a handful of Mirage 2000-9s from UAE (same issues as F-16), or retiring Tornado F3 Air Defense Variant fighters from Saudi Arabia. The latter could even come with Saudi pilots in one of the fighter’s 2 seats; it wouldn’t be the first time foreign pilots have flown for a Mideast air force.

Greek F-16D Block 52s
(via EPA: click to view full)

Sept 28/11: The Pentagon confirms that Iraq has an F-16 contract:

“The Iraqi government has transferred its first payment for 18 F-16C fighter aircraft, bringing Iraq closer to independently securing its airspace, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said yesterday… The fighters are the block 50/52 variant of the aircraft…”

Other reports place that payment’s value at $1.5 billion, and Defense News says that this will extend the F-16’s production line to 2015. US DoD | Defense News | Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Sky Talk | Iran’s PressTV | Voice of America. See also Reuters: “Iraqi Air Defense: A Work in Progress.”

18 F-16s

Sept 14/11: The USAF doesn’t quite confirm a deal, but they do give the strongest indication to date that one is close. Maj. Gen. Russell J. Handy, the commander of the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq and director of Air Component Coordination Element-Iraq:

“I do not have any word yet that a letter of offer and acceptance is signed, but as you probably know, we did have a senior member of the Iraqi government visit Washington… Everyone that I talk to at every level of government in Iraq is convinced that that is the right approach for them. And so we’re very encouraged by those words, and we feel that we’re very close to them signing that letter of offer and acceptance… They are seeking to buy a larger number of F-16s than they had originally — up to 36… This first letter of offer and acceptance is for 18 of them … we hope to hear very soon that’s signed, but no final word yet on that.”

July 30/11: Aswat-al-Iraq:

“Iraqi premier Nouri al-Maliki announced today the 36 fighters deal with USA. In a press conference, following the parliamentary meeting of today, he declared that he signed a contract to develop Iraqi Air Force by buying 36 F16 fighters. This announcement denotes that Iraq has doubled the fighters deal from 18 to 36 planes, which shall be financed from the increasing oil revenues.”

Accounts differ slightly, with other reports mentioning only documents that revived negotiations, rather than a signed contract. There is no clarity at press time, though it’s worth noting that Lockheed Martin has not made any announcement. Defense News | Reuters.

July 11-12/11: After the Wall Street Journal reports that negotiations have started up again for F-16 fighters and air defense systems, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh denies it. He reiterates that the F-16 plan is postponed, not canceled, due to budget issues. WSJ | Bloomberg.

Feb 16/11: Iraq is shifting the $900 million down payment on F-16s into food aid support, as global currency devaluation, a long global cycle of under-investment in farming, and some event-related shocks conspire to create significant inflation in global food prices. That has already led to significant unrest in many middle eastern countries. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has said that 6 million Iraqis out of a population of around 31 – 32 million possessed food ration permits, and pledged to increase spending on that program from $3 billion to $4 billion.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali Dabbagh has now stated that the F-16 money has been diverted toward improving food ration subsidies, and finance committee member Mohammed Khalil has confirmed it, adding that Iraq’s projected budget deficit of $13.3 billion ($68.56 billion revenues – $81.86 billion spending) also played a role in the decision.

That deficit’s size suggests that the F-16s won’t be replaced by a cheaper option like Mirage F1s, either, which creates some large long-term questions regarding Iraq’s defenses and foreign military presences. One option might be to station Gulf Co-operation Council country fighters at Iraqi bases, which would surely represent a seismic reversal from the Saddam years. Another option might be to have NATO assume air policing duties, as a fig leaf that could keep a substantial US presence. Middle East Online | Agence France Presse.

Jan 27/11: The French Ambassador to Iraq, Boris Boillon, confirms that France is proposing a deal for 18 Mirage fighters. The planes are not Mirage 2000s, however, but retrofitted Mirage F1s. Iraq operated that type before the US invasion, and had 18 ordered aircraft impounded by France as part of the international sanctions regime. Morocco operates an upgraded variant, the Mirage F1 MF2000, which may provide some guidance regarding potential retrofits. The planes are reportedly being offered for EUR 733 million ($997 million), or about 1/4 the price of 18 new F-16IQs.

Ambassador Boillon cited that price when he presented the French deal as a complementary option, rather than a competing choice. Tactical Report, on the other hand, contends that Iraqi Air Force Lt-Gen. Anwar Ameen prefers the Mirage 2000v9. The UAE is the only operator of that type, and wants France to buy back its fleet in return for a deal covering new Rafale fighters. Expatica France | Tactical Report | UPI.

Jan 26/11: Iraqi Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh tells a press conference that the Council of Ministers has approved the purchase of 18 F-16s, and budgeted an unspecified sum, thought to be a $900 million down payment. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki who is also the acting Defense Minister, would negotiate the deal’s final parameters. There has been talk of a $13 billion weapons buy, which would include the existing DSCA request for F-16IQs, but no confirmation as yet. The USA will reportedly deliver the F-16s to Iraq within 2-3 years, but in the meantime, and even for some time thereafter, Iraq will not be able to police its own airspace effectively. Iraq Order of Battle author DJ Elliott believes that 2018 would be the earliest date.

The F-16 is not Iraq’s only option. France is offering Mirage F1s, and DJ Elliott reports that the Iraqis may also be looking at a 3rd option: China & Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder. The JF-17 fills the same lower cost, non-interfering seller requirement as the Mirages, but offers a more modern aircraft than the Mirage F1, from an Islamic vendor. Al-Sumaria News [in Arabic] | Iraq-Business News | Saudi Arab News re: Iraqi readiness | DJ Elliott re: Iraqi readiness.

2008 – 2010

Iraq mulls its fighter options, but there will be a big gap; F-16 request.

French Mirage F1s
(click to view full)

Dec 14/10: Aswat al-Iraq reports that Iraq’s Council of Ministers authorized the government to negotiate with the USA to buy 6 F-16s, and also authorized the minister also to continue negotiations with the French side to buy 18 Mirage 2000 jets as of 2012. Nearby, the UAE also flies this mix, and both aircraft are popular with countries in the Gulf region.

The composition of this set appears to indicate an interim buy, and there is some question regarding the accuracy of the Mirage designation. Continued negotiations could also involve the 18 Mirage F1s that Iraq ordered under Saddam, but France never delivered. France has sold used Mirage 2000s to other countries as well, vid. Brazil, and it may be in their interest to offer the Iraqis an aircraft that could become the foundation for a longer term force split. The UAE is looking to replace its Mirage 2000v9 fleet, which is very advanced by most standards, but they have asked Dassault to buy back their Mirage fleet in exchange for a Rafale sale. An Iraqi Air Force that’s already flying Mirage 2000s, and looking for a good price, would offer a natural option for some kind of 3-way deal. Time will tell.

Sept 15/10: The US DSCA announces [PDF] Iraq’s formal request to buy 18 “F-16IQ” fighters and assorted weapons, at a cost of up to $4.2 billion. Items requested show a pattern of slight downgrades, alongside advanced base Block 50/52 systems. Its determined avoidance of sophisticated air to ground weapons like GPS-guided JDAMs, or advanced air-to-air missiles, seems designed to assuage regional fears. The exact agreed-upon official request includes:

18 F-16IQ aircraft;
24 F100-PW-229 or F110-GE-129 Increased Performance Engines;
24 APG-68v9 radar sets, the most modern radar available in Block 50 aircraft;
20 pairs of Conformal Fuel Tanks, which mount along the back/top of the F-16;
20 AN/APX-113 Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF) Systems (without Mode IV)
22 Advanced Countermeasures Electronic Systems (ACES), including the ALQ-187 Electronic Warfare System and AN/ALR-93 Radar Warning Receiver;
22 AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispensing Systems (CMDS);
20 Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), (using Standard Positioning Service (SPS) commercial code only)

The wording does not refer to “excess defense articles,” so presumably these will be new-build planes whose equipment suggests a downgraded F-16C/D Block 50 or so base standard. Plus, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, ground based flight simulators, support equipment, tanker support and ferry services, modification kits, Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices (CAD/PAD), spares and repair parts, repair and return, site survey (usually for basing), construction, and other forms of U.S. Government and contractor support services.

The order also requests weapons and equipment to arm the fighters. Here, too, a number of requests reveal downgraded or past-generation equipment, alongside other requests which are top of the line:

19 M61 20mm Vulcan multi-barrel cannons, which are mounted internally;
36 LAU-129/A Common Rail Launchers, which fit the F-16’s wingtips. They can be used with all AIM-9 missiles including the AIM-9X, and with the AIM-120 AMRAAM;
200 AIM-9L/M-8/9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. These missiles are effective, and the AIM-9M missiles are still in widespread American use, but they’re a generation behind the current AIM-9X;
150 AIM-7M-F1/H Sparrow Missiles. A couple of generations behind current beyond visual range air-to-air missiles. They lack the current AM-120 AMRAAM’s independent radar guidance and other improvements;
50 AGM-65D/G/H/K Maverick Air to Ground Missiles;
200 GBU-12 Paveway-II laser guided 500 lb. bombs;
50 GBU-10 Paveway-II laser guided 2,000 lb. bombs;
50 GBU-24 Paveway-III laser guided 2,000 lb. bombs with longer glide range and a “bunker busting” warhead;
20 AN/AAQ-33 Sniper or AN/AAQ-28 LITENING advanced surveillance and targeting pods. Almost certain to be Lockheed Martin’s Sniper, given LITENING’s Israeli origins;
4 F-9120 Advanced Airborne Reconnaissance Systems (AARS) or DB-110 Reconnaissance Pods (RECCE)

The principal contractors include some firms who will only be selected if their particular technologies are chosen. These are highlighted via brackets, though it’s also possible for those contractors to offer other items not subject to competition within this sale. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is the base F-16 manufacturer, and system integrator:

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, TX
Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support in Fort Worth, TX
BAE Advanced Systems in Greenlawn, NY (F-9120 AARS pod)
Boeing Corporation in Seattle, WA
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems St Louis, MO; Long Beach, CA; and

San Diego, CA

Raytheon Company in Lexington, MA and Goleta, CA
Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ
Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control in Dallas, TX (Sniper pod)
Northrop-Grumman Electro-Optical Systems in Garland, TX (LITENING pod)
Northrop-Grumman Electronic Systems in Baltimore, MD
Pratt & Whitney United Technology Company in East Hartford, CT (F100-PW-229 engine)
General Electric Aircraft Engines Cincinnati, OH (F110-GE-129 IPE engine)
Goodrich ISR Systems Danbury, CT (DB-110 pod)
L3 Communications in Arlington, TX
ITT Defense Electronics and Services in McLean, VA
Symetrics Industries in Melbourne, FL

There are no known offset agreements in connection with this proposed sale, but implementation will require multiple trips to Iraq involving U.S. Government and contractor representatives for technical reviews/support, program management, and training over a period of 15 years.

F-16IQ request

Aug 2/10: The Government of Iraq has signed an agreement with the U.S. for 10 Iraqi Air Force pilots to begin prerequisite F-16 training. “This agreement follows the request submitted by the GoI to purchase 18 new Block 52 F-16 airplanes.”

The pilots are projected to begin training in the U.S. this fall, and upon graduation, these pilots will have completed all prerequisite flight training necessary to move immediately into F-16 training. The 12-17 month program will include all necessary components of T-6A Texan II and T-38 Talon training, including a course called Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals. The intensive flight training will be complemented with specialized English language training for aviation. Pentagon DVIDS.

April 9/10: AHN quotes General Nasier A. Abadi, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Joint Forces:

“On the building of the Iraqi military forces, the general said the need of today is to build “Airforce” strength as till now most of the budget went to building army which has now “14 divisions.” From now on, “70% of the budget will go to Airforce,” he noted.

Although the Iraqi government will need at least “three sources (quotations),” for Airforce procurements, the general explained that there is a “special deal with the U.S. over the supply of F-16 fighter jets,” with a plan to partner with F-16 squadrons based in Iraq to “train” Iraqi pilots.”

April 6/10: DJ Elliott, who pens the Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle, reports a tip that:

“Iraq has finally and formally requested 24 F-16s from the US. At this time they are not at the ‘order’ stage but as I noted in my commentary to you in November 2008 the possibility of an Iraqi LOA by the end of this year – if President Obama agrees – is feasible. Delivery could start as early as next year but likely in 2012/13 time frame.”

That tip came without confirmation or sourcing, but DJ later received a verbal confirmation from Scramble magazine, and adds:

“Boss of the IqAF thought that he would need 96 F16s minimum. 24 indicates the start of the first of at least 4 orders. Looks like the planned target is still 2020.”

The next step for Iraq is formal DSCA publication of their request, once it gets through the US State Department’s bureaucracy and political approvals. Congress would then have 30 days to block the sale. Failing that, a contract/ Letter of Acceptance could be signed.

March 5/10: DJ Elliott, who pens the Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle, offers his assessment of both the Iraqi Air Force by 2012, and the most probable USAF force required to secure the country:

“In 2012, the Iraqi Air Force will not have any fighters unless they are provided with used aircraft. Even in that case, they will be 3 years at minimum training personnel to make those aircraft a functional and effective air defense force. Helicopter support forces will be further in development but, still under strength and in training. Fixed-wing transports will still be in delivery. Only the reconnaissance and training wings will be [fully] operational in 2012.”

…US Air Force in Iraq – Will probably base 6 Fighter Squadrons at Tallil, Balad, and Al Asad. Their duties will include training the Iraqi Air force in air combat maneuvering and providing air defense until they are operational. This will probably be needed until 2018-2020, however, delays in delivery and training could extend this requirement.

US Air Force in theater support – Transport aviation would probably be based in Kuwait to provide the majority of the supply needed by air. Additional aviation could be rapidly deployed to reinforce from Europe and the US if needed.”

Nov 22/09: Al-Sabah reports [in Arabic] that Iraqi Prime Minister Talabani’s visit to France:

“…resulted in the signing defense agreements to train the Iraqi army and updated on 18 aircraft (Mirage F-1) and helicopters, and provide 300 scholarships,…”

Thanks to DJ Elliott for assistance with translation. The Mirage F1s were left in France for servicing during the 1990s, and apparently remained there due to arms embargoes imposed after Operation Desert Storm. The report offers no delivery date, but fielding Mirage F1s would offer Iraq a near-term option that would be difficult to fulfill with new-build aircraft.

Oct 20/09: Lockheed Martin CFO Bruce Tanner, discussing Q3 2009 earnings, reveals that Morocco and Iraq will be delaying their planned F-16 purchases “beyond 2011”. Q3 Podcast [MP3] | Q3 Earnings slides [PDF] | Flight International.

Sept 9/09: U.S. Air Forces Central have sent a team to assess how Iraq will maintain sovereignty of their airspace after U.S. Forces withdraw from Iraq on Dec 31/11. From Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq:

“During their visit to Iraq in early September, the Air Sovereignty Assessment Team met with the Iraqi minister of defense, the deputy commander of the Iraqi air force, the Iraqi air force staff, and U.S. advisors attached to Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission- Air Force.

“The goal is to make sure Iraq maintains sovereignty by bridging the gap after we leave,” said Lt. Col. Daniel E. Rauch, deputy advisor from ITAM-Air Force to the Iraqi air staff for planning. “The accelerated schedule of the Security Agreement creates a period of time when Iraq does not possess the foundational capability to ensure air sovereignty or defend against the perceived threat.”

July 28/09: Looks like the timeline is indeed serious. An American Forces Press Service article says the US Air Force is sending an assessment team to Iraq to look at how the Iraqi military can field an air defense once American forces leave in 2011.

“The Iraqis probably will not be able to field advanced air-to-air manned interceptors by the time U.S. forces leave the country at the end of 2011, [Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Force Iraq] said. The U.S. team will work with Iraqi officials to look for creative solutions to the problem, the general said… “We’re going to bring this team over here to try and get them some creative solutions that might allow them to have some capacity by 2011,” Odierno said, citing use of retired U.S. F-16 fighters or the purchase of aircraft from other countries as possible steps in the process.”

March 31/09: Reuters quotes IqAF head Lt. Gen. Anwar Ahmed as saying that Iraq wants to buy an initial squadron of F-16s in 2009, to help guard against perceived threats from Iran and Syria.

“[Ahmed] said he hoped to sign a contract for 18 advanced F-16s… “This is very important to us… It is a priority.” Provided funds are made available by Iraq’s Parliament, he said his goal was to acquire up to 96 F-16s through 2020. He cited the F-16C/D Block 50/52 models now being produced for Poland, Israel, Greece and Pakistan…

If the funds are freed and a deal is wrapped up this year, the first two Iraqi-piloted F-16s would be patrolling Iraqi skies by 2012, he said… Ahmed, 54, said he had met a U.S. Air Force team in Baghdad on March 18 to discuss F-16 purchases and held follow-up talks with Pentagon officials on Tuesday. So far, he said, U.S. officials supported Iraq’s push to acquire the F-16.”

Sept 5/08: The Wall Street Journal reports that Iraq is seeking 36 “advanced model” F-16s.

Appendix A: Technology Options

UAE F-16F
(click to view full)

So, far, Iraq has picked 18 modified F-16C/D Block 52 fighters as its initial core. That’s a start, but its parliamentary Commission on Security and Defence has indicated that 6 squadrons of fighter jets (about 96-100) is the minimum required for control of Iraqi airspace.

Iraq can choose to meet that need by buying more F-16s, or it can look to a mixed fleet, and try to make training rather than manufacturing the gating item for readiness. Technology options for Iraq’s front-line fighters separated into 2 tiers: F-16 options, and supplementary aircraft.

In September 2008, the Wall Street Journal’s use of the term “advanced F-16s” was generally interpreted to mean the standard F-16 C/D Block 50/52+ models requested or bought by recent customers like Chile, Greece, Morocco, Poland, Pakistan, Romania, Turkey et. al. Even Iraq’s DSCA request could not come to pass without technology export approvals, and clearance for various F-16 types, and for equipment and weapons sold in conjunction with the aircraft, are a political issue in the region. Fortunately for Iraq, the F-16 is already flown by a number of countries in the region, including Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. These aircraft include a number of early F-16A/B models, plus a larger set of upgraded early models and F-16C/Ds. Which is more or less what Iraq ended up ordering in its downgraded F-16IQ Block 52s.

The question is what comes next.

Advanced F-16 variants beyond even the Block 50 models also exist in the region. Israel flies all F-16 models including its own F-16I, which modifies the F-16D Block 52+ and adds a lot of Israeli electronics, equipment, and weapons. The UAE is a another exception, flying the world’s most advanced F-16s: the F-16 E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon with built-in infrared surveillance and targeting, the AN/APG-80 AESA radar, and an engine upgrade, among other improvements.

Both of these options are future non-starters, given the impossibility of an Israeli sale, and the ground reality that some of Iraq’s political parties have close ties to Iran.

Iraq could choose to keep ordering similar F-16s. The formal US DSCA request did match DID’s earlier estimate of $4-6 billion for an initial new-build fighter fleet of 18, plus its associated spares, weapons, etc. Subsequent deals can be expected to be cheaper, and what Iraq actually spends will be set by negotiations, but ramping up to a full fleet of 96 new planes won’t be cheap, or fast.

One way to reduce the additive total for subsequent jet purchases is if Iraq chose to buy some used F-16s, like the AIM-7 Sparrow missile capable American “F-16 A/B ADF” models bought by Jordan and Portugal. Former US Air National Guard flies F-16C/D Block 25 aircraft have been offered to Romania, for example, and a similar possibility still exists for Iraq as a stopgap measure. American F-16 C/D Block 30-42 aircraft may also be available.

The ultimate question is not one of money, however, or even of model, but of time. The 2010 formal DSCA request is just the beginning of the process. Actual signed contracts can take anywhere between 30 days to 4+ years after the official request, and in this case, they took a year. Fighter aircraft delivery times add another 1-3 years. Full training and proficiency adds another 2-3 years.

An Iraqi state that will need serious national fighter options as of 2012, was always certain to be disappointed by even the best timelines. Buying used aircraft for immediate delivery can help, which is why a future buy of used F-16s cannot be entirely ruled out.

Mirage 2000-9
(click to view full)

Another way around the problem is to induct more than 1 type of fighter, raising numbers quickly through parallel purchases.

The most prominent option may already be flying nearby. The United Arab Emirates currently operates a fleet of just over 60 Mirage 2000-9s, an advanced variant that’s comparable to any F-16C/D now flying. Their Thales RDY-2 radars are upgraded for full ground strike capability, including SAR/GMTI (synthetic aperture radar with ground moving target indicator). That’s complemented by the Shehab laser targeting pod (a variant of Thales’ Damocles), the Nahar navigation pod, and a datalink to improve integration with MBDA’s MICA-ER radar guided missiles. This information feeds into upgraded cockpit color displays, and the optional TopSight helmet mounted display. Defensive systems and internal navigation also feature strong improvements over earlier Mirage 2000 models.

The Emirates are considering a replacement purchase of Dassault Rafale fighters, which would be even more advanced than their F-16 E/F Desert Falcons. As part of that deal, however, they’re pushing for France to buy back their Mirage fleet. France isn’t likely to do do that without a ready buyer, and the new Iraqi Air Force would be the best option by far for all concerned. France would cement its position with a new-old customer, the UAE could assist Iraq with training and transition, and both countries wold also have financial and geo-political interests served by the transaction.

It remains to be seen whether that deal can be done. There is reported interest within Iraq’s air force, but there are also budgetary limitations, given the apparent commitment to F-16s. A Mirage 2000-9 buy would offer Iraq a diversified supplier base, but it would also carry a completely different maintenance and weapons base, driving up the air force’s operating costs and reducing its flexibility. On the plus side, a 3-way deal with the UAE would offer very rapid delivery, and local support.

In the mean time, France is offering Iraq a low-cost supplement: upgraded Mirage F1s. Iraq operated this type for a number of years, but France impounded 24 of the 126 ordered F1EQ planes as part of the sanctions effort against Saddam Hussein. The products of a September 1985 order wouldn’t be very helpful in 2010, but the type’s own state of the art has advanced since then. Dassault and Thales have been working with Morocco on a “Mirage F1 MF2000” upgrade, which would bring the type to near-parity with many of the systems and weapons used on the Mirage 2000.

A similar set of upgraded Mirage F1s would offer Iraq a fast near-term solution. One that’s available by 2012 and familiar to some of its old pilots, while forming a natural bridge to future sales of Mirage 2000 or Rafale aircraft, at only 25-33% of the cost of a new F-16 buy. Iraq has been looking to recover EUR 651 million for that failed delivery, which could factor into negotiations. On the other hand, France forgave 80% of Iraq’s EUR 4.8 billion debts, and could easily argue that any damages have already been redressed as part of that EUR 3.84 billion forgiveness package.

FC-1/ JF-17, armed
(click to view full)

There are also rumors of a wild card option: Pakistan and China’s JF-17 Thunder, which entered operational service with Pakistan in 2010. The type uses a Russian RD-93 engine, derived from the RD-33 engines that used to equip Iraqi MiG-29s, but the weapons and avionics are Chinese. Reliability would be lower than F-16s or Mirages, but performance would be similar to mid-range F-16 models or upgraded Mirage F1 MF2000s. The initial cost would be cheap compared to other new aircraft choices, but the planes would require their own maintenance, supply and weapons chains, driving up long term operating costs.

Unless negotiations with Lockheed Martin go seriously sideways, the JF-17s would appear to be dueling with Dassault’s Mirages for the role of “possible F-16 supplement” in the new Iraqi air force. Unlike France, China doesn’t have a deep relationship history with Iraq’s military, or a strong presence in the region. What it does have is state-linked firms that have bought into significant Iraqi oil leases, and growing international credibility as a “no strings” supplier and political backer. Pakistan’s role in the JF-17’s design would even give it a unique positioning as an “Islamic alternative.”

Beyond the operational questions, lies a political issue. An Iraqi buy of Chinese fighters would send shockwaves throughout the Middle East. It would be seen as the dawn of a Chinese role as a serious player in the region, beyond its current relationships with rogue nations like Iran and Sudan. That regional impact has both attractions and downsides for the Iraqi government.

Appendix B: Political Background

USAF F-16, Balad AB
(click to view full)

While events can always overtake even the best of plans, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has told reporters that he wants all American forces to be able to leave Iraq by 2011. The insertion of language by hostile Iraqi parties that would have made US soldiers subject to prosecution under Iraqi laws, and a surprising lack of focus by the USA on negotiating an extended Status of Forces agreement, will effectively end the US presence by 2012.

An Iraqi request for F-16s would have fit well with that strategy – if it had been made in early 2006.

No country can remain sovereign if it cannot control its own air space, and having its own fighter aircraft available for missions would give Iraqis far more leeway to make independent decisions about the future direction, training, and use of their military. The problem is that procurement, plus training, plus qualification of that air force for serious combat, takes years. With no formal request published as of early April 2010, and a contract that only begins at the end of 2011, Iraq has no realistic internal options.

That 2011 timetable was always a tall order; in fact, it was probably impossible from the outset. Even as the war in Iraq calmed down, and the insurgency was defeated, the USAF operated about 300 aircraft of all types in Iraq, supplemented by US Navy fighters. That force will not be replaced by 18 F-16s – nor would such a force provide sovereignty insurance against Iraq’s neighbors. Indeed, the new Iraqi Air Force is unlikely to have any operational F-16s before 2015 at the very earliest.

If Iraq wishes to go beyond air-air roles for its F-16s and perform close air support as well, its air force will find that this is a demanding task all its own, requiring pilot practice, followed by combined-arms training with properly equipped ground forces, in order to be effective. The USAF has deliberately slowed Iraq’s progress in this area for various operational and political reasons, and so there is no current base of expertise or equipment for the IqAF to build upon. If the IqAF wishes to be able to replicate the crucial role performed by American and British fighter jets in the Iraqi Army’s March 2008 Battle for Basra, therefore, or to support Iraqi troops in the event of hostile incursions from its neighbors, it will need to allocate even more lead time before it can be effective.

In the end, all of the relevant decisions have been political, rather than military, choices. That includes the question of whether the USAF remained in Iraq after 2011, in order to guarantee defense of the country’s air space.

At present, the odds are that Iraq will fly F-16 C/D class aircraft beginning in late 2013, with full effectiveness coming around 2016-2018. Our general assumption has involved a reduced but still present USAF, which would remain in Iraq beyond 2011. A combination of Iraqi demands and Obama administration fecklessness appears to have ended that.

Which still leaves the question of how to guarantee Iraqi air space.

One option might be to station Gulf Co-operation Council country fighters at Iraqi bases, while flying AWACS patrols using Saudi E-3s. That would surely be a seismic reversal from the Saddam years, and could be presented as a regional peace and healing initiative, but Arab rivalries and Iranian influence make that option more politically complex than it may appear.

Another option might be to have NATO assume air policing duties, as a fig leaf that could keep a substantial US presence. The dual challenge there would be (a) convincing budget squeezed NATO allies to join; and (b) managing the quasi-Ottomanist Turkish AKP government’s double-edged interest in being a significant part of (a).

Additional Readings Background: Combat Aircraft Options

F-16.NET – F-16 Versions.
Dassault Aviation – Mirage 2000-9.
DID – Pakistan & China’s JF-17 Fighter Program.

Background: Related Iraqi Purchases

DID – Iraq’s New Integrated Air Defense System. Without it, the IqAF’s F-16s can’t be effective.
DID – Iraq Orders a Long-Range Radar.
DID – Iraq’s New Trainer-Fighters: FA-50 Bounces the Czech Iraq initially picked Czech L-159s, but shifted to South Korea’s supersonic FA-50 light fighter/trainers.
DID – The Penny Drops: Iraq Chooses its COIN Aircraft. The T-6A trainers are the IqAF’s intermediate training fleet. A parallel request for their armed AT-6B version would have given give the IqAF its first fixed-wing close support capabilities, but Iraq only ordered the trainers.
DID – Bird Dogs for the Iraqi Air Force. Cessna 172 and 208Bs – some of which have become RC-208Bs and AC-208Bs.

News & Views

DID (July 18/13) – Iraq: Weapons – and Challenges – In the Pipeline. The US Special Inspector General’s Report shows some significant challenges.
DID (July 12/11) – The Missing Links: A Realistic Appraisal of the Iraqi Military. Events bear it out.
DJ Elliott’s Montrose Toast (Dec 26/10) – Iraqi Aviation Update December 2010.
DJ Elliott’s Montrose Toast (March 5/10) – US Forces-Iraq after 2012? “The Iraqi Security Forces are not going to be ready for self-defense in 2012. They were never planned to be ready in 2012…”
Reuters (March 31/09) – Iraq starts policing borders with unmanned planes. Type undisclosed, though Iraq’s Navy is known to be using ScanEagle UAVs in the south, around its oil terminals. “Interior Ministry spokesman Major-General Abdul Karim Khalaf said the drones would police all Iraq’s borders and their first mission took place two weeks ago.”

Tags: f-16iqaf, iraqf-16

Categories: Defense`s Feeds

Honeywell to support C-5 Galaxy | Elbit announces reorganization | Greece updates P-3B Orion

Defense Industry Daily - Wed, 01/30/2019 - 13:00

Americas

The Air Force contracted Honeywell International Aerospace $85.7 million for C-5 Honeywell software and engineering support services. The C-5 Galaxy is the primary lift aircraft in the US military for moving outsized cargo to global theaters of operation. It is distinct for having both front and rear cargo ramps allowing for much faster load and offload operations. The US Air Force operates the Lockheed C-5 since 1969. The C-5M Super Galaxy is an upgraded version with new engines and modernized avionics designed to extend its service life beyond 2040. Honeywell’s Versatile Integrated Avionics for C-5M Super Galaxy uses line replaceable units with shared functions to lower weight, reduce wiring and decrease spares inventory. New board Honeywell’s solution is based on key advances that were made by the company in the development and implementation of the advanced avionics architecture. Work for the new deal will take place in Arizona, Puerto Rico, Washington, and New Mexico and is scheduled to be completed by the end of January 2025.

Strategic Systems Programs awarded General Dynamics Mission Systems a $13 million contract modification for US and UK SSBN Fire Control System as well as the US Attack Weapon Control System (AWCS) sustainment. The Fire Control System delivers data required to monitor the launch sequence of ballistic missiles. The SSBN AWCS is a non-nuclear system that consists of an integrated Launch Control System interfaced with the Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System and the Captain’s Information and Control Station. In December 2014 General Dynamics was contracted for the development, installation and maintenance, and deployed-systems support of US and UK Trident II submarine strategic weapons systems and subsystems. The modification includes training and support equipment as well as research and development. Work will mostly take place in Massachusetts and is expected to be completed by December 2020.

Middle East & Africa

Israel’s Elbit Systems announced that it reorganized the company’s structure to establish two new business divisions: Land Systems, and C4I and Cyber. The announcement comes after completing the acquisition of IMI Systems Ltd. on November 25, 2018. IMI Systems manufactures weapons, munitions and military technology for the Israeli security forces. It is most commonly associated with the development of the Uzi submachine gun. Elbit now expects to record in the fourth quarter of 2018 expenses estimated in the range of $65-75 million. Elbit’s land division will focus on systems for military vehicles, artillery, and capabilities brought in from IMI, while the C4I and Cyber division will concentrate on command and control, radios, communications, homeland security, and cyber intelligence. The reorganization is supposed to improve the synergy within the Company with respect to the acquired activities and better address market requirements.

Europe

Greece contracted Chassis Plans (CP) Technologies to modernize and update the mission control computers in the P-3B Orion aircraft used by the Hellenic Navy and Air Force. The P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the US Navy. In 2014, the US State Department approved a Foreign Military Sale to Greece for P-3B aircraft overhaul and upgrade as well as associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $500 million. CP Technologies’ mission computers are used in the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) consoles onboard the aircraft and were designed to offer advanced computing technology in order to accommodate new ISR capabilities in the rough aircraft environment like Advance map rendering and GPS tracking, sensor, and surveillance data analysis.

Italian contractor Leonardo Defense Systems developed and tested an upgrade package for the M109L 155 mm self-propelled artillery system, according to Jane’s. The M109 is an American howitzer. The upgraded M109L, used by the Italian Army, has a 23 liter chamber and meets the Joint Ballistic Memorandum of Understanding. It is fitted with a fume extractor and a new pepper box muzzle brake. Firing a standard 155 mm M15A2 high-explosive (HE) projectile a maximum range of 30 km can be achieved. An extended range ammunition could reach 40 km. The most significant range improvement would be firing the latest Leonardo Volcano 155 mm Ballistic Extended Range artillery projectile, which was type classified by the Italian Army and is ready for quantity production as soon as orders are placed.

Asia-Pacific

South Korea received its first of four Airbus Defense and Space A330-200 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft. The aircraft arrived in November, making the country the seventh member of the worldwide family of A330 MRTT operators. The Republic of Korea ordered the A330s in 2015. Deliveries of the remaining three MRTTs are set to conclude later this year. The A330 MRTT is an aerial refueling tanker aircraft based on the civilian Airbus A330. It was procured under a $1.3 billion deal that will enable the Republic of Korea Air Force to project combat air power as far north as Pyongyang while allowing it to participate more fully in international peacekeeping missions.

Today’s Video

Watch: U.S. Air Force Finally Receives First Replacements for Its 60-Year-Old Stratotankers

Categories: Defense`s Feeds

Greece’s Maritime Patrol Aircraft Competition

Defense Industry Daily - Wed, 01/30/2019 - 12:54

Greek P-3B
(click to view full)

Greece’s Hellenic Air Force currently operates 4 older P-3B Orion maritime patrol aircraft, which were delivered to the HAF from 1993 – 1996. They are reaching the limits of their airframe life, but Greece is nearing the end of their fiscal rope. In 2008, the odds appeared to tilt toward new aircraft, with at least EUR 250 million (then about $350 million) reportedly set aside for the winner of a 5-aircraft maritime patrol competition. In 2014, it became clear that Greece was considering another option…

Greece’s Options

P-8A Poseidon: cutaway
(click to view full)

In May 2005, “P-8A MMA Could Become a Multinational Program” said that:

“European nations operating the P-3 may gravitate toward smaller maritime patrol aircraft … Initial designs are even appearing in this class for executive jet aircraft equipped with maritime surveillance radars and related gear. Given that many nations’ maritime surveillance and attack requirements make the P-8’s range and endurance parameters unnecessary, it’s very possible that the EU’s moves will successfully bifurcate the global maritime patrol category into a broad class of nations who buy smaller aircraft, and an elite few with more extensive requirements who buy aircraft in the P-8A [Poseidon] class.”

Greece seemed to be firmly in that broad class who could buy smaller aircraft, and expected competitors are described in Appendix A. A different option also existed. The Orion has upgraded to P-3C designation, and has received a slew of updates since the P-3Bs were fielded. Efforts like Lockheed Martin’s reopening of P-3 wing production have made it possible for countries like Norway to keep upgraded P-3 aircraft in service.

In 2008, Greece had reportedly decided not to buy P-8s, or refurbish the Orions. By 2014, they had changed their minds.

Contracts & Key Events

Wing replacement
(click to view full) January 31/19: Modernization Greece contracted Chassis Plans (CP) Technologies to modernize and update the mission control computers in the P-3B Orion aircraft used by the Hellenic Navy and Air Force. The P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the US Navy. In 2014, the US State Department approved a Foreign Military Sale to Greece for P-3B aircraft overhaul and upgrade as well as associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $500 million. CP Technologies’ mission computers are used in the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) consoles onboard the aircraft and were designed to offer advanced computing technology in order to accommodate new ISR capabilities in the rough aircraft environment like Advance map rendering and GPS tracking, sensor, and surveillance data analysis.

July 27/14: Greece’s P-3B Orion aircraft are to undergo a $142 million mid-life modernization program. Work to be carried out as highlighted in the deal include the reactivation of one of the navy’s P-3Bs and the procurement of software and hardware kits for the upgrade and modernization of a total of four aircraft. Greece operates six of the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) P-3Bs.

Oct 7/14: P-3 overhaul. The Greeks have changed their minds. The US DSCA announces Greece’s official export request for modification and reactivation of 2 stored P-3B aircraft (bringing the fleet to 6), and the upgrade of up to 5 P-3Bs that will include structural Mid Life Upgrades (MLU) to provide 15,000 more flight hours, Phased Depot Maintenance (PDM), Mission Integration and Management Systems (MIMS), and new flight avionics. Not to mention the usual spare and repair parts, repair and return, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and US Government and contractor support. The estimated cost is up to $500 million.

That’s quite the shift in policy, considering that it ends up costing Greece more than the previous budget for new acquisitions. The P-3s will also be more expensive to operate. On the other hand, their range will be very useful if Greece wants long patrol times over Cyprus’ offshore gas fields. Then, too, the DSCA statement suggests that things have become dire:

“The proposed sale for overhaul and upgrade would allow the Hellenic Navy (HN) to resume operations of its P-3B aircraft for land-based maritime patrol and reconnaissance, surveillance and protection of areas of national interest.”

Airbus performs these kinds of upgrades, and did so for Brazil. In this case, however, the principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Marietta, GA. If a contract is signed, the sale will require “multiple” trips to Greece by U.S. Government and contractor representatives for a period of 7 years for delivery, system checkout, training, and program reviews. Sources: US DSCA #14-47, “Greece – P-3B Aircraft Overhaul and Upgrade”.

DSCA request: P-3 reactivation and upgrades

S-3B Viking
(click to view full)

Oct 14/08: Competition. Flight International reports on the expected Greek Maritime Patrol Aircraft competition, and the expected competitors. See Appendix A for even more background. Boeing won’t be offering the P-8, and the magazine also reports that Greece has rejected American offers of refurbished P-3s or of second-hand S-3B Viking jets.

The S-3 is a twin-engine carrier jet whose mission is described simply as “sea control.” Their range fits well with Greece’s needs, and they come armed with advanced surveillance equipment plus the ability to carry torpedoes, missiles, sonobuoys – even refueling pods that let them act as aerial refueling tankers. The US Navy plans to phase out the S-3 by 2010, and is replacing them with MH-60R helicopters whose slow speed and reduced range will shrink the protective anti-submarine “bubble” around American carrier forces.

For Greece, the planes’ age and hard usage in carrier landings creates issues with spares, training, and operational costs. These issues combine to make an S-3B transfer unattractive as a long-term solution. If the current financial crisis pinches Greece’s defense procurement budgets sharply enough, however, a cheap enough S-3 transfer offer might begin to look attractive as a stopgap solution that would compete with P-3 re-winging and/or refurbishment.

Appendix A: Greek MPA Competitors, 2008

ATR-72 ASW
(click to view full)

Greece’s naval focus is limited to the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean, a sphere that is well within the capabilities of smaller and less expensive aircraft. A budget of about $350 million might buy 2 P-8As, plus spares and fielding support. It could not buy 5. In October 2008, Flight International reported that the budget for this purchase could increase, but:

“Boeing does not expect to offer its 737-based P-8A multi-mission maritime aircraft, but is promoting a Boeing Business Jet solution for a separate requirement for three VIP and presidential transports.”

An RFP was expected by the end of 2009, and viable candidates for the maritime patrol requirement reportedly included:

ATR-72MP (Alenia/EADS). This large twin-turboprop regional passenger aircraft has been developed into a maritime patrol variant that includes both integrated surveillance equipment and weapons carriage. Its use in civilian capacities creates an independent source of potential upgrades, troubleshooting, service networks, and trained personnel opportunities. In 2006, Turkey ordered ATR-72ASWs; picking this aircraft would give Greece assured platform parity with its rival.

Be-200
(click to view full)

Be200 (Beriev). Greece buys a lot of Russian defense equipment, from armored personnel carriers, to hovercraft, to advanced anti-aircraft missiles. The Beriev jet would be an interesting choice because it is a true amphibian that can land on water. It also comes with a fire-fighting mission module, something that might offer an attractive supplement to Greece’s Bombardier aircraft after the infamous 2007 fires. Beriev does not advertise a full maritime patrol variant, just a search and rescue variant.

If the competition involved only search and rescue aircraft, the Be-200 would have an exceptionally strong case. The Greek request also requires anti-submarine, anti-surface, and surveillance duties, however, which may prove problematic for the Russian design. There have been reports of a Be-40/Be-42 variant for maritime patrol since 1986, but the project’s status remains uncertain. Given Greece’s requirements for NATO commonality, it would also be fair to characterize a Greek Be-40 as a new variant when assessing development and delivery risks.

C-295-MPA concept
(click to view full)

C-295 MPA (EADS). Chile has ordered the C-295MP, a larger derivative of the CN-235MP Persuader surveillance-only aircraft that serves with a number of air forces. These aircraft offer good endurance in a small plane, and economical operating costs. The C-295 MPA version comes with an advanced surveillance system, and can carry torpedoes or Harpoon/ Exocet missile on underwing pylons. It does not appear to carry sonobuoy launchers.

The CN-235/C-295 family is in widespread use with a number of militaries as light transport aircraft, and versions of the smaller CN-235MP maritime patrol aircraft are already in service with 7 countries and the US Coast Guard. Greece doesn’t currently operate the C-235 family, however; it ordered Alenia’s C-27J as its light tactical transport instead.

P-99 MPA concept
(click to view full)

P-99 (Embraer). Like the ATR-72, Embraer’s offer leverages an in-service, popular civilian platform. An unarmed variant of this ERJ-145 based martime patrol aircraft serves with Mexico. Greece currently operates the R-99A Erieye airborne early warning derivative, and uses the ERJ-145 as a VIP transport. Embraer can also be expected to compete in Greece’s VIP/Presidential transport solicitation, where they will offer a potent challenge to Boeing.

A P-99 purchase would offer fleet commonality, and a jet solution offers greater speed and hence coverage at the expense of sustained low-level flight. Greece’s preferences in this regard will either tip it toward the ATR/EADS turoprop solutions, or give the Embraer aircraft a strong advantage. Embraer’s site touts the new P-99 variant as being capable of carrying weapons, and their concept art even shows sonobuoy launchers; but Greece would be the armed version’s launch customer. That creates customization opportunities, but it also makes that first buyer the guinea pig and bill-payer for platform development and integration issues.

Additional Readings

DID – Meltem-III: Turkey’s New ATR-72 Maritime Patrol Planes. Includes 6 TMPAs, and 2 TMUA transports.
Balkan Analysis (May 31/12) – Greece and Turkey: Offensive and Defensive Balance of Naval Power in 2012.
Balkan Analysis (Feb 19/12) – Greece and Turkey: Offensive and Defensive Balance of Air Power in 2012.
Flight Global (Oct 14/08) – Greek navy prioritises maritime patrol aircraft contest.

Categories: Defense`s Feeds

Boeing tapped for T-45 Support | Canada extends life of Griffon Helos | Rafael collaborates with BGN Technologies

Defense Industry Daily - Wed, 01/30/2019 - 05:00

Americas

The Navy awarded Boeing a $56.8 million contract providing program management as well as engineering and integrated logistics support for the post-production support phase of the T-45 aircraft lifecycle. The T-45 Goshawk is the US Navy’s two seat advanced jet trainer. It is a highly modified version of the British BAE Systems Hawk land-based training jet aircraft and was selected to replace the TA-4J Skyhawk and T-2C Buckeye. In order of meeting US Navy training mission and to ensure aircraft carrier compatibility, T-45 includes a new twin nose-wheel with catapult launch T-bar, nose-wheel steering for maneuvering within the confines of the carrier deck, strengthened airframe and undercarriage for catapult launches, relocated speed brakes, provision of under-fuselage tailhook, revised avionics and modified cockpit layout for compatibility with front-line US Navy combat aircraft. The current contract includes special tooling and test equipment, data accessibility and obsolescence identification, and resolution in addition to field services support that provides subject matter expertise in the areas of environmental control systems, cockpit pressurization and On-Board Oxygen Generation Systems integration.

The Navy tapped Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems with a $10.9 million contract modification to exercise options for AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) equipment and spares. The Missile Defense Agency in cooperation with the US Navy developed the AEGIS BMD system to provide warships with the capability of intercepting and destroying short and medium-range ballistic missiles. AEGIS BMD was acquired by Japan, making it the first missile defense system to be acquired by a military ally. The modification includes 4.0.2 equipment for Shipset 23. Work will take place in New Jersey and Florida and is expected to be completed by November 2020.

The Canadian government awarded Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited a $68 million contract for design work on a life extension program for the country’s fleet of 85 CH-146 Griffon helicopters. Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited will design a life extension program to ensure that the aircraft remain in service until at least 2031. The definition work will be carried out under the existing Griffon support contract, originally awarded in 2011. In the first phase under this deal Bell Helicopter will develop design changes to upgrade the helicopter’s avionics systems, engines, and cockpit displays. It will also integrate sensor systems. The CH-146 Griffon is a multi-role utility helicopter used in aerial firepower, reconnaissance, search and rescue, and aero-mobility tasks.

Middle East & Africa

Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and BGN Technologies, the technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University, announced they are setting up a multi-year research collaboration in cybersecurity, smart mobility, robotics and artificial intelligence. The agreement follows Rafael’s decision to establish a research and development location in Be’er Sheva, the southern Israeli city where BGN is located, which will be launched later in 2019. The first two projects of the collaboration focus on exploring the risk of cybersecurity breaches in sensors of autonomous cars, and how this issue can be tackled. Rafael already implemented cyber defense project around the world, including Israel’s Cyber Emergency Response Team. The company develops and manufactures systems for the Israeli Defense Forces and the defense establishment, as well as for foreign customers around the world. The signing ceremony for the deal between Rafael and BGN Technologies took place at the Cybertech 2019 conference in Tel Aviv.

Europe

Polish Defense Minister, Marius Blaszczak signed a $180.7 million contract to acquire four S-70i Black Hawk helicopters from Lockheed Martin’s offshoot Sikorsky. The helos will be supplied to Poland’s special forces. The aircraft will be produced by the group’s Polish subsidiary PZL Mielec, with deliveries scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter that entered service with the US Army in 1979 and has been exported to several nations. Black Hawks served in combats during conflicts in Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and other areas in the Middle East. The newest version of the Black Hawk is PZL Mielec’s S-70i, which had its maiden flight in July 2010. Poland’s helicopters were acquired outside of a tender procedure. In 2015, the then-Polish Cabinet decided to order 50 H225M Caracal helos from Airbus, but the deal was scrapped the following year after a change in government. Other forerunners in the tender included the Black Hawk and Leonardo’s offshoot PZL Swidnik, which makes the AW149.

Asia-Pacific

The US Naval Air Systems Command contracted Lockheed Martin with a $31.3 million modification for sustainment services for F-35 Lightning II low-rate initial production Lot X aircraft for the Australian government. The F-35A featuring conventional takeoff and landing, is one of three variants of the single-seat, single-engine fighters. Australia is investing more than $17 billion to acquire at least 72 F-35A Joint Strike Fighters. Ten new jets have been delivered to Australia, with the first eight temporarily flying with the US Air Force’s 61st Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, as part of the international F-35 training school. Work for the modification will take place in Williamtown, Australia and is expected to be completed by early 2021.

Malaysia issued a preliminary request for information (RFI) to Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in support of a potential buy of the company’s FA-50 light attack aircraft, Jane’s reports. The FA-50 is a variant of the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle, a family of South Korean supersonic advanced trainers and light combat aircraft. The T-50 is South Korea’s first indigenous supersonic aircraft and one of the world’s few supersonic trainers. Under the country’s proposed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) procurement program, Malaysia could be seeking to buy an initial 12 aircraft with an option for another 24 units in the future. Moving ahead with the LCA program was motivated by Malaysia’s unsuccessful attempts at procuring a larger platform under its Multirole Combat Aircraft program.

Today’s Video

Watch: This is the Last F-22 Raptor Ever

Categories: Defense`s Feeds

Rolls Royce to repair Hawkeye engines | Lockheed Martin to support Norway’s C-130J | BAE System tests F-35’s EW Suite

Defense Industry Daily - Mon, 01/28/2019 - 13:00

Americas

The Navy awarded a $26.3 million contract to Rolls Royce for repair of T56-A-427 engines, used on the E-2 Hawkeye aircraft. The E-2 Hawkeye is an American all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning aircraft by Northrop Grumman. Its primary mission is battlespace mission command and control, as well as early warning detection. The aircraft was designed specifically for electronic warfare and early detection, which was a big change from previous aircraft. The Allison T-56 is a single-shaft, modular design turboprop with a 14-stage axial flow compressor driven by a four-stage turbine. The T56-A-427 fitted to the E-2 Hawkeye has a 5250 shp rating and a 12:1 compression. In addition, the T56 produces approximately 750 lbs of thrust from its exhaust. Work for the contract till take place in Canada, Texas, Indiana and California and is scheduled to be finished by January 2020.

The Navy tapped Northrop Grumman with a $19.6 million contract modification for the procurement of software design and system integration, qualification testing and cybersecurity activities as well as engineering services in support of the MQ-8 Fire Scout Unmanned Air System. The Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout is an unmanned autonomous helicopter designed to provide reconnaissance, situational awareness, aerial fire support as well as precision targeting support for ground, air and sea forces. The System has the ability to autonomously take-off from and land on any aviation-capable warship and also at unprepared landing zones close to the forward edge of the battle area. Work under the modification will occur in San Diego and is scheduled to conclude in December.

Middle East & Africa

Despite earlier media reports, Egypt will not sign any contract with Dassault Aviation for purchase of an additional twelve Rafale fighter aircraft during President Emmanuel Macron’s visit. The french president is currently visiting Egypt until the 29th of January. In 2015, France agreed to deliver 24 Rafale fighter jets to Egypt at a price of $5.9 billion in order to equip its Air Force with a latest-generation multirole fighter capable of meeting the country’s operational requirements and enabling Egypt to secure its geostrategic position in the region. In June 2016, Egypt started negotiations with Dassault to acquire 12 additional Rafales, which was an option on the original contract. However, Egypt has been facing opposition from the French Treasury to recieve the same favorable financial package it obtained for the original order.

Europe

The Air Force Lifecycle Management Center awarded Lockheed Martin Aeronautics with a $33.7 million ceiling requirements contract for C-130J long-term sustainment support for the Royal Norwegian Air Force. The company will provide the Royal Norwegian Air Force with return and repair support, spares support, engineering support, and in-country representative support for their C-130J aircraft platform. The C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It is the newest model of the Hercules and the only one still in production. Lockheed Martin received a contract from the U.S. government in November 2007 for the purchase of four C-130J Super Hercules airlifters, plus initial spares and training, through the Foreign Military Sales program. The contractor delivered Norway’s first C-130J in November 2008 and its second in April 2009. Work for the current contract will take place in Marietta, Georgia as well as Gardermoen Air Station, Norway and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

The program office for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter awards BAE Systems a sole-source contract to conduct flight trials of the F-35’s future electronic warfare (EW) and countermeasures suite, Jane’s reports. The British defense company will conduct tests of a modified version of the AN/ASQ-239A suite aboard the CATBird surrogate test aircraft. The AN/ASQ-239 system is BAE System’s advanced electronic warfare suite, providing the F-35 with end-to-end capabilities. The demonstration of elements of the EW/countermeasures suite on the modified Boeing 737 airliner known as the Cooperative Avionics Test Bed (CATBird) is known as the Project Heisenberg.

Asia-Pacific

The Air Force contracted Space Dynamics Laboratory $18.3 million to support the Republic of Korea’s Global Hawk program. The deal includes tasking, collecting, processing, exploitation, and dissemination (TCPED) capability. The contract provides for the procurement of the TCPED system, spares and support equipment, sustainment support, and system familiarization. The Global Hawk is an unmanned surveillance aircraft by Northrop Grumman. In November 2018 Northrop was contracted to provide contractor logistics support to the Republic of Korea’s Global Hawks. Space Dynamics Laboratory is a nonprofit unit of the Utah State University Research Foundation. It is responsible for the design, fabrications, and operation of sensors on over 400 payloads ranging from aircraft to rocket-borne experiments to space shuttle experiments and satellite-based sensor systems. Work under the current deal will be performed at North Logan, Utah, and is expected to be completed by May 2020. The contract involves Foreign Military Sales to the Republic of Korea.

Today’s Video

Watch: America’s newest carrying-F-35B amphibious assault ship to replace USS Wasp in Japan

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Boeing tapped to produce P-8A| Trophy Trial for Leopard 2 | India tests NGARM

Defense Industry Daily - Mon, 01/28/2019 - 05:00

Americas

The Air Force awarded Harris Corp., Space and Intelligence Systems a $72.3 million contract for the Combat Mission Systems Support (CMSS) program. The contract sustains the Space and Missile Systems Center portfolio of ground-based electronic warfare systems and develops the Counter Communications System Block 10.3 under the CMSS program. The Counter Communications System is a mobile, ground-based antenna that can jam the signals from a single satellite in geosynchronous orbit. The new system should be designed to easily accommodate new components that become available. Work under the contract will be performed in Colorado and Florida and is scheduled to be completed by the end of February 2024.

The Naval Air Systems Command tapped Boeing with a $2.5 million contract modification to produce 19 P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft for the U.S. Navy, Norway and the United Kingdom, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a release. Ten aircraft are for the U.S. Navy, four for the U.K. and five for Norway. The modification also includes engineering change proposal 4 SilverBlock for the government of the U.K. and Lot 10 segregable efforts consisting of unknown obsolescence, Class I change assessments and obsolescence monitoring. At almost $1.26 billion, the U.S. Navy purchase makes up 51 per cent of the total contract value, while Norway’s almost $695 million makes up 28 per cent, and the U.K.’s almost $507 million makes up 21 per cent. The P8-A Poseidon conducts anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and shipping interdiction, also with an early warning self-protection ability. The US Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Indian Navy are currently operating the P-8. The UK’s Royal Air Force, where the P-8 will be known under the name „Poseidon MRA1“, the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force ordered the aircraft as well. Work under the contract will be performed in Washington, Maryland, New York, and the UK and is currently expected to be finished by March 2022.

The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair Gulf Coast awarded Austal USA LLC a $16.3 million contract to support prefabrication efforts, material procurement, and execution of work items for littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati extended industrial post-delivery availability (EIPDA). Austal is a global defense prime contractor and designer as well as manufacturer of defense and commercial ships. The company is the fifth largest shipbuilder in the USA. The USS Cincinnati, also dubbed LCS_20 is an Independence-Class littoral combat ship that is currently being built by Austal. The ship was assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One. Littoral Combat Ships are a set of two classes of surface vessels designed for operations near shore by the US Navy. The EIPDA is accomplished within a period of approximately 12 weeks between the time of ship custody transfer to the Navy and the shipbuilding and conversion, obligation work limiting date. Work will include program management, advance planning, engineering, design, prefabrication, and material kitting and is expected to be completed by August this year.

Middle East & Africa

Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems will trial its Trophy Active Protection System (APS) on the Leopard 2 main battle tank this year. Trophy is a military APS for vehicles, that intercepts and destroys incoming missiles and rockets with a shotgun-like blast. Its primary purpose is to supplement the armor of light and heavy armored fighting vehicles. It is the only fully operational and combat-proven APS in the world. The Leopard 2 is a main battle tank operated by the German Army. Germany’s Bundeswehr operates 328 Leopard 2 tanks of three types – the 2A6, 2A6M and 2A7. The Leopard 2 has also served in the militaries of 12 other countries and several non-European nations, including Canada, Indonesia and Turkey, and seen combat in Afghanistan and Syria, where they suffered heavy losses from anti-tank guided missiles. Rafael wants to soon supply the Trophy APS to Germany and initial trials on the Leopard 2 are expected to begin this year, with the system’s integration and testing completed by 2021. A total of 17 tanks will be equipped with the APS, with a unit training and qualifying to operate it by the following year.

Europe

Saab submitted its proposal to offer Gripen E for the Swiss New Fighter Aircraft procurement to armasuisse, the Swiss defense procurement agency. The proposal consists of options 30 and 40 new Gripen E fighter aircraft in response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) by armasuisse. Switzerland seeks to replace its fighter fleet of F/A-18 Hornet and F-5 E/F Tiger aircraft. The Gripen E or „Saab JAS 39 Gripen“ is a light single-engine multirole fighter aircraft powered by Volvo RM12. Five nations currently operate Gripen: Sweden, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Thailand. Sweden and Brazil have ordered Gripen E. Additionally, the UK Empire Test Pilots’ School uses Gripen as platform for test pilot training.

Asia-Pacific

India finalized a $797 million military infrastructure development plan spread over ten years for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to counter China. The Andaman and Nicobar Command is India’s only theater command which has assets and manpower of the three services of the armed forces, Army, Navy, Indian Air force and Coast Guard coming under one operational commander. The plan will allow stationing of additional warships, aircraft, drones, missile batteries and infantry soldiers there — against the backdrop of China’s rapidly expanding footprint in the Indian Ocean region.

India’s state-owned Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) tested a new indigenous air-launched missile called NGARM. The NGARM is designed to destroy a variety of surveillance and radar targets on the ground. The missile was launched from a Sukhoi SU-30MKI fighter to a range of 100 kilometers. The SU-30MKI is a twinjet multirole air superiority fighter tailor-made for Indian specifications. The NGARM employs an indigenously developed dual-pulse, solid-propellant rocket motor and can be guided by a combination of passive and active radar seekers together with an inertial navigation system that is aided by GPS.

Today’s Video

Watch: RAF MQ-9B SkyGuardian To Be Armed With Brimstone Missile System

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General Atomics to deliver EMALS for CVN-78 | H-125 training Helos arrived in Qatar | Rheinmetall to deliver HX trucks to Sweden

Defense Industry Daily - Fri, 01/25/2019 - 05:00

Americas

The Air Force tapped Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. with a $80.6 million contract modification for C-20/C-35 fleet sustainment. The company is an American subsidiary of General Dynamics that designs, develops, manufactures, markets and services business jet aircraft. The C-20 aircraft are military modifications of the commercial Gulfstream aircraft. The C-20 provides distinguished visitor (DV) airlift for military and government officials. It supports the long range/low passenger load DV airlift niche, offering worldwide access while including a communications suite which supports worldwide secure voice and data communications for the DV and staff. Smilar to the C-20, the C-37A is the military version of the civilian Gulfstram V and is used primarily for transporting government and Defense Department officials and their staffs. The two aircraft are used by the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. The contract modifies a previous award under the terms of a firm-fixed-price contract with a five-year option period in support of the C-37 and C-20 aircraft. Work is scheduled to be completed by end of January 2020.

General Atomics won a $19.7 million contract to manufacture, test, and deliver Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) spare parts to support the US Navy’s CVN-78 aircraft carrier prior to the Advanced Arresting Gear and EMALS material support dates. The CVN-78, dubbed the USS Gerald R. Ford is the lead ship of its class and the first aircraft carrier design in 40 years. The aircraft is expected to leave on its first deployment in 2022. The CVN-78 is the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and the largest warship ever constructed in terms of displacement. The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, developed by General Atomics, launches carrier-based aircraft rather than the conventional steam piston. It was developed especially for the Navy’s Gerald R. Ford aircraft carriers. Work is expected to be completed in January 2023.

Middle East & Africa

The first of 16 Airbus Helicopter H125 training platforms arrived Qatar, Jane’s reports. The Ministry of Defense ordered the platforms in 2018. Footage released on January 23rd shows two helicopters painted in the livery of the Qatar Armed Forces Academy. The H125 is a single-engine light utility helicopter formally known as the Eurocopter AS350 Ecureuil. Ordered to replace the secondary training role of the Aerospatiale SA 342L Gazelle that has been in service since 1983, the H125 has been procured as part of a wider deal that also includes 28 NHIndustries NH90 helicopters.

Europe

A Su-27 fighter jet of Russian Aerospace Forces intercepted a Swedish Gulfstream reconnaissance plane over the Baltic Sea. The Su-27 is a twin-engine super maneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi, a major Russian aircraft manufacturer. It was designed for air superiority missions, and subsequent variants are able to perform almost all aerial warfare operations. The Russian military regularly make public how often Russian fighter jets intercept or accompany foreign military aircraft near Russian borders. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian fighter jet approached the object at a safe distance, identified it as a Gulfstream reconnaissance plane from the Swedish Air Force that was conducting a flight with its transponder switched off. Afterwards the Swedish plane flew away from the Russian state border, while the Su-27 jet returned to its base.

The Swedish Armed Forces awarded German Defense Contractor Rheinmetall a contract for vehicles to transport Patriot missile systems. Under the contract, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles will supply 40 high-mobility trucks including 16 tractor trucks and 24 transport vehicles. Deliveries will begin in the first quarter of 2021. The contract is for the HX2 family of vehicles. These trucks are versatile and can be operated in rugged terrain. The vehicles’ flexible design allows the integration of additional force protection solutions for improved crew protection. Previously, the Swedish Procurement Agency, FWV, made orders HX-model logistic corps vehicles, making it one of the most widely used military trucks in the world.

Asia-Pacific

On 23 January, Trade Unions representing about 400,000 of workers employed by state-owned defense enterprises in India started a three-day strike against the privatization of the country’s Defense Industry. The All India Defense Employees Federation (AIDEF), the Indian National Defense Workers’ Federation (INDWF), and Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh (BPMS) take part in the protests. The strike mainly affects the state-run Ordnance Factory Board, naval dockyards as well as the Defense Research and Development Organization.

Today’s Video

Watch: Flying Lightning! Next-generation European attack-helicopters taking shape

Categories: Defense`s Feeds

Rolls-Royce to support V-22 | F-7PG crashed in Pakistan | Rafael suits up for Armored Vehicles

Defense Industry Daily - Thu, 01/24/2019 - 05:00

Americas

The US Navy awarded Lockheed Martin Aeronautics a $542.2 million firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to support the F-35 Program. Under this deal, Lockheed Martin is to deliver ancillary mission equipment (AME) and associated spares for F-35 Lightning II jets. The F-35 Lightning jet is a supersonic, multirole fighter jet. It is being used by the defense forces of the US and other nations around the world due to its advanced stealth, integrated avionics, sensor fusion, superior logistics support and powerful integrated sensors capabilities. Back in August 2018, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics received a $302 million order against a previous contract for ancillary mission equipment to support the F-35. Work for the current contract will be performed in Texas, and is scheduled to be completed by May 2023.

The Navy contracted Rolls-Royce with a $35.7 million contract modification to support the V-22 aircraft with 17 AE 1107C engines. The AE 1107C is a turboshaft engine powering the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. The engine delivers 6,000 shp Rolls-Royce AE engines power C-130Js, V-22s, Global Hawks and a number of military, corporate and regional aircraft. Rolls Roye is in service with the US Air Force, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, NASA and multiple military and civil customers around the world. The AE engine line began as a powerplant for the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft for the US Marine Corps and US Air Force Special Operations Command, with the first flight of the V-22 in 1989. Under this deal one engine goes to the Marine Corps, eight engines to the Navy and another eight to the government of Japan. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected be completed in May 2020.

Northrop Grumman Systems won a $44.4 million deal in support of Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) E-11A platform maintenance requirement. Under this contract, the company provides logistics support for four E-11As that were built on Bombardier BD-700 aircraft platform. Bombardier E-11A is the military variant of the civil Bombardier BD-700 Global Express. It carries BACN allowing disparate battlefield communications systems to share data. It enables real-time information flow across the battlespace between similar and dissimilar tactical data link. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center received two offers for the firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable contract via a competitive acquisition. Work is scheduled to conclude by Jan. 23, 2020, and will take place in Maryland and Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Middle East & Africa

A fighter jet F7-PG crashed near Mastung, Pakistan while carrying out a training flight today. The F-7PG aircraft is based on the Soviet-era Mig-21 and built by a Chinese aircraft manufacturer. It holds a bad service record in PAF (Pakistan Air Force) service with the majority of recent crashes involving the aircraft. Pakistan is currently the largest non-Chinese F-7 operator, with roughly 120 F-7P and 60 F-7PG. The PAF seeks to replace its entire fleet of F-7 with the JF-17 multirole fighter. All F-7P are planned to be retired and replaced with the JF-17 Thunder aircraft by 2020. It is currently unknown what caused today’s crash. Air Headquarters has ordered the formation of a board of inquiry to investigate the incident.

Rafael wants to trial its Suite for Future Armored Vehicles with a live fire demonstration in summer, Jane’s reports. The Suite is a vehicle automation and capability enhancement system based around data fusion from the vehicle’s sensors. It is in development for the Israeli Carmel future fighting vehicle program. With such a suite of armored vehicles, an operator could manage drones and a variety of weapons systems. Inside the company’s prototype, several screens display a 360-degree picture of what is happening outside, and a map shows the locations of friendly forces.

Europe

Poland wants to modernize its Mil Mi-24 attack helicopter fleet. Warsaw intends to conduct a dialogue with potential suppliers, running from July to September. The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and troop transport with room for eight passengers, produced by Mil Moscow. The Mil Mi-24 features an armored cockpit for its pilot and weapons officer as well as a staggering array of internal and external weapons. Its seen action in nearly every conflict that the Soviet Union has engaged in since its first release in 1976. However, the helicopter has its weaknesses, such as its rotors and engine exhaust ports. Man-portable surface-to-air missiles have accounted for the greatest number of Mil Mi-24 losses.

Asia-Pacific

Moscow and Astana agreed to launch the assembly of Mil Mi-8AMT and Mi-171 „Hip-H“ helicopters in Kazakhstan. The deal will see 45 kit versions of the helicopters delivered to Kazakhstan until 2025 for local assembly. The Kazakhstan Engineering NC of the Ministry of Defense and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan as well as Russian Helicopters JSC of Rostec State Corporation signed the contract. The technology of assembling heavy helicopters is being introduced in Kazakhstan for the first time ever. The production is organized without any public funding. The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine helicopter used as a transport helicopter, an airborne command post, armed gunship, and reconnaissance platform.

South Korea started a production of locally developed automatic command-and-control system. Back in December, the Defense Acquisition Administration (DAPA) signed a contract worth $29.1 million with Hanwha Systems to produce 12 Command Control Alert (C2A) Systems by next year. The C2A system, which was developed from 2011 to 2017 by a team led by the state-owned Agency for Defense Development in co-operation with more than 20 local companies, is expected to enter service with the Republic of Korea Armed Forces in late 2019. The new command-and-control system will transmit data digitally in real time. It is also designed to assign a target to the air-defense weapon system best suited to counter it.

Today’s Video

Watch: Stealth Shocker: China Claims It Can Track Air Force F 22 Raptors

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