Defense Industry Daily

Do you feel lucky…?
(click to view full)

The T-45 Training System includes T-45 Goshawk aircraft, advanced flight simulators, computer-assisted instructional programs, a computerized training integration system, and a contractor logistics support package. The integration of all 5 elements is designed to produce a superior pilot in less time and at lower cost than previous training systems.

The US Navy uses the Hawk-based T-45TS system to train its pilots for the transition from T-6A Texan II/ JPATS aircraft to modern jet fighters – and carrier landings. This is not a risk-free assignment, by any means. Nevertheless, it is a critical link in the naval aviation chain. This DID FOCUS article covers the T-45TS, and associated contracts to buy and maintain these systems, from 2006 to the end of FY 2014.

T-45 History & Background T-45: The Platform

T45TS Simulator
(click to view full)

In 1981, the T45TS beat out the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet in a bid to replace two US Navy training aircraft: the TA-4J Skyhawk and T-2C Buckeye. The new system trains U.S. Navy and Marine Corps pilots for conversion into the F/A-18A-D Hornet, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet family, the AV-8B Harrier II Plus, and the EA-6B Prowler. It will also serve as a lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT) aircraft to future platforms like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter variants.

The T-45 Training System, or T45TS, is more integrated than past systems. The system includes the T-45 Goshawk aircraft, advanced flight simulators, computer-assisted instructional programs, a computerized training integration system, and a contractor logistics support package. The combined value of all five integrated elements produces a superior pilot in less time and at lower cost than previous training systems.

Goshawks come in two variants: the T-45A and T-45C. What distinguishes them is the “Cockpit 21″ digital avionics in the C variant. The cockpits are equipped with two monochrome 5” multifunction displays supplied by Israel’s Elbit, which provide navigation, weapon delivery, aircraft performance and communications data. In addition, the aircraft have been equipped with a new open systems design MDP that manages the avionics and the displays in the aircraft. Approximately 80% of the MDP’s software and circuit card assemblies were reused from the F/A-18E/F Advanced Mission Computer, making project development faster and less expensive, and improving commonality with the advanced aircraft the Goshawks train their pilots to fly.

A number of air forces around the world choose to use BAE Systems’ Hawk trainer in a reserve or even front-line role as a light attack aircraft. The US Navy could do so, but haven’t chosen to. The do plan to keep the Goshawks flying until 2035, however, training the next several generations of US Navy pilots.

T-45: Basing & Industrial

T-45 Goshawks
(click to view full)

T-45s are currently based at NAS Kingsville, TX and NAS Meridian, MS. The aircraft are permanently based ashore, and are flown out to the training carrier for deck landings.

Since the transition to the T-45, performance has indeed improved. The training task has been accomplished with 25% fewer flying hours, using 42% fewer aircraft and 46% fewer personnel. Overall, the T45TS has enabled the US Navy to reduce student flight time by 13% for each student pilot, and the average training time by 17 weeks. Even so, with the current T-45 training demand the U.S. Navy has been able to average more than 60 hours per month per airframe – one of the highest utilization rates in the world.

While the core Hawk aircraft is British, the prime contractor is Boeing Aircraft Company, St. Louis, MO.

British Aerospace (BAE Systems) of Kingston, England provides the center and aft fuselage; and Rolls Royce, Ltd. of Bristol, England provides the F405-RR-401 Adour engines, along with its trademark Power By The Hour(R) support based on availability. Tests have been conducted using the more advanced F405-RR-402 as well.

Smiths Industries supplies the head-up display (HUD) with its video camera system for post-mission analysis, along with primary and secondary air data indicators and a weapon aiming computer and display.

L-3 Vertex provides contractor logistics support for the fleet as a whole, under 2 similar contracts.

T45TS Contracts and Key Events, 2006 – 2017

Flight’s end
(click to view full)

This article began coverage as the T-45 was fading from production. Pentagon budget documents note that the FY 2005 budget covered 10 systems for $301 million, but FY 2006 production dropped to 6 systems and $278.8 million. The FY 2007 figures rose again to 12 systems and $410.6 million total, and were the last T-45s ordered.

The FY 2008 budget request of $90.7 million was aimed at modifications to correct discrepancies and deficiencies, address critical avionics obsolescence and diminishing manufacturing source issues, and fund upgrades to the aircraft cockpit and navigation systems. Those tasks have continued beyond 2008, but by FY 2010, the T-45 was no longer listed in Pentagon budget reports for major weapons systems.

Unless otherwise specified, all contracts are issued by US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD; and Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas is the recipient. Maintenance and support contracts tend to go to L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, and engine manufacturer Rolls Royce; they will be specifically noted where appropriate. Note that Rolls Royce’s trademarked Power By the Hour approach is designed to charge a fixed price per flight hour.

FY 2018

T-45s over CVN 77
(click to view full)

July 25/18: Oxygen nedded Boeing is being contracted to support the Navy’s fleet of T-45 training aircraft. The cost-plus-fixed-fee order has a value of $12.2 million and provides for non-recurring engineering efforts to support the integration of an Automatic Backup Oxygen system into the aircraft. The T-45 Goshawk is used by the US Navy to train its pilots for the transition to modern fighter jets and carrier landings. Last year the Navy decided to equip the trainers with new oxygen monitoring systems following a rash of incidents during which pilots appeared to suffer from oxygen deprivation. Work will be performed at the company’s location in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in August 2019.

FY 2017

October 04/17: Following a five-month grounding, the US Navy has allowed the resumption of flights of its T-45 Goshawk fleet after issues arose with the system that generates and supplies oxygen to the trainer aircraft. Under the new flight regime, student pilots can continue training only on aircraft outfitted with a digital upgrade to the CRU-99 oxygen monitor, called the solid-state oxygen monitor (CRU-123), which provides information on temperature and oxygen pressure. The Navy plans to have all of its T-45 aircraft to be fitted with the CRU-123 by the end of the second quarter of 2018.

April 18/17: A US Navy ban on T-45 flights has been lifted, although lower altitude restrictions have been put in place. The trainers were barred from flying late last month after instructor pilots reported incidents of physiological problems by pilots while in the cockpit. The pilot trainer will now fly below 10,000 feet to avoid the use of the aircraft’s On Board Oxygen Generator System as authorities continue to investigate the causes of physiological episodes experienced in the cockpit by aircrew. Air crew will also wear a modified mask that circumvents the OBOGS system.

FY 2014

L-3 retains new support contract.

July 31/14: L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS receives a $29.8 million indefinite-delivery requirements contract modification to provide organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance and logistics support for T-45 aircraft based at NAS Meridian, MS; NAS Kingsville, TX; and NAS Pensacola, FL. This requirement also includes the support and maintenance of the T-45 aircraft at all operational sites, numerous outlying fields, and various detachment sites. Individual delivery orders will be placed as needed.

Work will be performed in Kingsville, TX (58%); Meridian, MS (36%); and Pensacola, FL (6%), and is expected to be complete in September 2014. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-14-D-0019).

July 7/14: No T-X Goshawk. Boeing’s partnership with BAE didn’t transfer to the USAF’s huge T-X trainer replacement program, which is expected to begin in 2016. Boeing made some moves to ally with Alenia and its M-346 trainer in May 2008, but decided not to extend that alliance to the USA; they finally signed an agreement with Saab for a joint clean-sheet trainer design in December 2013.

BAE partnered with Northrop Grumman to offer their standard Hawk trainer for T-X (q.v. Sept 19/11), and Northrop Grumman has just shifted to the same lead contractor role that Boeing enjoyed for the T-45 Goshawk. Meanwhile, Boeing will have a very tough competitive row to hoe with an unproven clean sheet design. One wonders if they have any regrets right now about letting a productive Hawk partnership lapse. Sources: Breaking Defense, “Northrop Takes The Lead From BAE On $11B T-X Trainer”.

July 1/14: Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS wins a $151.4 million indefinite-delivery requirements contract to provide organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance and logistics services in support of “approximately 200” T-45 aircraft based at Naval Air Station Meridian, MS; NAS Kingsville, TX; NAS Pensacola, FL; and NAS Patuxent River, MD.

This is a new contract, issued after the previous multi-year deal expired (q.v. Sept 30/13, Jan 24/12).

Work on the base contract will be performed in Kingsville, TX (48%); Meridian, MS (44%); Pensacola, FL (7%); and Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be complete in September 2015. Funds will be committed in individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, with 4 offers received by US NAVAIR (N00019-14-D-0011). See also FBO.gov, “USN T-45 Aircraft Maintenance and Logistics Support, Solicitation Number: N00019-12-R-0001”.

Multi-year support deal

March 28/14: Engines. Rolls-Royce Corp. in Indianapolis, IN receives a $107 million unfinalized contract action to provide intermediate, depot level maintenance and related logistics support for approximately 223 in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines.

Funds will be committed as delivery orders are placed. Work will be performed at US Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, MS (47%); NAS Kingsville, TX (46%); NAS Pensacola, FL (6%); and NAS Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be complete in March 2015. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1, and seems to be either an extension at the end of the current multi-year contract, or the beginning of something new (N00019-14-D-0016).

March 26/14: Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS receives a maximum $58.5 million indefinite-delivery, requirements contract to support T45TS aircraft based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, MS; NAS Kingsville, TX; and NAS Pensacola, FL. They’ll provide logistics services and materials for organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance, while supporting T-45s at all operational sites, numerous outlying fields, and various detachment sites.

Work will be performed in Kingsville, TX (58%); Meridian, MS (36%); and Pensacola, FL (6%), and is expected to be complete in July 2014. Funds will be committed as individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured, pursuant to FAR 6.302-1, by US NAVAIR in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-14-D-0019).

FY 2012 – 2013

Engine troubles. Draft RFP for support.

T-45Cs: Navy & Marines
(click to view full)

Sept 30/13: FY14 Fleet. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS wins a $65 million indefinite-delivery, requirements contract modification, exercising the annual option for organizational, intermediate, and depot level support for the Goshawk fleet: 36 T-45A and 168 T-45C aircraft based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, MS; NAS Kingsville, TX; NAS Pensacola, FL, and Patuxent River, MD.

The type splits correspond to the FY 2012 fleet contract rather than the FY 2013 contract, which posited the retirement of some T-45As and 3 more conversions to T-45C status. As always, the fleet contract also includes organizational level maintenance for the Rolls Royce Adour engine.

This represents the final contract of a multi-year fleet deal. Announced contracts total $663.8 million, for a contract whose maximum figure was $569 million. Note, however, that each year’s announcement is a maximum, not an amount that must be spent.

Work will be performed in Kingsville, TX (57%); Meridian, MS (36%); Pensacola, FL (6%); and Patuxent River, MD (1%), and will run to March 2014, at which point new multi-year contracts will be needed for the aircraft and engine. Contract funds will not be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued (N00019-08-D-0014).

Sept 25/13: FY14 Engines. Rolls-Royce Defense Services Inc. in Indianapolis, IN receives a maximum $50.7 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery option to support about 223 of its F405-RR-401 Adour engines with intermediate and depot level maintenance, using the Power-By-the-Hour arrangement.

This is the last option in a 5-year contract (q.v. Oct 1/08), and as usual, funds will be obligated for individual task orders as they are issued. All together, announced awards under this contract total $524.2 million.

Work will be performed at NAS Meridian, MS (47%); NAS Kingsville, TX (46%), NAS Pensacola, FL (6%), and NAS Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be complete in March 2014 (N00019-09-D-0002).

Sept 25/13: R&D. Boeing in St. Louis, MO is being awarded $9.7 million for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order for supplies and services in support of the T-45 Subsystems Service Life Assessment Program. It involves systems other than avionics and engines, and work required to required to meet full service life through 2035. $4 million in R&D funds are committed immediately.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (58.5%) and Brough, United Kingdom (41.5%) and is expected to be complete in July 2016. US Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD, is the contracting activity (N00019-11-G-0001, #1509).

Jan 24/12: Draft RFP. Following a presolicitation process initiated in November 2011, NAVAIR posts the full draft RFP (N00019-12-R-0001) on T-45 Aircraft Maintenance and Logistics Support. A presolicitation conference is scheduled for Feb. 5, with a final RFP expected at the end of February.

As it is currently laid out, the contract would span a maximum of 8 years with all options exercised.

Jan 14/13: Engines. US NAVAIR throws a light on recent T-45 engine problems, which hadn’t been discussed in previous DOT&E reports:

“Safety problems with the Low Pressure Turbine blades in the F405 engine… forced a redesign of the old blades, which ended production [in early 2012]…. problem was that the newly redesigned blades were not yet fully qualified by U.S. Navy standards and could not be used immediately and the stockpile of old blades was forecast to be depleted by April [2012]…”

Poor planning, that, and the Navy had to grant a temporary relaxation of the lifetime wear “1,000-hour Accelerated Simulated Mission Endurance Test (ASMET)” requirement. Even at a 100 hour threshold, however, the 4-6 months normally needed for test preparation would have blown the stockpile’s deadline. Instead, the team met the 100-hour deadline between Jan 20/12 – April 11/12. ASMET testing continued at the NAS Patuxent River Aircraft Test & Evaluation Facility, and was fully done by Oct 23/12, ahead of schedule and “several million dollars” under budget. Hopefully, the Navy will pass on some of the things it learned to other programs. US NAVAIR.

Engine problems & blade redesign

Oct 15/12: Training. An $8.5 million firm-fixed-price delivery order for 12 T-45 Virtual Mission Training System kits and spares.

Work will be performed in Hazelwood, MO (96%), El Paso, TX (3%), and Mesa, AZ (1%), and is expected to be complete in April 2014 (N00019-11-G-0001).

Sept 25/12: FY13 Fleet Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS receives a $126.5 million indefinite-delivery, requirements type contract option to support 28 T-45A and 171 T-45C aircraft based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX; NAS Meridian, MS; and NAS Pensacola, FL. That’s 8 fewer T-54As than last year, and 3 more T-45Cs. L-3 Vertex will continue providing logistics support, and the materials for organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance.

Taken together, FY 2013 support costs for the 223 plane fleet will run up to $237.9 million. Taken together, announced fleet support orders under this 5-year contract amount to $598.8 million, which is slightly higher than the contract’s announced $569 million maximum (q.v. Aug 28/08). They could still be congruent, however, because each year’s award is a maximum that could leave unspent dollars for future years.

Orders will be placed, and funds will be released, as needed. Work will be performed in Kingsville, TX (57%); Meridian, MS (36%); and Pensacola, FL (7%), and the option will finish in September 2013 (N00019-08-D-0014).

Sept 20/12: FY13 Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN receives a $103.3 million firm-fixed-price; indefinite-delivery option to support the T-45 Goshawk’s F405-RR-401 Adour engines with intermediate and depot level maintenance, using the Power-By-the-Hour arrangement. They’ll also provide inventory control, sustaining engineering and configuration management, as well as integrated logistics support and required engineering for organizational-level sustainment.

Work will be performed at NAS Meridian, MS (48%); NAS Kingsville, TX (47%), NAS Pensacola, FL (4%), and NAS Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be complete in September 2013. Funds will be obligated for individual task orders as they are issued (N00019-09-D-0002).

Dec 12/11: Boeing in St. Louis, MO receives an $8.1 firm-fixed-price delivery order modification, exercising an option to support the integration testing of engineering changes to the T-45 aircraft. Work will be performed at NAS Patuxent River, MD, and is expected to run to December 2012 (N00019-11-G-0001).

FY 2010 – 2011

Final delivery; 1 million flight hours.

Landed.
(click to view full)

Sept 27/11: FY12 Fleet Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, LLC in Madison, MS receives a $123.2 million indefinite-delivery, requirements contract modification, exercising an option for logistics services and materials for organizational, intermediate, and depot-level maintenance required to support 36 T-45A and 168 T-45C aircraft. This requirement also includes organizational level maintenance for the engine.

No funding will be obligated at time of award. Work will be performed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, MS (36%); NAS Kingsville, TX (54%); NAS Pensacola, FL (6%); and NAS Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be complete in September 2012 (N00019-08-D-0014).

Sept 27/11: FY12 Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN receives a $99.9 million firm-fixed-price requirements contract modification, exercising an option for intermediate and depot-level maintenance and related support for in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines, under their Power-by-the-Hour arrangement. In addition, this modification provides for inventory control, sustaining engineering and configuration management. finally, Rolls Royce will handle integrated logistics support and required engineering elements necessary to support the F405-RR-401 engine at the organization level – though that support will be performed by L-3 Vertex.

No funding is being obligated at time of award; it will be called on as necessary. Work will be performed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (48%); NAS Meridian, MS (47%); NAS Pensacola, FL (4%); and NAS Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be complete in September 2012 (N00019-09-D-0002).

Sept 19/11: T-X. BAE won’t be partnering with Boeing to offer its Hawk trainer to the US Air Force – they’ve signed an agreement with Northrop Grumman instead. The USAF’s current T-38 Talon supersonic trainer is a Northrop product.

Boeing teamed up with Alenia in May 2008, and pledged to act as a marketing partner for Alenia’s M-311 and new M-346 trainer jets beyond Italy and the USA. They still haven’t committed to any trainer partnerships within the USA, but they clearly weren’t focused on extending their partnership with BAE. Sources: Northrop Grumman, “BAE Systems, Inc. and Northrop Grumman Partner to Pursue U.S. Air Force T-X Contract”.

Partner switch for T-X

April 29/11: Avionics. A $10.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, exercising an option for hardware and support associated with the T-45 Required Avionics Modernization Program: 30 T-45 retrofit kits, 1 additional spare mission display processor, and associated engineering support efforts.

T-45 RAMP converts T-45As into T-45Cs, swapping out the analog instruments for a “glass cockpit” of digital display screens, inertial navigation, and other improvements that make them more like the systems found in the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO, and is expected to be complete in September 2014 (N00019-09-C-0020).

Sept 27/10: FY11 Fleet Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS received a $125 million option against its indefinite-delivery, requirements type contract to support the T-45 fleet. They’ll provide services and materials to provide organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance for 47 T-45As and 158 T-45Cs, plus organizational maintenance support for their engines.

Work will take place where the planes are based, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (54%); NAS Meridian, MS (41%); NAS Pensacola, FL (4%), and Patuxent River, MD (1%); and the contract option runs into September 2011 (N00019-08-D-0014).

Sept 27/10: FY11 Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN receives an $89.1 million option under a firm-fixed-price requirements contract for the 2nd option year of intermediate and depot level maintenance and related support for in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines. Work will take place under the firm’s MissionCare/ “power-by-the-hour” arrangement, which pays Rolls Royce for engine hours flown, not hours of maintenance done. Work will include the aforementioned maintenance for the engines and the aircraft’s gas turbine starting system, as well as inventory control, parts supply, sustaining engineering and configuration management, and other required engineering.

The initial Adour engine MissionCare contract was awarded to Rolls-Royce in October 2003, and has been renewed annually. The US Navy’s T-45 fleet reached 1 million flight hours in August 2010, and in September 2010, Rolls-Royce completed 500,000 flight hours of MissionCare support for the fleet.

Work will take place where the planes are based, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (54%); NAS Meridian, MS (41%); NAS Pensacola, FL (4%), and Patuxent River, MD (1%); and the contract option runs into September 2011 (N00019-09-D-0002). This would appear to be the 2nd of 4 option years under the Oct 1/08 contract. See also Rolls Royce release.

Aug 26/10: Boeing and the U.S. Navy celebrate the Naval Air Training Command’s 1 millionth flight hour with the T-45 Goshawk, after 18 years of service. The ceremony is held at at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, FL. Boeing.

1,000,000 flight hours

Oct 20/09: The 221st, and last, T-45C Goshawk is delivered to the U.S. Navy, during a ceremony at the Boeing production facilities in St. Louis, MO. NAVAIR release.

Final delivery

FY 2008 – 2009

Simulator improvements; Engine improvements get recognition; USN’s T-2 Buckeyes retired.

T-45 Goshawks
from NAS Kingsville
(click to view full)

Sept 28/09: Avionics. A $10.1 million firm-fixed-price contract for retrofit kits and associated engineering services in support of the T-45’s avionics modernization program, which is part of the T-45C upgrade. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO, and is expected to be complete in September 2014. This contract was not competitively procured (N00019-09-C-0020).

Sept 28/09: Avionics. A $7.6 million firm-fixed-price delivery order against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement for 36 mission display processor aircraft retrofit kits for the T-45-TS. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO, and is expected to be complete in November 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $2.5 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, which is Sept 30/09 (N00019-05-G-0026).

Sept 25/09: FY10 Fleet Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS received a $112.7 million option against its indefinite-delivery, requirements type contract to support the T-45 fleet. They’ll provide services and materials to provide organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance for 49 T-45As and 151 T-45Cs, plus organizational maintenance support for their engines.

Work will take place where the planes are based, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (54%); NAS Meridian, MS (41%); NAS Pensacola, FL (4%), and Patuxent River, MD (1%); and the contract option runs into September 2010 (N00019-08-D-0014).

Sept 25/09: FY10 Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN receives a $90.7 million option under a firm-fixed-price requirements contract for intermediate and depot level maintenance and related support for in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines that power the T-45 Goshawks. MissionCare is the defense analogue to commercial Power By The Hour(R) contracts, which offer fixed-price maintenance based on hours flown.

Work will include the aforementioned maintenance for the engines and the aircraft’s gas turbine starting system, as well as inventory control, parts supply, sustaining engineering and configuration management, and other required engineering. It will take place where the planes are based, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (48%); NAS Meridian, MS (47%); NAS Pensacola, FL (4%), and Patuxent River, MD (1%); and the contract option runs into September 2011 (N00019-09-D-0002). This contract exercises the 1st of 4 option years to the base contract noted in the Oct 1/08 entry.

Sept 10/09: HSRIP Recognition. The T-45 Goshawk Hot Section Reliability Improvement (HSRIP) team here is presented with the Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE) 2009 James S. McDonnell Flight Test Team Award at the SFTE’s 40th Annual Symposium Award Banquet in Stockholm, Sweden. HSRIP is composed of personnel from NAVAIR, Boeing, Rolls Royce and Wyle, as well as Navy, Marine Corps and Boeing test pilots. It falls under the Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program Office (PMA-273).

The HSRIP team is responsible for the US Navy’s incorporation of the F405-RR-402 (Rolls-Royce MK 951 Adour derivative) engine into the T-45, including a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), an improved backup Manual Fuel Control (MFC) system, and a new hot section that should provide longer life. Operationally, the FADEC provides automatic surge detection and recovery logic, an improved airstart envelope and the potential to optimize the engine’s performance and the plane’s handling qualities.

The program conducted its first HSRIP test flight on Dec 18/07, and has since completed more than 100 flight test missions. The trophy will eventually be on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Annex at Washington-Dulles International Airport. US NAVAIR release.

Dec 10/08: Israel. The Goshawk production line might be saved. After more than 40 years of service, Israel is finally looking to replace its versatile A-4 Skyhawk fleet. The T-45TS is reportedly one of the 4 contenders. Read “Israel’s Skyhawk Scandal Leads to End of an Era” – but salvation doesn’t come for the Goshawk. Israel picks the M346 in 2012, after the Goshawk production line has already shut down.

Oct 31/08: Shutdown. The Grim Reaper issues a Halloween reminder, via a $5.8 million order against Basic Ordering Agreement N00019-05-G-0026. The order is for “near and long term requirements to continue the analysis required for an efficient and orderly shutdown of the T-45 production line transition Phase II and the associated post-production support efforts for the T-45 A/C aircraft series.”

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (77%) and Warton, Lancashire, UK (23%), and is expected to be complete in March 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $1.7 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Oct 1/08: Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN received a $90.5 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract to provide FY 2009 intermediate and depot level maintenance and related support for in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines. The contract is for 1 year with options for 4 additional years, and builds upon a successful 5-year contract established in 2003.

As Rolls Royce reminds us, support is every more important than engine sales. “MissionCare solutions, along with other aftermarket services provided to global customers by Rolls-Royce, account for more than 50 percent of the company’s annual sales.”

These services will be provided under their trademark Power-By-the-Hour (PBTH) arrangement, which pays for flight hours rather than maintenance hours. PBTH services include inventory control, sustaining engineering and configuration management, integrated logistics support and required engineering to support the F405-RR-401 engine beyond the flightline.

Work will be performed on over 200 aircraft at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (48%), NAS Meridian, MS (47%); NAS Pensacola, FL (4%), and NAS Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be completed in September 2013. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant FAR 6.302-1, “Only one responsible source.” (N00019-09-D-0002). See also Rolls Royce release.

5-year Engine Support contract

Aug 28/08: Fleet Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS continues its status as the T-45’s support contractor. An $111.4 million indefinite-delivery, requirements type contract will have L-3 provide all logistics services and materials for the FY 2009 maintenance and support of 71 T-45A and 108 T-45C aircraft at Naval Air Station Meridian, MS, NAS Kingsville, TX; and NAS Pensacola, FL. The contract also includes organizational level maintenance for the Adour engines, and has 4 one-year option periods that could boost its value to $569 million.

Work will be performed in Kingsville, TX (58%); Meridian, MS, (36%); and Pensacola, FL (6%), and is expected to be complete in September 2009. This contract was competitively procured via electronic RFP, and 2 offers were received by the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-08-D-0014). See also: L-3 Vertex, Oct 27/08 release.

5-year Fleet Support contract

Aug 22/08: The historic 50-year service record of the T-2 Buckeye training aircraft comes to a close with a sundown ceremony and fly-by at the Mustin Beach Officers’ Club aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.

The T-2C was the US Navy’s intermediate and advanced trainer before the T-45 entered service, and the twin-engined T-2C entered service in 1968. Some of these jets had remained in the fleet, but this ceremony marks their final retirement from service. US Navy release | Navy Fact File: T-2C

T-2 Buckeye retires

June 25/08: Training. Boeing announces a contract with Elbit Systems for a Virtual Mission Training System (VMTS) that will help students prepare for carrier strike-fighter and electronic-attack duty at lower cost. Boeing is currently under contract to develop this capability, and is due to provide 2 test aircraft and then retrofit 18 existing Goshawks by 2012.

“VMTS simulates via data link an unclassified, mechanically scanned tactical radar that provides air-to-air and air-to-ground modes as well as simulated weapons and simulated electronic warfare. These functions can be networked between the participating aircraft and instructor ground stations that control the mission presentation. The current phase of VMTS work will provide flight officers with in-flight training in the use of radar and weapons against virtual enemy aircraft, including cooperative training with friendly real and virtual aircraft.”

April 30/08: L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS received an $11.3 million modification to a previously awarded fixed-price, cost-reimbursable contract (N00019-03-D-0010) adjusting for the effects of union contracts on the T-45 trainer system contractor logistics support effort.

Specifically, this modification covers the fiscal 2007 and 2008 cost impact for wages and fringe benefit adjustments as a result of the collective bargaining agreement, dated Oct 1/06 through Aug 1/09, and area wage determinations No. 05-2300 (Rev-4), 05-2300 (Rev-5), 94-2300 and 05-2508. All this is in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act – price adjustment clause and notification of changes clause. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (51%) and NAS Meridian, MS (49%).

FY 2006 – 2007

Final T-45s ordered; Production line shutdown contract.

Learning to fly
(click to view full)

Sept 26/07: FY08 Fleet Support. L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, Miss. received a $95.8 million estimated value modification to a previously awarded fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, time and materials requirements contract (N00019-03-D-0010). It exercises a contractor logistics support option for approximately 189 T-45 Training Systems. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, Texas (51%) and NAS Meridian, Miss. (49%), and is expected to be complete in September 2008.

Sept 26/07: FY08 Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN received a $66.4 million modification to a previously awarded fixed-price, requirements contract. The option covers Power-By-the-Hour (PBTH) logistics support for approximately 188 of the Adour F405-RR-401 jet engines installed in the T-45 aircraft. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Miss. (50%); NAS Kingsville, Texas (48.94%); and NAS Patuxent River, Md. (1.06%), and is expected to be complete in September 2008.

The contract has been developed in line with commercial PBTH agreements under a fixed price per engine flight hours. Rolls-Royce provides all engine maintenance, support, trouble-shooting, parts supply and logistics coverage; work is split between Meridian and Kingsville, TX, along with some functions at Patuxent River, MD. Rolls-Royce employs 110 maintenance, supply and management personnel across five locations in support of this program (N00019-03-D-0012). Rolls Royce release.

Sept 19/07: Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St. Louis, Mo. received a $13.3 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract to exercise an option for the procurement of 10 T-45 Training System Airframes, including logistic support analysis, technical manuals, and technical support of support equipment, production integration testing support and flight test instrumentation, system equipment and repair.

This modification brings the total for these items to $278.5 million. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed in September 2009 (N00019-06-C-0309).

June 11/07: A $265.2 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0309) for 10 FY 2007 production T-45 airframes, logistic support analysis, technical manuals and technical support of support equipment, production integration testing support, and flight test instrumentation systems equipment and repair.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (58%) and Warton, Lancashire, England (42%), and is expected to be complete in September 2009.

10 T-45s

May 31/07: Engine R&D. A $7.2 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0309) for Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) for Phase II of the T-45 Hot Section Reliability Improvement Program.

This effort is in support of flight test, including carrier suitability testing aboard ship, as well as identification of required changes to T-45 publications and retrofit activities. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO and is expected to be complete in November 2008.

Feb 5/07: Production line shutdown. A $7.6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-05-G-0001) provides for T-45 production line transition efforts for orderly shut down. Specific efforts will include technical assessment of parts and tooling to identify areas to reduce post-production parts manufacturing costs.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (59%) and Manchester, England (41%), and is expected to be complete in December 2007.

Production line shutdown contract

Arrested landing
(click to view full)

Sept 28/06: FY07 Fleet Support. L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS received a $94 million estimated value modification to exercise an option for contractor logistics support for the T-45 Training System. This is a modification to a previously awarded fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, time and materials requirements contract (N00019-03-D-0010); work will be performed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (51%) and NAS Meridian, MS (49%), and is expected to be complete in September 2007.

Sept 27/06: FY07 Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN received a $65.3 million fixed-price modification to a previously awarded requirements contract, exercising an option for power-by-the-hour logistics support for approximately 188 F405-RR-401 Adour engines. Under this arrangement, a single contract line item number is used to pay a fixed price per aircraft flight hours; contract performance is measured almost exclusively against the fleet-driven performance metric of “ready for issue engine availability.”

Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, MS (50%); NAS Kingsville, TX (48.94%); and NAS Patuxent River, Md. (1.06%), and is expected to be complete in September 2007 (N00019-03-D-0012). See also Rolls Royce release.

April 6/06: Engine R&D. Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St. Louis, MO received a $5 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N00019-04-C-0013). This contract is part of the Hot Section Reliability Improvement Program for integration of the F405-RR-402 engine into the T-45 airframe, and involves nonrecurring engineering effort for Phase 1. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO and is expected to be complete in August 2007. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD issued the contract.

March 31/06: Avionics. $14.4 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-05-C-0025) for non-recurring engineering services associated with, and the production of, 12 T-45 required avionics modernization program retrofit kits and two simulator avionics retrofit kits. In addition, this contract provides for technical data, integrated logistics support, and approximately 12 spare kit components. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (77%); Mesa, AZ (15%) and Albuquerque, NM (8%), and is expected to be complete in August 2009.

March 30/06: A $139 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for six FY 2006 T-45 Goshawk training system airframes, plus support to build/specific sustaining engineering, ground based training support, and planning and integration. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (52%) and Warton, Brough, England (48%), and is expected to be complete in September 2008 (N00019-06-C-0309).

6 T-45s

March 30/06: $5.7 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N00019-04-C-0013) provides nonrecurring engineering effort required to incorporate an embedded Terrain Awareness Warning System (eTAWS) and associated digital video recorder (DVR) replacement for the current airborne video cassette recorders (AVCR) into the T-45C aircraft, flight simulators located at the T-45’s bases in Naval Air Station Meridian and Naval Air Station Kingsville, and manned flight simulators located at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Patuxent River. In addition, this contract is for the production of up to seven pre-production DVRs in support of development, integration, simulator tests, and flight test. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (60%) and Germantown, MD (40%), and is expected to be complete in February 2008.

March 17/06: $12.5 million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide integrated logistics support for the T-45 training system for calendar year 2006. Support to be provided includes acquisition logistics, logistics analysis, technical manuals and technical support of support equipment, production integration testing, and flight test instrumentation system equipment and repair. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (80%); Warton, Lancashire, England (13%); and Filton, Bristol, England (7%), and is expected to be complete in December 2006. This contract was not competitively procured (N00019-06-C-0309).

Americas

• Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control division is being tapped to provide work for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. The $164 million contract modification provides for performances as part of the ongoing Terminal Field Support Contract (TFSC), with a current value totaling at $725 million. Lockheed will continue with its efforts under the TFSC which include services such as forward stationing for theater support, logistics information capabilities, post deployment software support and security and engineering services. THAAD is a long-range, land-based theater defense weapon designed to intercept missiles during late mid-course or final stage flight, flying at high altitudes within and even outside the atmosphere. This allows it to provide broad area coverage against threats to critical assets such as population centers and industrial resources as well as military forces. Work will be performed at multiple locations inside the US, including Huntsville, Alabama; Sunnyvale, California and Grand Prairie, Texas. The ordering period remains from March 25, 2010, through March 31, 2019.

• The Navy is contracting Northrop Grumman for repair work in support of its F-18 fleet. The long-term contract is valued at $38.4 million and provides for the repair of the Automated Support System Electro-Optic Console to support Fleet repairs of the F-18 Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) weapon systems. The AN/USM-636(V) Consolidated Automated Support System (CASS) is a computer-assisted, multi-functional Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) used to test various electronic components in use by the Navy. CASS is a five-rack integrated test system is designed to accommodate variations in workload and allow for Test Program Set transferability among the different configurations. ATFLIR gives naval aviators a three- to five-fold increase in target- recognition range. Its infrared and electro-optical (television format) sensors can detect tactical threats at unprecedented ranges, delivering images that are three to five times clearer than previous systems. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and will be completed by July 2023.

Middle East & Africa

• The Pakistan Navy (PN) is increasing its maritime surveillance capabilities. The PN now has two ATR-72 twin-engine turboprops converted into maritime patrol aircraft in its inventory. The ATR-72 currently on offer by Italian vendor Leonardo-Finmeccanica which uses the ATR-72-600 as its base platform. This aircraft is capable of ASW operations through the use of a fitted sono-buoy launcher and pylons for lightweight ASW torpedoes. The Pakistan Navy operates the slighter smaller ATR-72-500, but this should not impact its capabilities. Typical MPA missions include vessel search and identification; economic exclusive zone patrol (fishing, off-shore platforms); drug, smuggling and piracy control; search and rescue (SAR); disaster surveillance; maritime patrol roles; and Anti-Submarine Warfare. Rheinland Air Service had signed a contract in 2015 to convert two ATR-72 aircraft already owned by the Pakistan Navy into MPAs. Aerodata provided the platform with its AeroMission mission management system. Work on the project commenced in January 2016 after export approvals were received from the German government.

• The Iranian military will receive up to 800 new and upgraded tanks in the coming years. Reza Mozaffariniya, the deputy minister for industry in the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) said in an interview that the Ministry plans to upgrade and produce around 50 – 60 tanks annually at its production facility in Dorud. The tanks to be built will be most likely the Karrar and the Zolfaghar. The Karrar closely resembles the Russian-made T-90MS but also has features of American Abrams M1 and British Challenger 2 tanks. The Karrar MBT is fitted with a new welded turret which is armed with a 125 mm smoothbore gun fitted with a fume extractor and a thermal sleeve and can fire all standard ammunitions. Its turret is equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun and includes a day/night sight, a thermal imager and a laser rangefinder. The Zolfaqar III is the latest and most advanced version in the Zulfiqar family that comes with a variety of upgrades. They include improving the fire navigation system, chassis, and armament, engine and laser system, to increase the operational capabilities of the tank. The wheels of the variant will be covered by an armored skirt and a reinforced turret. The Iranian Army is currently conducting research and test operation on this platform.

Europe

• Northrop Grumman is being contracted to support the US Army’s Regional Cyber Center-Europe. The awarded contract modification has a value of $16.6 million and provides for non-personal Information Technology support services. Wiesbaden is home to US Army’s 5th Signal Command. The Gray Cyber Operations Center is tasked with consolidating tactical, theater and strategic communications functions to support the US European Command, US Africa Command and US Army Europe. The Cyber Command’s main responsibility is to direct, and conduct networked based warfare, ensuring freedom of action in and through cyberspace and the information environment, and to deny the same to adversaries. Work will be performed in Wiesbaden Erbenheim, Germany, with an estimated completion date of July, 2019.

• German defense manufacturer H3 Grob Aircaft is currently investing in a broad range of new capabilities, including a special-mission variant of the Cessna Caravan and its proven G120TP trainer. Both platforms can now be outfitted with an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pod beneath its fuselage. The Cessna Caravan’s equipment can include a Leonardo Seaspray 3300 surveillance radar and a Hensoldt Argos-II, 16in electro-optical/infrared sensor. The G120TP can be equipped with a system that comprises a Trakka Systems TC-300 305mm EO/IR turret, Leonardo PicoSAR lightweight synthetic aperture radar and a line-of-sight downlink. The 132 lb. heavy system can be integrated on the starboard wing using an innovative “glove” mount.

• Romania intends to buy more F-16s to further increase its fleet strength. In 2016 the country became the latest operator of the F-16 following delivery of the first six from a total of twelve from Portugal for a price of $734 million. The deal included nine F-16AM single-seaters and three F-16BM two-seaters as well as an overhaul of engines and a number of services. Romania now plans to buy five more F-16 fighter jets from Portugal, four single seaters and one dual seater, by the end of this year. It also intends to purchase 36 more such aircraft in the future from other NATO countries like the US and Greece, but also Israel is an option.

Asia-Pacific

• The Lao People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is currently taking delivery of the first batch of four repaired Mi-17 helicopters. The helicopters were delivered by Russian Helicopters, thus completing the first service contract between the Russian holding company and the Lao Ministry of Defense. The PLAAF has a moderate fleet of aircraft, including a total of 11 Mi-17 transport helicopters. The Mi-17 is an improved export version of the Mi-8 helicopter, fitted with more powerful engines and with some other minor improvements. The helicopter has a crew of 3, including pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer. The Mi-17 can carry 24 passengers and even small vehicles. It has an 8000 lb. internal payload capacity. Alternatively, it can carry underslung loads weighting up to 6000 lb. The Mi-17 can be armed with window-mounted 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm trainable machine guns.

Today’s Video

• Watch: Automatic Air Collision Avoidance System explained by USAF pilot

Americas

• Boeing is being tapped to build two mission-ready 747-8 aircraft for the US President. The awarded firm-fixed-price contract provides for the production of two Air Force One and has a value of $3.9 billion. The contract includes extensive and manufacturing development efforts that entail design, testing, certification and fielding of the new aircrafts. The iconic plane is maintained and operated by the Presidential Airlift Group, part of the White House Military Office. The ‘flying’ Oval Office provides the President and his staff with 4.000 square feet of living and work space on three levels. In case of an armed conflict the aircraft serves as the President’s command center. Work will be performed in San Antonio and is expected to be completed by December 2024.

• Aero-Glen International LLC. is being awarded a contract to support the Air Force’s F-16 sustainment efforts. The firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a value of $403 million and provides for the production of F-16 service life extension program kits for the F-16 fleet. The F-16 SLEP aims to keep the aging fleet of F-16s flying until nearly 2050. The program combines a dozen structural modifications into one repeatable package – from bulkheads to wings and canopy, effectively increasing the jets life to 12.000 flight hours. The Air Force aims to complete each refurbished SLEP jet in 9 months at a cost of $2.4 million. Work will be performed at Fort Worth International Airport, Texas, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2029.

• The US Army is contracting Wamor Inc to support its air cargo capabilities. The $18.8 million firm-fixed-price contract enables the company to produce a number of Advanced Cargo Parachute Release Systems (ACPRS) and ACPRS coupling assemblies. According to Army Technology Wamore’s advanced cargo parachute release system uses an innovative and exclusive methodology for separating a canopy or canopies from their payload only after the payload has been safely delivered to the drop zone. The ACPRS enables the Army’s Cargo Aerial Delivery Team to support mass airborne assaults, aerial re-supply, special operations, deep-strike concepts and humanitarian relief missions. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order. The contract is scheduled for completion by July 2023.

Middle East & Africa

• The government of Kuwait is set to receive support for its fleet of tanker aircraft as part of a US foreign military sale. The deal is valued at $8.4 million and provides for logistics, supply and maintenance support for three KC-130J aircraft. The KC-130J is a multi-role, medium-sized fixed-wing aerial refueling aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin, it essentially is a very advanced derivative of the standard C-130J. The tanker aircraft carries 92 ground troops or 64 paratroopers and equipment in its tactical transport role. It can also be configured as a MEDEVAC aircraft accommodating 74 patients on stretchers, and their accompaniments. In May 2010, the US Government placed a $245m foreign military sales contract with Lockheed Martin for the delivery of three KC-130J aircraft to Kuwait Air Force. The first aircraft was delivered in August 2014. Work will be performed at Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base, Kuwait, and is expected to be completed in August 2019.

• BAE Systems is partnering with Raytheon to support the development of BAE’s Digital Light Engine (DLE) Head-Up Display (HUD). The new digital hub will be integrated on the United Arab Emirates’ fleet of F-16s. Raytheon will design, develop and manufacture the projector for the HUD. HUDs are located immediately in front of the pilot’s line of sight and combine real-time mission critical information with the outside world view. The UAE flies the Block 60 variant of the F-16 which has been described as a lower-budget alternative to the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter. The initial order covers design, flight test and certification of the new computers, with a follow-on production order of 100 systems expected in 2020 and 2021. BAE expects a total of up to 315 units to be ordered through 2028.

Europe

• Romania is looking into acquiring a new missile system to be deployed on its Black Sea coast. The potential contract has a value of $137 million. Four major defense firms already voiced their interest. Romania currently has an outdated arsenal of Soviet-made P-15 missiles. Considering the ongoing modernization efforts of its Type 22 frigates and its acquisition of corvettes the Ministry would like one single missile system to be deployed on sea and on land. The Ministry of Defense hasn’t given any concrete details yet but reaffirmed that it envisages a supplier from a NATO or EU country. Likely competitors are MBDA with its SeaVenom missile, Boeing with its Harpoon, Saab’s RBS15 Mk3 and Kongsberg’s NSM.

• The Ukrainian Armed Forces are heavily investing in their air-defense capabilities. About 2500 anti-air specialists are currently deployed to provide round-the-clock protection, until now they shot down about 33 hostile Orlan-10 UAVs. Their main defense system is the Russian-made Buk-M1. In the past Ukraine was dependent on Russian defense enterprises to supply them with spares and components needed to conduct necessary restorations and repairs. Considering the current geo-political situation, the embattled country heavily invested in developing their indigenous repair and maintenance capability. Ukrainian companies are also tasked with work on the Bukivka 9M38M1 rocket, focusing on a new engine and solid rocket fuel to enhance the rockets acceleration, speed and payload. Ukraine plans to increase its anti-aircraft inventory by a third over the coming years.

Asia-Pacific

• Jane’s reports that the Taiwan Defense Forces have now a full air brigade of Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters. The 29 helicopters are part of the 601st Air Cavalry Brigade, which operates out of Taoyuan’s Longtan District in northern Taiwan. The AH-64A/D Apache has become a dominant attack helicopter around the globe. The gunships are armed with a 30mm chain gun and can be equipped with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, Hydra-70 2.75-inch rocket pods and AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles. Taiwan purchased 30 Boeing Apache helicopters from the United States in 2008 for $1.94 billion and took delivery of the final batch in October 2014. One of the helicopters was badly damaged in a training accident in April 2014.

Today’s Video

• Watch: Raytheon’s JSM destroys target in challenging flight scenario

F-16F “Desert Falcon”
(click to view full)

The most advanced F-16s in the world aren’t American. That distinction belongs to the UAE, whose F-16 E/F Block 60s are a half-generation ahead of the F-16 C/D Block 50/52+ aircraft that form the backbone of the US Air Force, and of many other fleets around the world. The Block 60 has been described as a lower-budget alternative to the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, and there’s a solid argument to be made that their performance figures and broad sensor array will even keep them ahead of pending F-16 modernizations in countries like Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore.

The UAE invested in the “Desert Falcon’s” development, and the contract reportedly includes royalty fees if other countries buy it. Investment doesn’t end when the fighters are delivered, either. Money is still needed for ongoing training, fielding, and equipment needs – and the UAE has decided that they need more planes, too. This DID article showcases the F-16 Block 60/61, and offers a window into its associated costs and life cycle, including dedicated equipment purchases for this fighter fleet.

The F-16E/F “Desert Falcon”

F-16A
(click to view full)

The F-16 has become what its designers intended it to be: a worthy successor to the legendary P-51 Mustang whose principles of visibility, agility, and pilot-friendliness informed the Falcon’s original design. The planes have been produced in several countries around the world, thanks to licensing agreements, and upgrades have kept F-16s popular. It’s no exaggeration to call the F-16 the defining fighter of its age, the plane that many people around the world think of when they think “fighter.” They remain the American defense industry’s greatest export success story of the last 40 years, but the aircraft’s ability to handle future adversaries like the thrust-vectoring MiG-29OVT/35 and advanced surface-air missile systems is now in question.

The F-16 has now undergone 6 major block changes since its inception in the late 1970s, incorporating 4 generations of core avionics, 5 engine versions divided between 2 basic models (P&W F100 and GE F110), 5 radar versions, 5 electronic warfare suites, and 2 generations of most other subsystems. Moore’s Law applies as well, albeit more slowly: the latest F-16’s core computer suite has over 2,000 times the memory, and over 260 times the throughput, of the original production F-16.

Block 60: Technical

F-16F, F-16E
(click to view full)

Each new iteration of the fighter costs money to develop, integrate, and test. The UAE invested almost $3 billion into research and development for the F-16 E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon. First flight took place in December 2003, and flight testing by Lockheed Martin began in early 2004. UAE pilot training on the F-16E/F began at Tucson Air National Guard Base, AZ in September 2004, and the first group of pilots completed their training in April 2005. The first Desert Falcons arrived in the UAE in May 2005.

All of the initial 60 aircraft have been delivered, and all training now takes place in the UAE. Versions of this aircraft have been entered in a number of international export competitions as well, including Brazil’s F-X2 (eliminated) and India’s MMRCA (eliminated), but it hasn’t found any buyers yet. Production will restart soon anyway, thanks to the UAE’s impending add-on buy 30 F-16 E/F Block 61s with minor component upgrades.

The Desert Falcon’s unique features include…

Design & Powerplant

F-16E over Tucson
(click to view full)

The aircraft’s conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) let them carry more fuel, with less drag than underwing drop tanks. All that fuel feeds GE’s new F110-GE-132 engine, which produces up to 32,500 pounds of thrust to offset the plane’s increased weight. The -132 is a derivative of the proven F110-GE-129, a 29,000-pound thrust class engine that powers the majority of F-16 C/D fighters worldwide. Even with a bigger engine and more weight from added sensors, CFTs, etc., Block 60 fighters offer a mission radius of 1,025 miles – a 40% range increase over F-16s without CFTs.

Conformal tanks aren’t exclusive to the Block 60. They’re options for many F-16 variants, and can be removed before missions, but that may not be a great idea for the UAE’s fleet. It’s a classic give/take scenario, in which more capability (q.v. electronics) means more weight, which requires a larger engine, which shortens range without more fuel. The conformal tanks more than make up that difference, creating a formidable strike fighter, but they exact their own aerodynamic cost in acceleration and handling. That tradeoff hurt attempts to export the fighter to India’s IAF, which prioritized maneuvering performance and left the Desert Falcon off of their shortlist.

Electronics

AN/APG-80 AESA
(click to view full)

The Desert Falcons’ most significant changes are electronic. Northrop Grumman’s AN/APG-80 AESA radar is the most significant advance, and made the UAE the first fighter force in the world to field this revolutionary new radar technology outside of the USA. Compared to mechanically-scanned arrays like the AN/APG-68v9s that equip advanced American and foreign F-16s, AESA radars like the APG-80 have more power, better range, less sidelobe “leakage,” near-100% combat availability, and more potential add-on capabilities via software improvements. Unlike the APG-68s, the APG-80 can perform simultaneous ground and air scan, track, and targeting, and it adds an “agile beam” that reduces the odds of detection by opposing aircraft when the radar is on.

This last feature is important. Seeing the enemy first remains every bit as significant as it was in Boelcke’s day, but the inverse square law for propagation means that turning on older radar design is like activating a flashlight in a large and dark building. It can be seen much farther away than it can illuminate. An agile-beam AESA radar largely negates that disadvantage, while illuminating enemies who may not have their own radars on.

The Desert Falcons also take a step beyond the standard ground surveillance and targeting pod systems fielded on other F-16s, by incorporating them into the aircraft itself. Northrop Grumman’s AN/ASQ-32 IFTS is derived from its work on the AN/AQS-28 LITENING AT, but internal carriage reduces drag and radar signature, and frees up a weapons pylon. The ASQ-32 can even be used to find aerial targets, allowing passive targeting, and offering a tracking option that radar stealth won’t evade.

A JHMCS helmet mounted display provides parity with the fighter’s most modern counterparts, and displays information from the aircraft’s radar and sensors wherever the pilot looks. Its real advantage is that it creates a much larger targeting zone, which can be fully exploited by the newest air-to-air missiles like the AIM-9X. Avionics improvements round out the enhancements via an advanced mission computer to enhance sensor and weapon integration, a trio of 5″x7″ color displays in the cockpit, etc.

Various advanced electronic countermeasures systems make up the Falcon Edge Integrated Electronic Warfare System (IEWS), which provides both advance warning capabilities and automatic countermeasures release.

Weapons

SLAM-ER Highlights
(click to view full)

F-16s have an extremely wide range of integrated weapons, but Mideast politics has kept some American weapons from the UAE’s hands. Their Desert Falcons won’t carry the same stealthy AGM-158 JASSM long-range, stealthy cruise missiles found on American F-16s, for instance. Nor can they carry the similar “Black Shahine” MBDA Storm Shadow derivatives that equip the UAE’s Mirage 2000 fleet.

On the other hand, the Desert Falcons’ array of integrated weapons will include medium range, GPS/IIR-guided AGM-84H SLAM-ER cruise missiles that can deliver accurate hits on ships and land targets up to 250 km away. At shorter ranges, stealthy AGM-154C JSOW glide bombs and GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs give them wide-ranging one-pass attack capabilities against hard targets. In the air, AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder short-range missiles give them over-the-shoulder kill capability, and a combat option that many of the UAE’s neighbors haven’t fielded yet.

Block 60: Political Issues

MBDA Storm Shadow

In the course of development, 2 key issues came up with respect to the F-16 Block 60. One was the familiar issue of source code control for key avionics and electronic warfare systems. The other was weapons carriage.

As a rule, the software source codes that program the electronic-warfare, radar, and data buses on US fighters are too sensitive for export. Instead, the USA sent the UAE “object codes” (similar to APIs), which allow them to add to the F-16’s threat library on their own.

The other issue concerned the Black Shahine derivative of MBDA’s Storm Shadow stealth cruise missile. The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) defines 300 km as the current limit for cruise missiles, and the terms of the sale allow the United States to regulate which weapons the F-16s can carry. Since the Black Shahine was deemed to have a range of over 300 km, the US State Department refused to let Lockheed Martin change the data bus to permit the F-16E/Fs to carry the missile.

The Mirage 2000-9 upgrades that the UAE developed with France addressed this issue, giving the UAE a platform capable of handling their new acquisition. As of 2013, UAE F-16E/F fighters will finally receive the SLAM-ER precision attack missile, giving them the shorter-range but very accurate strike capabilities.

Contracts and Key Events 2012 – 2018

F-16E, 162nd FW

July 19/18: Raytheon supports HUD BAE Systems is partnering with Raytheon to support the development of BAE’s Digital Light Engine (DLE) Head-Up Display (HUD). The new digital hub will be integrated on the United Arab Emirates’ fleet of F-16s. Raytheon will design, develop and manufacture the projector for the HUD. HUDs are located immediately in front of the pilot’s line of sight and combine real-time mission critical information with the outside world view. The UAE flies the Block 60 variant of the F-16 which has been described as a lower-budget alternative to the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter. The initial order covers design, flight test and certification of the new computers, with a follow-on production order of 100 systems expected in 2020 and 2021. BAE expects a total of up to 315 units to be ordered through 2028.

February 12/18: Upgrades-HUD Lockheed Martin has selected BAE Systems to modernize the head-up displays on F-16s operated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A press release issued by the British aerospace giant said work will see the aircraft’s analogue systems with advanced digital systems by using “cutting-edge Digital Light Engine (DLE) technology to implement a HUD upgrade that integrates seamlessly into the F-16’s existing HUD space, requiring no changes to the aircraft, cabling, or computing. The advancement will remove the outdated cathode ray tube image source and replace it with a digital projector.” DLE technology has already been selected to modernize the F-22 Raptor HUD for the US Air Force. BAE estimates it will reduce life-cycle costs by 20 percent and has four times the reliability of legacy analog systems. Last November, the UAE announced that Lockheed Martin would lead the overhaul of 80 F-16s as part of a $1.63 billion upgrade package.

November 13/17: Upgrades Speaking at the Dubai Airshow, Major General Abdullah Al Sayed Al Hashemi, Chief of the Military Committee and spokesman for the UAE Armed Forces, announced that it will upgrade its 80 F-16 jet fighters as part of a $1.63 billion program agreed with Lockheed Martin. The ministry also announced other deals, including $17.9 million to US-based OTNA INC for Blu-109 ammunition and a $9.5 million agreement with Thales Communications and Security SAS to secure defense communications. Al Hashemi added that the UAE is also interested in procuring the fifth-generation F-35, calling it “an excellent jet,” but did not comment on discussions ongoing with Washington over such a purchase. Fourth generation jets also being looked at by the Emirates include the Sukhoi Su-35, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Dassault Rafale, however, no deals have ever reached completion.

Jan 24/14: 30 more. The US DSCA announces the United Arab Emirates’s official export request for “equipment in support of a Direct Commercial Sale of F-16 Block 61 Aircraft and associated equipment, parts, [and] support….” The DCS purchase doesn’t have to be announced, but this Foreign Military Sale process confirms that they will buy up to 30 F-16 E/F “Block 61” aircraft. The new block number appears to involve a set of small component upgrades over the existing Block 60s, which will be upgraded to the same standard. The UAE’s request includes:

• 40 20mm M61A Guns
  
• 40 Embedded GPS Inertial Navigation Systems
  
• Identification Friend or Foe Equipment
  
• Unspecified “night vision devices”
  
• Joint Mission Planning System
  
• Cartridge Activated Device/Propellant Activated Devices, generally used in association with armament hard points and defensive decoys.
  
• Unspecified “Weapons Integration”
  
• F110-GE-132 International Engine Management Program-Component Improvement Program
  
• Site surveys, necessary for the required facilities expansions
  
• Ferry maintenance and services, incl. aerial refueling support
  
• Plus spare and repair parts; tools and test equipment; personnel training and training equipment; publications and technical documentation; and other forms of US Government and contractor support.

The estimated cost for these items is up to $270 million, but of course it is only a fraction of the total sale, which has a likely floor price of around $2 billion. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Ft. Worth, TX remains the primary contractor for these items, even though several of them aren’t made by the F-16’s builder. Implementation of this sale will require the assignment of additional US Government or contractor representatives, but that will be negotiated after the initial contract is signed. Sources: DSCA #13-60.

DSCA: accessories for 30 more F-16 ‘Block 61s’

Nov 19/13: More coming? Lockheed Martin is professing “near term” optimism concerning an order for 25-30 more F-16s (25 F-16E, 5 F-16F), but it’s clear there won’t be any kind of announcement at Dubai’s air show. American military sales efforts in the region are being complicated by “Smart Diplomacy’s” habit of alienating allies, but a country’s base of installed equipment has to be a major factor in its procurement decisions. We’ll have to see how all of this plays itself out in the UAE. Sources: UAE’s The National, “Lockheed Martin hoping for F-16 fighter jet deal with UAE” and “Challenges in the Middle East for US defence companies”.

Oct 15/13: Weapons. The US DSCA announces the UAE’s formal export request for a variety of new precision strike weapons to equip its F-16E/F Block 60 fighters. The orders could be worth up to $4 billion, and include…

• 300 AGM-84H SLAM-ER cruise missiles. This Harpoon variant adds IIR terminal guidance to GPS navigation, and extended-range wings that let it hit land and sea targets 250 km away. South Korea’s F-15Ks already deploy it, and the US Navy uses its AGM-88K successor, which they consider to be their most accurate strike weapon.
  
• 40 CATM-84H Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM), with seekers but no motor.
  
• 20 ATM-84H SLAM-ER Telemetry Missiles for test shots.
  
• 4 Dummy Air Training Missiles. Sometimes you just need similar weight & form factor.
  
• 30 AWW-13 Data Link pods. Pilots can receive text, data, and photos from various sources, and can also use it to communicate with the SLAM-ER in mid-flight.

• 1,200 AGM-154C Joint Stand Off Weapons (JSOW). This stealthy 2,000 pound glide bomb uses GPS for navigation and IIR guidance for terminal guidance.
  
• 10 JSOW CATM.

• 5,000 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB). These 250 pound JDAM variants can be carried 4 to a rack. GPS guidance and pop-out wings give them decent range and accuracy, and their design makes them more effective against hard targets than their weight would suggest.
  
• 16 SDB Captive Flight and Load Build trainers.
  
• 8 SDB Guided Test Vehicles for aircraft integration testing.

• Containers, mission planning, integration support and testing, munitions storage security and training, weapon operational flight program software development, transportation, tools and test equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and other forms of U.S. Government and contractor support.

The principal contractors will be Boeing in St. Louis, MO (SLAM-ER, SDB); and Raytheon in Indianapolis, IN; and Raytheon in Tucson, AZ (JSOW). If contracts are negotiated, they’ll need to negotiate the addition of approximately 2-4 additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the UAE. Sources: US DSCA 13-48, Oct 15/13 | US DoD, “Hagel, UAE Crown Prince Discuss Regional Security Issues”.

DSCA: Precision strike weapons request

April 21/13: More coming? During visits to the Middle East, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announces a wide range of approved arms buys for Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The UAE’s portion includes 25 more F-16E/F fighters, and unspecified “standoff weapons” that are very likely to be Lockheed Martin’s AGM-158 JASSM cruise missiles. Recall that refusal to provide such missiles is what pushed the UAE to create the Mirage 2000-9, and equip it with the Black Shahine derivative of MBDA’s stealthy Storm Shadow competitor.

The potential weapons buy has to be turned into an official request from the UAE, and approved by the US State Department’s DSCA, before they can even begin negotiating a contract. What we can say is that the price will be a lot lower than the “$425 billion” attributed to an unnamed official in the Pentagon’s own release. Dr. Evil, is that you? US DoD.

2007 – 2011

F-16E

Nov 30/11: The US DSCA announces [PDF] the UAE’s official request to buy 4,900 JDAM bombs for up to $304 million, which breaks out as:

• 304 GBU-54 Laser JDAM kits for 500 pound bombs, with 304 DSU-40 Laser Sensors as well as the GPS/INS tail kit
  
• 3,000 GBU-38v1 JDAM GPS/INS kits and BLU-111 500 pound bombs
  
• 1,000 GBU-31v1 JDAM GPS/INS kits and BLU-117 2,000 pound bombs
  
• 600 GBU-31v3 JDAM GPS/INS kits and BLU-109 2,000 pound Hard Target Penetrator bombs
  
• 4 BDU-50C inert bombs
  
• Plus fuzes, weapons integration, munitions trainers, personnel training and training equipment, spare and repair parts, support equipment, and other US government and contractor support.

The weapons are explicitly slated for the UAE’s F-16E/F Block 60 fleet, and are designed to

“help the UAE AF&AD become one of the most capable air forces in the region, thereby serving U.S. interests by deterring regional aggression. These munitions will be used to complement the normal war-readiness reserve stockpile of munitions and provide munitions for routine training requirements.”

DSCA: Weapons

Nov 16/11: What’s up in the UAE? The UAE is either engaged in the mother of all hardball negotiations, or the potential Rafale sale is crashing. Meanwhile, the UAE may be about to cut its planned new jet order and buy more F-16E/F Block 60s, regardless of what happens next. Read “Derailed Denouement in Dubai: What’s Up With the UAE’s Fighter Deal?” for a snapshot.

Sept 22/11: The US DSCA announces [PDF] the UAE’s official request to buy 107 MIDS-LVT/ LINK 16 terminals and associated equipment, parts, training and support. The compact MIDS-LVT assemblies would be installed on its F-16E/F fleet, as well as ground command and control sites, giving its air force a Link-16 network that would help UAE fighters share what they see with each other, and with related forces like American and Saudi AWACS aircraft, similarly-equipped allied fighters, etc.

If a contract is negotiated, it would include the systems, engineering/ integration services, aircraft modification and installation, testing, spare and repair parts, support equipment, repair and return support, personnel training, interface with ground command and control centers and ground repeater sites, and other related elements of program support. The estimated cost is up to $401 million.

The prime contractor is not set; this will be a competition between Data Link Solutions and ViaSat. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of additional U.S. Government and contractor representatives to the UAE, which will be negotiated if a contract is signed and the program proceeds.

DSCA: MIDS/ Link-16

May 25/11: The US DSCA announces [PDF] a formal request from the UAE to buy support and maintenance for both classified and unclassified F-16E/F aircraft systems and munitions, plus spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, ground support, communications equipment, and related forms of U.S. Government and contractor support. The estimated cost is up to $100 million, but the exact price will depend on a contract.

Implementation of this proposed sale may require the assignment of additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the UAE. The number and duration will be determined in joint negotiations as the program proceeds through the development, production, and equipment installation phases.

DSCA: Support

April 27/11: Out in India. With existing bids set to expire on April 28/11, India’s MoD reportedly sent letters to Eurofighter GmbH and Dassault, extending the validity of their bids. The net effect of this is that bids from the other 4 contenders will expire on the 28th, removing Lockheed Martin’s F-16IN Block 70, Boeing’s F/A-18E/F, Russia’s MiG-35, and Saab’s JAS-39NG from the competition.

This is significant for the UAE, because they maintain close relations with India, and would have received royalties if the Block 60 derived F-16IN had won a contract. Subsequent analysis indicates that the UAE’s optimization for long-range strike hampered the maneuverability and dogfighting performance that the IAF made its top priority, and there were also concerns about the platform’s ability to continue improving. Read “India’s M-MRCA Fighter Competition” for full coverage.

Loss in India

April 19/11: The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces [PDF] the UAE’s formal request to buy 218 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles, another 18 AIM-9X-2 WGU-51/B Tactical Guidance Units, 40 CATM-9X-2 Captive Air Training Missiles (CATMs) without rocket motors, another 8 CATM-9X-2 WGU-51/B Guidance Units, 8 Dummy Air Training Missiles for loading practice and such, plus containers, support and test equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and other forms of U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support.

The AIM-9X isn’t a fit for the Hawks or Mirages, so the F-16E/F fleet is their sole realistic deployment option. The UAE already fits earlier-model Sidewinders to its F-16 fleet, and the DSCA doesn’t believe that they’ll have any difficulty absorbing these newer-model missiles. The estimated cost is up to $251 million, but exact amounts must wait until/if a contract is negotiated with Raytheon Missiles Systems in Tucson, AZ.

DSCA: AIM-9X-2 missiles

Feb 22/11: DB-110. At IDEX 2011, the UAE announces a series of contracts, including an AED 297.3 million (about $81 million) order of DB-110 reconnaissance pods from Goodrich, beating competition from BAE Systems.

DB-110s equip a number of F-16 operators around the world. In the UAE’s neighborhood, they have been ordered by Egypt, Morocco, and Pakistan, and Oman and Saudi Arabia have made formal DSCA requests for them. Janes.

Oct 20/10: Goodbye, Tucson. After roughly a decade of F-16 flight and maintenance training with the Arizona Air National Guard, the UAE wraps up their formal training relationship, and flies 5 of its F-16s home. The other 8 fighters on base are scheduled to fly to the UAE in December, along with the squadron’s UAE-owned support equipment. The UAE will now train its personnel in-country, with its own cadre of instructors.

On the American side, Dutch pilots are due to take the UAE’s place, flying F-16 MLU fighters in a much less crowded and restrictive environment than they would face at home. Code One Magazine.

Emirati and American Airmen gathered on the flightline to bid farewell to five UAE-owned F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Falcons as they took off for home. Eight remaining fighters and additional support equipment are scheduled to depart by December.

Dec 28/09: Supporting a fighter extends far beyond delivery, or even maintenance. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces [PDF] the UAE’s request to buy enhanced guided bombs to support “the prior sale of the Block 60 F-16s to the UAE.” The request involves Raytheon’s dual-mode “Enhanced Paveway” bomb conversion kits, which can use GPS and laser guidance. This allows them to bomb through sandstorms, fog, and other obscurants that might obstruct a laser, while retaining the option of improved laser accuracy and the ability to hit moving targets once conditions are favorable. Specific order quantities include:

• 400 BLU-109/Bs: 2,000 pound bombs with penetrator warheads
  
• 400 GBU-24V 12/B Enhanced PAVEWAY III kits. Paired with BLU-109/B.
  
• 800 MK-84s: 2000 pound bombs.
  
• 400 GBU-24V 11/B Enhanced PAVEWAY III kits. Paired with Mk 84 bombs.
  
• 400 GBU-50V 1/B Enhanced PAVEWAY II kits. Paired with Mk 84 bombs, also referred to as EGBU-10 sometimes.
  
• 400 MK-82s: 500 pound bombs.
  
• 400 GBU-49V 3/B Enhanced PAVEWAY II kits. Paired with Mk 82s; 3/B variant uses non-NATO laser guidance codes.

The estimated cost is $290 million, and the principal contractors are the Raytheon Corporation of Waltham, MA, and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant of McAlester, OK. If Congress doesn’t block the sale, and a contract is signed later, the deal could also include containers, bomb components, mission planning software, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and U.S. Government and contractor support. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the UAE. The number of U.S. Government and contractor representatives required in UAE to support the program will be determined in joint negotiations as the program proceeds through the development, production, and equipment installation phase.

DSCA: weapons

Aug 22/09: Training. UAE pilots and maintainers begin their first-ever trip to the multinational Red Flag exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, NV, which lasts until Sept 5/09. They will be flying F-16E/F Block 60 fighters from the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Fighter Wing, 148th Fighter Squadron, at Tucson International Airport.

The 148th trains Emirati pilots, which is why some of the UAE’s Desert Falcons are based there. They currently have 9 future pilots in their course. USAF release.

March 10/09: Radar. Aviation Week’s “AESA Radars Are A Highlight of Aero-India” discusses the AN/APG-80 radar’s performance to date with the UAE:

“The proposed F-16IN for India is similar to the E/F and can accept the APG-80, which needs more power and cooling than RACR or SABR, and is lower risk. Northrop Grumman says no APG-80 antennas have had to be repaired, in normal use, since tests started over four years ago. “The antenna will outlast the airframe,” the company says. “A few modules might fail over its lifetime, but they won’t affect performance enough to make it worth unsealing the radome and replacing them.”

Feb 22/09: A Raytheon official confirms that the UAE and the U.S. government have executed a letter of offer and acceptance for 224 AIM-120C7 AMRAAM missiles, to equip the UAE’s F-16E/Fs.

Terms were not disclosed, but the number matches the DSCA sale request of Jan 3/08. Reuters

Oct 1/08: Brazil has decided on the 3 finalists for its F-X2 fighter competition: Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, and Saab/BAE’s JAS-39 Gripen. EADS’ Eurofighter, Lockheed Martin’s F-16BR Block 60+, and Sukhoi’s SU-35 all failed to make the cut. Brazilian FAB release [Portuguese] | Reuters | Boeing release | Gripen International release.

Loss in Brazil

AIM-120C

Jan 3/08: Weapons. The US DSCA announces [PDF] the UAE’s official request for a variety of weapons to equip its F-16 E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon fleet, as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $326 million.

The principal contractors are the Raytheon Corporation in Waltham, MA (AIM-120, Paveways); Boeing Corporation in St Louis, MO (JDAMs); and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in McAlester, OK. Equipment requested includes:

• 224 AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM). The C7 is the most recent version in production, but the AIM-120D model just entering service is more advanced.
  
• 224 Mk84 2,000 pound General-Purpose Bombs
  
• 200 GBU-31 tail kits for JDAM GPS-guided bombs. These will fit on the Mk84s.
  
• 450 GBU-24 PAVEWAY III dual laser/GPS guidance kits on Mk84 2,000 pound bombs
  
• 488 GBU-12 PAVEWAY II laser guidance kits on Mk82 500 pound bombs
  
• 1 M61A 20mm Vulcan Cannon with Ammunition Handling System
  
• Plus containers, bomb components, spare/repair parts, publications, documentation, personnel training, training equipment, contractor technical and logistics personnel services, and other related support elements.

Normally, General Dynamics ATP would also be included as a contractor, given the requests for Mk84s and the M61A cannon. The DSCA did not include them, but did say this:

“This proposed sale supports the prior sale of the Block 60 F-16s to the UAE… Several U.S. Air Force pilots and maintenance Extended Training Service Specialists already in the UAE are expected to remain for the next five years and will be able to support this potential sale.”

DSCA: Weapons

1998 – 2007

Allah Bless Texas!
(click to view full)

June 19/07: Support MoU. Lockheed Martin and Mubadala Development Company (MDC) of the Government of Abu Dhabi signed a memorandum of understanding today to expand their strategic relationship and jointly explore opportunities for military aircraft sustainment, maintenance, repair and overhaul, engineering and technical support in the UAE. Together, Mubadala and Lockheed Martin have identified various military aircraft airframes and engines as a part of a joint MRO business agreement.

A regional support center will be established, and Lockheed Martin will also explore participating with Mubadala in its other aerospace development activity with particular attention to research and development. Mubadala Development Company is a wholly owned investment vehicle of the Government of Abu Dhabi, one of the 7 Emirates in the UAE and the home of most of the country’s fighter fleet. MDC’s mandate is to generate sustainable economic benefits through the development of business ventures related to a wide range of sectors including aerospace and aviation in partnership with local, regional and international investors. Lockheed Martin release.

June 18/07: The US DSCA announces the UAE’s request for:

“United States pilot proficiency training programs and munitions, services and support for F-16 aircraft which includes: 105,000 20mm cartridges, aircraft modifications kits, maintenance, participation in joint training Continental United States (CONUS) pilot proficiency training program, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals training, F-5B transition and continuation training, fighter follow-on preparation training, participation in joint training exercises, fuel and fueling services, supply support, flight training, spare/repair parts, support equipment, program support, publications, documentation, personnel training, training equipment, contractor technical and logistics personnel services and other related program requirements necessary to sustain a long-term CONUS (CONtinental US) training program.”

Training would take place at Alliance International Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, with the Alliance Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Worth, TX and Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support also at Fort Worth, TX as the main contractors. If all options are exercised, the agreement could be worth up to $201 million. The Netherlands and Singapore have moved to set up their F-16 pilot training programs in the USA, which offers a lot more space to fly in and combat-seasoned pilots as trainers; this would represent a similar service. This course will go from fighter fundamentals training to a “capstone” course that takes experienced pilots and significantly improves their tactical proficiency.

Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals in Texas is a precursor to F-16 Block 60-transition training, which UAE pilots will receive in Tucson, AZ.

DSCA: Training

July 18/06: A good “slice of life” release for the F-16 program generally can be found in this Lockheed Martin release:

“Most recently – in April – Lockheed Martin achieved a significant production milestone with the delivery of its 4,300th F-16 aircraft that is now in service for Oman, which purchased 12 Advanced Block 50 F-16s in the Peace A’sama A’safiyah (Clear Skies) Program. Clear Skies is a U.S. Government Foreign Military Sales program. The Omani F-16s are just one of six F-16 aircraft programs now in production at the Fort Worth facility. Lockheed Martin is currently producing F-16 aircraft for Chile, Israel, Oman, Poland and the UAE. Greece has also recently placed an order for 30 F-16 aircraft planned for delivery in 2009.”

May 3/05: Delivery. The UAE celebrates the arrival of its first Lockheed Martin F-16E/F aircraft. The first “Desert Falcon” F-16s to be based in the UAE were received by the Crown Prince, His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Lockheed Martin release.

1st delivery

Dec 6/03: 1st flight. The F-16F Block 60 completes its first flight successfully.

Aug 27/03: Radar. Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Electronic Systems sector announces delivery of the first AN/APG-80 agile beam AESA radar to Lockheed Martin Corporation for the new F-16 block 60.

Following formal radar acceptance tests in mid-July 2003, the radar was delivered to Lockheed Martin’s Aeronautics Company facility in Fort Worth, TX. The radar will be installed in the first F-16 Block 60 airframe by the end of September. First flight of this aircraft is scheduled for late November 2003. Testing of additional software modes will continue into 2004, using test radars on board the company’s BAC 1-11 test bed aircraft in Baltimore.

July 18/2000: Training. Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems in Akron, OH announces an award from the UAE for an F-16 Block 60 Training System valued at $50 million over 7 years. The WST will serve as the primary training device for the combat-ready pilot to achieve front seat training goals and the ULT shall be the primary training device at the squadron level. This group also produces the U.S. Air Force’s F-16 Mission Training Center, and the Israeli Air Force’s F-15I/AUP Flight and System Trainer.

The UAE’s F-16 Training System, which will include Unit Level and Weapon Systems Trainers, will incorporate many features of the U.S. Air Force F-16 Mission Training Center, also in development by Lockheed Martin in Akron. A demonstration of the Brief/Debrief Station (B/DS) and its unique mission-recording feature was a key element in the win. Weapon Systems Trainers will include a dome-type visual system and the Unit Level Trainers will each have a 150-by-40-degree out-the-window visual system. The Training System’s components will interface via local and long-haul networks, and will interface with UAE’s existing Mirage 2000-9 training systems.

Lockheed Martin NE&SS-Akron will supply a mission observation center, support integration between the F-16 and UAE’s Mirage 2000-9 training systems, and provide performance evaluation, mission scenario engagement, post-mission review and accounting, and a training management information system. Lockheed Martin Information Systems in Orlando, FL, Lockheed Martin Systems Support & Training Services in Cherry Hill, NJ, and French visual system supplier SOGITEC Industries SA will join Lockheed Martin NE&SS-Akron on the 7-year program under subcontract to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, TX.

March 5/2000: Officials of the UAE and Lockheed Martin announce contractual agreements for 80 F-16 E/F aircraft and associated equipment for an estimated $6.4 billion. The aircraft will be produced by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company of Fort Worth, TX. The firm’s release states that:

“The contract solidifies the U.A.E.’s May 1998 selection of the F-16 after a long and thorough process in which the Block 60 aircraft was evaluated against other advanced fighters including the Eurofighter Typhoon, France’s Rafale and Boeing’s F-15E.”

80 F-16E/F Block-60s

Nov 29/98: FlugRevue:

“Matra BAe Dynamics has signed a major contract to supply Mica air-to-air missiles and Black Shahine air-to-ground missiles to the UAE, the Lagardère group said on November 24. The contract was estimated to be worth 12 billion francs ($2.09 billion). Confirmation of the missiles purchase follows last week’s signing of a contract for 30 new Mirage 2000-9 built by Dassault Aviation. The UAE purchase marks the first export sale of the infra-red model of the Mica, which complements an electromagnetic version which Abu Dhabi is also buying. The long-range strike missile, known by its Arabic name Black Shahine, is based on the Apache and Scalp EG stand-off weapon being built for France and the Storm Shadow which will equip Britain’s Royal Air Force.”

The USA’s refusal to let the UAE mount these missiles on F-16E/F fighters would become a source of controversy.

Additional Readings Background: F-16E/F Desert Falcon & Ancillaries

• F-16.NET – F-16E/F Block 60

• Lockheed Martin – F-16 Fighting Falcon

• Lockheed Martin Code One Magazine, via WayBack (Q3 2003) – UAE Air Force/F-16 Block 60

• Lockheed Martin, via WayBack – F-16 UAE Training System. See also July 18/2000 entry, above.

• Maxwell AFB Air Chronicles PIREP by Capt Gilles Van Nederveen USAF, via WayBack (Fall 2000) – The F-16 Block 60: A High-Tech Aircraft for a Volatile Region

• GE – Model F110-GE-132 Enhanced Fighter Engine

• Northrop Grumman – AN/APG-80 (F-16)

• Northrop Grumman – AN/AAQ-32 Internal FLIR Targeting System (IFTS)

• Northrop Grumman – Falcon Edge Integrated Electronic Warfare Suite (IEWS)

• DID – New Options: Denel & Tawazun’s Precision Weapons Partnership. The Al-Tariq GPS-guided glide bomb. It has been integrated with the Mirage 2000-9 so far, but it’s unlikely to stop there.

News & Views

• UAE’s The National, via WayBack (Sept 29/09) – UAE wants its fighters its own way. In this case, Rafales with uprated engines to 20,000 pounds thrust each, an AESA radar, and integration with MBDA’s Meteor long-range missile. The article also reveals the licensing-for-exports deals associated with the UAE’s funded modifications to the Mirage 2000 and F-16 platforms, which made several hundred million dollars in the Mirage’s case. The deal would pay out if other countries buy a version of the F-16E/F, but Lockheed Martin’s 2012 introduction of a different F-16V upgrade design makes F-16E/F royalties less likely.

• Flight International, via WayBack (Nov 11/07) – Dubai 2007: UAE shows off its most advanced Falcons

• Lockheed Martin Code One Magazine, via WayBack (Q2 2000) – UAE Signs Agreement For Block 60 F-16 Desert Falcon

• Lockheed Martin – F-16IN Super Viper. F-16E/F derivative, competing for India’s order against the Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, Dassault’s Rafale, EADS Eurofighter, Russia’s MiG-35, and Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen NG. They eventually introduced the F-16V as a global offering, which may have enough changes in it to sidestep the UAE deal’s provisions re: export royalties.

Americas

• Thales Defense and Security is being tapped to support worldwide aircraft deployment by the US military. The awarded firm-fixed-price contract provides for up to 29 Deployable-Instrument Landing System (D-ILS) production units and has a value of $12.2 million. The highly mobile D-ILS units will be used in airfield environments to precisely guide pilots on their final approach during low-visibility or low-ceiling weather conditions. The Thales D-ILS essentially provides the equivalent of fixed-based Instrument Landing System capability at tactical airfields and environmentally diverse regions such as sites hit by natural disasters. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $126 million. Work will be performed in Clarksburg, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by July, 2023.

• The US Army is looking for work in support of its Waveform Development Environment Ecosystem. Thales Defense & Security, Rockwell Collins, Northrop Grumman, Harris Corp and General Dynamics are set to compete for each order of the hybrid contract valued at $249 million. Waveform Development Environment Ecosystem is the US Army’s multi-year program to facilitate the rapid development and production of software-defined radio waveforms. This technology is needed to provide troops with the ability to securely send and access large amounts of encrypted data simultaneously. Part of this ecosystem is Joint Tactical Radio System (JSTARS) or Rifleman radio. The Rifleman radio can create self-forming, ad hoc, voice and data networks. What’s even more significant is that they also enable any leader at the tactical level to track the position of individual soldiers who are also using the radio. That’s a big deal in urban environments, which can force a squad or platoon to split up. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 12, 2023.

• Lockheed Martin is being awarded a modification in support of the Navy’s LCS program. The un-definitized contract action modification has a value of $450.7 million and provides for long-lead-time material and detail design in support of the construction of four Multi Mission Surface Combatant ships. Lockheed Martin MMSC (Multi-Mission Surface Combatant) is a derivative of the US Navy’s Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship. The MMSC platform can be configured with a variety of sensors and weapons based on operational requirements of the naval customer. It also allows for interoperability with the US Navy and allied naval forces in joint operations. Its mission capabilities include anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, anti-air warfare, mine warfare, electronic warfare, and special operations. This modification brings the total cumulative face value to over $1 billion. The contract also includes a $225.3 million US foreign military sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Work will be performed at multiple locations inside and outside the continental US. They include Crozet, Virginia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Baltimore, Maryland and the UK. Production is expected to be completed by October 2025.

Middle East & Africa

• Jane’s reports that Saudi Arabia is purchasing five new corvettes with a price tag of $2.1 billion. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been negotiating the deal since 2015, with the last vessel expected to be delivered in 2022. The contract will involve around seven million hours of work at the company’s shipyards in Bahía de Cádiz, Ría de Ferrol and Cartagena. According to the data from Navantia, the ships will be based on the Avante 2200 design. The total displacement of these corvettes is over 2,500 tons, the length of the hull is 98.9 m. The two diesel power plants will provide a speed of up to 25 knots. The crew will consist of 92 sailors. The ships will be armed Harpoon anti-ship missiles, ESSM surface to air missiles, a Super Rapid naval gun built by Leonardo, a CIWS system, torpedo launchers and remote weapon stations. The multi-purpose vessel is especially designed for surveillance and maritime traffic control missions, search and rescue missions and assistance to other ships, among others. In addition, the vessels will provide an important capacity for defense of strategic assets, intelligence gathering and anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, anti-surface and electronic warfare missions.

Europe

• Leonardo and General Atomics will jointly work on integrating Leonardo’s SAGE electronic warfare surveillance system onto the MQ-9B UAS. SAGE analyses the electromagnetic spectrum across the Land, Sea and Air domains in order to map the source of active emissions. Using highly accurate Direction Finding (DF) antennas, SAGE builds target locations and provides situational awareness, advance warning of threats and the ability to cue other sensors. The sensor with a 360° radar-warning-receiver capability allows to identify the location and parametric data of specific RF emitters from a single platform, thus enhancing the tactical electronic intelligence picture and situational awareness. SAGE is already in service with the South Korean Navy, Brazilian Navy and Indonesian Air Force. The two companies plan to integrate SAGE into the MQ-9B airframe without the need for external pods. First orders will be possible as soon as 2019.

• Swedish defense contractor Saab is unveiling its next generation RBS15 Gungnir anti-ship missile system. The RBS15 missile family is optimized for the littoral environment. According to the company the Gungnir will be offered in both air-launched and surface-launched configurations, a highly advanced target seeker and a range of more than 186 miles. The system is backwards compatible to that it can easily be integrated with the Mk3 system. RBS-15 fire-and-forget missiles grew out of Sweden’s need for missiles that excelled in littoral warfare situations like Sweden’s fractured coastlines and innumerable bays. They have a longer reach and heavier punch than counterparts like the Harpoon. The option to engage targets from the air, as well as from land and sea gives the ability to perform coordinated attacks, with multiple missiles, against a wide range of naval and land-based targets thereby increasing mission flexibility and success. The RBS15 Mk4 development and production program started in March 2017. One month later a first order with a value of $362 million was placed, with deliveries to take place from 2017 to 2026.

Asia-Pacific

• The government of Taiwan is set to receive support for its fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft as part of a US foreign military sale. URS Federal Services will provide a maintenance and supply support to meet all of the 21st Fighter Squadron mission objectives under this firm-fixed task order valued at $7.3 million. Taiwan is currently in the middle of a modernization program that seeks to improve the island’s ability to control the sea and deny enemies to take that control. The ultimate issue for Taiwan is one of numbers. In the air, quantity has a quality all its own. The current fighter jet availability is quite low with just 74 out of 146 F-16s considered to be operational. This task order provides safe, efficient and effective maintenance for sortie production of Taiwan’s 14 Block 20 F-16 aircraft for the Taiwan Air Force. Work will be performed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by end of July, 2019.

• The government of Japan is in dire need to replace its ageing fleet of F-2 fighters. The country is currently searching for a Japan-led international collaborative development for a new fighter jet. Lockheed Martin already issued a development proposal that is a big favorite. The company would build a high-performance stealth machine integrating F-35 electronics onto a F-22 platform. However, the plane will be more expensive than initially thought thus raising concerns to the program’s cost effectiveness. Lockheed estimates the initial price tag to be around $177 million per plane, essentially making it more expensive than the F-35. Japan will start retiring its fleet of 90 F-2s by 2030. Development of a new plane takes about 10-years therefore the Ministry of Defense intends to specify any concrete development policy by the end of the year.

Today’s Video

• Watch: Torpedoes and anti-ship missiles sink ship during RIMPAC 2018

Americas

• The Navy is contracting Flour Marine Propulsion LLC for work on nuclear propulsion. The cost-plus-fixed fee contract is valued at $1,2 billion and provides for work at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory. The Naval Nuclear Laboratory falls under the Department of Energy and provides advanced nuclear propulsion work and technical support to the Navy. They specifically work on the Navy’s aircraft carrier and submarine nuclear fleet. The USA has had an all-nuclear submarine fleet for over 50 years, a policy that dates back to the visionary Admiral Hyman Rickover. On the surface, America’s aircraft carriers became an all-nuclear fleet with the retirement of the USS Kitty Hawk. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative estimated value of this contract to $13 billion. Work will be performed in Pennsylvania, New York and Idaho.

• GE Aviation Systems LLC is being tapped to support the US’s fleet of tanker aircraft. The awarded firm-fixed-price modification has a value of $18 million and provided for additional spare parts on the KC-130J propeller system. The KC-130J is a version of the classic C-130 Hercules. The KC-130J is a multi-role, medium-sized fixed-wing aerial refueling aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin primarily for the US Marine Corps. The US Navy and the USMC currently operate a fleet of 47 KC-130J Hercules aircraft. The plane is powered by four Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprop engines. Each engine, driving an all-composite six-blade R391 propeller, develops a power of 3,425kW. Work will be performed in Sterling, Virginia and is expected to be completed in May 2022.

Middle East & Africa

• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is set to receive support for its Vision 2030 plans as part of a US foreign military sale. Kratos Technology & Training Solutions is being awarded a $53 million contract modification under the International Program the company will provide program planning, logistics and a variety of technical services and instructional services in support of Saudi Arabia. These services support all levels of Royal Saudi Naval Forces’ Vision 2030 goals. Saudi Arabia is almost completely reliant on outside military purchases. One of the 2030 plan’s pillars is developing a domestic military production capacity so that it is less dependent on the US and foreign military purchases. Work will be performed at various locations in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Jubail, Jeddah, Dammam, and Ras al Ghar.

• Jane’s reports that the Air Force of Mali is adding four light attack aircraft to its fleet. The African nation has purchased four Embraer EMB 314/A-29 Super Tucanos. The country had ordered a total of six aircraft in 2015, however after a series of financial issues the order was reduced to four. According to the company the Super Tucano is designed to carry a fighter’s typical array of weapons, either smart or conventional. Its armament line-up is fully integrated with its avionics system and comprises most advanced ordnance and sensors. The Super Tucanos delivered to Mali are armed with 12.7 mm machine guns and can carry 70 mm rocket pods and 300 lb. bombs. The government also indicated that it also acquired 20 mm cannon pods for the aircraft. With this delivery, Mali joins Angola, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania as African operators of the Super Tucano.

Europe

• The United Kingdom is looking to boost its inventory of Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs). The US State Department is determined to approve the possible foreign military sale valued at $650 million. The UK wants to buy up to 200 AIM-120D missiles. The AIM-120D features C7 improvements and adds a number of strong upgrades to the missile. The new hardware and software is rumored to offer improved jamming resistance, better operation in conjunction with modern AESA radars, and an improved high-angle off-boresight “seeker cone,” in order to give the missile a larger no-escape zone. Less-publicized improvements reportedly include a dual-pulse rocket motor, for up to 50% more range and better near-target maneuvering. The UK will be the first export customer of the AIM-120D. The deal also includes missile containers, weapon system support, training and warranties. The principal contractor will be Raytheon Missile Systems Company.

• Italy’s Guardia di Finanza is increasing its maritime patrol mission capabilities. The militarized police force will purchase an ATR 72-600 that will be outfitted by Leonardo. Valued at $51.2 million the contract includes the plane, training and logistics support. If a number of unspecified options are exercised the total value of the contract could reach $250 million. According to Flightglobal, the twin-engine turboprop will be capable of performing a number of roles, including maritime patrol, search and rescue, anti-piracy and anti-drug smuggling operations, and surveillance of territorial waters. The plane is expected to be delivered sometime in 2019.

Asia-Pacific

• The Indonesian Navy is establishing a new squadron primarily tasked with UAV maritime surveillance missions. The Skadron Udara 700 will be based in Juanda Surabaya and will operate the ScanEagle UAS. Indonesia is currently anticipating the delivery of four Insitu ScanEagle UAVs and associated equipment, from the US government. The UAVs are being provided under a grant by the US government under a capacity-building program for Southeast Asian navies known as the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI). The ScanEagle is solidly based on Insitu’s original “Insight” platform, with different variants distinguished by their payloads and accompanying equipment rather than their aerodynamic design. The UAVs are launched by catapult, and autonomously recovered using a folding “skyhook” and catch-line. The Indonesian MSI package seeks to specifically improve the country’s maritime patrol capabilities, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance integration, and equipment maintenance capacity.

Today’s Video

• EA-6B Prowler flies

Americas

• The US Army is tapping Boeing to increase its transport capability. The awarded contract modification is valued at $131.1 million and provides for the procurement of four MH-47G Block II aircraft. The MH-47G Chinook is a variant of the world’s most popular heavy-lift helicopter, that has been optimized for Special Forces Operations. The most obvious difference of this helicopter variant is its big aerial refueling tube at the front. Less obvious modifications include additional sensors for surveillance, “aircraft survivability equipment,” dual embedded Global Positioning Systems, a redundant navigator for improved accuracy and reliability, and various advanced datalinks that allow the display of Near Real Time Intelligence Data (NRTID). The USA expects to be operating Chinooks in their heavy-lift role past 2030. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of June 29, 2020.

• Weston Solutions is being contracted by the US Army Corps of Engineers to support its remediation efforts. The $27 million firm-fixed-price contract provides for the remediation of hazardous, toxic and radioactive waste as well as military munitions. Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste projects are implemented at former military sites that have been contaminated during weapons tests and other kinds of operations. The Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program for example was initiated to identify, investigate, and clean up or control sites throughout the United States that were part of the Nation’s early atomic weapons and energy programs. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order. The contract is expected to be completed by July 10, 2023.

• Raytheon is set to provide the Missile Defense Agency with the sustained capability to defend against ballistic missile threats. The awarded multiple award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (MAIDIQ) contract has a minimum amount of $10.000 and a maximum amount of $4.1 billion. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide autonomous acquisition and persistent precision tracking and discrimination to optimize the defensive capability of the ballistic missile defense system and counter evolving threats. The tracking and discrimination capability is at the heart of a ballistic missile defense system, stopping a missile attack begins with detecting a launch. THAAD for example uses the AN/TPY-2, an X-Band, phased array, solid-state radar developed and built by Raytheon. The TPY-2 is employed for surveillance at ranges of up to 1,000 km (600 miles) as well as target identification and target tracking, thanks to its high-power output and beam/waveform agility. Targeting information is uploaded to the missile immediately before launch, and continuously updated during the flight.

Middle East & Africa

• Jane’s reports that the government of Qatar’s order of Rafale fighter aircraft will be delivered between 2019 and 2022. The first Qatari squadron is being set up at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in southwest France, there more than 200 pilots and technicians have been trained. The current F3 standard includes full integration with the Reco NG reconnaissance pod, implementation of all currently planned modes for the RBE2 radar, anti-ship attack with the Exocet or follow-on ANF, and support for an improved tanker pack. Qatar made an initial purchase of the Rafale in 2015 and gradually increased its order to 36 planes.

• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is set to receive support for its F-15 Fleet Modernization program as part of a US foreign military sale. Titan LSC has been awarded a $68.4 million indefinite-delivery-requirements contract that provides for the acquisition of various different commercial vehicles and trailers in support of the RSAF program. Titan will facilitate delivery to the Dhahran Supply Depot at King Abdul Aziz Air Base and maintain operations in the Dammam Metropolitan Area in Saudi Arabia as a liaison for the operation. In October 2010 Saudi Arabia negotiated a $30-60 billion arms package with the USA including an order of 84 F-15 Strike Eagles. Work will be performed at Titan LSC, Amman, Jordan, and in the subcontractor’s facility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The contract is expected to be completed by July 10, 2021.

Europe

• The government of Denmark has voiced its intent to purchase 29 AIM-120 C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM). The State Department is determined to approve this foreign military sale which has a value of $90 million. The potential deal includes the missiles, a spare guidance section and other equipment ranging from missile containers to training services. At present, the AIM-120-C7 is the most advanced AMRAAM approved for export beyond the USA. The AIM-120-C7 is currently in production for almost all export customers, with an improved seeker head, greater jamming resistance, and slightly longer range. Additional work continues to improve the C7’s resistance to electronic countermeasures, and the 2-phase EPIP program. The missiles would equip Denmark’s future F-16 and F-35 fighter jets.

• The government of Slovakia has decided to purchase 14 new F-16 fighters to replace its Russian made MiG-29 jets. The deal has a potential value of up to $1.3 billion. The Lockheed produced plane thus successfully competed against Saab’s Gripen. In April, the US State Department approved the potential sale of 14 Block 70/72 F-16Vs for Slovakia. The Slovakian defense ministry said in a press statement “the US offer was more advantageous for the Slovak Republic in terms of all parameters, and in this regard the ministry refused to speculate that the reason for choosing the F-16 aircraft was later delivery and thus prolongation of dependence on Russian technology.” The ministry compared the price of 14 F-16, ammunition, pilot training costs and ground staff, logistics, infrastructure completion, delivery times and other operating costs, up until the 2040s horizon.

Asia-Pacific

• The Nepalese Army intends to purchase on AW-139 Helicopter. The Nepalese government intended to purchase three helicopters in total for disaster response and rescue operations, however part of the purchase was cancelled as the price ceiling exceeded an earlier deal. The AW139 delivers best-in-class performance with a maximum cruise speed of 165 knots and a range in excess of 500 nm. It also has the largest cabin in its class, which can accommodate up to 15 passengers. The AW139 Chopper delivery date has not been disclosed yet.

Today’s Video

• Britain shows off its F-35s

Americas

• Vencore Services and Solutions is being tapped to support the US Air Force’s Technical Applications Center (AFTAC). The awarded contract has a value of $49.8 million and supports R&D operations to develop future nuclear monitoring equipment. Nuclear surveillance is needed for the monitoring of treaties and observing global nuclear developments. Vencore will provide services that are heavily focused on organizing a group of highly-specialized scientists, engineers, and analysts to work in support of nuclear detection missions. The company will develop the future systems and other advanced detection technologies, including new analysis- methods and techniques. Consisting of more than 3,600 sensors worldwide, AFTAC operates and maintains a global network of nuclear event detection equipment called the U.S. Atomic Energy Detection Systems (USAEDS), the largest sensor network in the US Air Force. Once a disturbance is detected underground, underwater, in the atmosphere or in space, the event is analyzed for nuclear identification, and the findings are reported to national command authorities. Work will be performed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It has an estimated completion date of August 20, 2024

• The Navy is currently testing its MQ-8C Fire Scout UAS. A press release confirms that the UAV finished its Initial Operational Test and Evaluation from the littoral combat ship USS Coronado. The MQ-8C “Endurance Upgrade Fire Scout” is based on Bell Helicopter’s 3-ton 407 model, which serves as the base for the Iraqi Air Force’s manned IA-407-armed scout helicopters. MQ-8C is effectively a full-sized light naval utility helicopter, with 8 hours endurance carrying a 1,250-pound payload, and a maximum underslung payload of more than 2,600 pounds. The crew of the Coronado and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1, or VX-1, conducted combat simulations to evaluate the Fire Scout on target identification, intelligence and surface warfare, the results of which will help the Navy decide how best to use the rotorcraft. The unit also evaluated best practices concerning pairing the Fire Scout and MH-60S Seahawk helicopters. The Fire Scout has a range of nearly 600 miles and can fly to up to 12,500 feet. The Fire Scout can be armed with Hellfire and Viper Strike missiles, alongside several other weapons systems.

• The US Army is again boosting the upkeep of its Abrams tanks. Honeywell International Inc. is being awarded a contract modification valued at $119.6 million in support of the Army’s Total Integrated Engine Revitalization Automotive Gas Turbine program for M1 Abrams tank engines. Approved for production in 1990, the M1A2 represents the US Army’s technological improvement of the basic M1A1 design and the most modern battle tank in the world. It is equipped with a 120mm gun and is protected by depleted uranium armor. Over 10.000 Abrams tanks have been built so far, many of which were exported to militaries across the world. Work will be performed in Phoenix, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of March, 2021.

Middle East & Africa

• Jane’s reports that the Tunisian Navy commissioned its second Multi Service Offshore Patrol Vessel (MSOPV) 1400 and a third Istiklal-class patrol boat at the port of La Goulette. The Syphax is the second of four MSOPV 1400s currently being built for the Tunisian Navy. The ship is being built and developed by Romanian defense contractor Damen. The MSOPV is Damen’s second generation offshore patrol vessel design and was revealed several years ago. It incorporates Damen’s Sea Axe hull shape for superior seakeeping – since the hull is designed to reduce water resistance, the new OPV is fuel efficient and capable of speeds up to 25/26 knots. A Multi-Mission Bay can be equipped with dedicated mission modules (e.g. mission containers) for missions such as counter piracy, counter-drug operations, anti-mining warfare, search-and-rescue and so forth. The Multi-Mission Bay is also equipped with a nine-meter RHIB, which can be launched over a dedicated slipway through the rear of the vessel while the OPV is sailing. Meanwhile, the third OPV, Hannon, commenced initial sea trials in the Black Sea late last June.

Europe

• The Czech Ministry of Defense is looking into a variety of systems to replace its obsolete Russian-designed 2K12 Kub mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems. The government has allocated about $450 million for procuring a new SHORAD SAM system with a range of 9 miles. It is yet unclear what kind of system the government is looking for. Currently there are several types of SHORAD systems on the market. Earlier this year, Estonia, which is also a NATO member opted for MBDA’s Mistral. However, considering its limited range of 4 miles, it seems unlikely that this system will be ordered. Another option could be Israel’s Iron Dome, which has an all-weather-range of up to 43.5 miles. The Ministry plans to equip the 25th ADM Regiment with four batteries, each equipped with up to eight ready-to-fire missiles.

Asia-Pacific

• India’s plan to build and commission its second indigenous aircraft carrier has been postponed again. Steadily declining budgets, technological hurdles and prolonged delays by the Ministry of Defense in approving the program make it very unlikely that the Vishal will enter service by 2030-2032. The proposed 65,000–70,000 ton conventionally powered ‘flat top’ carrier would be capable of embarking 50–60 fixed- and rotary-wing platforms and cruise at 30 knots, but it would also cost between $12 – 13 billion. India’s Navy has currently one carrier in operation the refurbished Soviet-era Kiev-class Vikramaditya. By 2018–19, Vikramaditya was to have been supplemented by INS Vikrant, the 37,000-tonne Project 71 carrier with a short take-off but arrested recovery (STOBAR) configuration that has been under construction since 2009 at Cochin Shipyard Limited, southern India. At this point the Vikrant is scheduled to enter service by October 2020. The Indian Navy plans to field three carrier battle groups under its Maritime Capability Perspective Plan.

• The Royal Australian Air Force’s fleet EA-18G Growlers is expected to achieve its initial operational capability (IOC) in the coming months. Australia is currently only the second operator of the aircraft, after the US Navy. The EA-18 is more than 90% common with the standard F/A-18F Super Hornet, sharing its airframe, AESA radar, stores management system and weapons options. The exception is the Super Hornet’s Vulcan Gatling gun is substituted with electrical equipment. Additional electrical equipment is added throughout the airframe, and Raytheon’s internally-mounted AN/ALQ-227 communication countermeasures system uses a dedicated, omni-directional antenna for signals detection, analysis, and recording. In May 2013, then Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister for Defense Stephen Smith announced that 12 new-build EA-18G Growlers would be acquired for the RAAF, in place of an earlier plan to modify 12 ‘pre-wired’ RAAF F/A-18Fs to Growler configuration. The production of Australia’s 12 EA-18Gs was formally contracted as part of a larger US Navy buy of 44 Super Hornets and Growlers in July 2014.

Today’s Video

• Spectacular Typhoon Display – Yeovilton International Air Day 2018

Americas

• Rolls-Royce Corp. is being tapped for services in support of the AE 3007H engine. The firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract is valued at $420 million and provides for provides for maintenance, repair and overhaul of the engine. The AE 3007H (F137) engine is used to power Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS. In typical operations the Global Hawk has a cruise speed of 357 mph, a range of 8,700 mi, a service ceiling of 60,000 feet and may fly for up to 28 hours. The turbofan engine produces a net thrust of 7,050 lb. Work will be performed in Montreal, Canada; and at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and is expected to be completed by June, 2024.

• The Navy is awarding Orbital Sciences Corp with a contract in support of its supersonic cruise missile simulation program. The $52,8 million contract modification provides for the production of 18 GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) base vehicles in support of the Navy and the governments of Japan and Israel. The rocket-boosted, ramjet-powered GQM-163A was developed to simulate supersonic cruise missiles like the SS-N-22 Sunburn, the Kh-31 and the Indo-Russian PJ-10 Brahmos. Rail-launched from Navy test and training ranges, the highly maneuverable Coyote achieves cruise speeds of over Mach 2.5, with a range of approximately 60 nautical miles at altitudes of less than 20 feet above the sea surface. Work will be performed at multiple locations, including Chandler, Arizona; Camden, Arkansas; Vergennes, Vermont; Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Hollister, California, and is expected to be completed in May 2022.

• The government of Canada is looking into acquiring an additional seven surplus F/A-18 A/B Hornets from Australia. The deal is subject to US export controls. If approved, it will bring to 25 the number of former RAAF Hornets sold to Ottawa. Should export approvals be received, negotiations would determine delivery timings. The original F/A-18A (single seat) and F/A-18B (dual seat) became operational in 1983 replacing Navy and Marine Corps F-4s and A-7s. It quickly became the battle group commander’s mainstay because of its capability, versatility and availability. Reliability and ease of maintenance were emphasized in its design, and F/A-18s have consistently flown three times more hours without failure than other Navy tactical aircraft, while requiring half the maintenance time. The first two “classic” Hornets will be delivered to Canada in 2019. The Royal Canadian Air Force requires airframes to fill a capability gap during a pending process to obtain 88 new combat aircraft to replace its 85 Boeing CF-18 A/B fighters.

Middle East & Africa

• The somewhat clandestine relationship between Israel and United Arab Emirates is strengthening. As i24News reports, the Israeli Air Force recently hosted a military delegation from the United Arab Emirates to review operations of the advanced US-made F-35 fighter jets. Israel is a Security Cooperation Partner in the F-35 JSF program, its introduction was a key part of the IAF’s recapitalization plans. Israel is the only country in the region that has the F-35 in its inventory, it is also the only nation to this date that has used the fighter jet in combat missions. Although not having formal diplomatic ties the two countries are cooperating in security matters as way to counteract the growing influence of Iran in the region. The extraordinary visit comes as the UAE seeks to purchase its own fleet of the advanced F-35 fighter jets, built by US defense giant Lockheed Martin, and amid reports of a burgeoning Israeli-Gulf alliance against Iran.

• Jane’s reports that the Israeli defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is finalizing the development of its new SPARC trailer-mounted and remote-controlled launch system for the Spike non-line-of-sight (NLOS) multipurpose tactical missile. According to Rafael, the Spike NLOS is a multi-purpose, multi-platform electro-optical missile system with real-time wireless data link for ranges up to 25 km giving the gunner the ability to attack targets at stand-off range with no line of sight. The Spike NLOS can also be supplied with three different warheads especially suited to urban and high intensity conflicts, they include: a tandem high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead, a penetrating blast fragmentation (PBF) warhead, and fragmentation warhead. The Spike NLOS Modular Launcher is an adaptable, palletized, stand-off launch system specifically configured for light rapid response/all-terrain-type vehicles – typically deployed as an air portable capability – by reconnaissance units and special forces.

Europe

• The United Kingdom is looking into several options to replace its Boeing E-3D Sentry AWACS airplanes. Parliament has ruled that the MoD must hold a fair and open competition before selecting any new surveillance aircraft. The intervention by the Defense Committee followed earlier media reports that the Ministry of Defense (MoD) had already decided to procure the Boeing E-737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to replace the old AWACS planes. The plane is based on Boeing’s 707 family, and its ability to see and direct air operations within hundreds of miles provides vital strategic support. Deliveries to the UK began in March 1991 and were completed in May 1992. In 2005 the UK government approved the Sentry Whole Life Support Program (WLSP) at a cost of $1.2 billion. The RAF currently has six E-3Ds in its operational fleet, with the type having entered service in 1991. While other operators of the type have benefited from regular upgrades, the RAF’s fleet has fallen behind in terms of capabilities due to a lack of investment.

Asia-Pacific

• Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation is reportedly developing a new aircraft launch system to be deployed on aircraft carriers. The company did yet not specify the characteristics of these systems or the timeframe of their development. Russia currently has one Soviet-era aircraft carrier that is equipped with a ski-jump ramp. An aircraft launch system aboard an aircraft carrier is needed to accelerate radar surveillance aircraft or planes whose thrust/weight ratio is insufficient for taking via a ski-jump ramp. Current steam catapult technology is very stressful for the aircraft involved, very maintenance intensive, and not really compatible with modern gas turbine propulsion systems. It is quite likely that the system to be developed will be an electromagnetic aircraft launch system. EMALS aims to leap beyond steam’s limitations, delivering significant efficiency savings, a more survivable system, and improved effectiveness. An electromagnetic catapult is a mechanism, which accelerates an aircraft by linear induction motors instead of steam shuttles. This principle is used on monorail railroads.

• Flightglobal reports that the Chinese government is planning to develop a new carrier-borne fighter as replacement of its J-15s. Reports suggest that the Chinese copy of the Sukhoi Su-33, has been involved in four crashes and suffers a range of mechanical problems. The J-15 is the heaviest carrier-borne fighter in current operation, with an empty weight of 38.500 lb., higher than the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet’s 32.187 lb. China has one operational carrier, the Liaoning.

Today’s Video

• PLAAF general confirms new J-15 fighter replacement program

Americas

• The Army is procuring fuses for its artillery shells. Action Manufacturing and Amtec Corp. are set to compete for each order of the firm-fixed-price contract worth $250,7 million. The contract provides for the manufacture, inspection, testing, packaging, and delivery of M739A1 Point Detonating and Delay fuses. The M739 series fuses are the latest improved version of the selective impact fuses. The fuse body is a one-piece design solid aluminum and has a standard 2-inch threaded base to match projectile nose and fuse cavity. The M739A1 fuse contains an Impact Delay Module (IDM) assembly. The IDM provides fuse initiation delay based upon the completion of mechanical actions caused by projectile deceleration and will function immediately after passing through the target. Function occurs when a spring-loaded firing pin is released. There are no explosive components contained within the IDM. The M739A1 is a selective super-quick auto-delay impact fuse designed for use in all standard HE artillery 4.2-inch Mortar, 105mm through 8-inch Howitzers and 175mm Guns. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 28, 2023.

• Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), is being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract valued at $116,2 million. The contract provides for sustainment support of integrated afloat and ashore tactical networks. This three-year contract includes one two-year option period which, if exercised, would bring the overall, potential value of this contract to an estimated $196,5 million. The Navy has a number of tactical networks that support its warfighting capabilities, they all depend on a well-maintained IT infrastructure. One of those systems is CANES, or the US Navy’s Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services program, which is designed to streamline and update shipboard networks to improve interoperability across the fleet. Work will be performed aboard Navy ships and Department of Defense installations and facilities worldwide by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Systems Center Pacific and Center Atlantic. Work is expected to be completed June 27, 2021. If the option is exercised, the period of performance would extend through June 27, 2023.

• The US Air Force will prematurely end its A-29 Super Tucano experiment program. The US Air Force will not conclude the flying portion of its light-attack experiment after a June 22 aircraft crash resulted in the death of a pilot. Last month’s mishap involved the A-29 Super Tucano, made by Embraer and Sierrra Nevada Corp., that was being flown in a training mission over the Red Rio Bombing Range, which is part of the White Sands Missile Range north of Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. Lt. Christopher Carey Short, a naval aviator, died in the accident while a second pilot was airlifted to the hospital with minor injuries. The suspension ends a flying evaluation of the Super Tucano and the Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine two weeks before a scheduled public demonstration. The Air Force plans to use data gathered from the experiment to decide whether to buy potentially hundreds of light attack aircraft. The hope is these fighters could be cheaper alternatives for certain missions to using aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-35.

Middle East & Africa

• The government of Qatar is adding several Hawk advanced jet trainers to its order of Eurofighter Typhoons. BAE Systems has announced that the emirate has amended the contract it signed in late 2017 for 24 Typhoons to include nine Hawks. The Hawk family of aircraft, manufactured by BAE Systems, has been made famous by the Red Arrows Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team. Since entering service with the Royal Air Force in 1976, over 800 Hawk aircraft have been delivered and it has been exported to several nations. The Hawk 100 is an advanced two-seat weapons systems trainer with enhanced ground attack capability. The aircraft provides fighter lead-in training and navigator and weapons systems operator training. Hawk deliveries will commence in 2021, with the first of the Typhoons following in 2022. No financials pertaining to the details of the Hawks were disclosed.

Europe

• The Belgian Navy is testing Schiebel’s Camcopter S-100 drone as part of the service’s search for new maritime-surveillance and search-and-rescue equipment. Belgium sports a relatively straight coastline measuring close to 70 kilometers, roughly equivalent in length to that between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in Florida. The European nation is joining a growing trend among navies worldwide to employ UAVs to act as the eyes and ears of military and coast guard vessels. Earlier this year, the government of Australia chose the heavy-fuel variant of the S-100 as its new maritime UAV. According to Schiebel’s spokeswoman, the S-100 has performed “thousands” of takeoffs and landings from aboard more than 30 ships by a host of international customers. Based in Vienna, Austria, Schiebel plans to focus on developing next-generation sensors to further expand its portfolio in the areas of intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance.

Asia-Pacific

• China is continuing its determined naval buildup. The People’s Liberation Army Navy is now in possession of two new destroyers. The Type 055 vessels are designed long-range air defense, anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. They are kind of a mix between Ticonderoga – Arleigh Burke – and Zumwalt class destroyers. The Type 055 could just as easily be classified as a cruiser than as a destroyer. It’s 590 feet long and displaces between 10,000 and 12,000 tons. That is 81 feet longer and up to nearly 2,500 tons greater than America’s latest Arleigh-Burke class destroyers. The ship is likely to be primarily armed with a sea-going version of the HQ-9 long-range surface-to-air missile, as well as the HQ-16 medium-range SAM, and possibly quad-packed DK-10As. The DK-10A is based on the PL-12 air-to-air missile and would act as an intermediate-range air defense missile roughly similar to the US Navy’s RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM). The two 10,000-tonne Type 055 destroyers were launched simultaneously by the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company in a move that reflects the rapid pace at which China is building this new class of warship. The latest ships are the third and fourth to be launched, with all four entering the water in a little over a year. The recently launched vessels are equipped with multifunction phased array radars similar to the U.S. Navy’s Aegis system and could accompany future carrier battle groups as China continues to expand its carrier program.

Today’s Video

• NASA will bring one of its F/A-18 to Galveston to test quiet sonic boom

Americas

• Performance Aircraft Services is being contracted for repair work on the Navy’s fleet of E-6B aircraft. The $57 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract provides for the removal and replacement of sealant on fuel cells and aircraft surfaces, as well as on the internal surface of wing fuel tanks for up to 16 aircraft. The USA’s E-6 Mercury “survivable airborne communication system” airplanes support their Navy’s SSBN ballistic missile submarine force and overall strategic forces. The 707-300 derivatives have a range of about 5,500 miles and can easily carry 23 crew members. The E-6 flies independent random operations from various deployed sites for approximately 15-day intervals. Each deployed crew is self-supporting except for fuel and perishables, and the mission requires a 24-hour commitment of resources (alert posture) in the Atlantic and Pacific regions. Work will be performed in Waco, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is expected to be completed in May 2023.

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

• BAE Systems Land & Armaments is being awarded a contract modification for the production of the Mk 38 mod 3 machine gun system. The modification is valued at $33,2 million and sees to fulfill specified requirements and technical performance requirements for the Mk38 mod 3 25mm MGS ordnance alteration. The Mk38 provides ships with defensive and offensive gunfire capability for the engagement of a variety of surface targets. Designed primarily as a close-range defensive measure, it provides protection against patrol boats, floating mines, and various shore-based targets. The gun is visually distinctive from previous versions with its stealthy housing, which also protects the gun from weather and allows for easier access to internal components through large access panels. The Mod 3 mounts a larger Mk44 II 30 mm cannon for a 500-meter range increase, as well as a coaxial .50 caliber machine gun. Elevation is increased to +75 degrees for engaging UAVs and helicopters, and ammunition storage is greater at 420 30 mm rounds. Work will be performed in Haifa, Israel and Louisville, Kentucky. It is expected to be completed by June 2020.

Middle East & Africa

• The government of Lebanon is set to receive several UASs as part of a US foreign military sale. The $8,2 million deal between the US DoD and Insitu provides for the production and delivery of six ScanEagle UASs to Lebanon. The contract also includes related support equipment, training, site activation, technical services, and data for the government of Lebanon. One UAS typically comprises up to 12 air vehicles as well as associated pneumatic launchers and Skyhook recovery apparatus, meaning that this latest contract could cover as many as 72 ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The ScanEagle is solidly based on Insitu’s original “Insight” platform, with different variants distinguished by their payloads and accompanying equipment rather than their aerodynamic design. These UAVs fill a niche between hand-launched mini-UAVs and runway-capable tactical UAVs. Lebanon is understood to have received an initial batch of ScanEagle UASs in 2015, although no details were disclosed at the time or since. Work is expected to be completed in June 2020.

• Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is adding a new missile to its Barak family. The Barak-MX is a modular and scalable networked air/missile defense system that links various sensors, launchers and Barak effectors in a single architecture that can be scoped and optimized to meet specific customer mission requirements. Barak MX is essentially a building block solution. It enables one to retain the central C2 capability but adds longer-range air defense sensors and Barak effectors to scale up the system. The Barak Battle Management Center (BMC), which creates and manages a unified multi-senor aerial picture, coordinates the force operation networks and manages the launch arrays. Barak BMC is available in mobile, transportable and stationary versions. The interceptors are vertically launched and support 360° coverage, quick reactions, short minimal ranges and active high-end RF seekers for targets with low radar cross sections and high maneuverability.

Europe

• The Czech Ministry of Defense intends to move ahead with the acquisition of two additional C-295 transport aircraft in support of its troops. The Czechs currently have four tactical transporters, they are flying since 2010. The new C-295 is a stretched derivative of the CN-235 transporter, with characteristic high-wing, rear-loader design. The aircraft is noted for its short take-off and landing capability on semi-prepared runways and for the large payload capacity of 20392 lb. The landing and take-off run of just 350 yd. and 732 yd. allow the aircraft access to runways close to operational or crisis areas or where supplies and troops are needed. The new C-295s are expected to replace two obsolete Russian-made Yakovlev Yak-40 jet airliners, deliveries are expected by 2020.

Asia-Pacific

• The government of Japan is selecting Lockheed Martin in support of its multibillion-dollar missile defense system. The Asian nation plans to deploy to Aegis Ashore batteries by 2023. The two Aegis Ashore sites will likely cost around $4 billion, almost twice the amount previously expected. Lockheed will provide a version of its Long-Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) in support of the defense efforts. LRDR combines proven solid-state radar technologies with proven ballistic missile defense algorithms, all based upon an open architecture platform. The radar provides precision metric data to improve ballistic defense discrimination. The missile defense upgrade is a clear message towards China and North Korea. Japanese military planners still see North Korea as an immediate danger. They also view China’s growing military power as a long-term threat.

Today’s Video

• A-10 Warthog prepares for combat patrol over Afghanistan.

Barak-8 concept
(click to view full)

Over a development timeline measured in decades, India’s indigenous “Akash” and “Trishul” programs for surface to air missiles have failed to inspire full confidence. Trishul was eventually canceled entirely. Akash had a a long, difficult development period, but seems to have found customer acceptance and a solid niche in the rugged terrain of the northeast. India still needed longer-range advanced SAMs to equip its navy and army, however, and decided to try to duplicate the success of the partnership model that had fielded the excellent Indo-Russian PJ-10 BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

In February 2006, therefore, Israel and India signed a joint development agreement to create a new Barak-NG medium shipborne air defense missile, as an evolution of the Barak-1 system in service with both navies. In July 2007 the counterpart MR-SAM project began moving forward, aiming to develop a medium range SAM for use with India’s land forces. Both missiles would now be called Barak-8. In between, “India to Buy Israeli “SPYDER” Mobile Air Defense System” covered India’s move to begin buying mobile, short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems for its army, based on the Python and Derby air-to-air missiles in service with its air force and naval aircraft. These projects offer India a way forward to address its critical air defense weaknesses, and upgrade “protection of vital and strategic ground assets and area air defence.” This DID FOCUS article will cover the Barak-8 and closely related programs in India, Israel, and beyond.

The Barak, and Barak-8 Genesis: Barak-1

Barak Components
(click to view full)

Barak is a supersonic, vertically-launched short range air defense system, with an operational range of about 10 km/ 6 miles. That pushes it past the standard ranges of shoulder-launched options with naval counterparts, like the MBDA Mistral/SIMBAD or Saab Boofors’ RBS-70, but short of other small vertical launch options like the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow. Its closest western competitors on the international market are probably Raytheon’s horizontally-fired Amero-German RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile, and MBDA’s flexible Crotale VT-1/NG. Key attributes include a compact 8-cell vertical launching system that weighs just 1,700 kg, coupled with an equally compact 1,300 kg fire control system. This makes it easier to install in small ships, and to retrofit into older vessels.

Barak-1 reportedly in service with at Israel, Chile, India, Singapore, and Venezuela.

Barak launch
(click to view full)

India bought over $300 million worth of these missiles as a substitute for the indigenous but long-delayed Trishul (“Trident”) missile project, and Barak systems now equip India’s lone aircraft carrier INS Viraat, all 6 Project 16/16A Godavari/ Brahmaputra Class 3,850t frigates, 2 of 6 Rajput Class 4,974t destroyers, and the 3 new 6,200t Shivalik Class frigates. Current missile stocks aren’t adequate to cover that, and readiness requires regular training launches against live targets. Barak-1 missiles are also supposed to be part of upgrades to India’s 3 Delhi Class 6,200t destroyers, in order to remove the hole created by the Russian SA-N-7C ‘Gollum’ air defense missile system’s limited firing arc.

Barak-1 missiles are also supposed to be part of upgrades to India’s 3 Delhi Class 6,200t destroyers, in order to fix the SA-N-7C ‘Gollum’ air defense missile’s limited firing arc. The missile’s fast response time, effectiveness against missile threats, and compact size are considerable assets, but they are currently offset somewhat by its short range.

Next-Gen: Barak-8

Barak 8 display
(click to view full)

The Navy’s Barak-NG/ LR-SAM project aimed to give India’s naval defenses a much longer reach, with the intention of eventually making it India’s primary naval SAM. The project was later renamed Barak 8, and aims to deliver 60-70 km/ up to 42 mile range, thanks to a dual-pulse solid rocket motor whose second “pulse” fires as the missile approaches its target. This ensures that the missile isn’t just coasting in the final stages, giving it more than one chance at a fast, maneuvering target.

The missile’s most important feature may be its active seeker. Instead of forcing its ship or land-based radar to “paint”/illuminate its target at all times, the Barak 8 can be left alone once it is close to its target. This is an excellent approach for dealing with saturation attacks using older ship radars, which can track many targets but illuminate just a few. It’s also very useful for land-based systems, which will survive longer against enemy anti-radar missiles (ARMs) if they can turn themselves on and off to confuse enemy seekers, without worrying that they will lose all of their effectiveness.

That kind of performance vaults the Barak 8 past widespread options like the RIM-162 ESSM, or entries like VL-MICA on land. Though the Barak-8 may compete globally with those systems, a better comparison would be naval missiles like Raytheon’s SM-2 Block IIIA and MBDA’s Aster-15, or land-based options like the Patriot. The Barak 8’s active seeker would even give it a performance advantage over the SM-2, and corresponds more closely to the SM-6 currently in development.

The naval Barak-8 reportedly maintains its principle of using compact launchers and systems. Its ancillary capabilities will always depend on the radar and combat system aboard its ship.

One wild card is the Barak’s potential use in a point defense role against ballistic missiles, a role that can be played by some of its more advanced competitors on land or sea. This capability is implied in the land-based system’s name, but hasn’t been discussed publicly, or validated in publicly announced tests.

The land-based Barak 8 Air and Missile Defense (AMD) system includes several components:

• RAFAEL supplies the Barak-8 interceptor missile, which remains vertically launched.

• The battle management, command, control, communication and intelligence center (BMC4I) is produced by the MBT Division of IAI’s Missiles, Systems, and Space Group; it offers both stand alone operation for a single fire unit, and joint task force coordination (JTC).

• IAI ELTA Systems Ltd. supplies the Land-Based Multi-Function Surveillance, Track & Guidance Radar (LB-MF-STAR), a rotating S-band digital Active Electronic Steering Array (AESA) Radar System that can deliver an accurate, high quality arena situation picture, and extract low radar cross section targets like stealthy cruise missiles, even in the toughest environmental conditions. The naval MF-STAR is expected to be part of Israel’s next-generation missile frigates.

In Israel, the Barak-8 is slated to equip its next-generation frigates, and may find its way to other roles. India expects to field the missiles on land and sea.

Beyond those 2 countries, export prospects beckon for a missile that may offer a value-priced naval alternative to Raytheon’s Standard-2 and MBDA’s Aster-15. According to Defense News, the Barak-8 project features funding from American military aid dollars, as well as Indian cooperation and private/governmental funding in Israel. An Israeli source, on the other hand, has told DID that the USA has no claim on the Barak-8’s intellectual property. DID has been unable to verify he exact situation; but if the USA has no IP or significant American-made components in the Barak AMD system, it would have implications for both procurement funding sources and export policy.

India’s Barak Programs The Navy: LR-SAM

Engagement profile
(click to view the rest)

India has 2 different programs that could use the new longer-range Barak missile. The naval Barak-NG, or LR-SAM deal, was the first. Signed in 2006, it’s worth INR 26.06 billion (about $591 million at then-conversion) as of December 2009.

India’s Navy has decided as a matter of policy that it will only mount medium-long range surface-to-air missile systems on future warships, as opposed to depending on short range systems that might protect a ship, but don’t offer layered defense for the rest of the fleet. This was an early sign of its transition to a more of a “blue water” navy that can reach into high-threat areas, and a logical complement to India’s establishment of a serious carrier force beginning with INS Vikramaditya (ex Admiral Gorshkov).

Hence the 2006 Barak-NG naval agreement, which gives India an upgraded version of a familiar system, extends India’s technological capabilities, fosters economic ties and integration at sub-component levels, and helps the Israelis build a new system that meets some of their own emerging requirements. The new system would reportedly have a range of 50-60 km.

Making that happen required some loosening of bureaucratic constraints on India’s defense industry. Based on projections of need and the high cost of air defense systems, India’s Ministry of Defence began initiatives under which Indian state-owned agencies can forge joint co-development and co-production ventures with foreign companies. The rationale is that under these partnerships, much of the underlying technology will remain in India. Israel has risen to become one of India’s largest defense industry partners, and may be on its way to surpassing Russia as India’s largest partner.

That rise, India’s previous positive experiences with Barak, and the opportunity to help develop new technologies instead of buying them, all led India toward Israel for its next-generation naval SAM partnership.

Israel Aerospace Industries will be the key partner, and will contribute most of the applicable technology, just as Russia did for the BrahMos by offering its SS-N-26 Oniks missile as the base platform. 2011 Barak-8 materials show Indian firms contributing the dual-pulse rocket motor, associated motor arming/safing mechanisms, and the pneumatic actuation system. On the other hand, India Defence reports that IAI and its Israeli partners have agreed to transfer all relevant technologies and manufacturing capabilities to India.

The LR-SAM project is now slated for completion by December 2015, which would be about a decade from its 2005 project approval to fielding. Israel will be ahead of that schedule, as they began steps to field Barak-8 in their navy in mid-2013.

Land-Based: MR-SAM

SA-3
(click to view full)

The Barak-8’s follow-on project involves a land-based system, intended to replace old Russian systems. Most reports place MR-SAM’s desired capabilities at 70 km/ 42 mile range effective range, with 360 degree coverage, plus the ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously. As The Times of India put it, in 2007:

“The project is crucial because, as highlighted by TOI earlier, there are still “many gaping holes” in India’s radar network and the armed forces only have near-obsolete air defence units like Russian Pechora [DID: upgraded SA-3], OSA-AK [DID: SA-8B, scheduled for interim upgrades], and Igla [DID: SA-16 shoulder-fired] missile systems.

Sources peg the MR-SAM project as an extension of the ongoing DRDO-Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) project, launched in January 2006 at a cost of $480 million, to develop a supersonic 60-km Barak-NG (new-generation) missile defence system for Navy.”

India Defence and the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz also reported that MR-SAM would be an extension of work done on the Barak-NG deal, and this seems to be the general consensus.

SA-8
(click to view full)

The DRDO Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will be the ‘prime developer’ for the MR-SAM project, which will reportedly have a Rs 2,300 crore (INR 23 billion, about $445 million at signing in 2009) indigenous component within an estimated Rs 10,075 crore (INR 100.75 billion, about $1.95 billion at signing) total. The 4-5 year project aims to provide India’s military with 9 advanced air defense squadrons, each with 2 MR-SAM firing units. Each MR-SAM unit, in turn, would consist of a command and control center, an acquisition radar, a guidance radar, and 3 launchers with 8 missiles each.

MR-SAM’s total would therefore be 10 C2 centers, 18 acquisition radars, 18 guidance radars, and 54 launchers, armed with 432 ready-to-fire missiles. Some reports have placed total missile orders as high as 2,000, which would add a significant reserve stockpile to replenish missiles in any conflict.

Indian sources estimated a 4-year, $300 million System Design & Development phase to develop unique system elements, and produce an initial tranche of the land-based missiles. As of its approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security in July 2007, MR-SAM surpassed the BrahMos project in size, and may be the largest joint defense development project ever undertaken between India and any other country.

The MR-SAM project reportedly has a “probable date of completion” by August 2016, which would be around 7 years from its 2009 approval.

Contracts & Key Events 2014 – 2018

In service in Israel; DRDO challenges; Successful intercept test.

Empty
(click to view full)

July 4/18: New family member Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is adding a new missile to its Barak family. The Barak-MX is a modular and scalable networked air/missile defense system that links various sensors, launchers and Barak effectors in a single architecture that can be scoped and optimized to meet specific customer mission requirements. Barak MX is essentially a building block solution. It enables one to retain the central C2 capability but adds longer-range air defense sensors and Barak effectors to scale up the system. The Barak Battle Management Center (BMC), which creates and manages a unified multi-senor aerial picture, coordinates the force operation networks and manages the launch arrays. Barak BMC is available in mobile, transportable and stationary versions. The interceptors are vertically launched and support 360° coverage, quick reactions, short minimal ranges and active high-end RF seekers for targets with low radar cross sections and high maneuverability.

March 30/18: More missiles please Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems have been contracted by the Indian Ministry of Defense to supply additional Barak-1 short-range surface-to-air missiles. The contract is valued at $70.5 million and includes 131 Barak-1 shipborne, point defense missiles to be delivered to the Indian Navy. The Barak-1 is a supersonic, vertically-launched short range air defense system, with an operational range of about 6 miles. That pushes it past the standard ranges of shoulder-launched options with naval counterparts, like the MBDA Mistral/SIMBAD or Saab Boofors’ RBS-70, but short of other small vertical launch options like the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow. Its closest western competitor on the international market is probably Raytheon’s horizontally-fired Amero-German RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile, and MBDA’s flexible Crotale VT-1/NG. Key attributes include a compact 8-cell vertical launching system that weighs just 1,700 kg, coupled with an equally compact 1,300 kg fire control system. This makes it easier to install in small ships, and to retrofit into older vessels.

May 22/17: Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has been awarded an additional contract by the Indian government to supply air and defense missile systems for four ships of the Indian navy. Valued at an estimated $630 million, the agreement will include local state-owned firm Bharat Electronics Ltd, who will serve as the main contractor on the project under New Delhi’s “Make in India” initiative. The deal follows a $2 billion one signed with IAI last month to supply India’s army and navy with missile defense systems. The Barak-8 system is a joint development effort between IAI, India’sDefence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Israel’s Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, Elta Systems, and Rafael, while Bharat produce the system’s missiles.

April 9/17: The Indian government has given the go ahead for the $1.8 billion purchase of the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). A land-based version of the Barak-8, the MRSAM was developed by IAI and India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in collaboration with Rafael and IAI/Elta, and worked with various Indian companies including BEL, L&T, BDL and other private vendors, and will be operated by the Indian Army. The company will also supply additional LRSAM air & missile defense systems for the first build in India Indian aircraft carrier.

March 2/17: Israel and India will co-develop and produce a medium-range surface-to-air missile for the Indian Army. Contracts for the deal are expected to be awarded later this month with the value of the project estimated at over $2.5 billion. Known as the MRSAM, development of the missile will be undertaken jointly by India’s DRDO, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and will be produced by state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in partnership with other state-owned and private defense companies. It does, however, remain unclear who will own the Intellectual Property Right (IPR) for the missile as well as the ownership of the data package for the technology.

July 5/16: India successfully tested the land version of its Barak-8 anti-air missile twice on Friday at India’s Integrated Test Range. Conducted by a team from India’s DRDO and Israel’s IAI, naval versions have already been fitted and tested aboard Indian Navy warships. The long-range rocket can identify and hit an air target within a range of 70 kilometers, or some 43.5 miles.

January 4/16: India has completed its first naval test of the Barak-8 long range surface to air missile (LRSAM). Developed jointly between the Indian Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) and IAI Israel, the recent test follows November’s successful testing on board an Israeli naval platform. The maiden firing consisted of the missile intercepting aerial targets at extended ranges up to 70km. Apart from the missile, the system includes a Multi Functional Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar (MF STAR) for detection, tracking and guidance of the missile. When completed, the missiles will be fitted on board all Kolkata class destroyers and major warships in the Indian Navy.

November 30/15: The Israeli Navy has announced the successful first test of the Barak-8 air defense system. The interceptor missile was launched from a Sa’ar-5 Corvette against a UAV target representing a threat against a ship at sea. The system has been jointly developed with India and aims to cater for the long range missile defence for both countries with India also planning to test the system before the end of the year. It is hoped that the system will have reached initial operational capability within the next two years.

November 16/15: India’s Barak-8 will be test-fired between now and the end of the year after it was announced that preparations are being made on board the INS Kolkata for the test which the Navy hope to have installed on all future warships and retrofitted on its current Kolkata class destroyers.

Mar 2/15: Indian interest renewed for MRSAM. Defense News reports that an Indian Defence Ministry official confirmed that the medium-range (MRSAM) variant is a go for joint development with Israel, with an initial expected order of $1.5 billion. Rafale and IAI would work with Indian firms Bharat Dynamics Tata Power SED and Larsen & Toubro.

Nov 10/14: Testing. A successful test of the Barak-8 “Air & Missile Defense System” acquires an incoming target drone using the system’s radar, fired the missile to an interception zone, and had the missile successfully acquire and kill the target using its own seeker. Indian officials were there, including DRDO chief Dr. Avinash Chander, and Israeli and Indian releases both pronounced their satisfaction with all aspects of test performance.

The Israelis already have the missile deployed, so they’re happy. What the releases didn’t say, is whether DRDO’s rocket booster was used in the test (Aug 14/14). It’s likely that they did, and the next step is warship trials for India. DRDO hopes to begin deliveries by the end of 2015. Sources: IAI, “IAI Successfully Tested the Barak-8 Air & Missile Defense System” | India MoD, “Successful Flight Testing of LR SAM Missile”.

Aug 14/14: INS Kolkata. Media reports indicate that India’s new 7,500t air defense destroyer INS Kolkata, which is set to be commissioned on Aug 16/14, will be armed with Barak-1 missiles until the Barak-8s arrive. The article doesn’t explain whether the vertical launchers are compatible, or whether the Barak-1 has been integrated yet with the IAI Elta MF-STAR active array radar that equips the new destroyer class. With respect to the Barak-8s:

“The missile is ready, but [DRDO’s] boosters to propel the missile [upon launch]… have failed.”

Hence the importance of the forthcoming tests, if DRDO can get its rocket boosters to Israel (q.v. Aug 11/14). Meanwhile, India is likely to have 3 Kolkata Class destroyers ready to go by the time they’re done testing the Indian LR-SAM. They’ll need to do something in the interim. Sources: oneindia News, “INS Kolkata, the Biggest Naval Destroyer, is the weakest link in Defence”.

Aug 11/14: Force majeure. India’s Business Standard explains how the recent battles in the Gaza Strip are affecting the LR-SAM program, which was already 2 years late:

“The DRDO confirms that the rockets, filled with highly combustible propellant, were despatched [sic] on a commercial airline, Korean Air, for trials in Israel. After the rocket motors reached Seoul – Korean Air’s global hub, from where they were to be routed onwards to Tel Aviv – the launch of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza on July 8 caused Korean Air to cancel all flights to Tel Aviv…. Consequently, a crucial and secret sub-system of the world’s most advanced anti-missile defence system has been languishing in a Korean Air warehouse in Seoul.”

Actually, the cancellation came on July 20/14, after Hamas rockets struck near the airport. Note that Iron Dome is programmed to ignore rockets that don’t threaten its priority areas, and many airlines have already reassessed the situation and resumed flights. Korean Air, on the other hand, won’t begin flights to Tel Aviv again until Aug 28/14. India’s DRDO is “monitoring the situation,” and could choose to request help from India’s Air Force, whose IL-76 heavy jet transports could pick up and deliver the missiles.

Once the Premier Explosives Ltd. rocket motors are delivered, they will be integrated with the IAI-built front section, and then undergo full homing trials at an Israeli range. After that, warship trials will begin, and DRDO hopes to begin deliveries by the end of 2015. By then, 3 new Project 15A Kolkata Class destroyers, and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, will all be waiting to receive their primary air defense weapons. Sources: India’s Business Standard, “Indian missiles languish in South Korea due to Gaza conflict” | Israel’s Globes, “Korean Air cancels all Israel flights until August 28”.

May 13/14: Israel. A Sa’ar 5 Eilat Class corvette has already been outfitted with IAI Elta’s MF-STAR S-Band AESA radar, and Barak-8 air defense missiles. The other 2 are set to follow.

The MF-STAR, or “Adir,” has been bought by India for its new Project 15A Kolkata Class destroyers. They are also expected to employ the Barak-8. Sources: The Jerusalem Post, “The Israel Navy is quietly enhancing its capabilities for precision, long-range missiles”.

2010 – 2013

Barak-8 development & testing continues; Azerbaijan sale?; Akash missile expands Indian footprint; Indian RFI for immediate MR-SAM option.

Barak-8 concept
(click to view full)

Dec 23/13: DAC OK. AK Antony and the Defence Acquisitions Council (DAC) clear the Indian Navy’s intent to buy 262 more Barak-1 missiles, in order to replenish their fast-dwindling stocks. The paper adds:

“The naval LR-SAM, approved in December 2005, is now slated for completion by December 2015. The MR-SAM project, sanctioned in February 2009, in turn, has a “probable date of completion” by August 2016.”

Read “Indian Naval Air Defenses: Another Avoidable Crisis” for full coverage.

Dec 17/13: Update. India’s Ministry of Defense provides updates regarding a number of DRDO projects, including LR-SAM. The development program’s original delivery target was May 2011, but the Probable Date of Completion is now December 2015: 4 1/2 years late, and well after it becomes fully operational in Israel. Sources: India MoD, “DRDO Projects”.

Nov 14/13: Stall. India’s LR-SAM and MR-SAM projects are stalled, even as Israel moves to deploy the Barak-8 at sea. The Barak-8 was supposed to be delivered for LR-SAM by 2012, and is supposed to go to the IAF as MR-SAM by 2017. Unfortunately, drawings for components aren’t enough to let Indian firms produce them properly, and:

“Frankly speaking, right now, not much is going on in the joint venture due to various issues between the two sides. Expecting Israel to share its technology with India is unfair. But such things should have been clarified before the joint venture was entered into,” said an official…. DRDO officials are also attributing the delay to a complicated and long procedure involving shuttling between India and Israel for various stages of development of a system etc… [DRDO] also reportedly found itself helpless on problems in propulsion system and other related issues while a significant number of parts or systems are yet to be tested following a delay in manufacturing.”

So, to sum up: contract terms that didn’t provide clear mechanisms to enable Indian production from the baseline they’re actually at, Indian DRDO bureaucracy sitting in the way of development and not delivering on key items, and manufacturing issues that have created Indian testing delays. While Israel fields the missile. DRDO Director General Avinash Chander wouldn’t comment on LR-SAM, which is already late, but he said MR-SAM remained on schedule for 2017. Sources: Times of India, “India-Israel joint venture to manufacture missiles fails to take off”.

July 31/13: Israeli installation. India may give the Barak-8 LR-SAM’s date of probable completion as 2015, but Israel intends to have the missile installed on its 3 Sa’ar 5 Eilat Class corvettes before the end of 2013.

The move is reportedly being made in response to Syria’s deployment of SS-N-26/ P-800 Yakhont supersonic anti-ship missiles, with a range of up to 180 miles. Some of the missiles reportedly survived a major Israeli strike, and Hezbollah’s leading role in the Syrian Civil War sharpens concerns about a transfer to Iran’s 21st-century Condor Legion. Incoming supersonic missiles will compress the Barak-8’s range, but its 60-70 km base range remains a large improvement over the Barak-1’s base 10-12 km. Arming the Eilat Class with the navy’s first wide-area air defense technology is a good backup move while Israel looks to determine the true state of Syria’s P-800 missiles, and if necessary, to target them for a final strike. Israel HaYom | UPI | China’s Xinhua.

Israel deploying Barak-8

March 18/13: An India MoD release offers a list of late DRDO projects, along with a voluminous list of excuses. Credit of some kind is due for not using “the dog ate our blueprints,” but every other issue one normally expects in projects of this nature can be found. LR-SAM is one of the listed projects, and its Probable Date of Completion has slipped from May 2011 to December 2015.

Dec 18/12: LR-SAM. India’s MoD offers quick year-end reviews for a number of key programs. With respect to LR-SAM, it says that:

“Control and Navigation Tests (CNT) for LRSAM, a joint development Programme between DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industry (IAI), to develop an Advanced Naval Air Defence System for Indian Navy) were conducted on 16th and 18th July 2012. All Planned mission objectives were fully met in both the tests. The missiles showed good navigation and control performance. DRDO is the Prime Development Agency and IAI the design authority for supply, installation and final acceptance.”

Development was pegged at 5 years under the original 2006 LR-SAM deal, so they’re late. MR-SAM isn’t mentioned, but LR-SAM missile tests are also effectively MR-SAM missile tests.

Dec 5/12: LR-SAM MoU. Israel Aerospace Industries and India’s state-owned Bharat Electronics Ltd. sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU), concerning their cooperation on future LR-SAM ship-defence system projects.

IAI already has a number of arrangements in place with Indian firms. Under this MoU, BEL will function as the Lead Integrator, ultimately taking over DRDO’s role once the missile is developed, and will produce major sub-systems. IAI will continue to act as the system’s Design Authority, and to produce sub-systems as a main sub-contractor of BEL. IAI.

Feb 26/12: Azerbaijan. Israel and Azerbaijan sign a government to government deal for a range of military equipment, including UAVs and “missile defense systems.”

The Caspian Sea’s gas and oil resources are increasing tensions in the region, and Russia’s recent hostility with Georgia has also roiled the waters. From 2008 to the present, SIRPI’s database confirms that Israel has become a significant supplier of military equipment to Azerbaijan, including artillery, UAVs, and anti-tank and anti-ship missiles. Russia and Ukraine are even more significant suppliers, transferring attack helicopters, artillery, missiles, armored vehicles – and long-range S-300 air defense missile systems.

Subsequent reports from SIRPI indicate that this $1.6 billion deal may contain up to 75 Barak-8 missiles, and an EL/M-2080 Green Pine long-range radar. That diversity of long-range systems would complicate planning for an attacker, and offers some insurance. Israel may even get more than just money from this. Depending on that Green Pine radar’s positioning, it should be able to see a long way into Iran’s airspace. Ha’aretz | News.Az.

Azeri deal?

SLAMRAAM test
(click to view full)

June 3/11: Industrial. Livefist shows an India DRDO presentation that helps break down technology responsibilities within the Barak-8. Indian firms will contribute the pneumatic actuator, dual-pulse rocket motor, and motor arming/safing technologies.

April 13/11: MR-SAM gap-filler RFI. IANS reports that India’s MoD has issued a request for information (RFI) from global and domestic missile manufacturers, asking them if they could supply the medium range air defense missile within a short time-frame to the Indian Air Force (IAF), for defense of vital installations. Submitted systems must be capable of all-weather, all-terrain, day/night operation with a 3.5 km altitude ceiling, and able to engage multiple targets that include a range of aerial enemies.

The RFI is ahead of a tender for the purchase of medium-range surface-to-air (MRSAM) missiles, and the emergency buy would reportedly be over and above the 18 MR-SAM units that India is buying from Israel in the 2009 deal. The near-term timeline would appear to disqualify the Barak-8, preventing tri-service acceptance. Obvious Air Force contenders would include India’s own Akash, and offerings from MBDA (VL-MICA), Kongsberg/Raytheon (SLAMRAAM/NASAMS, possibly Patriot PAC-3 as well), Russia (TOR-M2E, SA-20/S-300 PMU2 possible), and IAI/RAFAEL (Spyder MR-SAM variant, complementing the SR-SAM variant India has already ordered).

Akash SAM exhibit
(click to view full)

Aug 9/10: Defence Minister Shri AK Antony updates the status of various missile programs, in a Parliamentary reply to Shri SB Wankhede and Shri AP Shivaji. Trishul and Akash aren’t mentioned at all; the former presumably owing to its cancellation, the latter because it may no longer be a development program. LR-SAM’s ballistic flight trials was undertaken in May 2010. MR-SAM’s preliminary design has been carried out, along with “pre-tender briefing to all prospective vendors.”

Feb 2/10: Akash up, opportunity down. India increases its Akash SAM buy to 1,000, and will deploy them in the rugged terrain of the northeast as SA-3 replacements. The INR 42.79 billion (about $925 million) contract will buy 6 squadrons of Akash medium-range surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) from state-run Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL). This 750 missile order follows an INR 12.21 billion (about $250 million) order for 2 initial squadrons with 250 missiles total, back in January 2009.

Delivery under this order is expected between 2012-2015, stabilizing Akash as a shorter-range complement to the MR-SAM and affirming the IAF’s confidence. That confidence doesn’t endanger the MR-SAM project, but it removes the expansion possibilities that would have been created by full cancellation, or a limited 2-squadron Akash program. The Hindu | Indian Express | Times of India | Times Now | Bloomberg | India’s Business Times.

2006 – 2009

LR-SAM and MR-SAM deals signed; Budgets; Competition by the back door?

VL-MICA test
(click to view full)

Dec 14/09: Confirmed. Defence Minister Shri AK Antony offers a program update, in a written Parliamentary reply to Shri Asaduddin Owaisi:

“Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) has undertaken joint development of missiles, Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) for Indian navy and Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) for Indian Air Force with M/s Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), Israel. The cost of project for LRSAM is Rs. 2606.02 crore and cost of project for MRSAM is Rs. 10075 crore. Both the missiles being developed are comparable in performance and cost to missiles available in their class in the world market.”

Given conversion rates at contract time, that means $1.95 billion for MR-SAM, and $560.8 million for LR-SAM.

Indian deals & budgets

Nov 9/09: MR-SAM. Reports surface again that Israel and India have signed a deal for the Barak-8 missile system, which appears to be the Army’s MR-SAM project. Indian reports quote an Israel official, who says that India signed a $1.1 billion contract in April 2009, with delivery expected by 2017.

Islamabad’s The Daily Mail claim that the deal is $1.4 billion, and involves 2,000 Barak-8 missiles for land and naval forces. India has significant industrial offset laws, and The Daily Mail repo

Americas

• Huntington Ingalls is being tapped to further support the Navy’s shipbuilding efforts. The un-definitized fixed-price, incentive firm target modification is valued at $200 million and provides for the purchase of additional long lead time material in support of USS Enterprise (CVN 80). The USS Enterprise will be the third Gerald F. Ford class carrier and will replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). The air wing of this new carrier will be capable of supporting more than 75 aircraft of varied kinds, including fixed-wing and rotary-wing systems. Moreover, an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) will be incorporated in the ship to replace the steam catapults of the older versions. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, is expected to be completed by February 2027.

• Lockheed Martin Corp. will continue its research on hypersonic technology. The $11.8 million contract awarded by Strategic Systems Programs provides for Hypersonic Booster technology development seeking to demonstrate technologies related to intermediate range capability through booster design, fabrication and validation testing. Strategic Systems Programs is a mainstay in the Navy’s development and procurement of sea-based deterrent missile systems. Hypersonic missiles are defined as those traveling at speeds between Mach 5 and Mach 10. That is, between 3,106 and 15,534 miles per hour, or one to five miles per second. China, Russia and the United States are all currently investing heavily in hypersonic systems, while a few other countries are also exploring the technology to a much lesser degree. Work will be performed at various locations, including Sunnyvale, California; Magna, Utah and Elma, New York. It is scheduled for completion by June 2019.

• The Air Force is contracting Raytheon in support of weapons integration on its fleet of F/A-18E/F fighter aircraft. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract is valued at $93 million and provides for the integration of the Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) onto the fighter jet. Raytheon’s GBU-53/B SDB-II is 7? in diameter around the tri-mode (laser, IIR, radar) seeker, with a clamshell protective door that comes off when the bomb is dropped. Range is expected to be up to 40 nautical miles when launched at altitude, thanks to a high lift-to-drag ratio in the design. Since SDB-II is an unpowered glide bomb, its actual range will always depend on launching altitude and circumstances. This contract provides for the testing, analysis, support and sustainment of SDB II weapon onto the F/A-18E/F platform with developmental and operational testing. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by July 1, 2023.

Middle East & Africa

• The government of Azerbaijan is adding a new stand-off-missile (SOM) to its inventory. The cruise missile is being manufactured by Turkish defense manufacturer Roketsan. The SOM is highly effective against moving land / surface targets, high-value stationary targets, strategic assets, shelters, exposed aircraft, aircraft hangars, and command and control centers, as well as sea surface threats. It has resistance against countermeasures as well as clutter effects. The missile is capable of performing in-flight re-targeting as well as in-flight mission selection among pre-planned missions. Its rear section is fitted with control fins for providing lifting and improved maneuverability. This is the first known export of the SOM, which has a range of more than 250 km with a high explosive/blast fragmentation warhead weighing approximately 226 kg. The most likely launch platforms for Azerbaijan’s SOMs are its MiG-29 multirole fighters, although the Su-24 strike aircraft may also be an option.

• Jane’s reports that a UK Royal Air Force C-130J was seriously damaged in a heavy landing during an apparent special forces mission. he previously undisclosed incident took place last August during the height of coalition operations against the so-called Islamic State (IS) in northern Syria around Raqqa. The UK ordered 15 C-130J-30s in 1994, with the first delivery in August 1998. The Hercules is the RAF’s primary tactical transport aircraft and in its current C.Mk 4 and C.Mk 5 versions of the C-130J-30 and C-130J, respectively, has been the backbone of UK operational tactical mobility tasks since it was brought into service. It is frequently employed to operate into countries or regions where there is a threat to aircraft; its performance, tactics and defensive systems make it the ideal platform for such tasks. This is the first UK air loss during Operation ‘Shader’, the codename for its participation in the war against the IS.

Europe

• The German defense manufacturer RAM-System is being tapped by the US Navy for work on its Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) system. The firm-fixed-price un-definitized contract is valued at $68 million provides for work on the RAMs MK 49 Guided Missile Launching System as well as associated shipboard hardware and spares. The Rolling Airframe Missile Guided Missile Weapon System is co-developed and co-produced under an International Cooperative program between the US and Federal Republic of Germany’s governments. The RAM system is a supersonic, lightweight, quick-reaction, fire-and-forget weapon, designed to attack enemy helicopters, aircraft, and surface craft. It uses passive RF and infrared guidance for engaging several threats simultaneously. The MK 44 guided missile round pack and the MK 49 guided missile launching system together hold 21 missiles. Existing shipboard sensors can provide the system with target and pointing information. Work will be performed at various locations in Germany and the US, including Louisville, Kentucky; Ulm, Germany and Schrobenhausen, Germany. Work is scheduled for completion by September 2022.

• Hungary is the second confirmed customer for the Airbus Helicopters’ HForce common weapons platform, with an order for 20 H-145M helicopters. The helicopter acquisition is part of Budapest’s military modernization program Zrinyi 2026. Together with the helicopters, Airbus will provide an extensive training and support package. With a maximum take-off weight of 3.7 tons, the H145M can be used for a wide range of tasks, including troop transport, utility, surveillance, air rescue, armed reconnaissance and medical evacuation. The Hungarian fleet will be equipped with a fast roping system, high-performance camera, fire support equipment, ballistic protection as well as an electronic countermeasures system to support the most demanding operational requirements. The HForce system, developed by Airbus Helicopters, will allow Hungary to equip and operate their aircraft with a large set of ballistic or guided air-to-ground and air-to-air weapons. No details on the contract value or delivery timelines have been disclosed. The Hungarian armed forces currently operate a fleet of ageing Russian-built Mil Mi-17 transport helicopters.

Asia-Pacific

• The Australian government is contracting BAE Systems for the production of the country’s next-generation, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates. The $25.9 billion contract is Australia’s largest peace-time warship building program. The British designed Type 26 Global Combat Ship was selected in a lengthy comparative evaluation process over the ASW variant of the FREMM multi-mission frigate offered by Italy’s Fincantieri, and an ASW evolution of the F-100 Alvaro de Bazan-class design. Key Type 26 design criteria include multi-role versatility, flexibility in adapting to future needs, affordability in both construction and through-life support costs, and exportability. Intended to begin replacing the eight workhorse Anzac-class frigates of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 2027–28, the new Hunter class will be constructed by ASC Shipbuilding at Osborne on the outskirts of Adelaide.

Today’s Video

• Russia’s SLBM enters operational service

Americas

• The Navy is ordering more fire power from BAE Systems. The company is being awarded a contract modification to a previous firm-fixed-price delivery order valued at $224,3 million. The modification provides for the production and delivery of an additional 10,185 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems II (APKWS II). The APKWS program has been devised to give the Hydra 70mm rocket family a new lease of life by converting these ubiquitous rockets into cheap laser-guided precision weapons. The procurement of the additional units will upgrade the current 2.75-inch rocket system to a semi-active laser-guided precision weapon in support of the Air Force, Army, and foreign military sales (FMS) customers. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($144,1 million), Army ($58,5 million); Navy ($17,1 million); and FMS ($4,4 million). Work will be performed in Hudson, New Hampshire (70 percent); and Austin, Texas (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2019.

• Raytheon is being tapped to support the Navy’s fleet of EA-18G Airborne Electronic Attack aircraft. The $65,4 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract provides for systems engineering and software development services of the aircrafts ALQ-227 communications countermeasures set. At present, the EA-18G is slated to be the only dedicated electronic warfare aircraft in the USA’s future force. The EA-18 shares a 90% commonality with the standard F/A-18F Super Hornet, sharing its airframe, radar, stores management system and weapon options. The exception is the Super Hornet’s 20mm Vulcan Gatling gun, which has been removed from the nose in favor of electrical equipment. The AN/ALQ-227 communication countermeasures system uses a dedicated, omni-directional antenna for signals detection, analysis, and recording. That system works with the plane’s jamming, in order to perform complex jamming tasks. Work will be performed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and is expected to be completed in June 2023.

• Superior Forge and Steel is being tapped to produce a number of BLU-137/B bombs. The $476,9 million ceiling indefinite/delivery indefinite-quantity contract provides for the production of the BLU-137/B penetrator warhead bodies with a guaranteed production of 300 bodies during the first year with a possibility of up to 3,500 bodies in the subsequent four years. In development since at least 2015, there aren’t a lot of details about the BLU-137/B or its features. An Air Force FY2018 request added the following statement, “the BLU-137 will increase fuse survivability when used against bunkers, aircraft shelters, and reinforced targets.” In short, this new model will more reliability explode after punching through its target. Work will be performed in Lima, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Falconer, New York, and is expected to be completed by May 2020.

Middle East & Africa

• The government of Kuwait is set to receive a boost to its aircraft fleet as part of a US foreign military sale. Boeing will produce 22 F/A-18E and six F/A-18F Super Hornets in support of the middle-eastern nation. The fixed-price-incentive-firm contract is valued at $1.5 billion. The F/A-18E is a single-seat Super Hornet. The 2-seat F/A-18F sacrifices some range, carrying only 13,350 lb. – 900 fewer pounds than the F/A-18E. In exchange for this reduced range, it adds a 2nd crewman with an advanced attack station cockpit to assist in strike roles. Work will be performed at multiple locations, including El Segundo, California; Hazelwood, Missouri; Endicott, New York, and various locations outside the continental US. Work is expected to be completed in January 2021.

Europe

• Swedish defense manufacturer Saab is set to deliver more of units of its multi-role naval radar Sea Giraffe AMB to an undisclosed customer. The company announced that work for the initial phase of the contract will be carried out during the period of 2018-2019 and that there is also an option for the delivery of 10 additional Sea Giraffe AMBs. The Sea Giraffe AMB is a medium range, multi-role surveillance radar optimized for detecting small air and surface targets with high update rate in all kinds of environments, including the littorals. It assists the commander in all kind of naval warfare and give the operators maximum time to react to incoming threats. The system is optimized for, and is in service on, vessels such as the Swedish Visby Class corvette and the US Littoral Combat Ship Independence class. Saab has sold Sea Giraffe in various configurations to customers around the world, including Sweden, Poland and the US.

• Embraer is reportedly on the verge of completing a deal with Portugal confirming the country as the first export customer for the KC-390 tanker transport. It comes just over a year after Portugal opened negotiations to buy five KC-390s, with an option for a sixth, with deliveries starting in 2021. The KC-390 is Brazils bid for the global C-130 replacement market. Competing against the C-130J, A400M, Russia’s AN-12 and China’s Yun-8/9. Embraer reportedly bases its business case on a break-even point of 120 orders, or about 1/7th of the tactical transport market outside of China, Russia, Ukraine and the USA. Four nations originally committed to the military aircraft, which flew for the first time in 2015. However, progress with Argentina, the Czech Republic and Chile appears to have stalled. It remains to be seen if the upcoming sale to Portugal will boost Embraer’s export efforts.

• The UK Royal Air Force will soon take delivery of its first MQ-9B SkyGuardian, which will form the basis of the UK’s future Protector RPAS. The MQ-9B SkyGuardian medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely-piloted air system is a version of General Atomics’ Predator B. The aircraft has been developed under a company-funded effort to address the strict airworthiness type-certification requirements of different military and civil authorities. In May last year, MQ-9B SkyGuardian set a 48-hour continuous flight endurance record for the company’s Predator aircraft series. RAF operations with at least 20 Protector RG1s are due to commence during the 2020s. The platform will replace the service’s current armed Reapers.

Asia-Pacific

• The government of Australia is looking into the purchase of equipment associated with the integration of the CEAFAR 2 Phased Array Radar System with the AEGIS Combat System. The potential foreign military sale is valued at $185 million. CEAFAR is a 4th generation S-band active phased array radar, and it’s designed to be supplemented with the X-band CEAMOUNT Solid State Continuous Wave Illuminator. The combined system of radar, illuminator and central equipment group of power supplies etc. is able to generate and continuously maintain more than 10 simultaneous fire control channels. According to the DSCA, the proposed sale will enhance Australia’s Surface Combatant capability by adding nine AEGIS capable Future Frigates over the next 20 years and by upgrading their existing three AEGIS capable Hobart Class destroyers with the latest technology and capability. This sale enhances Australia’s self-defense capability, while significantly improving interoperability with US Navy AEGIS combatants in the region.

Today’s Video

• Celebrating 50 years of C-5 Galaxy

Americas

• Lockheed Martin is being awarded a contract modification to support the Navy’s Aegis combat system. As the world’s most advanced combat system, Aegis can simultaneously attack land targets, submarines, and surface ships while automatically protecting the fleet against aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. The modification is valued at $18.92 million and provides for the further development of the ‘virtual twin’ for the Aegis Baseline 9 capability. This includes studies, initiatives, support and a Technical Insertion-08 CG upgrade. The ‘virtual twin’ is the entire set of code that makes up the Aegis combat system Baseline 9 housed within a few computer servers that takes up much less room than the actual Aegis combat system on a guided-missile destroyer or cruiser. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed by July 2019

• The Southern Research Institute is being tapped to support the US and UK inventory of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM). The cost-plus-fixed-fee contract provides for the thermo-mechanical and aero-thermal ground testing of thermal protection system materials in ballistic re-entry systems and is valued at $9.6 million. The contract also includes the fabrication of flight hardware of such systems. The submarine launched Trident II D5 has been the backbone of US and UK nuclear deterrence since the 1990s. As a launched warhead re-enters the atmosphere it has to withstand temperatures up to 5.500 degrees Fahrenheit. The testing of the missiles’ thermal protection therefore is paramount to the system’ strike capability. This contract combines purchases for the US Navy and the government of the United Kingdom, under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Birmingham, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by June 2019.

• The Navy is contracting Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. for maintenance work on its arsenal of Mk48 heavyweight torpedoes. The $17,9 million cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only contract provides the commanders of the US Atlantic and Pacific fleet’s submarine force with approximately 56,160 man-hours per year to operate the progressive depot-level repair facility and provide depot-level repairable management functions for Mk 48 readiness. The Mk-48 is a huge 19 feet long, 3,500 lb. heavy torpedo with advanced homing, wire guidance capabilities, and devastating consequences when its 600 lb. warhead hits a target. It is designed to kill both fast, deep-diving nuclear submarines and high-performance surface ships, and is carried by US Navy and Royal Australian Navy submarines. These torpedoes can operate with or without wire guidance, and can use active and/or passive homing, and can conduct multiple re-attacks if they miss the target. Cost estimates for this weapon are around $2 million each, rising to almost $3 million in some cases with upgrades factored in. This Work will be performed in Yorktown, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September, 2018.

Middle East & Africa

• Afghanistan is set to receive further support for its fleet MD 530F helicopters as part of a US foreign military sale. The $38.43 million contract modification provides for performance based, contractor-managed operations to support systems readiness by MD Helicopters. This includes material management, technical data management, repair, engineering support and the procurement of spares. MD Helicopters had won a competition for the Afghan Air Force in 2011. The MD 530F, or OH-6 Cayuse is a legendary light utility helicopter and gunship. It is the ancestor of the AH-6J/M “Little Bird”. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion by November 2018.

• The Moroccan Royal Armed Forces are currently negotiating the purchase of T-129 attack helicopters from Turkey. The T-129 ATAK is an attack helicopter, but it’s smaller and lighter than classic competitors like Russia’s Mi-28 or the USA’s AH-64 Apache. The T129A EDH carries the nose-mounted 20mm cannon turret with 500 rounds, and 4 pylons for unguided rockets. The T129B version will add Roketsan’s MIZRAK (formerly UMTAS) missiles and CIRIT 70 mm Laser Guided Rockets, and Raytheon’s FIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles. The aircraft is designed for advanced attack and reconnaissance in hot and high environments and rough geography in both day and night conditions. Morocco wants to strengthen its helicopter fleet that mainly consists of reconnaissance and combat helicopters of the types Gazelle, Bell 205 and Bell 206, Chinooks and Predator drones. The north African kingdom is an important US strategic partner in the fight against terrorism. The Turkish-made T-129 would boost Morocco’s deterrence capacity.

Europe

• The German Navy is ordering Norway’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM). The $26.8 million contract will see for missile delivery by Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace. Kongsberg and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems will work together to further develop and field the missile on a number of German Navy vessels. The stealth-enhanced Naval Strike Missile aims to be a generation beyond the US GM-84 Harpoon. Once the NSM locks on, it strikes ships or land targets with a 265 lb. titanium warhead and programmable fuse. The number of missiles to be delivered has yet not been specified.

• The German government is currently pressing Washington to clarify whether it would let the Eurofighter Typhoon carry nuclear bombs as part of shared Western defenses. Although not a nuclear power, Germany hosts some US nuclear warheads under NATO’s nuclear-sharing policy. Some of those warheads can be delivered to their target with German Tornado’s. As retirement of those warplanes nears, Germany is looking to replace its fleet of 89 Tornados in a multi-billion-euro tender. Currently Ministry of Defense has several options on the table, including the F-35 and the aforementioned Eurofighter Typhoon. Germany’s defense ministry sent a letter to the US Defense Department in April asking whether certification of the European jets was possible, so far, no clear answer has been given.

Asia-Pacific

• The Bangladesh Air Force is set to receive new K-8W JET Trainer aircraft from China under a G2G agreement. The K-8 jet trainer, also known as the K-8 Karakorum or the Hongdu JL-8, is a joint venture between China’s Nanchang-based Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (HAIG), and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC). The aircraft has 3 engine options. The most common by production quantity is China’s WS-11, a licensed copy of the Ukranian Ivchenko AI-25TL turbofan. Aircraft so equipped are reportedly designated L-11s. The AI-25TL reportedly delivers 3,600 – 3,800 pounds thrust, and also equips aircraft for most export customers. The jets can carry up to 4 under-wing pylons rated at 500 lb. each. Options include fuel drop tanks, 23mm cannon pods, unguided rockets, unguided bombs, and even short-range air-to-air missiles.

Today’s Video

• Airbus is offering a helicopter armed with HForce to Japan’s AH-X contest

Mk 48: Before and After
(click for full sequence)

The Mk-48 is the standard heavyweight torpedo used by the US military, and is mounted primarily on submarines. Surface ships use the smaller Mk46 or Mk50. The Mk-54, in contrast, stemmed from the need for a smaller, lighter, and cost effective advanced torpedo – one that could be dropped from helicopters, planes, and smaller ships. In recent years, the US has moved to modernize and maintain its Mk-48 inventory; the Mk-54 also requires servicing and spares.

Many of these contracts were issued under a total enterprise partnership between Raytheon and the US Navy called Team Torpedo, dedicated to meeting the needs of U.S. and allied naval fleets. Team Torpedo combines Raytheon’s manufacturing, design engineering, and support services expertise with the systems engineering and testing capabilities of Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) operations in Newport, RI, and Keyport, WA. Now, a new provider has entered the picture. DID has the complete set of contracts below… plus more details regarding the torpedoes involved, and the answer to the question “what the heck is CBASS standard”?

Heavyweight & Flyweight: Mk-48 ADCAP and Mk-54 Heavy Hitter: The Mk-48

US torpedoes
(click to view full)

The Mk-48 is a huge 533mm torpedo (19 feet long, 3,500+ pounds) with advanced homing, wire guidance capabilities, and devastating consequences when its 300kg warhead hits a target. It is designed to kill both fast, deep-diving nuclear submarines and high performance surface ships, and is carried by US Navy and Royal Australian Navy submarines. The Mk 48 ADCAP has improved target acquisition range, reduced vulnerability to enemy countermeasures, reduced shipboard constraints such as warm-up and reactivation time, and enhanced effectiveness against surface ships. These torpedoes can operate with or without wire guidance, and can use active and/or passive homing, conducting multiple re-attacks if they miss the target. Cost estimates for this weapon are around $2 million each, rising to almost $3 million in some cases with upgrades factored in.

The Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) kit is for the Mk48, and includes a Broadband Sonar Analog Receiver, preamplifier and interfacing hardware. This gives the retrofitted torpedoes the ability to transmit and receive over a wide frequency band, and takes advantage of broadband signal processing techniques to improve their targeting & tracking capabilities. This is especially helpful in shallower waters, where the bottom and other clutter is more likely to be in the way. CBASS kits procured before the end of FY 2007 were for Mk-48 ADCAP Mod 5 and below, and so they included the Torpedo Propulsion Upgrade (TPU) modification required for forebody/ afterbody compatibility. After that, the kits are used with Mk-48 ADCAP Mod 6 torpedoes, which don’t require the TPU.

Initial CBASS contractor Raytheon also manufactures the AN/BYG-1 combat management system used in new American submarines, and scheduled for retrofit to older Los Angeles class boats and the Royal Australian Navy’s Collins class submarines. This reportedly allows for a degree of synergy that improves the Mk-48 ADCAP torpedo’s effectiveness. In 2011, however, Lockheed Martin stepped into the picture with a key contract win for CBASS kits.

The USA, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the Netherlands are Mk-48 customers, and Turkey has requested them for its new U214 subs. The Mk-48 doesn’t lack for international competitors, though: Britain (Spearfish), France (F21), Germany (Sea Hake), Italy (Black Shark), and now South Korea (White Shark) all produce plausible alternatives for western submarines. Russia, India, Japan, and China also produce their own heavy torpedoes, but they wouldn’t compete with the Mk-48 because the submarines that carry them are local or Russian designs.

Torpedo to go: The Mk-54

Mk-46, Mk-50, MK-54
(click to view full)

The Mk-54 stemmed from the need for a smaller, lighter, but cost effective advanced torpedo that could be dropped from helicopters, planes, and smaller ships. To achieve this, it combined the expensive Mk-50’s search and homing system with the propulsion system of the Mk-46 torpedo (the previous NATO/US standard), and added off-the-shelf electronic components. Its size improves its ability to go after targets in shallower littoral regions, but the torpedo is designed to work in both deep water and near-shore or shallow environments. Cost estimates for this weapon are around $1 million each.

In 2013, the Navy ordered the MK-54 MOD 0 array and transmitters. The MK-54’s sonar array and transmitters hadn’t been produced since the Navy completed MK-50 production in the mid-1990s, as the MK-54’s common parts were just taken from older MK-50 stocks. The new MOD 0s are substantially the same design, but obsolete parts and material have been switched for modern electronics. A new receiver is also part of Northrop Grumman’s contract, and the technology refresh and proof of design testing were accomplished by Advanced Research Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University (ARL PSU).

The MK 54 MOD 1 LWT kit is an upgrade that adds a new sonar array assembly, and improved processing capability. The full kit includes a 112-element array, transmitter, receiver, Processor Group Assembly (PGA), Modular Recording and Exercise Control System Second generation (MRECS2), and associated cables. It’s still a developmental product, under a SBIR Phase III framework. Progeny Systems Corporation, of Manassas, VA owns the intellectual property rights, so they’ve been the sole-source for all contracts.

Mk54 HAAWC
(click to view full)

Look up! The new 737-derived P-8 Poseidon aircraft is spurring the special development of special GPS-guided, high-altitude launch kits for the MK-54. The HAASW add-on kit from Boeing is derived from their JDAM bombs, allowing accurate torpedo drops from 35,000 feet in P-8A Poseidon Increment 2 aircraft, instead of the usual ceiling of several hundred feet. Lockheed and Raytheon have developed similar solutions.

Competitors: The MU90 Eurotorp is the Mk-54’s primary international competitor, and it has been very successful in the international marketplace. It ran into severe problems in Australia, however, and those have taken a long time to sort out. BAE Systems’ Stingray has made a few sales as well, and South Korea’s K745 Blue Shark could become an interesting future competitor. Meanwhile, there are still a lot of Mk-46s in service around the world.

Team Torpedo Contracts & Key Events

Unless otherwise specified, contracts are awarded under consolidated contract # N00024-04-C-6101 by The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC to Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Keyport, WA.

FY 2018

Requests: Turkey.

U214 cutaway
(click to view full)

June 22/18: Maintencance needed The Navy is contracting Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. for maintenance work on its arsenal of Mk48 heavyweight torpedoes. The $17,9 million cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only contract provides the commanders of the US Atlantic and Pacific fleet’s submarine force with approximately 56,160 man-hours per year to operate the progressive depot-level repair facility and provide depot-level repairable management functions for Mk 48 readiness. The Mk-48 is a huge 19 feet long, 3,500 lb. heavy torpedo with advanced homing, wire guidance capabilities, and devastating consequences when its 600 lb. warhead hits a target. It is designed to kill both fast, deep-diving nuclear submarines and high-performance surface ships, and is carried by US Navy and Royal Australian Navy submarines. These torpedoes can operate with or without wire guidance, and can use active and/or passive homing, and can conduct multiple re-attacks if they miss the target. Cost estimates for this weapon are around $2 million each, rising to almost $3 million in some cases with upgrades factored in. This Work will be performed in Yorktown, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September, 2018.

FY 2014

Sept 24/14: MK48 Canada. The US DSCA announces Canada’s formal export request for up to 12 MK-48 Mod 7 Advanced Technology Torpedo Conversion Kits, which would upgrade 12 of Canada’s existing inventory of MK-48 torpedoes from Mod 4 to Mod 7. The torpedoes would be used in Canada’s Victoria Class submarines, and the proposed purchase includes containers, spare and repair parts, weapon system support and integration, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and US Government and contractor support.

The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Sippican, Inc. in Marion, MA; and the estimated cost is up to $41 million, or about $3.42 millon per conversion kit. Canada has significant relevant infrastructure, including MK-48 Mod 4/4M and MK-46 Mod 5A (SW) torpedoes, so they won’t need any additional US government or contractor representatives. Sources: US DSCA #14-49, “Canada – MK-48 Mod 7 Advanced Technology Torpedo Kits”.

DSCA request: Canada MK48-7AT kits (12)

Sept 2/14: MK54. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. in Annapolis, MD, receives a $27.6 million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-type contract modification. It’s exercising an option for proof of MK54 Mod 0 Lightweight Torpedo (LWT) manufacturing/first articles and functional item replacement level components. This includes Array Kits, engineering services hours, hardware repair support, test equipment, additional spares and production support material, and warranty options. All funds are committed immediately, using FY 2014 US Navy weapon budgets and foreign military sales to Australia and India.

Note that NGC is responsible for producing new MK-54 nose arrays (q.v. July 25/13), which means that every LWT order is effectively divided between Raytheon and NGC. Raytheon’s Aug 20/14 order + NGC’s contract totals $86.8 million, though Turkey is left out of this NGC announcement.

Work will be performed in Lititz, PA (41%); Annapolis, MD (30%); and Santa Barbara, CA (29%), and is expected to be complete by November 2016. Fiscal 2014 weapons procurement (Navy) and FMS contract funds in the amount of $27,625,777 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, WA, DC manages the contract (N00024-13-C-6412).

Aug 20/14: MK-48 upgrades. Lockheed Martin Sippican, Inc. in Marion, MA receives a $31.9 million fixed-price-incentive, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed fee, cost-type option for 108 MK-48 MOD 7 CBASS Functional Item Replacement (FIR) Kits, related engineering services, CBASS FIR kit spares, and CBASS FIR kit warranty. The kits are designed to upgrade heavyweight torpedoes to this standard; they contain a guidance and control box, broadband analog sonar receiver, preamplifier, cable assemblies, and guidance and control assembly materials. All funds are committed immediately, using FY 2012 and 2014 US Navy weapon budgets.

Work will be performed in Marion, MA (95%), and Syracuse, NY (5%), and is expected to be complete by November 2017 (N00024-11-C-6404).

Aug 20/14: MK-54. Raytheon IDS in Portsmouth, RI receives a $59.2 million contract modification, exercising an option for MK54 Mod 0 Lightweight Torpedo (LWT) Kits, and related engineering and repair services for the upgrades. It involves purchases for the US Navy and the governments of Australia (q.v. Oct 5/10), India (q.v. June 24/11), and Turkey (q.v. May 12/14) under the Foreign Military Sales program. All funds are committed immediately.

See also Sept 2/14 for the other half of this order, involving Northrop Grumman who is responsible for the nose sonar transmitter arrays (q.v. July 25/13). Taken together, they total $86.8 million, though Turkey is left out of the NGC announcement.

Work will be performed in Keyport, WA (60%), and Portsmouth, RI (40%), and is expected to be complete by January 2018 (N00024-11-C-6410).

MK-54 orders: USA, Australia, India, Turkey

May 12/14: Turkey. The US DSCA announces Turkey’s formal export request for up to 48 MK 48 Mod 6 Advanced Technology All-Up-Round (MK-48 Mod 6AT AUR) Warshot Torpedoes, along with containers, fleet exercise sections, exercise fuel tanks, a surface recovery cage and tools, exercise hardware, maintenance facility upgrades, support and test equipment, spare and repair parts, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documentation, and other forms of US Government and contractor support.

Turkey will use the new torpedoes on their new U214/1200 Cerbe Class submarines, instead of Atlas Elektronik’s Seahake Mod4s. The DSCA says that Turkey is capable of integrating, employing, and maintaining the MK-48 Mod 6ATs, based on their experience to date with light MK-46 Mod 5A(S)W and MK-54s. They add that implementation of this proposed sale won’t require any more US Government or contractors, just occasional contractor engineering and technical services as needed.

The total estimated cost is up to $170 million, but negotiations will determine the exact price. The principal contractor will be Raytheon Company Integrated Defense Systems in Keyport, WA (MK-48); and Lockheed Martin Sippican in Marion, MA (CBASS). Sources: US DSCA #13-56, “Republic of Turkey – MK 48 TORPEDOES”.

DSCA request: Turkey MK-48s (48)

FY 2013

Exports: Australia, India; Development for MK-54 MOD 1; Contract for MK-54 MOD 0 guidance kits.

P-8i concept
(click to view full)

Aug 29/13: MK-48 CBASS. Lockheed Martin Sippican Inc. in Marion, MA receives a $37.3 million contract modification for MK48 Mod 7 CBASS upgrade kits, associated warranties, and related engineering services. The upgrade kits consist of a guidance and control box, broadband analog sonar receiver, preamplifier, cable assemblies, and guidance and control assembly materials.

This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy (77%), where it’s part of a 5-year program to upgrade the submarine fleet to a common standard, and for the Netherlands (13%, q.v. July 29/10) and Canada (10%, q.v. March 23/11) under Foreign Military Sales channels. Work will be performed in Marion, MA (95%), and Syracuse, NY (5%), and is part of a multi-year contract that runs until July 2017. Lockheed Martin adds Manassas, VA and Newport, RI as work locations, and their subsidiary Polaris Contract Manufacturing will build the circuit card and module assembly (N00024-11-C-6404). See also: Lockheed Martin Aug 30/13 release.

USA, Canada, Dutch: MK-48 CBASS

Aug 20/13: +150 Mk-54s. Raytheon’s $28 million contract modification exercises an option to produce 150 MK-54 MOD 0 lightweight torpedo kits, and related engineering and repair services. Northrop Grumman makes the nose arrays for the MOD 0s now (q.v. July 25/13), and Raytheon makes the rest. All funds are committed immediately.

Work will be performed in Keyport, WA (95%), and Portsmouth, RI (5%), and is expected to be complete by November 2016 (N00024-11-C-6410).

MK-54s: USA

July 25/13: MK-54 MOD 0. Northrop Grumman Corp. in Annapolis, MD wins a $46 million firm-fixed price, cost-plus-fixed fee, cost-type contract to produce 428 MK-54 MOD 0 nose array kits. They’ll make proof of manufacturing/first articles, functional item replacement components, and additional spares and production support material, while providing engineering services hours, hardware repair support, test equipment, and warranty options.

All $46 million is committed immediately, and immediate customers include the U.S. Navy (52%, implicitly 223), and exports to the governments of Australia (41%, implicitly 175) and India (7%, implicitly 30). Options could bring the contract’s value to $294.4 million, and bring total production to 3,000 for the USA and Mk-54 export customers.

When asked, the Navy explained that the MK-54’s sonar array and transmitters haven’t been produced so far, just re-used as Government-Furnished Equipment from Navy stocks of 550 Northrop Grumman MK-50s and spares. Mk-50 production ended in the mid-1990s, so those have run out. The “new” MK-54 MOD 0 array and transmitter are substantially the same design, but obsolete parts and material have been replaced with modern electronics. A new receiver is also part of the Northrop Grumman contract, which leverages some of the things NGC learned as lead designer for the current MK48 ADCAP Mod 7 CBASS heavy torpedo upgrade. The technology refresh and proof of design testing were accomplished by Advanced Research Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University (ARL PSU).

Work will be performed in Lititz, PA (40.5%); Annapolis, MD (30.9%); and Santa Barbara, CA (28.6%), and is expected to be complete by July 2016. This contract was competitively procured, with proposals solicited via the E-commerce and FBO.gov websites, and 2 offers received by US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC (N00024-13-C-6412). See also NGC Aug 14/13 release.

Mk-54 MOD 0 nose arrays to NGC

July 10/13: Australia. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces [PDF] Australia’s formal export request for up to 100 MK-54 All-Up-Round Torpedoes, 13 MK-54 Exercise Sections, 13 MK-54 Exercise Fuel Tanks, 5 Recoverable Exercise Torpedoes, support and test equipment for upgrades to MK 695 Mod 1 capability, plus spare and repair parts, and various forms of US government and contractor support. Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Keyport, WA is the contractor, and the DSCA says that:

“Australia will use the MK 54 torpedo on its MH-60R helicopters and intends to use the torpedo on a planned purchase of the P-8A Increment 2 Maritime Patrol and Response aircraft.”

Links added by DID. The MH-60Rs are under construction, while the P-8A Increment 2 isn’t slated to be ready before 2016.

DSCA: Mk-54s for Australia (100)

May 7/13: MK-54 MOD 1. US NAVSEA announces sole source solicitation N00024-13-R-6409, to buy 890 of Progeny Systems’ MK 54 MOD 1 Lightweight Torpedo (LWT) kits, Production Support Material, Spares, Engineering Services, and MK 54 MOD 1 unique test equipment using a firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. The FY 2014 base year will involve 40 units, the FY 2015 (50) & 2016 (100) option years would be Low Rate Initial Production, and FY 2017 – 2018 would be Full Rate Production option years for up to 350 units.

The MK 54 MOD 1 LWT kit is an upgrade that adds a new sonar array assembly, and improved processing capability. It includes a 112-element array, transmitter, receiver, Processor Group Assembly (PGA), Modular Recording and Exercise Control System Second generation MRECS2, and associated cables. Progeny Systems Corporation, of Manassas, VA gets the sole-source solicitation because their SBIR Phase III R&D contract (N00024-08-C-6272) gave them data rights to the MK 54 MOD 1 technology. The NAVSEA announcement was updated May 30/13. FBO.gov.

Mk-54 MOD 1

Oct 18/12: Raytheon announces a $45.3 million contract to provide MK 54 lightweight torpedo hardware, test equipment, spares and related services for the US Navy, Australia, and India. It’s exercised as an option under the current umbrella contract, but Raytheon doesn’t release numbers.

Australia’s Oct 5/10 request involved up to 200 torpedoes, while India’s June 24/11 request involved up to 32 MK54 all-up rounds for its new P-8i sea control planes.

Australia, India, USA: MK-54s

FY 2012

USA, Canada MK-48s.

MK-48 loading, Guam
(click to view full)

Sept 7/12: +76 CBASS. Lockheed Martin Sippican Inc. in Marion, MA receives $21 million to produce 76 MK48 Mod 7 CBASS functional item replacement kits, and supporting warranty, engineering services, spares and production support material, for the US Navy (58 kits, 79%) and Canada (18 kits, 21%). This modifies a combination fixed-price incentive, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee cost-only option contract.

The upgrade kits consist of a guidance and control box, broadband analog sonar receiver, preamplifier, cable assemblies, and guidance and control assembly materials. Canada has qualified its trouble-plagued Victoria Class submarines with the MK48 to replace British Spearfish torpedoes, and is busy retrofitting older MK48 torpedoes that were in its stocks to a modern standard. The 18 kits are half of their March 23/11 DSCA request.

Work will be performed in Marion, MA (95%), and Syracuse, NY (5%), and is expected to complete by December 2016. US Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N00024-11-C-6404).

USA, Canada:
MK-48 CBASS

April 6/12: MK48 maintenance. Lockheed Martin Services, Inc. in Colorado Springs, CO receives a $10 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to staff and maintain the intermediate maintenance activity facility at the Naval Underwater Warfare Center, Keyport Detachment, Pacific in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The contractor will perform maintenance on about 300 MK48 MOD 6/7 ADCAP torpedoes, and will be required to perform approximately 25 torpedo turnarounds per month.

Work will be performed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and is expected to be complete by April 2013. All contract funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year, on Sept 30/12. This contract was not competitively procured (N00024-12-C-6401).

Oct 13/11: P-8A. P-8A aircraft T-3 successfully launches its first MK 54 torpedo in the Atlantic Test Range, from 500 feet above water. The test verifies safe separation, with further weapon testing to come. US NAVAIR | Raytheon.

FY 2011

USA, Australia, Canada, India.

Mk-54 Promo
(click to view full)

Sept 19/11: 100 MK54. Raytheon IDS in Portsmouth, RI receives a $42.6 million fixed-price incentive, firm-fixed price, cost-plus-fixed fee, cost-type contract for 100 MK 54, MOD 0 lightweight torpedoes. The contract includes options that could push its value to $558.4 million over 4 years, as it buys new weapons, test equipment, spares, engineering, and repair services related to upgrades of US Navy lightweight torpedoes.

Work will be performed in Portsmouth, RI (80%), and Keyport, WA (20%), and is expected to completed by October 2015. This contract was competitively procured via Navy Electronic Business Opportunities website, with 4 offers received (N00024-11-C-6410). See also Raytheon release.

USA: Mk-54s

Aug 11/11: ASROC. The US Department of the Navy issues FBO.gov presolicitation #N0010411RK105:

“The U.S. Navy intends to place an order for repair and upgrade various components for the ASROC MK54 Missile. The Government does not have drawings or required technical data to repair or upgrade thses [sic] components”

ASROC is a missile, which attaches to a lightweight torpedo (RUM-139B with Mk46 or RUM-139C with Mk54) and allows rapid engagement using a warship’s vertical launch cells. Once it reaches the target area, the torpedo drops into the water without the booster, and tracks normally. While Raytheon is the MK54’s manufacturer, VL-ASROC is a Lockheed Martin product; given the lack of government data, one or both of these contractors must be retained.

June 24/11: The US DSCA announces [PDF] India’s request to buy 32 MK-54 All-Up-Round Lightweight Torpedoes, 3 recoverable exercise torpedoes, 1 training shape, plus containers, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, transportation, and other forms of U.S. Government and contractor support. The estimated cost is $86 million, but actual costs will depend on a negotiated contract.

India intends to use the torpedoes on its forthcoming 8 P-8i Neptune maritime patrol aircraft, and the numbers involved mark this as an initial familiarity and training buy. Prime contractors are listed as “Boeing Company in St. Louis, Missouri, and a yet to be identified U.S. torpedo contractor.” Which is odd. Technically, Boeing is the P-8i lead integrator, but the Mk-54 is a Raytheon design. On the other hand, Lockheed Martin offers the GPS-guided, high altitude launch HAAWC/Longshot, consisting of an adapter kit mounted on a Mk-54. If India wants HAAWCs, Lockheed Martin could be listed as the contractor.

There is a possible industrial offset agreement in connection with the proposed sale, and implementation will require an unfinalized number of U.S. Government and contractor representatives in-country visits on a temporary basis for technical reviews, support, and oversight.

DSCA request: India MK-54s (32)

May 16/11: Taiwan. Taiwan’s military reportedly plans to budget $860 million to purchase new Mk54 and Mk48 torpedoes over the a 10-year period.

$300 million will reportedly be used to buy 600 Mk54 lightweight torpedoes, replacing existing Mk46s. They’re designed to launch for ships, and from aircraft like Taiwan’s incoming P-3C Orion sea control planes.

Another $160 million will be spent on the purchase of 40 Mk48s, replacing the existing German-made SUT heavyweight torpedoes Taiwan acquired with its 2 Hai Lung II (Zvaardis) Class subs built by the Netherlands. Another $400 million would cover 100 Mk48s, if Taiwan finds a way to source and purchase the 4-8 diesel-electric submarines it wants. Focus Taiwan.

March 31/11: Support. Raytheon Full Service Partnering Corp. in Keyport, WA receives a $47 million cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for engineering services in support of lightweight and heavyweight torpedo systems.

This effort includes combined purchases for the US Navy (82%), and the governments of Canada (8%), Japan (4%), Brazil (4%), and Turkey (2%) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Newport, R.I., and is expected to be complete by March 2016; $50,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured, with one offer received via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website by the US Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division in Newport, RI (N66604-11-D-0633).

March 23/11: The US DSCA announces [PDF] Canada’s request for 36 MK-48 Mod 7 Advanced Technology (AT) Torpedo Conversion Kits for their existing MK-48 Mod 4 stocks, plus containers, spare and repair parts, weapon system support & integration, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and other forms of U.S. Government and contractor support.

The estimated cost is $125 million, but the actual price will be finalized once a contract is signed. That may not happy very soon, as a federal election has just been forced by the minority Conservative Party government’s fall over its proposed budget. $3.5 million per torpedo does seem rather high for conversion kits, but it is in line with the Netherlands’ July 29/10 request for the same thing.

Canada intends to use the MK 48 7ATs on their Victoria Class diesel-electric fast attack submarines. No technical issues are expected, as the country already has some torpedoes of this type in stock, has significant experience with the MK 48 Mod 4/4M and MK 46 5A(S)W, and has good infrastructure for maintaining these weapons.

DSCA request: Canada MK-48 MOD7 kits (36)

March 4/11: New CBASS supplier. Lockheed Martin Sippican, Inc. in Marion, MA receives a $50.6 million fixed-price incentive, firm-fixed price, cost-plus-fixed fee, cost-type contract for MK48 Mod 7 CBASS functional item replacement (FIR) upgrade kits (guidance & control box, broadband analog sonar receiver, preamplifier, cable assemblies, and guidance and control materials); plus engineering services hours, hardware repair support, test equipment, additional spares and production support material, and warranty options should all options be exercised. This contract includes options which could bring its cumulative value to $235.2 million.

Work will be performed in Marion, MA (99%), and Akron, OH (1%), and is expected to be complete by May 2014. This contract was competitively procured via Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 5 offers received by US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC (N00024-11-C-6404).

USA – new CBASS supplier

Oct 5/10: The US DSCA announces [PDF] Australia’s official request to buy up to 200 MK 54 All-Up-Round Torpedoes, 179 MK 54 Flight in Air Material Kits to mount them onto aircraft, 10 MK 54 Exercise Sections, 10 MK 54 Exercise Fuel Tanks, 10 MK 54 Dummy Torpedoes, 6 MK 54 Ground Handling Torpedoes for safe training, plus support and test equipment to upgrade Intermediate Maintenance Activity to full MK 54 capability, spare and repair parts, technical data and publications, personnel training and training equipment, and other forms of U.S. government and contractor support.

It’s an interesting request, because Australia had picked the Eurotorp MU90 as its lightweight torpedo, but an MH-60R pick would require either a MK-54 purchase or expensive integration work. The estimated cost is up to $169 million, and the prime contractor will be Raytheon Company Integrated Defense Systems in Keyport, WA.

DSCA request: MK-54s for Australia (200)

FY 2008 – 2010

USA, Australia, Netherlands, Turkey.

Loading a Mk-48
(click to view larger)

July 29/10: The US DSCA announces [PDF] The Netherlands’ official request to buy 40 MK-48 Mod 7 Advanced Technology (AT) Torpedo Conversion Kits, 40 containers, plus support and test equipment, spare and repair parts, weapon system support and integration, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and other U.S. Government and contractor support. The Netherlands wants to upgrade its current stock of MK 48 Mod 4 torpedoes to the MK 48 Mod 7AT, for use on its Walrus Class diesel-electric fast attack submarines. Asked about the difference between this upgrade and the USA’s MK 48 ADCAP, a Raytheon representative relied that:

“The Advanced Technology (AT) configuration was developed to provide compatibility to the launching interfaces of international submarine configurations.”

The estimated cost is up to $150 million, and the prime contractor will be Raytheon Company Integrated Defense Systems in Keyport, WA. The Netherlands won’t require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to The Netherlands, though Contractor Engineering and Technical Services (CETS) may be required on an interim basis for installations.

DSCA request: Dutch MK-48 MOD 7 kits (40)

Nov 30/09: Sub-contractors. Raytheon IDS issues a $2.6 million contract to electronics contract manufacturer LaBarge Inc. in St. Louis, MO. The firm has ordered wiring harnesses to fit its MK 48 and MK 54 torpedoes. This is the first time LaBarge has supplied parts for the 2 torpedo programs.

LaBarge will make the wiring harnesses at the company’s Berryville, AK plant, and should be finished in December 2011. Raytheon makes torpedoes at the company’s Torpedo and Readiness Center, co-located with the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division in Keyport, WA, as well as at the Raytheon Seapower Capability Center in Portsmouth, RI. Interconnection World.

Aug 7/09: +49 MK-54s. A $19.3 million modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-6101) to provide additional MK 54 torpedoes and support services necessary to support Fleet Operational Requirements for the various torpedo product lines. Work will be performed in Keyport, WA (50%) and Portsmouth, RI (50%), and is expected to be complete by October 2011.

Raytheon’s Sept 9/09 release says that the addition of this order places them under contract to deliver 241 total Mk-54 kits, of which 100 kits will be delivered to the Turkish Navy via a Foreign Military Sales agreement. That raises the total number of MK-54s announced on Oct 9/08 by 49, from 192 to 241.

USA, Turkey:
Mk-54

Jan 8/09: Sub-contractors. Progeny Systems Corporation in Manassas, VA received a $13.5 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, cost plus fixed fee contract for engineering services in support of the MK54 torpedo systems. The contractor will be required to perform engineering efforts including technology assessment, mechanical and electrical component analysis, hardware/software development, critical item testing, hardware/software integration, certification and test, and life cycle logistics studies necessary for the testing and evaluation, prototype and engineering development model components of torpedo systems.

Work will be performed in Manassas, VA (80%), and other locations including Newport, R.I. (20%), and is expected to be complete by January 2014. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division in Newport, RI (N66604-09-D-0002).

Oct 9/08: A $171.1 million modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-6101) to provide MK48 and MK54 torpedoes on a firm fixed-price basis, plus engineering and support. This is a continuation of MK48 ADCAP, MK48 CBASS and MK54 torpedo programs under contracts N00024-98-C-6107, N00024-00-C-6100, N00024-00-C-6102 and N00024-03-C-6104. The total amount funded at contract award will be $166.3 million, and contract funds in the amount of $48.9 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year (Sept 30/09).

Raytheon’s subsequent release places the number at 192 MK54s, and 228 MK48 CBASS torpedo upgrade kits to the US Navy. Raytheon IDS will supply the Royal Australian Navy with 19 of the CBASS kits, and the Turkish Navy with 100 MK54 torpedo kits.

Work on the contracts will be performed at Raytheon’s Torpedo and Readiness Center, co-located with the U.S. Navy at NUWC Division Keyport, WA (50%), and at the Seapower Capability Center in Portsmouth, RI (50%). Work is expected to be complete by July 2011.

USA, Australia, Turkey: Mk-48 & Mk-54

Aug 1/08: Contract conversion. A $6 million modification to previously awarded contract N00024-04-C-6101 to provide cost growth funding for the P2U NRE (Producibility 2nd Year Upgrade) completion efforts, and to convert the contract to Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) buys. This effort is a continuation of MK48 ADCAP, MK48 CBASS and MK54 torpedo programs under contracts N00024-98-C-6107, N00024-00-C-6100, N00024-00-C-6102 and N00024-03-C-6104. Work will be performed in Keyport, WA (50%) and Portsmouth, RI (50%), and is expected to be complete by September 2009 .

Contracts converted

July 28/08: A $12.3 million modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-6101) for production material in support of the FY 2007/2008 MK48/MK54 torpedo buy. This effort is a continuation of MK48 ADCAP, MK48 CBASS and MK54 torpedo programs under contracts N00024-98-C-6107, N00024-00-C-6100, N00024-00-C-6102 and N00024-03-C-6104. Work will be performed in Keyport, WA and is expected to be complete by September 2008.

FY 2004 – 2007

MK-54 FRP. USA, Australia.

Mk54 testing
(click to view full)

Dec 21/06: Support. Raytheon announces that Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded them a $12.5 million contract for technical engineering, repair and maintenance services in support of the MK48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) heavyweight torpedo. This award is a contract modification exercising a one-year option that was included in the original technical services contract awarded in April 2006. Under the contract, IDS will perform intermediate-level maintenance, repair and refurbishment of MK48 ADCAP torpedoes currently in the U.S. Navy’s fleet inventory of training and warshot torpedoes. The inventory is used for fleet training, readiness and submarine-launched torpedo warshot exercises. Work on the contract will be performed in Pearl Harbor, HI; Yorktown, VA; and Poulsbo, WA.

Dec 7/06: Delivery. A NAVSEA announcement notes that the first Warshot MK 48 Mod 7 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) Heavyweight Torpedoes were delivered to the Fleet and loaded aboard the Improved Los Angeles Class submarine USS Pasadena [SSN 752] in Pearl Harbor, HI. See NAVSEA release for further details.

MK48 MOD 7 delivery

Aug 1/06: Support. A $5 million firm-fixed-price modification to purchase additional spares, and issue a technical issue to support fleet operational requirements for the various torpedo product lines. This will satisfy additional fiscal year 2006 Navy and Royal Australian Navy requirements for MK48 advanced capability and MK54 Mod 6 lightweight torpedo spares and MK48 common broadband advanced sonar system Mod 7 heavyweight production engineering support. This modification combines requirements for the US Navy (99%) and the Royal Australian Navy (1%). Work will be performed in Keyport, WA (90%), and Portsmouth, RI (10%), and is expected to be complete by June 2009.

July 31/06: 107 MK48, 105 MK54. An estimated $95.4 million firm-fixed-price modification for the necessary quantities of Mk48 heavyweight torpedo and Mk 54 lightweight torpedo support services necessary to support fleet operational requirements. It represents the consolidated MK48 and MK54 torpedo kit hardware buy, with engineering and repair services. This contract combines support for the US Navy (70%) and the Government of Australia (30%) under the foreign military sales program. Work will be performed at Raytheon’s Torpedo and Readiness Center, co-located with the U.S. Navy at NUWC Division Keyport and at the Maritime Mission Center in Portsmouth, RI (10%) and in Keyport, WA (90%), and is expected to be complete by June 2009.

For the modifications announced on July 31/06 and Aug 1/06 under the consolidated torpedo contract, Raytheon will deliver electronic systems and components, spares and services for 105 MK-54 lightweight torpedoes and 107 MK-48 heavyweight torpedoes. They will also support the MK-48 upgrade and configuration to CBASS standard, which entered full-rate production in June 2006. The August 1,2006 contract also covers torpedo spares, production engineering and technical support for fleet operational requirements for the U.S. and Royal Australian Navy’s inventories.

These were described as “fiscal year 2006 procurement quantities,” indicating that this is the full order for the year.

USA, Australia:
Mk-48 & Mk-54

Jan 11/05: FY 2005. A $78.7 million firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-6101) for fiscal year 2005 consolidated MK-48 and MK-54 torpedo hardware, and associated engineering and repair services.

Work will be performed in Keyport, WA (90%) and Portsmouth, RI (10%), and is expected to be completed by September 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification supports requirements for the U.S. Navy (90%) and Royal Australian Navy (10%), under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

USA:
MK-48 & Mk-54

Oct 26/04: MK-54. Raytheon begins full rate production of the Mk54 lightweight torpedo. “Under the consolidated procurement contract for fiscal year 2004, Raytheon will deliver 51 MK54 lightweight torpedoes and associated whole-life support services. The five-year contract value, including exercised options, is expected to exceed $500 million.” See complete news release.

MK-54 FRP

June 22/04: 101 MK48, 51 MK54. Raytheon Systems Co. Integrated Defense Systems in Keyport, WA received a firm-fixed price letter contract with a not to exceed value of $70.2 million for the consolidated procurement of FY 2004 undersea weapons requirements for 91 MK48 advanced capability (ADCAP) Mod 6 heavyweight torpedoes, including 15 kits in support of the next generation MK-48 CBASS Mod 7 initial production; production engineering for the MK48 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) Mod 7 heavyweight (HWT); 51 MK54 Mod 6 lightweight (LWT) torpedoes; and associated support services.

This effort is a continuation of MK48 ADCAP, MK48 CBASS and MK54 torpedo for the primary purpose of purchasing the necessary quantities of torpedoes and support services necessary to support further operational evaluation, future milestone decisions, and initial operational capability for the various torpedo product lines. Work will be performed in Keyport, WA (90%) and Portsmouth, RI (10%), and is expected to be completed by June 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-04-C-6101).

See also Raytheon release, which adds 20 MK-48 ADCAP Mod6 kits for Australia to the above totals.

USA, Australia:
Mk-48 & Mk-54

Additional Readings

• Department Of The Navy Fiscal Year (FY) 2006/FY 2007 Budget Estimates (February 2005) – Justification Of Estimates: Weapons Procurement, Navy [PDF].

• US Navy – MK 48 Heavyweight Torpedo.

• Raytheon – MK 48 Mod 6 Advanced Technology

• Lockheed Martin – Hitting the Mark with Upgraded CBASS.

• GlobalSecurity.org – Mk-48 Torpedo.

• US Navy – MK 54 – Torpedo.

• Raytheon – MK 54 Lightweight Torpedo.

• Federation of American Scientists – MK-54 Lightweight Hybrid Torpedo.

• Lockheed Martin – HAAWC. High-altitude GPS-guided kit. Boeing actually won.

• Raytheon – Fish Hawk. High-altitude GPS-guided kit. Boeing actually won.

• Eurotorp Consortium.

• US Dept. of the Navy Acquisition One Source – Exchange of Non-Excess Property for New Assets in the MK46 and MK54 Torpedo Programs. Innovative idea.

• DID (May 31/07) – Longshot: A Swooping HAAWC for Torpedoes. Enables high-altitude launch, turning the Mk54 into a GPS-guided glide weapon that releases the torpedo near sea level.

• Australian Defence Materiel Organization (June 21/06) – JP 2070 ADF – Lightweight ASW Torpedo – Project Djimindi. Selected the MU90 Eurotorp. It hasn’t gone well.

• Spacewar (June 14/06) – Navy Selects LockMart For MK-54 Torpedoes High Altitude Launch Capability

• DID (Nov 15/05) – Australia’s Collins Class Subs, Submariners On Track for Upgrades. Mk-48 ADCAP torpedoes are part of those upgrades.

• Seapower Magazine (June 2005) – Boeing Eyes High-Flying Torpedo. For the P-8A MMA program. The 737-based P-8A is a capable aircraft, but doesn’t do as well as a turboprop when flying just 100 feet above the waves.

• Undersea Warfare Magazine (Winter/Spring 2002) – Torpedoes and the Next Generation of Undersea Weapons

• Thanks to reader Gregory L. Bender, P.E. of Defense Holdings, Inc. for catching an (incorrect) reference to the Mk48’s use on surface ships. At present, they use smaller Mk46 and Mk50 torpedoes.

Americas

• US Marine Corps Task Force Southwest is contracting General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to boost its UAS system intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance surge. The un-definitized contract is valued at $39.56 million and will see for General Atomics to fly its own unarmed MQ-9 Reapers in support of US Marines missions in the US Central Command area of operation. General Atomics will provide a single “orbit” supplying coverage over one particular area 16 hours a day, seven days a week. The company could have to conduct missions lasting 24-hours or more in certain cases, but with advance notice. In January NAVAIR awarded a similar contract in support of USMC deployment in Afghanistan. The Marines currently conduct advisory missions in Afghanistan’s infamous Helmand province, as well as portions of neighboring Nimroz province, both of which border Pakistan. Work will be performed in Yuma, Arizona and Poway, California, the CENTCOM’s area of operatio, and is expected to be completed in November 2018.

• Metron Inc. is being tapped by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) for an effort titled advanced modular payloads for unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs). The $8 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract includes options, which if exercised, will bring the contract value to $21 million. This contract is part of a wider US Navy research project that seeks to develop certain kinds of software and hardware for advanced UUV autonomy and deployment. Future UUV’s will be able to operate in the open ocean and in coastal waters and harbors on missions lasting more than 70 days to gather intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) information. UUVs will be launched from a pier or a variety of platforms, including the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and the Virginia class nuclear submarine via its payload module or an enhanced dry deck shelter. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by December 2019.

• The US Navy is awarding a cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to General Dynamics Electric Boat. The modification is valued at $225 million and provides for work on the next nine Block V Virginia-class attack submarines. Block V submarines will be longer than previously built Virginia-class subs, to accommodate four Virginia Payload Module (VPM) tubes, which will each contain seven Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs). The VPM offers exceptional flexibility as well for the integration of future payload types, such as unmanned systems or next-generation weapons. Work will be performed at various sites throughout the US, including Spring Grove, Illinois; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Jacksonville, Florida, among others. It is expected to be completed by January 2019. The deal will see General Dynamics provide economic ordering quantity material for work in fiscal 2019 through 2023.

Middle East & Africa

• The government of the United Arab Emirates is placing a $38.8 million order with Saab in support of its advanced airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) solution GlobalEye. The Erieye family of Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft offer of small size, lower purchase price, dual air/sea scan capabilities, and comparatively cheap operating costs are making it one of the world’s most popular AEW systems. Saab is currently producing the GlobalEye AEW&C, combining air, maritime and ground surveillance in one single solution. GlobalEye combines a full suite of sophisticated sensors including the powerful new extended range radar (Erieye ER), with the ultra-long range Global 6000 jet aircraft. According to Saab, the Erieye ER gives the aircraft a 70% increase of the detection range (about 403 miles) compared to the previous version. The radar provides wide-area moving target indication (GMTI) as well as improved performance against small targets such as stealth aircraft, unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles or submarine periscopes. GlobalEye brings extended detection range, endurance and the ability to perform multiple roles, including tasks such as search and rescue, border surveillance and military operations.

Europe

• Jane’s reports that Belgium’s Air Combat Capability Program (ACCaP) is currently facing another roadblock, as the government considers a previously disregarded option to upgrade its incumbent fleet and not necessarily acquire a new-build aircraft. The ACCaP began in December 2015 when the Belgian government confirmed a requirement for 34 new multi-role combat aircraft to replace the 54 ageing Belgian F-16s in the 2023 to 2028 timeframe. Two offerings were being considered for the replacement of the F-16AM/BM fleet under the program, including the Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. Final bids for the two aircraft were offered to the Belgian government under the formal acquisition process in February 2018.

• French defense manufacturer Nexter is currently developing its Katana family of 155 mm precision guided munitions (PGMs). According to the company the Katana munitions can be fired from all 52 caliber artillery systems, while retaining the traditional artillery qualities: continuous fire, all-weather capability, high cost/efficiency ratio. Its specific architecture, allows for Katana to be used for close support and will treat all types of targets thanks to its multi-mode rocket. The rocket is programmable to operate by proximity, impact, or with delay. With a maximum range between 18 miles for the first generation and 37 miles for the next, Katana will be able to strike targets with pinpoint precision. The projectile’s guidance is ensured by a hybridization between a GNSS signal receiver and an inertial measurement unit. In the future, meter scale precision will be accessible through the addition of an optional semi-active laser distance gauge.

Asia-Pacific

• The Australian Department of Defense is currently entering Phase 3 of its Land 400 procurement project. Phase 3 looks into ensuring the Army’s Close Combat Capability, primarily enabled by the current Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) and MSV mission systems. One likely contender will be German defense contractor Rheinmetall with its Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle. Along with the Lynx KF41 family of vehicles, Rheinmetall has also designed a companion Lance 2.0 turret, which the German designer said will result “in a revolutionary IFV with a level of adaptability, survivability and capacity not seen before in an IFV family”. The modular survivability systems of the Lynx will also provide unprecedented flexibility for armed forces to cope with the wide variety of threats faced across the spectrum of conflict, Rheinmetall said. Should Rheinmetall be selected for the LAND 400 Phase 3 project, the Lynx vehicles will be built in Ipswich, Queensland.

• Recent video footage suggests that China is now able to deploy the submarine-launched version of its YJ-18 anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM). The YJ-18 is a vertically-launched missile that can travel at supersonic speeds of up to Mach 3 and has a range of 335 miles. It carries a 661 lb. warhead that can take out a destroyer-sized ship and severely damage a carrier-sized vessel. The YJ-18 system is designed for the destruction of various surface ships from an enemy’s landing squadrons, convoys, carrier strike groups, as well as single vessels and land-based radiocontrast targets in conditions of intensive fire and electronic countermeasures. The YJ-18’s ability to accelerate to supersonic speeds close to its target makes it difficult for ships to destroy the incoming missile with on-board guns. This ASCM also increases the stand-off distance for Chinese vessels and contributes to their anti-access area denial (A2/AD) capabilities. China’s A2/AD capabilities could prove critical during a conflict in the western Pacific and adds to its growing arsenal of anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles.

Today’s Video

• Skunk Works celebrates its 75th anniversary

Americas

• The Navy is ordering protective systems in support of its V-22 aircraft. The $20 million fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract sees for the production of up to 200 Ballistic Protection System panel sets and single floor spares for the V-22 by MACRO Industries. The V-22 has specific Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) driven aircraft vulnerability programmatic requirements and was a lead aircraft subject to Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) oversight with the Live Fire Test Law passed in 1987. Many vulnerability reduction techniques have been applied to the V-22 airframe. These technologies range from inherent structural design requirements such as ballistic protection panels to active fire suppression systems to prevent sustained fire in the aircraft. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be completed in June 2023.

• The Navy is contracting Advanced Acoustic Concepts LLC in support of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) platform. The cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursement modification is valued at $12.2 million and provides for software engineering services to support the LCS Mission Modules program. The Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship has been designed to counter a number of “asymmetric” threats like coastal mines, quiet diesel submarines, global piracy, and terrorists on small fast attack boats. Instead of designing a single platform that is able to take over those tasks the Navy opted for developing a ship that can be adapted to specific mission requirements by integrating swappable mission modules. Therefore, the LCS program includes packages for Mine Warfare, Anti-submarine Warfare and Surface Warfare. The LCS Mission Modules Program Office packages a variety of technologies to these ends, many of which are produced by other program offices and delivered as elements of a particular mission module. Work will be performed in Hauppauge, New York; Columbia, Maryland and Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by June 2019.

• Oshkosh Defense LLC is being awarded a contract modification by the US Army. The modification is valued at $18 million and supports the production of vehicles belonging to the Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles. Oshkosh has provided the core of the US Army’s Heavy Tactical Vehicle capability for over 20 years. The awarded contract provides for work on recapitalized guided missile transport trucks, recapitalized load handling system trucks, new palletized load system trucks and new palletized load system trailers. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of January 2020.

Middle East & Africa

• The government of Armenia is reportedly in the final stages of negotiating the procurement of fighter jets from Russia. It is expected that the Armenian government will sign a contract for the delivery of a yet unspecified number of Su-30SM aircraft in 1 to 2 years. The Su-30SM is a multirole fighter aircraft developed by JSC Sukhoi Design Bureau for the Russian Air Force. It is an advanced derivative of the Su-30MK combat aircraft family. The Su-30SM can be deployed in counter-air strikes, counter-land and counter-sea missions. It can conduct electronic counter-countermeasures and early warning tasks. The aircraft also acts as a command-and-control platform within a fleet of combat aircraft performing joint missions. The Armenian Air Force currently has a fleet of old Su-25 and MiG-29 fighter jets.

Europe

• The Slovakian Armed Forces are currently fielding their upgraded Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs). The upgrade of the BMP-1 Svatava is being performed by Slovak company Konštrukta Defence. The Svatava is a modernized version of the BMP-1 dating from the 1980s. The BMP-1 Svatava, or BPsVI is an armored reconnaissance vehicle. Its turret is equipped with the Turra 30 remote controlled weapon station (RCWS) armed with a 30mm 2A42 automatic cannon, a PKT 7.62mm coaxial medium machinegun and a twin launcher of Konkurs (AT-5 Spandrel) ATGMs. Additionally, the turret is fitted with a fire control system, laser warning system, smoke grenades, commander observation and aiming sight day TV camera, thermal camera and laser range finder. The performed upgrades will extend the lifetime of the IFVs by at least 20 years and costs less than procuring new vehicles. A total of 35 upgraded IFVs will be delivered to the Slovak ISTAR Battalion.

• Jane’s reports that the UK military has lost another Thales WK 450 Watchkeeper to an accident. Britain’s Watchkeeper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Program was devised to give the Royal Artillery an advanced mid-range UAV for surveillance and is complementary to other ISTAR systems in the Royal inventory. The Watchkeeper platform is based on Elbit Systems’ Hermes 450 UAV platform. The UAV is designed to provide continuous 24/7 surveillance when needed, using unmanned air vehicles able to stay airborne for more than 16 hours each through night and poor weather. So far, the UK military has lost five Watchkeepers, three of which crashed in the last 12 months. The Watchkeeper UAV and 47 Regiment Royal Artillery that operates it were due to achieve full operating capability (FOC) earlier in 2018, but this milestone was postponed after the platform failed to obtain a key flight safety certificate in November 2017.

Asia-Pacific

• The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) is planning to equip its fleet of Northrop F-5 fighters with IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missiles. The Thai government recently signed a repeat order with German manufacturer Diehl Defense. The IRIS-T missile emerged after Germany pulled out of the joint US-UK-German ASRAAM program. The IRIS-T family of missiles includes three variants: the IRIS-T air-to-air guided missile, the IRIS-T SL (Surface Launched) medium range guided missile and the IRIS-T SLS (Surface-Launched, Short-Range) guided missile. The missile incorporates a tail-controlled, winged airframe design using completely newly developed components. Its main segments include a guidance section, warhead, rocket motor and control section with fins and jet vane. The IRIS-T entered service in December 2005 with the air forces of participating program nations including Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Spain. The export customers of the IRIS-T are Austria, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.

• Malaysia’s defense contractor Kembara Suci is currently awaiting a firm order for its newly developed special operations vehicle (SOV). The SOV will replace the current fleet of Mercedes-G jeeps. Kembara Suci’s SOV is powered by a Caterpillar 5-cylinder line diesel developing 197hp at 2,400 rpm and is fitted with 70R17 pneumatics. At prototype stage, it features front independent suspensions of the double whish-bone type with coil springs, while at the rear we find leaf springs on a rigid axle. It carries four passengers in the seats plus a fifth operator in the back, manning the 40 mm AGL. On top of the troop compartment we find a 12.7 MG, while the vehicle commander on the left has a 7.62 mm machine gun at his disposal. The company is quoting a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 7,000 lb. This includes a 3,306 lb. payload comprising 21 gallons of fuel, the crew, weapons, ammunition, water stowed in containers either side of the rear stowage area, and other essential equipment.

Today’s Video

• Rheinmetall shows its KF41 Lynx next-gen combat vehicle

Americas

• The Navy is awarding an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to Boeing. The $1.5 billion contract provides for the production of configuration sets and associated services in support of the life cycle upgrades of F/A-18A/B, C/D, E/F and EA-18G aircraft in support of the Navy and foreign military sales customers. The different versions of Super Hornets fighter aircraft are the backbone of naval aviation. They fulfill strike roles and can conduct tactical refueling sorties. Additionally, the EA-18G Growler has new electronics, and mounts special electronic warfare pods on the aircraft’s underwing instead of its 20mm canon. Boeing’s upgrade program is based on the Super Hornet Roadmap centered around 3 areas: doubling down on electronic advances, trying to improve flight performance in strike or air superiority roles, and improving the design’s radar signature. This contract combines purchases for the Navy ($1,18 billion) and various FMS customers ($333.8 million). Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri and China Lake, California, and is expected to be completed in June 2023.

• The US Army is tapping BAE Systems Land & Armaments in support of its Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs). The $347 million fixed-price-incentive-fee contract sees for the production of up to 473 Bradley M2A4 and M7A4 vehicles, and for the procurement of authorized stockage list spares, and additional packages for legacy component repair. Introduced in the 1980s during the Reagan defense build-up, the Bradleys were a departure from the usual mold of lightly armed Armored Personnel Carriers. During Desert Storm the vehicles combination of firepower, mobility, and protection made them a valuable asset. The Bradleys’ high level of protection against anti-tank rockets has proven to be a significant plus, and operational readiness has reportedly exceeded 94%, during urban and cross-country missions that have covered more than 8 million miles. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of June 2019.

• The Air Force is contracting General Atomics – Aeronautical Systems in support of its MQ-9 Reaper platform. The contract modification provides for the product ionization of the Lynx Block 20A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) configuration and is valued at $22 million. The new Lynx SAR is set to replace the current configuration of the system on the future MQ-9 Block 5 remotely piloted aircraft. The Reaper packs the same surveillance gear as the famous Predator but is more of a hunter-killer design. The Lynx radar is designed to meet the onboard challenges of the Remotely Piloted Aircraft systems environment, the it consumes minimal Size, Weight, and Power (SWAP) while delivering precision air-to-surface targeting accuracy and superb wide-area search capabilities. Lynx includes two spotlight and two stripmap SAR modes. Spotlight mode produces high-resolution imagery on a defined point. Stripmap mode mosaics multiple spot SAR images together to form one large image. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be complete by June 2020.

Middle East & Africa

• The Israeli defense manufacturer BlueBird Aero Systems is currently promoting the newly developed cargo variant of its ThunderB UAV. The compact UAV is designed to offer long endurance and extended range capabilities similar to those offered by larger unmanned aircraft weighing 440 lb. The ThunderB is a high-wing UAV integrating a V-shaped tail and housing a gimballed payload unit in the forward section of its fuselage. The UAV lacks a landing gear as it is recovered using a parachute system. The old variant was able to carry up to 7.7 lb. of payload and was designed for ISTAR, SAR and commercial missions. According to Jane’s, the new variant can carry a cargo payload of up to 8.8 lb. in two capsules that can be fitted under the platform’s wings Once transported to its destination, the cargo is then dropped using an electro-mechanical mechanism, landing with a high degree of accuracy at the intended drop site. The cargo capsules can also be fitted with a parachute to prevent the payload from being damaged.

• South African defense contractor Milkor will soon unveil its prototypes of the MN Centurion high-speed interceptor craft and MA 380 unmanned aerial system (UAS). The MN Centurion high-speed interceptor craft is a 39 ft. stepped hull, hydrofoil-assisted catamaran design with lightweight composite structure and a reduced radar signature. Designed and configured for multi-role operations, it is ideally suited for long endurance missions. The command and control bridge houses world class communications and surveillance equipment, along with its reduced radar signature hull, giving this craft the advantage for surveillance patrol, counter-piracy, and asset protection missions. The vessel can also be configured to operate as an unmanned surface vehicle (USV). The MA 380 has a low wing T-tail design with low-drag, low wing loading and retractable landing gear. It is equipped with optical imagery equipment providing real-time high definition, infrared and multispectral video data. The MA 380 has a big wingspan of 39 ft. A MALE platform, it has a maximum range of 1.242 miles and can reach a maximum speed of 136 mph/h. It features a maximum payload capacity of 176 lb. Both systems are expected to be shown at the Africa Aerospace and Defense Expo in September 2018.

Europe

• The assembly of a F-35 Joint Strike Fighters is currently underway at Leonardo’s facility in Cameri, Italy. The fighter aircraft are destined for the Netherlands Air Force. The Netherlands is planning to assemble most of its F-35s at the line at Cameri in northern Italy, where Italian Air Force and Navy F-35s are already being assembled. Italy and the Netherlands are both Tier 2 partners in the multi-billion JSF program. The Italian Navy’s ITS Cavour aircraft carrier is expected to need at least 22 F-35Bs to replace its AV-8 Harrier fighters. The aircraft currently assembled in Cameri is the ninth of the Netherlands’ order of 37 F-35As. Italy is currently due to purchase 60 F-35 As and 30 F-35Bs.

• Serbia’s Yugoimport company has recently unveiled the X-01 Strsljen VTOL UAV. The X-01 Strsljen is being developed by Serbian firm EDePro and is being marketed by Yugoimport. According to Airforce-Technology, the airframe of the Strsljen rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is built using carbon fiber, lightweight steel and aluminum materials. The rotorcraft takes-off vertically using a two-blade main rotor with a teetering head. The tubular skid landing gear is attached to the helicopter’s fuselage structure to facilitate safe landing even on hard surfaces. An integrated autopilot system is installed to provide stabilization and control for the helicopter in all axes. It will provide the UAV with the ability to fly in fully autonomous mode from take-off to landing. The unmanned helicopter is equipped with weapon pylons under the fuselage to carry air-to-surface weapons such as Spider anti-tank missiles and 12.7mm heavy machine gun.

Asia-Pacific

• The Philippine Navy is set to conduct its first test fire of its Spike-ER surface-to-surface missile. The missiles are being fitted onto the Navy’s small MPACs (multi-purpose assault crafts). The Spike infantry system consists of a missile in its cannister, a tripod, a Command Launch Unit that contains the optics and firing system, and a battery. It can go from “off” to firing in less than 30 seconds, as the operator lays the cross hairs on the aim point using either the 10x day sight, or the clip-on thermal imaging night sight. The extended-range (8km) version, Spike-ER, also has a larger warhead. It is designed for mounting on light combat vehicles but can also be removed from a tripod. A bi-directional fiber-optic datalink provides Spike-ER with a fire and steer mode. The Philippine Navy’s Spike-ER missiles with its launchers and tracking systems were delivered to the Philippines from Israel last April.

Today’s Video

• An Israeli F-16 drops the newly developed Rampage missile

Americas

• Q.E.D Systems is being awarded a contract in support of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) class. Valued at $15 million the cost-plus-incentive fee, cost-plus-fixed fee, cost-only contract allows for the procurement of long lead time material in support of the LCS class ships’ maintenance and sustainment availabilities. The $35 billion LCS program is the Navy’s idea for the low-end backbone of its future surface combatant fleet. At 115 – 127 meters in length and 2,800 – 3,100 tons of displacement the US LCS is almost the size of Britain’s Type 23 frigates. LCSs can be reconfigured with a variety of mission modules. In addition, the vessels are armed with a 57mm naval gun, .50 caliber machine guns, plus defensive systems including automated chaff/flare dispensers and a launcher for Raytheon’s RIM-116 RAM, which allows the ship to intercept anti-ship missiles, aircraft, UAVs, helicopters, and even small boats. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $237 million. Work will be performed in San Diego, California and Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 2019.

• Lockheed Martin has changed suppliers for the Distribute Aperture System (DAS) integrated into the F-35 Lightning II. Lockheed is contracting Raytheon in place of the incumbent Northrop Grumman. The Lightning II shares a “sensor fusion” design advance with the F-22, based on sensors of various types embedded all around the airframe. These sensors are connected to a lot of computing power, in order to create single-picture view that lets the pilot see everything on one big 20? LCD screen and just fly the plane. As part of that sensor fusion, the F-35 is the first plane in several decades to fly without a heads-up display. Instead the pilots use a special helmet designed by Visions Systems International. The F-35’s DAS uses six infrared cameras mounted around the aircraft to project augmented reality images into the helmet. By projecting the DAS video stream onto the helmet’s display, the F-35 pilot can see through the aircraft structure to view the surrounding environment. The system also automatically identifies and tracks threats, such as incoming missiles, in the headset display. According to Lockheed Martin, the decision to switch DAS supplier will result in more than $3 billion in life-cycle cost savings. The Raytheon-built DAS will be integrated into the F-35 starting with Lot 15 aircraft, expected to be delivered in 2023.

Middle East & Africa

• Jane’s reports that Denel Dynamics is making good progress in the development of its Mongoose 3 counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) missile. The Mongoose 3 is part of the close area protection system (CAPS) project funded jointly by Armscor and the South African Department of Defense (DoD). The CAPS project seeks to develop a system to provide close area protection against rocket, artillery and mortar threats. It uses the Mongoose 3 to intercept these and detonate them at a maximum range of about a kilometer. The Mongoose 3 was initially designed to shoot down heavy anti-tank missiles as far as 300 meters from the vehicle and deflect a high-velocity kinetic energy “long-rod penetrator” fired by a tank, causing it to fall short or hit at an oblique angle at which it will not penetrate a tank’s armor. The 28 lb., 3.9 ft. Mongoose 3 is a highly agile, vertical-launch missile that uses side-thrust motors to tip it over after launch. It then uses synchronized dorsal and tail fins to steer it towards its target, guided by its active radar seeker. The transonic Mongoose 3will complement the also newly developed supersonic Cheetah missile. In addition to its primary C-RAM role, the Mongoose 3 will also be able to engage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including small types that present difficult targets for other systems and helicopters that come within range. It is also intended as a self-protection weapon for helicopters.

Europe

• Germany’s parliament has now approved a deal to lease Heron TP UAV’s from Israel. The approval puts an end to a long-running series of debates and protests. Last year a German court rejected a protest against the Heron-TP selection by rival bidder General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. Additionally, many politicians opposed the idea of acquiring a UAV that could potentially be armed. The Heron TP is reportedly capable of flying for over 35 hours at a time at altitudes around 45.000 feet. It has a maximum range of about 3,000 km and can carry a maximum payload weighing 2204 lbs. As a large MALE (Medium Altitude, Long Endurance) UAV, it’s built to carry multiple payloads at a time for a variety of missions. Choices include electro-optical and thermal surveillance equipment, SAR radars for ground surveillance, maritime patrol radars and sensors, signals and other intelligence collection antennas and equipment, laser designators, and even radio relays. The deal is valued at $1.17 billion and allows the German army to carry out long endurance intelligence-gathering missions.

• The British Army’s new Ajax armored fighting vehicle (AFV) is currently undergoing field trials, before the first variants are delivered to operational units early in 2019. The Ajax is part of the multi-billion pound “Future Rapid Effects System” (FRES) program. FRES aims to recapitalize the core of Britain’s armored vehicle fleet over the next decade or more. Ajax vehicles are developed upon a highly-adaptable and capable Common Base Platform, maximizing commonality in mobility, electronic architecture and survivability. Each Ajax platform variant has extensive capabilities, including acoustic detectors, a laser warning system, a local situational awareness system, an electronic countermeasure system, a route marking system, an advanced electronic architecture and a high-performance power pack. Ajax will be the medium weight core of the British Army’s deployable Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability. It enables the soldier to be at the point of collection of accurate all-weather commander information within a network-enabled digitized platform. The current trials are the final phase of a series of evaluations to approve the vehicle for land warfare operations before it enters full service with the British Army.

• French defense contractor MBDA is teaming up with the Estonian unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) specialist Milrem Robotics to develop a vehicle designed to conduct anti-tank missions. The proposed system would integrate MBDA’s Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP) medium-range anti-tank missile onto Milrem’s THeMIS UGV. The MMP is designed to be France’s next portable anti-armor missile for troops and vehicles. Its attack modes include fire and forget, man in the loop mode, re-assignment in flight, and even seeker lock-on after launch. As a medium missile, it is able to destroy targets up to main battle tanks. The Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System, or THeMIS for short, is the first hybrid fully modular unmanned ground vehicle in the world. Unlike other UGVs that are commonly able to perform mostly one task, the THeMIS is designed so it can be equipped with a vast variety of payloads to perform a number of different tasks. These include functioning as a remote weapon station outfitted with large or small caliber weapons, detecting IED’s, operating as a drone platform or a remote surveillance station.

Asia-Pacific

• The Royal Thai Army plans to buy six more attack helicopters to replace three of its Cobra helicopters which are marked for retirement after having served for more than 30 years. The Thai government is currently examining different offers made by US, French, Russian, and Turkish manufacturers. It is yet unclear which platform will be chosen, however considering the high cost of US-made Apaches, it seems likely that the Army will closely look into cheaper options like the Z-10 from China, the Russian KA-52 or French Tiger. The Royal Thai Army’s attack helicopter requirement is long-standing but has previously been hindered by a lack of funds. The country’s 2019 defense budget, which was announced in early June, outlines military spending of $7.1 billion.

Today’s Video

• Mi-8s and Mi-24s from Russia’s Baltic Sea Fleet participate in firing drills.