Defense Industry Daily

Americas

Northrop Grumman won two delivery orders for the E-2 Hawkeye aircraft. The first deal is for high voltage power supplies and is valued at $17 million. The second contract worth $11 million will provide power amplifier modules. Northrop Grumman’s Hawkeye is an all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning aircraft. The Hawkeye is based on the same airframe as the USA’s C-2 Greyhound cargo aircraft, with the addition of the 24 foot diameter, frisbee-shaped, rotating radome on its back. It carries a crew of 5 – pilot, copilot, and 3 mission system operators. In April, Northrop won a potential $3.2 billion contract modification to produce 24 units of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye variant. The Navy intends to finance both purchases with its working capital funds for fiscal 2019 through fiscal 2022.

Boeing selected Raytheon as radar supplier for the B-52 bomber radar modernization program. According to a press release by Raytheon, the company will design, develop, produce and sustain active electronically scanned array radar systems for the entire US Air Force B-52 fleet. The B-52 Stratofortress is the Air Force’s principal strategic nuclear and conventional weapons platform, and supports the US Navy in anti-surface and submarine warfare missions. The aircraft has a length of 159ft 4in (48.5m) and a take-off weight of 488,000lb (220,000kg). The advanced radar upgrade will ensure the aircraft remains mission ready through 2050 and beyond. Low rate initial production is scheduled to begin in 2024. With an AESA radar on board, the B-52 will gain improved navigation reliability to support nuclear and conventional missions, Raytheon says.

Middle East & Africa

Qatar awarded Raytheon two direct commercial sales contracts worth $2.2 billion for additional integrated air and missile defense capability. The awards are part of a larger agreement being pursued by Qatar with the US government. The deals include the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, final certification of the AMRAAM Extended Range missile, and an unspecified number of additional Patriot fire units. The NASAMS is a medium to long-range air defense system that can enhance the air defender’s ability to quickly identify, engage and destroy current and evolving enemy aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicle and emerging cruise missile threats. The AMRAAM Extend Range missile is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile able to operate in all weather day and night operations. Qatar is the first country to procure AMRAAM-ER. Qatar also becomes the 11th country to procure NASAMS, a medium-range air-defense solution manufactured by Raytheon and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS. NASAMS uses the Raytheon Sentinel radar, and fires multiple interceptors, including AMRAAM-ER.

Europe

Boeing won a $23.4 million order for logistics support on the P-8A Poseidon aircraft sold to Britain’s military. The deal involves initial acceptance and breakdown of four P-8A aircraft and training, with an eight-month detachment to Britain to establish initial operational capability. Subsequent full operational capability, scheduled aircraft maintenance, support equipment maintenance, engineering reach back and technical assistance are also included in the contract. The Boeing P-8 series is developed from the Boeing 737-800 passenger plane and is modified for military use. It is equipped with an early warning self-protection system, which includes torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and other weapons. Work will take place in Lossiemouth, Scotland; Seattle, Washington and Jacksonville, Florida. Estimated completion date is in December 2020.

The US State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Greece worth $600 million for the MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters. The government had requested to buy up to seven Helicopters. The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems in Oswego, New York. The MH-60R Seahawk is a multi-mission helicopter. It is capable of a range of missions including anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search-and-rescue (SAR), naval gunfire support (NGFS), surveillance, communications relay, logistics support and personnel transfer and vertical replenishment (VERTREP). The helicopter is fitted with a 2,721.55kg (6,000lb) cargo hook for vertical replenishment missions. Lockheed Martin, Owego, is the mission systems integrator.

Asia-Pacific

Jane’s reports that two warships from the Republic of Singapore Navy have conducted the service’s first passing exercise (PASSEX) with the Myanmar Navy. Singapore’s Victory Class corvettes, RSS Valiant and RSS Valour conducted the activity as the two vessels sailed up the Yangon River after a call at Port Blair in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory. A PASSEX is an exercise between two Navies to ensure that the Navies are able to communicate and cooperate in times of war or humanitarian relief.

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Americas

Raytheon won a $17.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for 114 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile command launch computers to include two pre-production units, one first article test unit and 111 production units in support of the Navy. The system known as HARM’s primary mission is to suppress or destroy an enemy’s surface-to-air missile radar and radar-directed air defense artillery systems. When it is airborne, the 800-pound missile can operate in preemptive, missile-as-sensor and self-protect modes. The AGM-88 HARM is a joint US Navy and Air Force program developed by the Navy and Raytheon. The company will perform work in Tucson, Arizona, and is scheduled to be finished in October 2021.

The Navy awarded Wyle Laboratories an $81.2 contract for certified and qualified operational contractor support services aircrew to support mission essential testing and evaluation of all manned air vehicles under the operational responsibility of the Naval Test Wing Atlantic/Pacific squadrons. Ninety-four percent of contract work will take place at Naval Air Station in Patuxent River, and the remaining six percent will occur at two naval air stations in California. Expected completion will be in September 2024.

Middle East & Africa

Breaking Defense reports that despite Congress being ill-tempered about Trump’s multi-billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia earlier this year, it hasn’t yet been able to come up with the votes to block the deal or overcome a presidential veto. Democrats as well as a couple of Republicans have been critical of President Trump’s use of emergency powers to bypass congressional approval of an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia. According to the Article by Breaking Defense, Congress likely won’t get enough votes to block the deal any time soon.

Europe

Saab will continue to self-fund the development of its ARTHUR (Artillery Hunting Radar) Weapon Locating Radar, Jane’s reports. Saab’s ARTHUR is a counter-battery radar system developed for the Swedish and Norwegian Armed Forces. The ARHTUR detects and tracks artillery projectiles and calculate points of origin and points of impact. The current ARTHUR Mod C WLR has an instrumented range of 60 km, operates over an arc of 120 degrees, and can track more than 100 targets per minute. Saab is developing the ARTHUR WLR Mod D. The Mod D leverages a combination of technologies fielded in other systems to reduce development cost and risk, and spiral development would be used for further growth via upgrades or new parts as necessary.

Saab has received an order from the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Defense Material Administration (FMV) for continued technical support on weapons and external stores for Gripen. The order value amounts to $15.1 million. The order is a call-up of an option as part of a previous agreement with FMV for technical support and maintenance of Gripen’s existing weapons and external stores, which was signed in March 2015. Today’s order secures continued technical support for Gripen regarding weapons and external stores.

Asia-Pacific

MD Helicopters Inc (MDHI) has confirmed to Jane’s that it will bid for one single-engined and two twin-engined helicopter types for Australia’s special forces. The company has responded to a Request for Information by submitting its single-engined MD 530G light-attack and observation helicopter for Australia’s Land 2097 Phase 4 requirement, as well as its twin-engined MD 902 and MD 969 rotorcraft. The MD 530G is an armed scout-attack helicopter designed to provide enhanced agility and firepower for the armed forces. The helicopter is 7.76m long and 3m wide and has an overall height of 2.88m. The MD 969 is a new multi-mission combat attack helicopter designed to meet future assault and attack needs with its unmatched maneuverability, extended range, greater safety, and improved open architecture weapon system.

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Americas

QED Systems won a $17.6 million contract for the storage, overhaul, assessment, repair and industrial activity to make ready for issue critical steam plant valves to support Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division engineering, technical, production and subsequent logistic support services. The services are required to develop and integrate technological improvements for Steam Safety and Reliability Program critical spares and 2SCOG program for steam valves installed onboard current LHD-1 Class and LCC-19 Class. The LHD-1or Wasp is an amphibious assault ship class. Its lead ship commissioned on July 29, 1989. The LCC-19 or Blue Ridge Class is a class of amphibious command ships. The lead ship, USS Blue Ridge was put “in commission special” on November 14, 1970. The contract also supports system life cycle requirements required by Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, Code 412. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by July 2024.

Northrop Grumman will upgrade Target Locator Modules (TLMs) under a $17.6 million award from the US Army announced in a press release on July 9. The TLMs will be retrofitted with high accuracy capability to modernize the Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder 2H (LLDR 2H) man-portable targeting system. The LLDR 2H hybrid sensor solution fuses data from a digital magnetic compass and celestial navigation sensors to provide fast and high accuracy target location and long-range imaging for high-value targets. According to Northrop Grumman, more than 2,700 LLDR systems have been delivered and fielded to date.

Middle East & Africa

Qatar is further building up its defense against Iranian missiles, Defense One reports. The country committed to acquiring Patriot interceptors and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS). The NASAM is a medium-range, network-centric air defense system designed and developed jointly by Raytheon and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. The system can be deployed to identify, engage and destroy aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and drones. In November, the State Department approved a $215 million sale of NASAMS to Qatar. The patriot is a surface-to-air missile manufactured by Raytheon. Qatar already operates Patiots. In 2012, the US DoS approved a sale of the interceptors to the country.

Europe

Bulgaria’s government approved a deal on Wednesday with the United States to buy eight new Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters for its Air Force for $1.3 billion. The NATO member is looking to replace its aging Soviet-made MiG-29s and improve compliance with NATO standards. The decision needs parliament’s approval before it can be completed. It is expected that the deal would easily win parliament’s endorsement in a vote likely to take place next week. Defense Minister, Krasimir Karakachanov, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said there was an option for the US Congress to reduce the price by $60 million due to the cost of adapting an Air Base in southern Bulgaria to the F-16’s requirements.

Asia-Pacific

The US State Department approved two contracts worth $2.2 billion for possible Foreign Military Sales to Taiwan for Abrams tanks and Stinger missiles. On Monday the DoS announced it approved a $2 billion sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the United States for M1A2T Abrams Tanks and related equipment and support. TECRO had requested to buy 108 M1A2T Abrams Tanks. The M1 Abrams is a Main Battle Tank for modern armored ground warfare. Production of the new tanks will be at Anniston Army Depot, and the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio. Also on Monday, the State Department approved a sale to TECRO for Stinger missiles and related equipment and support. The deal is valued at $223.6 million. The Stinger Missile is a Man-Portable Air-Defense System that operates as an infrared homing surface-to-air missile. Raytheon Missile Systems is the primary contractor for the 250 Block I-92F MANPAD Stinger missiles and four Block I-92F MANPAD Stinger Fly-to-Buy missiles, as well as a trainers, parts and other support.

The Australian government has issued a request for information (RfI) for a replacement of the Australian Army’s fleet of Airbus Helicopters ARH Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters. The Australian Department of Defense’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group is seeking information to acquire a total of 29 airframes under the Land 4503 program. Of these 29, 24 are to be based at a single location, with a further five to be used for training operations. The timelines for the program anticipate an initial operating capability (IOC) of a squadron of 12 aircraft by 2026, with full operational capability (FOC) from 2028.

India received two new heavy-lift Chinook helicopters. The Indian Air Force bought 15 Chinook and 22 AH-64E Apache helicopters from the US’s defense company Boeing. The IAF had placed the order in 2015. The first four helicopters arrived in February. The induction of the two new CH-47F (I) Chinook helicopters took place on Monday. The Chinook has unsurpassed ability to deliver heavy payloads to high altitudes, and is eminently suitable for operations in the high Himalayas. According to Boeing, the aircraft has been battle-tested in diverse, extreme conditions throughout the world, and has proven capability to operate in the wide range of conditions that typify the Indian subcontinent.

Today’s Video

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Americas

Lockheed Martin won a $41.3 million contract modification for the design, procurement and integration of flight test instrumentation and data processing solutions for F-35 Lightning II development test aircraft to support the Tech Refresh-3 and the Follow on Modernization Block 4 mission systems configuration. The Naval Air Systems Command awarded the contract. The deal, with expected completion date of February 2021, will cater to the US Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and non-US Department of Defense partners. The F-35 Lightning is a supersonic, multi-role fighter jet that represents a quantum leap in air-dominance capability, offering enhanced lethality and survivability in hostile, anti-access airspace environments. The jet is being utilized by the defense forces of the United States and 11 other nations, chiefly owing to its advanced stealth, integrated avionics, sensor fusion, superior logistics support and powerful integrated sensors capabilities.

According to BAE Systems, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded the company funding to integrate machine-learning (ML) technology into platforms that decipher radio frequency signals. The deal is worth up to $4.7 million, depending on successful completion of milestones. The contract includes hardware delivery along with integration and demonstration support. BAE System’s Controllable Hardware Integration for Machine-learning Enabled Real-time Adaptivity (CHIMERA) solution provides a reconfigurable hardware platform for ML algorithm developers to make sense of radio frequency signals in increasingly crowded electromagnetic spectrum environments. The contract is the second BAE has received under the Radio Frequency Machine Learning systems program. The first was a contract to develop data-driven machine learning algorithms.

The MQ-8C Fire Scout Unmanned Helicopter is cleared for fleet operations and training. The Navy declared initial operational capability of the Fire Scout on June 28. According to the Naval Air Systems Command, the MQ-8 Fire Scout is a sea-based, vertical lift unmanned system that is designed to provide reconnaissance, situational awareness, and precision targeting support for ground, air and sea forces. „This milestone is a culmination of several years of hard work and dedication from our joint government and industry team,” said Capt. Eric Soderberg, Fire Scout program manager. The MQ-8C will be equipped with an upgraded radar that allows for a larger field of view and a range of digital modes including weather detection, air-to-air targeting and a ground moving target indicator.

Middle East & Africa

Denel requested a cash injection from the South African government to help it win contracts and aid its financial recovery, Reuters reports. South Africa’s state defense company asked for a $200 million cash injection to help it emerge from a financial crisis and secure lucrative export deals, its chief executive said. Denzel’s CEO, Danie du Toit, said the injection could potentially help the company win an anticipated $2.1 billion worth of contracts over the next two years and support ongoing recovery efforts.

Europe

The US Army awarded Boeing a $21.6 million contract modification for engineering services under a UK Foreign Military Sale. Work locations as well as funding will be determined with each order, according to the DoD. Estimated completion date is August 2, 2022. The contracting activity is the US Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

The Milos unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) has commenced trials at the Serbian Technical Test Center and been demonstrated to local and overseas delegations at the Nikinci Military Test Range, Jane’s reports. Milos is a remotely-operated tracked vehicle powered by an electric drive system. The UGV was developed by the Military Technical Institute (MTI) of Serbia in co-operation with PPT Namenska to meet the requirements of the Serbian Army. It is intended to assist special forces and reconnaissance troops in counter-terrorism missions in urban and cross-country environments. The Milos UGV is armed with a 7.62×54 mm M86 machine gun, which is fed from a box holding 500 rounds of ready-to-use ammunition on the right-hand side. An ammunition counter is also fitted.

Asia-Pacific

According to local reports, the South Korean military plans to deploy an additional naval ship, increase patrol flights by manned and unmanned aircraft and install more radars on and offshore to beef up security of the sea border with North Korea. The measures are set to include boosting co-operation between the Republic of Korea Navy, the Korea Coast Guard, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, as well as optimizing the use of available assets in the area such as naval vessels, maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

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Americas

DynCorp International won a $306.6 million contract from the US Air Force for aviation command and control and maintenance services. The deal includes air traffic control, airfield management and maintenance support in the Air Force Central Command’s area of responsibility. The Air Force Central Command’s area of responsibility also covers southwest Asia. DynCorp is expected to perform work until July 31, 2024.

Lockheed Martin announced that its second next-generation GPS III satellite is all set and ready for its planned launch on July 25. According to a news release published by the company, Lockheed Martin Space and United Launch Alliance (ULA) technicians completed encapsulating GPS III Space Vehicle 02 in its launch fairings at the company’s Astrotech Space Operations facility, where the satellite has undergone pre-launch processing and fueling since its arrival in March. This final step enclosed GPS III SV02 in a protective, aerodynamic, nose-cone shell. GPS Block III’s purpose is to keep the Navstar Global Positioning System operational. The first satellite in the series launched in December 2018. According to Lockheed, GPS III satellites will have three times better accuracy and up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities than its predecessors. Spacecraft life will extend to 15 years, 25 percent longer than the newest GPS satellites on-orbit today. In the next few days the second GPS III satellite will be mounted on a Delta IV rocket to prepare for the launch.

Middle East & Africa

Local news reports that a drone, which infiltrated from the Gaza Strip was intercepted by the Israel Defense Forces on Monday morning. “A short while ago IDF troops spotted a drone entering from the Gaza Strip. The drone was shot down by IDF soldiers and then sent for investigation,” the military said in a statement. Israeli radar systems spotted the drone while it was flying over the border in northern Gaza and then over Kibbutz Zikim. An Israeli Defense System intercepted the UAV. The Defense Forces took pieces to further inspect its origin and what it had been carrying.

Europe

The US Air Force announced in a press release that it temporarily relocated its Polish MQ-9 Reapers to Romania, while the runway at Miroslawiec undergoes construction. The UAVs had begun flying out of Miros?awiec Air Base in northwestern Poland in May 2018. The MQ-9 Reaper is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft that is employed primarily against dynamic execution targets and secondarily as an intelligence collection asset. With its significant loiter time, wide-range sensors, multi-mode communications suite, and precision weapons, it provides a unique capability to perform strike, coordination, and reconnaissance against high-value, fleeting, and time-sensitive targets. The detachment is a geographically separated unit assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, whose mission is to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance in order to meet combatant commander objectives. It has not been revealed how many Reapers had been stationed in Poland and now Romania.

Saab received a $52.8 million order for the Carl-Gustaf man-portable weapon system. The company did not disclose, which customer ordered the weapon system. The Carl-Gustaf is a shoulder-launched weapon system used to destroy armored tanks with add-on armor protection, to neutralize landing craft and bunkers and to clear obstacles. It is also used to engage enemies in buildings. The recoilless 84mm rifle in any case is a lightweight, low cost weapon that uses a wide range of ammunition, which makes it extremely flexible and suitable in a wide variety of roles.

Asia-Pacific

Japan’s Atago Class Guided Missile Destroyer completed its second round of sea trials last month, according to local media reports. The new ship dubbed Maya or PN 179 is right on track for commissioning in 2020. The Maya is the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force’s seventh surface combatant to be equipped with the Aegis combat system. The Atago Class ships are improved versions of the Kongou Class. The Aegis system used on Atago Class ships is more capable than that, used on the previous Kongou Class. The Atago Class has a 127 mm dual-purpose gun in a stealth-shaped mount. For anti-submarine warfare there are 2 triple-tube torpedo launchers for Mk.46 Mod.5 Neartip, or Japanese Type 73 torpedoes.

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JS Kongou
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The JMSDF (Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force) is working closely with the USA on missile defense activities. Air Force cooperation has also improved by leaps and bounds, allowing for much closer coordination with the USA in all aspects of operations – including missile tracking.

Japanese involvement includes modification and improvements to the SM-3 long-range anti-air/ABM missile. This weapon will form the outer layer of Japan’s ABM system, deployed from its current fleet of 4 Kongo Class AEGIS destroyers and their 2 larger Atago Class successors. The inner layer will consist of land-based Japan Self Defense Forces PAC-3 Patriot missiles, and together they will form the initial ballistic missile defense architecture for mainland Japan.

JMSDF BMD: The Equipment

JS Myoko
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Japan already had Kongo-Class AEGIS destroyers, and SM-3 Block IA Standard missiles, in its inventory when the upgrades began. The JMSDF had 4 AEGIS destroyers operating with SM-2 missiles at sea when the upgrades were first requested; the 5th and 6th AEGIS destroyers were under construction. The US DSCA believed, correctly, that the JMSDF was fully capable of integrating the modified AEGIS Weapon System and SM-3 Block IA into its operational forces, and will receive what it needs to maintain and support the systems.

AEGIS BMD 3.0 can be used only for tracking, while AEGIS BMD 3.6.1 can be used for full engagement. Japan’s goal was to have all ship equipped with BMD 3.6.1, and this has been achieved. Presumably, the final upgrades will also include Cooperative Engagement Capability.

A program is underway to upgrade Japan’s 2 Atago Class AEGIS destroyers, which are a larger version of the Kongo Class. The initial upgrade is to Aegis ACB-12 with TI-12, and full ballistic missile defense capability is expected. This will give Japan 6 BMD ships, and Japan may be about to allocate funds to build 2 new destroyers with AEGIS BMD pre-installed. If so, current estimates indicate that they would arrive in 2020 – 2021.

Based on a conservative 1 deployed, 1 portside/ training, 1 maintenance ratio, 6 ships ensures 2 deployed vessels at all times. In reality, the amount of time in maintenance is smaller, but 8 ships provide more surge capacity coverage, act as insurance against accidents that may take a ship or 2 out of service, and allow the JMSDF to use its top-end ships for more territorial patrols. America’s long-running failure to prevent North Korea from going nuclear has become a grave concern, but not the only one. China is stepping up its activities in the Yellow Sea and beyond, especially around disputed territories.

Future Equipment

SM-3s evolve
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The USA has tested AEGIS BMD 4.0.2 equipment and software on board USS Lake Erie [CG 70], and is beginning to roll it out to their fleet. Unless Japan demands a single BMD combat system fleet-wide, BMD 4.0.2 offers advantages for the Atago Class retrofits when using the current SM-3 Block IB missile.

Meanwhile, American system development is continuing. BMD 5.0 will shift the system to full open architecture electronics, and BMD 5.1 will introduce compatibility with the US-Japanese SM-3 Block IIA. Eventually, the Japanese will be upgrading their existing AEGIS BMD systems – the only questions are to what versions, and how many times.

The jointly-developed SM-3 Block IIA missile is wider, creating longer range and better intercept geometry. In English: it’s faster and more powerful, with the ability to defend larger areas, and hit longer-range missiles with a higher flight profile. Whereas SM-3 Block I missiles would require about 6 ships to defend Japan, SM-3 Block IIA missiles could cut that to 3 or even 2. Introduction is tentatively scheduled for 2018.

Contracts & Key Events 2013 – 2019

 

JS Ashigara
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July 9/19: Atago! Japan’s Atago Class Guided Missile Destroyer completed its second round of sea trials last month, according to local media reports. The new ship dubbed Maya or PN 179 is right on track for commissioning in 2020. The Maya is the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force’s seventh surface combatant to be equipped with the Aegis combat system. The Atago Class ships are improved versions of the Kongou Class. The Aegis system used on Atago Class ships is more capable than that, used on the previous Kongou Class. The Atago Class has a 127 mm dual-purpose gun in a stealth-shaped mount. For anti-submarine warfare there are 2 triple-tube torpedo launchers for Mk.46 Mod.5 Neartip, or Japanese Type 73 torpedoes.

November 10/15: Japan is reportedly considering an acquisition of multi-purpose helicopters to equip its fleet of ships, particularly the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Izumo-class. The JMSDF launched its second helicopter carrier in August, with the Japanese Ministry of Defense now thought to be evaluating several possible helicopter options.

Sept 30/14: Atago base upgrades. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Moorestown, NJ receives a $53.6 million contract modification to upgrade Japan’s Atago Class Ships DDG 177 and DDG 178 from Aegis Baseline 7 Phase 1R, to the Advanced Capability Build 12 software with Technology Insertion 12 hardware. All funds are committed immediately.

Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ (65%), and Chelmsford, MA (35%), and is expected to be complete by March 2017. US Navy NAVSEA in Washington, DC manages the contract as Japan’s FMS agent (N00024-13-C-5111).

Aug 11/14: Land-based. Japan’s government is reportedly considering land-based SM-3 missiles as an upper-tier complement to the PATRIOT PAC-3 missiles being deployed as point defense, similar to the Aegis Ashore installations in Europe.

The move seems as if it would duplicate naval deployment of SM-3s, but land-based SM-3 missiles would deepen Japan’s available reserves against larger-scale “rush” attacks, while freeing Japan’s advanced air defense destroyers to perform their air defense role with fewer compromises. It would also be possible for Japan to quickly deploy Aegis Ashore bases with SM-3 Block IBs, before the jointly developed SM-3 Block IIA is ready, then rotate SM-3 Block IBs to the land fleet once the Block IIA is ready for naval use. Sources: Mainichi, “Defense ministry mulls introducing ground-based SM-3 interceptor missiles”.

July 22/14: More ships? The Yomiuri Shimbun reports that Japan is speeding up a planned purchase of 2 new ballistic missile defense destroyers (q.v. Nov 6/13), with the first order to be placed in FY 2015, and the 2nd in FY 2016. Each ship would cost about YEN 150 billion (about $1.478 billion), which is a better price than the Americans pay for their smaller Arleigh Burke Flight IIA destroyers.

These 2 orders would definitely fall within the early portion of the 2013 – 2023 National Defense Program Guidelines, which first mentioned the planned vessels. Media estimates indicate that these 2 ships would be fielded in 2020 – 2021. In the interim, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced that the USA would raise the number of AEGIS BMD destroyers homeported at Yokosuka from 5 – 7 ships by 2017. Sources: Yomiuri Shimbun’s The Japan News, “2 more Aegis destroyers set for FY20” | The Diplomat, “Japan’s Building 2 Aegis Destroyers”.

May 16/14: Support. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Training in Moorestown, NJ receives a $92.6 million contract modification to fulfill ongoing Aegis lifetime support requirements for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. It includes for Aegis Weapon System and Aegis Combat System combat systems engineering, in-country support services, and staging support.

$47 million in Japanese funds are committed immediately. Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ (95.1%); Kumi, South Korea (1.5%); Chinhae, South Korea (1.4%); Kongsberg, Norway (0.86%); Tokyo, Japan (0.5%); Sasebo, Japan (0.23%); Maizuru, Japan (0.14%); San Fernando, Spain (0.12%); and Yokohama, Japan (0.1%), and is expected to be completed by November 2014. US NAVSEA in Washington, DC acts as Japan’s agent (N00024-11-C-5106).

Nov 6/13: 2 more? Japan’s Defense Ministry reportedly plans to add 2 more AEGIS BMD destroyers to its next National Defense Program Guidelines submission, which covers its goals for the next 10 years. It would be the 1st step in growing the country’s BMD fleet from 6 ships to 8.

The new SM-3 Block IIA missile being co-developed with the USA would allow just 2 ships to cover Japan, but that won’t be ready until 2018 or later. Based on a conservative 1 deployed, 1 portside/ training, 1 maintenance ratio, 6 ships ensures 2 deployed vessels at all times. In reality, the amount of time in maintenance is smaller than that ratio, but 8 ships provide more surge capacity coverage, act as insurance against accidents that may take a ship or 2 out of service, and allow the JMSDF to use its top-end ships for more territorial patrols. America’s long-running failure to prevent North Korea from going nuclear has become a grave concern, but not the only one. China is stepping up its activities in the Yellow Sea and beyond, especially around disputed territories.

The default assumption is that the 2 new ships would be based on Japan’s larger and more modern Atago Class derivative, with BMD systems pre-installed. Depending on Japan’s desired timing and budget, however, Japan could order 2 more Kongo Class ships to save a bit of money. Or, they could look ahead to the USA’s incipient Arleigh Burke Flight III design and its AMDR dual-band SPY-1D / SPQ-9B radar system. Sources: Asahi Shimbun, “Japan plans 2 more Aegis destroyers to defend against North Korea” | Japan Times, “Japan to build two more Aegis destroyers to boost missile defense”.

April 11/13: Atago Class. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Moorestown, NJ receives a $29.5 million cost-plus-fixed fee contract for all of the cabinets, consoles, cables and switches needed to support development and testing of the Japan Aegis modernization baseline. When asked about these last 2 contracts, Lockheed Martin’s director of International AEGIS Programs Doug Wilhelm called them:

“…the first step in the Japan Aegis Modernization (JAMOD) program… [for] two of Japan’s existing AEGIS Destroyers [DID: which presumably means the Atago Class, else it would be 4 ships]. Specifically, this contract procures the upgraded equipment that will be installed on the ships in Japan and at a land-based test facility in Moorestown, N.J. The next JAMOD contract award, expected later this year, will be for the completion of Lockheed Martin’s Combat System Engineering efforts to develop, test, and deliver upgraded AEGIS computer programs for the ships. JAMOD will provide the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) with the ability to defend against ballistic missile threats while simultaneously providing defensive capabilities in Air, Surface, and Subsurface mission areas.”

The firm was asked, but they would not specify the target Aegis BMD baseline. Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ (83.6%); Clearwater, FL (16.3%); Akron, OH (0.1%), and is expected to be complete by June 2014. All funds are committed immediately, and the contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(1)(4). US NAVSEA in Washington DC acts as Japan’s FMS agent (N00024-13-C-5111).

March 28/13: Atago Class. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Moorestown, NJ receives a $65 million modification to previously awarded contract to exercise options for “fiscal 2013 Aegis Weapon System Modernization requirements for Japan.” All funding is committed immediately, but the scope of this project isn’t yet clear.

Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ (69%); Clearwater, FL (30%); and Akron, OH (1%), and is expected to be complete by January 2017. US NAVSEA in Washington DC acts as Japan’s FMS agent (N00024-11-C-5118).

The contract is issued amidst growing tensions involving North Korea, whose leadership seems intent on making Abe’s case for higher military spending much more attractive. We’d say that “the check is in the email,” but that’s North Korea’s actual goal. Hey, all that cognac is expensive – Office 38 needs to be paid.

2011 – 2012

 

JS Atago
(click to view full)

Dec 10/12: Atago Class. The US DSCA announces [PDF] Japan’s formal request to upgrade its 2 Atago Class AEGIS destroyers for ballistic missile defense, an estimated cost of up to $421 million.

The Atagos are a larger and more advanced derivative of the Kongo Class, with 96 vertical launching cells instead of 90, and improved helicopter handling facilities that include a hangar. They don’t currently have missile defense capability. This set of upgrades would bring them to BMD parity with their counterparts, and also upgrade a few other systems on board. In order to equip JS Atago and JS Ashigara (DDG 177 & 178), Japan would order:

• The “J6” standard AEGIS Weapon System Computer Program
  
• 2 Multi-Mission Signal Processors to upgrade their existing AN/SPY-1Dv radars
  
• 2 Common Processor Systems
  
• Other Ballistic Missile Defense electronics (Mission Planner Blade server processors hosted in CPS, and 2 Kill Assessment Systems/Weapon Data Recording Cabinets),
  
• 2 ship sets of Common Display Systems (44 OJ-827v1 Tri Screen Display Consoles, 8 Display Processor Cabinets, 2 Video Wall Screen and Projector Systems, 46 Flat Panel Displays, and 2 Distributed Video Systems)
  
• 2 ship sets of AN/SPQ-15 Digital Video Distribution Systems
  
• 2 ship sets of Operational Readiness Test Systems hosted in AEGIS Weapon Systems computing infrastructure
  
• Upgrades of their MK-41 Vertical Launching Systems to Baseline 7 (24 MK-448 MOD 1 Motor Control Panels, 48 MK-179 MOD 0 Programmable Power4 Supplies, 24 MK-5 MOD 1 Launch Sequencers, 4 Fiber Optic Distribution Boxes, and 24 Single Module Junction Boxes)
  
• 4 MK-235 Mod 7 Launch Control Units with Global Positioning System Integrator
  
• 2 ship sets of MK-34 Gun Weapon Systems and MK-20 Electro-Optical Sensor Systems
  
• Plus software updates, other ordnance alterations and engineering changes, spare and repair parts, support equipment, tools and test equipment, technical data and publications, personnel training and training equipment, and US Government and contractor support.

The principal contractor would be Lockheed Martin MS2 in Mooretown, NJ, and implementation of this proposed sale would require multiple trips to Japan involving 6 US Government and 10 contractor representatives over 3 years, performing technical reviews/support, programs management, and training.

Atago Class upgrade request

Aug 16/12: Atago Class. Media reports surface that Japan is looking to add ballistic missile defense upgrades its 2 Atago Class destroyers, which are a slightly larger successor variant of the Kongo Class. Atago entered service in 2007, and Ashigara followed a year later in 2008.

The question is which upgrades Japan and the USA are discussing. Reports indicate that it will be a more modern version of the Aegis BMD system, and the most advanced deployed version is Aegis BMD 4.0.1. The new system is another step along the migration to open architecture electronics, and its improvements include target discrimination, Launch on Remote tracking data, and the ability to handle longer-range engagements against more sophisticated ballistic missiles.

On the other hand, the reports also say that “With such a modernization, the Atago and Ashigara would be capable of firing an updated SM-3 missile that Japan is co-developing with the United States.” That missile is the SM-3 Block IIA, but according to the US Missile Defense Agency, that will require Aegis BMD 5.1, which isn’t slated for fielding until 2018.

If the upgrades are intended to be a near-term project that widens Japan’s defensive umbrella to 6 ships, Aegis BMD 4.0.1 is the likely version, and future upgrades will be required when Japan wants to fully integrate the Block IIA missile into its fleet. Reuters.

April 13/12: Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, NJ receives a $7.4 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification for technical engineering and related operation and maintenance of Navy AEGIS sites in NJ in support of AEGIS Foreign Military Sales cases JA-P-FNC (Japan) and SP-P-LGB (Spain), and U.S. Navy AEGIS support efforts.

“This contract modification will provide continuing technical engineering, logistics, configuration management, quality assurance, operation and maintenance for AEGIS program support sites located in NJ. These facilities incorporate highly integrated, classified, real-time networks that connect numerous contractor and United States government facilities required to build, integrate and deliver computer code for U.S. Navy and Foreign Military Sales requirements.”

While Spain has not deployed SM-3 missiles, it has sent its F100 AEGIS frigates to participate in American ballistic missile defense exercises as tracking ships. Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ, and is expected to be complete by September 2012. US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC manages the contracts, and acts as Japan & Spain’s FMS agent (N00024-10-C-5124).

Sept 29/11: Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Sensors in Moorestown, NJ receives a $157.6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering, alteration installation/repair overhaul execution, computer program maintenance, in-country support services, and staging support to fulfill Aegis lifetime support requirements of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. This includes both the radar and combat system components, and if all options are exercised, the contract total could rise to $228.2 million.

Work will be performed in Moorestown, NJ (82.9%); Baltimore, MD (3.4%); Tokyo, Japan (3.1%); Seoul, South Korea (2.5%); Kongsberg, Norway (2.3%); Washington, DC (1.3%); Nagasaki, Japan (1.1%); Yokohama, Japan (1.1%); Pusan, South Korea (0.8%); Maizuru, Japan (0.5%); Sasebo, Japan (0.5%); and Yokosuka, Japan (0.5%), and is expected to be completed by January 2016. Since it’s a Foreign Military Sale contract, it was not competitively procured by US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC, which acts as Japan’s agent (N00024-11-C-5106).

Sept 17/11: Mianichi Daily News reports US notification to Japan that the SM-3 Block IIA will be delayed 2 years, because the kill vehicle needs additional testing. The USA will cover the additional costs.

The original development plan involved a 9-year effort ending in 2014, with Japan paying $1.0 – 1.2 billion, and the USA $1.1 – 1.5 billion. That will now extend to 2016, with the USA looking to deploy the new missile in 2018. Japan had planned to deploy the SM-3 Block IIA in 2020 on its Kongo Class BMD destroyers, and the question is whether that deployment will also be delayed.

Sept 7/11: Mianichi Daily News reports that Japan’s Defense Ministry has begun launching about 15 mock missiles and collecting data, in a YEN 8.2 billion (currently about $106 million) bid to boost the accuracy of detecting and tracking missiles under the missile defense plan. The operation is expected to run until the end of March 2013.

2008 – 2010

 

JS Kirishima
(click to view full)

Oct 29/10: JFTM-4. The recently upgraded JS Kirishima [DDG-174] successfully hits a separating “1,000 km class” ballistic missile target using an SM-3 Block 1A missile, in test JFTM-4 off the coast of Kauai in Hawaii. It’s the 3rd of 4 successful test firings for the JMSDF. America’s USS Lake Erie [GC-70] cruiser and USS Russell destroyer [DDG-59] also participated in this test, tracking the target and simulating their own intercepts.

The firing follows another test earlier this month, in which JS Kirishima acquired a separating target passed from a U.S. destroyer with her own sensors, and performed a simulated engagement. Jeff Bantle, Lockheed Martin’s vice president of Surface-Sea Based Missile Defense Systems, said that “This [live fire] test completes the planned upgrade of the Japanese navy’s destroyers with the Aegis ballistic missile defense capability.” US MDA | Lockheed Martin | Raytheon (incl. video).

4th Test

Oct 27/09: JFTM-3. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force ship JS Myoko [DDG-175] uses an SM-3 Block IA missile and its AEGIS BMD 3.6.1 system to engage and destroy a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) target more than 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean. It is the 2nd successful Japanese intercept in 3 tries, and the 20th successful intercept out of 24 tries for the SM-3.

The destroyer USS Paul Hamilton [DDG-60] tracked the target and performed a simulated engagement, while the cruiser USS Lake Erie [CG-70] tested its next-generation AEGIS BMD 4.0.1 system’s improved signal processor and target discrimination to track the missile target and the post-intercept debris. US MDA: Release [PDF] | Photos | Video || Lockheed Martin | Raytheon.

3rd test

July 2/09: Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors of Moorestown, NJ receives a $7 million modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-5144) for Japan AEGIS Modernization Lifetime Support to Kongo and Atago class ships.

Lockheed Martin will provide planning, scheduling, and execution support for Japan, while preparing for and responding to price and availability requests, conducting studies, computer program modifications, helping the U.S. Navy develop a technology control plan to protect sensitive technologies, and future cooperative development and interface between U.S. and Japan AEGIS baselines. This modification includes options which would increase the cumulative value of the contract to $41 million. Lockheed Martin will perform the work in Moorestown, NJ and expects to complete it by March 2010. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC manages the contract.

DDG-176 Chokai
(click to view full)

Nov 19/08: JFTM-2. Japan’s JS Chokai [DDG-176] AEGIS destroyer launches an SM-3 Block 1A missile at an incoming ballistic missile target, during the 2nd cooperative US/Japanese sea-based Ballistic Missile Defense test off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii. The intercept does not go as well as JS Kongo’s Japan Flight Test Mission 1 (JFTM-1), however:

“Target [missile] performance, interceptor missile launch and flyout, and operation of the Aegis Weapon System by the crew were successful, but an intercept was not achieved… There is no immediate explanation for the failed intercept attempt. More information will be available after a thorough investigation. The JS CHOKAI crew performance was excellent in executing the mission.”

See US MDA release [PDF format] | Images | Videos. This is most unpleasant news to the supervising Japanese official, Rear Admiral Tomohisa Takei, Director General of Operations and Plans, for the Japanese Maritime Staff Office (MSO), Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF). The US Missile Defense Agency release adds that:

“Before returning to Japan, JS CHOKAI will be loaded with additional SM-3 Block IA missiles. The ship will arrive in Japan with a supply of SM-3 missiles and with the operation of the Aegis BMD configuration tested and confirmed, ready to provide Japan with a proven midcourse engagement capability against the increasing ballistic missile threat present in that region.”

2nd test

2004 – 2007

 

JS Kongo fires SM-3
(click to view full)

Dec 28/07: Lockheed Martin Maritime Sensors and Systems of Moorestown, NJ receives a $40.4 million firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification to fulfill a Japan AEGIS ship program requirement to procure BMD Block 2004 capability for a Kongo Class destroyer. A subsequent Reuters report established that this is the 3rd AEGIS upgrade contract, and adds that

“A contract for the fourth ship, Kirishima, now looks set “to follow by year’s end, if not sooner,” said Ken Ross, a Lockheed spokesman in Moorestown, NJ.”

If Kongo’s equipment is already installed, and the July 25/07 contract was for JS Chokai, then by inference this contract must cover JS Myoko [DDG-175]. A Jan 14/07 Lockheed Martin release confirms this.

Work will be performed at Moorestown, NJ and is expected to be complete by November 2009. The contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Missile Defense Agency Command in Dahlgren, VA issued the contract, and Japanese Foreign Military Sales funds will be used. The modification raises the full contract to $359 million so far. (N00024-06-C-6106).

Myoko upgrade

Dec 17/07: JFTM-1 Success! The JS Kongo fires an SM-3 Block 1A missile, which tracks and kills its ballistic missile target. USS Lake Erie [CG 70] also participates as a secondary, using its radar to track the target. Read “Japanese Destroyer JS Kongo Intercepts Ballistic Missile” for more.

1st test

Nov 6/07: The JS Kongo participates in an ABM exercise with a fully functional AEGIS BMD system, using it to detect, track and conduct a simulated engagement of the ballistic missile targets. In the first dual-firing test, 2 SM-3 Block IA missiles fired simultaneously from the USS Lake Erie [CG 70] destroy 2 short-range ballistic missile targets launched from the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii. The test marked the 10th and 11th successful intercepts for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system’s SM-3. Kongo is scheduled to conduct Japan’s first firing flight test in late 2007. Lockheed Martin release.

July 25/07: Lockheed Martin Maritime Sensors and Systems of Moorestown, NJ received a $33.1 million firm-fixed-price contract modification to fulfill the Japan AEGIS ship program requirement to procure AEGIS BMD Block 2004 capability for the JS Chokai [DDG-176]. Work will be performed at Moorestown, NJ and is expected to be complete by February 2009. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. is sued the contract (N00024-06-C-6106). See Aug 7/07 Lockheed Martin release.

Chokai upgrade

June 8/07: The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces Japan’s formal request [PDF format] request for Ballistic Missile Defense upgrades to one AEGIS Weapon System (Lockheed-Martin Maritime System and Sensors in Moorestown, NJ), AEGIS BMD Vertical Launch System ORDALTs (BAE’s Mk41 modifications, Minneapolis, MN), 9 SM-3 Block IA STANDARD missiles (Raytheon in Tucson, AZ) with MK 21 Mod 2 canisters, containers, spare and repair parts, publications, documentation, supply support, U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance and other related elements of logistics support. The systems will be installed on Japan’s Kongo Class AEGIS destroyers, and the total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $475 million. The Japanese destroyer JS Moyoko [DDG-175] may be the target of this request.

The July 25/07 entry strongly suggests that this is for the JDS Chokai [DDG-176], which is the last of the current Kongo Class destroyers.

Upgrade request

June 22/06: As North Korea prepares to test-launch a Taepodong-2 ballistic missile reportedly capable of hitting the US mainland, the US & Japan successfully conducted a joint missile intercept test off of Hawaii using the USS Shiloh [CG 67] guided missile cruiser and its upgraded AEGIS radar & combat system, firing an SM-3 missile. The test was the 7th successful intercept in 8 tests during the current program.

The USS Lake Erie [CG 70], USS Paul Hamilton [DDG 60], & USS Milius [DDG 69] also participated, as did the Japanese Kongo Class destroyer JS Kirishima [DDG-174], which has installed AEGIS Long Range surveillance & Tracking 3.0 but no engagement capability. Testing also included receipt of target data on USS Shiloh from a land-based radar, as well as a second CG-47 Class cruiser that used the flight test to collect data and further the development of an upgraded SPY-1B radar with a new signal processor. See Navy News article | Lockheed Martin release.

June 5-6/06: The US DSCA announces a pair of requests from Japan for Standard-family naval air and missile defense systems, as well as destroyer BMD upgrades. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $528 million. Raytheon, Lockheed, and BAE are the primary contractors.

The first sale for $458 million sale involves 9 longer-range SM-3 missiles plus ballistic missile defense upgrades to one AEGIS Weapon System, AEGIS BMD Vertical Launch System (VLS) alternations, and other support. The JMSDF destroyer JS Chokai [DDG-176] may be the target of the request.

The second sale is for $70 million if all options are exercised, and involves up to 44 shorter-range SM-2 Block IIIB Standard Missiles that serve as the mainstays of the Kongo Class AEGIS destroyers’ air defense, plus various forms of support. See full DID coverage.

Upgrade request

July 15/05: Lockheed Martin Maritime Sensors and Systems wins a $124 million cost-plus-award-fee contract modification to upgrade the Japanese AEGIS destroyer JS Kongo [DDG-173] to give it AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense Block 2004 capability. Japan’s Kongo-Class destroyers are based on the USA’s Flight II DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class, but feature many modifications both internally and externally.

Work on this contract will take place in Moorestown, NJ (78%); Baltimore, MD (15%); Eagan, MN (4%); and Aberdeen, SD (3%); and should be complete by November 2007. The project was not bid out, but was rather awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC under contracting activity N00024-03-C-6110. See also Lockheed release.

Kongo upgrade

June 29/05: The US DSCA communicates [PDF] Japan’s official request for 9 SM-3 Block IA Standard missiles with MK 21 Mod 2 canisters, Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) upgrades to one AEGIS Radar & weapon control system, AEGIS BMD Vertical Launch System ordnance alternations (ORDALTs), containers, spare and repair parts, publications, documentation, supply support, U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance and other related elements of logistics support. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $387 million.

Sources are unclear, but this could be a request targeted at the first-of-class JS Kongo [DDG-173]. Some reports peg the JS Kirishima [DDG-174] as Japan’s first ship to receive the upgrades – albeit only AEGIS Long Range Surveillance & Tracking version 3.0, which does not include engagement. Since this announcement refers to upgrades that include “AEGIS radar and weapon control,” and the May 5/04 announcement does not, the assumption is that this is targeted to the JS Kongo (aka. Kongou), and the May 2004 request was for the JS Kirishima.

Japan’s agreement to provide fuel/logistics to U.S. and allied ships supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and its deployment of an AEGIS destroyer to the Indian Ocean have focused new obligations on Japan. This proposed sale is consistent with these U.S. objectives and with the 1960 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.

The principal contractors will be:

• Lockheed-Martin Maritime System and Sensors in Moorestown, NJ
  
• Raytheon Company Equipment Division in Andover, MA
  
• BAE Systems in Minneapolis, MN

There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with these potential sales.

Upgrade request

May 5/04: The US DSCA announces [PDF] Japan’s request for 9 SM-3 Block 1A Standard missiles with MK 21 Mod 2 canisters, Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) upgrades to one AEGIS Weapon System, AEGIS BMD Vertical Launch System ORDALTs and logistics support for an estimated value of $725 million.

Upgrade request

Additional Readings

• DID – Serious Dollars for AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD). Covers American contracts and plans for AEGIS BMD’s evolution, as well as missile defense tests by the USA and Japan to date.

• DID – Raytheon’s Standard Missile Naval Defense Family (SM-1 to SM-6). Note that there are 3 versions of the SM-3 missile, with significant differences between them.

• Naval Technology – Kong? Class Guided Missile Destroyers, Japan

• Wikipedia – Atago class destroyer. A larger (10,000+ ton) variant of the Kongo Class, much as the smaller DDG-51 Flight IIAs are a larger variant of America’s DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Class. There is some debate as to whether this is properly its own class of ship.

• Information Dissemination (June 21/07) – US Navy Ballistic Missile Defense. Well researched article covering the USA’s plans in this area, including ships slated to receive ABM capability.

Americas

The University of Dayton Research Institute won a $28.5 million firm-fixed price contract for studies of the F-15 sustainment engineering. The contract includes systems/structural engineering field and programmed depot maintenance support, reliability and maintainability analysis and aircraft structural integrity program capability development and sustainment. The F-15 Eagle is the Air Force’s primary fighter jet aircraft and intercept platform. The F-15 has electronic systems and weaponry to detect, acquire, track and attack enemy aircraft while operating in friendly or enemy-controlled airspace. The weapons and flight control systems are designed so one person can safely and effectively perform air-to-air combat. Work, performed at Dayton, will approximately be completed by June 28, 2029.

The Navy tapped Lockheed Martin with $175 million for engineering, testing, product support and ancillary support to update the current Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) components and systems required to achieve objective requirements in the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare Increment 1 Capability Description Document. LRASM is a precision-guided, anti-ship standoff missile based on the successful Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER). According to the company, it is designed to detect and destroy specific targets within groups of ships by employing advanced technologies that reduce dependence on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, network links and GPS navigation in electronic warfare environments. Lockheed will perform work in various places within the continental US and is expected to be finished in November 2022.

Middle East & Africa

The US Air Force awarded AAR Supply Chain a $210 million ceiling contract for contractor logistics support for the Afghanistan Air Force. The contract will provide the Afghanistan Air Force with full C-130H contractor logistics support to include maintenance and repair, as well as on the job training for local Afghan nationals. The C-130H Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It features a loading ramp and door in the tail that can accommodate palletized loads, vehicles and troops. The aircraft can airdrop up to 42,000 pound loads or land on short, unimproved airstrips in forward combat zones. Work will take place in Kabul, Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by January 29, 2025.

Europe

The Serbian Military Technical Institute announced that two new versions of the Malyutka anti-tank guided weapon are to enter service with the Serbian Army by the end of the year, Jane’s reports. The Malyutka or AT-3 Sagger was designed in the early 60s in the Soviet Union. The AT-3 was first deployed in combat by the North Vietnamese Army in 1972, having been supplied to them by the Soviet Union. During the battle for the port of Cua Viet in January 1973, 26 kills of ARVN M48 Patton tanks and M113 APCs were attributed to the system. It is a wire guided missile and its maximum range is 3 km. The first new version to enter Serbian service will be the Malyutka 2F, which is fitted with a thermobaric warhead. The second will be the Malyutka 2T, which is fitted with a tandem high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead. Serbia has deployed earlier versions of these ATGWs on a dedicated BOV 4×4 armored personnel carrier (APC) and BVP M80 series infantry fighting vehicles (IFV).

Asia-Pacific

The Philippines will take delivery of the A-29 Super Tucano in February next year. According to local news, the Air Force (PAF) is set to acquire more air assets and equipment in the coming months. On Tuesday, Philippine Air Force commander, Lt. Gen. Rozzano Briguez spoke on this matter during the PAF’s 72nd founding anniversary. The commander said, the Super Tucanos “will be a game-changing platform, which will perform surface strike support to ground troops“. They are expected to support the remaining North American Rockwell OV-10 „Bronco“ attack aircraft being used by the PAF in strike missions. The A-29 is an Embraer light attack aircraft, which carries a wide variety of weapons, including precision-guided munitions. It was designed to be a low-cost system operated in low-threat environments.

Lara Seligman from Foreign Policy Magazine reported that Taiwan’s request to buy F-16V jets was expected to move forward this month, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said that the request is still only being reviewed by the US. According to the article, although the deal for 66 F-16 Block 70 jets has been stalled, it is expected to move forward before the US Congress begins its traditional recess next month. The negotiations over price and configuration of the aircraft had led to the deal taking longer than expected, Seligman wrote. However, Taiwan’s request must still be converted into a formal proposal by the US Department of Defense and Department of State, and then Congress officially notified, after which lawmakers would have 30 days to block the sale if they want.

Today’s Video

Watch: FA-50 Fighting Eagle Light Combat Aircraft

Afghan C-130H
(click to view full)

When a USAF program to refurbish 20 Italian C-27A light tactical transport planes for the Afghan Air Force formally imploded at the end of 2012, the American looked for a longer-term plan B. At the high end, the proposal was to hand over 4 ex-USAF C-130H Hercules 20 medium tactical transports. In August 2013, we wrote:

“It’s a move that will require fewer pilots, which should be a plus for the Afghan Air Force, and it’s an easy move for the USA to make. On the other hand, they’re replacing maintenance-intensive planes that the AAF couldn’t maintain even with contractor help, with a smaller set of aged and maintenance-intensive planes. It doesn’t sound like they’re solving the problem…”

Now SIGAR makes it official: they didn’t…

How The Decision Was Made

Afghan C-27A
(click to view full)

When the C-27As became unflyable due to lack of maintenance (or perhaps lack of bribes), the Afghans fell back on their Cessna 208s and Mi-17s. A 2012 contract for 18 rugged PC-12 planes like the ones used by US special forces will supplement this fleet. The PC-12/47Es have more heft than a Cessna Caravan, but considerably less than the scrapped C-27As. The assumption was and is that the Afghan government would need another plane that can handle bigger loads, possibly including vehicles.

So, what to do? DID will excerpt that explanation verbatim from the July 2014 SIGAR Report:

“Specifically, as the result of problems with the G222 program, the U.S. Air Force Central Command assembled a three-person ‘tiger team’ that deployed to Afghanistan in August 2012 to assist ISAF in analyzing different options regarding the future of AAF medium airlift. Using some general requirements including cargo weight, passenger numbers, ability to operate in Afghanistan, and cost and schedule, the team considered 18 different aircraft. Ultimately, the team identified 5 aircraft—C-130E/H, CASA-235, CASA-295, C-27J, and C-130J—as being able to meet the AAF’s medium airlift requirements. In addition, the team proposed acquisition approaches including open competition, sole source contracting, and purchasing U.S. stock. At the conclusion of deployment to Afghanistan, the tiger team did not provide a formal recommendation about which aircraft to select to meet the medium airlift requirement. In the tiger team’s August 22, 2012 presentation to ISAF, the team proposed an open competition to identify the best aircraft at the best price. According to October 2012 talking points for the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Commander ISAF directed NATC-A to develop a requirements document for the follow-on to the G222 program. According to the talking points, the tiger team raised concerns that the C-130 would be too complex and costly for the Afghans [emphasis ours]. In addition, the Air Force noted concerns that due to the necessary lead time for contractor support and training, the C-130 would be an “empty” asset for the Afghans, as they would not yet be fully trained to use the aircraft.

In November 2012, NATC-A and the tiger team, anticipating a possible open competition, created an initial capabilities document that outlined the AAF’s requirements for a new aircraft, including key performance parameters. The Commanding General, CSTC-A, and the AAF Commander coordinated and signed the document. However, the initial capabilities document was never used. Notwithstanding the concerns raised by the tiger team and others, on January 4, 2013 the Deputy Secretary of Defense directed the Secretary of the Air Force to provide four C-130s to the AAF—two in 2013 and two by the end of 2014.”

To the concerns expressed by the US SIGAR, one must add questions concerning Afghanistan’s long-term stability after America’s imminent withdrawal, and the fate of American equipment handed over to the current government. The recent collapse of Iraq’s armed forces, which were considered to be superior, and the subsequent use of captured American equipment by ISIS, is a notable precedent. The biggest question probably isn’t the Taliban’s ability to defeat the Afghan government, but rather their ability to adopt and practice ISIS levels of organization, coordination, and discipline.

Contracts & Key Events

Afghan C-130H
(click to view full)

 

July 5/19: Contractor Logistics Support The US Air Force awarded AAR Supply Chain a $210 million ceiling contract for contractor logistics support for the Afghanistan Air Force. The contract will provide the Afghanistan Air Force with full C-130H contractor logistics support to include maintenance and repair, as well as on the job training for local Afghan nationals. The C-130H Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It features a loading ramp and door in the tail that can accommodate palletized loads, vehicles and troops. The aircraft can airdrop up to 42,000 pound loads or land on short, unimproved airstrips in forward combat zones. Work will take place in Kabul, Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by January 29, 2025.

Sept 24/14: Delivery. The Afghan Air Force has acknowledged receipt of its 3rd C-130H aircraft, with the 4th and final aircraft scheduled to arrive by the end of 2014.

The AAF reportedly has 6,800 personnel, and 102 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft of all types, including training platforms. Sources: Khaama Press, “Afghanistan receives another C-130 aircraft from US”.

3rd delivered

July 10/14: SIGAR Report. The US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction is very dubious about the C-130 program:

“During our audit of U.S. support for the AAF to determine its capability to absorb additional equipment, we became aware of concerns regarding the C-130 program. First, we could not determine why DOD, in order to provide airlift of medium weight loads to the AAF, decided to provide four C-130s rather than different quantities or types of aircraft. Although the decision was made in January 2013 to purchase four C-130s, the AAF’s requirement for those aircraft had not been updated since March 2010. Second, we analyzed flight data for the two AAF C-130s currently in Afghanistan and found that they are being underutilized, which raises questions about whether additional aircraft are truly needed. Lastly, during my visit last month, I was informed about support problems associated with training, spare parts, and maintenance for the two C-130s currently in the inventory…. I suggest that, pending a review of the AAF’s medium airlift requirements and its ability to fully utilize the C-130s currently in the inventory, DOD delay delivery of additional C-130s. If DOD’s review indicates additional C-130s are unnecessary, DOD should not provide them. Even the elimination of one C-130 could save up to $40.5 million through 2017.

….The first two C-130s were provided to the AAF from existing U.S. Air Force stock at a combined cost of $77.1 million—$39.6 million for the two C-130s, and an additional $37.5 million for spare parts, equipment, and other charges.”

Sources: SIGAR, “Afghan Air Force May Not Need All C-130 Aircraft Provided by U.S. in $100 Million-Plus Deal” [PDF] | National Review, “IG: Afghans Aren’t Using U.S.-Provided Transport Planes, Don’t Need Another” has additional background.

Oct 9/13: Delivery. The first 2 C-130Hs arrive in Kabul, and conduct their 1st mission the next day: delivering several pallets of Mi-17 main landing gear parts, maintenance parts and office supplies for the Kandahar Air Wing. The load weighed more than 10,500 pounds, which is quite beyond the individual capacity of the AAF’s other aircraft, but is far less than half of the C-130’s capacity. Sources: USAF AMC, “Afghan C-130 takes off to a great start”.

2 delivered

Sept 25/13 Support. FBO.gov issues an RFP to support the AAF’s C-130Hs. “Afghan Air Force (AAF) C-130H Contractor Logistics Services (CLS), Solicitation Number: FA8553-13-R-32288”. Its last modification was June 10/14:

“The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Air Training Command-Afghanistan (NATC-A) has a requirement to support and sustain up to four (4) C-130H aircraft at the Main Operating Base (MOB) at Kabul, Afghanistan, and as needed, provide on-call support at Forward Operating Locations (FOLs). The Tactical Airlift Division of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), located at Robins AFB, GA, intends to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP), FA8553-13-R-32288. This effort is to be a full and open competition resulting in a Single Award, Firm Fixed Price, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract for Contractor Logistics Services (CLS) support of the four (4) C-130H aircraft at Kabul. The period of performance will be a one (1) year basic with four (4) one (1) year options.”

Sept 18/13: C-130s. NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan has confirmed that it will deliver the first 2 of 4 C-130H Hercules medium transports to Afghanistan on Oct 10/13, with the other 2 arriving in 2014. Crews are currently training in the USA, but it remains to be seen whether the AAF can maintain and fly them for very long after they’re handed over. Mi-17 helicopters and Cessna C208Bs are the AAF’s transportation mainstays right now. Sources: Stars & Stripes, “Afghans to receive first C-130 aircraft from US Air Force”.

Jan 4/13: Decision. US Deputy Secretary of Defense Christine Fox directs the Secretary of the Air Force to provide 4 used C-130Hs to the Afghan Air Force.

Directive

Winner
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The USA needs a plane that can provide effective precision close air support and JTAC training, and costs about $1,000 per flight hour to operate – instead of the $15,000+ they’re paying now to use advanced jet fighters at 10% of their capabilities. Countries on the front lines of the war’s battles needed a plane that small or new air forces can field within a reasonable time, and use effectively. If these 2 needs are filled by the same aircraft, everything becomes easier for US allies and commanders. One would think that this would have been obvious around October 2001, but it took until 2008 for this understanding to even gain momentum within the Pentagon. A series of intra-service, political, and legal fights have ensured that these capabilities won’t arrive before 2015 at the earliest, and won’t arrive for the USAF at all.

The USA has now issued 2 contracts related to this need. The first was killed by a lawsuit that the USAF didn’t think they could defend successfully. Since February 2013 they have a contract that they hope will stick. The 3 big questions are simple. Will the past be prologue for the new award? Will there be an Afghan government to begin taking delivery of their 20 planes much beyond 2014? And will another allied government soon need to use this umbrella contract for its own war?

LAR/ LAAS Contenders Gracie Under Fire: EMB-314/ A-29 Super Tucano

A-29: LAS concept
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The winning Super Tucano/ ALX aircraft is known as the A-29 to Brazil’s FAB, but abroad, it’s the EMB-314 multi-role successor to Embraer’s widely-used EMB-312 Tucano trainer. A-29 is better for marketing a light atack plane, though, and Embraer is trying to shift the designation for the up-engined version using the 1,600hp PT6A-68-3 with FADEC. The Super Tucano offers better flight performance than the EMB 312 Tucano, plus armoring and wing-mounted machine guns, weapons integration with advanced surveillance and targeting pods, precision-guided bombs, and even air-to-air missiles. This makes it an excellent territorial defense and close support plane for low-budget air forces, as well as a surveillance asset with armed attack capability. Brazil uses it this way, for instance, alongside very advanced EMB-145 airborne radar and maritime patrol jets.

The Super Tucano is a large and heavy training platform, as a tradeoff for being built from the ground up as an effective short-field light attack/ patrol/ counter-insurgency aircraft that can operate with little ground support. On the other hand, veteran pilots have praised the quality of its ride, the power of its large control surfaces at load and in crosswinds, and its level of visibility from both seats.

Unlike its fellow contenders, the aircraft carries 2 of FN’s M3P .50 caliber machine guns mounted in the wings, leaving its hardpoints free for other weapons or fuel. Its AN/AAQ-22 Star SAFIRE II surveillance and targeting turret was designed-in from the outset and is mounted under the nose, offering a better field of view and fewer blind spots. Avionics are generally from Elbit Systems, and the plane supports a variety of weapons including gun pods; rocket pods; bombs including Brazilian cluster and incendiary weapons, and various laser-guided bombs; the ability to mount surveillance and targeting pods like RAFAEL and Northrop-Grumman’s popular LITENING; and even an array of short-range air-to-air missile options that reportedly include the AIM-9L Sidewinder, Brazil’s MAA-1, and Israel’s Python 4/5.

It hasn’t fired laser-guided rockets yet, but it has all of the required capabilities. LAS variants will probably add the AGM-114 Hellfire light strike missile, but the Super Tucano is already integrated with the heavier AGM-65 Maverick. Elbit’s DASH helmet-mounted display is reportedly an option, and a partnership with Boeing looks set to add GPS-guided JDAM family and GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs.

Beyond Brazil (99 planes), the Super Tucano already had customers in Colombia (25), Chile (12), the Dominican Republic (8), and Ecuador (18) by the time the LAS RFP was issued in August 2010. Since then, the platform has added the African countries of Angola (6), Burkina Fasso (3), and Mauritania (1-4?); and Indonesia (16). Guatemala (6) is a pending customer.

AT-6: The Kansas Contender

AT-6B, armed
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Beechcraft’s AT-6 is a derivative of its widely-produce T-6 trainer, which equips the US military and serves with a number of other air forces around the world. It’s up-engined with Pratt and Whitney’s 1,600hp PTA?68D engine, and adds Kevlar armoring inserts, CMC Esterline’s mission modified Cockpit 4000, a mission system based on Lockheed Martin’s A-10C upgrades, and L-3 WESCAM’s MX-15Di sensor suite in a mid-plane belly mounting. Thales Visionix’s Scorpion Helmet Mounted Display is reportedly an option as well.

One advantage of the AT-6B is that it can add new capabilities by leveraging outside investments in T-6B Texan and A-10C Thunderbolt operational flight program software updates. It’s also optimized for inexpensive operation, and leverages commonality with American pilot training infrastructure. On the flip side, aspects of its trainer design (narrow landing gear, low runway clearance, rear seat visibility less important, low armoring) are disadvantages in austere counterinsurgency situations. Another disadvantage is the need to mount its surveillance turret farther back in the belly, which creates line of sight blockages from its belly-mounted antenna blade (see photo) and from the AT-6B’s wings when tilted.

The AT-6B light attack/COIN version was actually at Farnborough 2006, back when they were still Raytheon Aircraft. It has been developed in an iterative fashion since then, and has been helped by participating in special forces exercises and working with the US Air National Guard on concept studies and demonstrations. By the end of 2012, weapons integrated and tested on the AT-6 included .50-cal/ 12.7mm gun pods; unguided bombs up to 500 pounds, Paveway-II laser-guided bombs up to 500 pounds; APKWS (BAE/GD), TALON (Raytheon/EAI), and GATR (ATK/Elbit) laser-guided 70mm rockets; and AGM-114P+ Hellfire short-range strike missiles. There has also been talk of adding AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air weapons. Even so, a corporate representative told us that:

“Understand that the airplane is not intended for heavy combat. Its primary role would be counter insurgency and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, & Reconnaissance) as a node within a network. It could provide data and intelligence calling in whatever assets were appropriate to deal with the situation it was encountering.”

Iraq is the only country to submit an official request to buy the AT-6, but several years later, there’s no AT-6 contract follow-on to its 15-plane T-6B trainer fleet.

AT-802U: A Missed Opportunity?

AT-802U
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Outside the 2 finalists, contenders for various phases of the LAAR/LAS competition have reportedly included Alenia Aermacchi’s M-346 advanced jet trainer (not integrated with weapons), Boeing’s proposed OV-10X revival of the Vietnam-era Bronco FAC/light attack plane (developmental), and even the Pilatus PC-6 Porter/ AU-23A armed short-take-off transport, which was also used in Vietnam.

The most interesting option was the Air Tractor AT-802U. It didn’t make the LAS finals, but it has an awful lot to recommend it to customers like Afghanistan. This single-engine turboprop is powered by the PT6A-67F engine, and adapted from the firm’s popular AT-802A crop duster. That sounds like an odd derivation, but it isn’t. Agricultural planes need good visibility, ruggedness, sure handling, the ability to work from unimproved runways or fields, long operating time, and low maintenance requirements. Every one of those traits translates directly into counter-insurgency requirements. In places like Afghanistan, where the narcotics trade has a large footprint and agriculture is a big part of the economy, crop dusting defended fields and agricultural surveying can are valuable counter-insurgency requirements all by themselves.

The AT-802 is big enough to handle the added payload and cockpit and engine armoring. The AT-802U variant combines an 8,000 pound/ 3,629 kg payload with an impressive 10-hour ISR mission time. Tested armament includes dual .50 cal. GAU-19/A 3-barrel Gatling guns, dual M260 7-tube rocket launchers, and 500 pound unguided Mk-82 bombs on 9 combined wing and fuselage hard points (expandable to 15). Its L3 Wescam MX-15Di sensor turret system is housed in a retractable mount under the nose, and it has mounting provisions for an optional AAR-47/ALE-47 threat warning and decoy-dispensing system. The cockpit is night-vision compatible, and its optional Compact Multi-Channel Data Link (CMDL) system is compatible with ROVER video feeds.

The AT-802U is also configurable for more advanced systems, but that would require more investment by customers like the US Department of State, the United Arab Emirates, or others. It’s combat-proven in Department of State Latin American counter-drug operations, where it has taken over 200 bullet strikes with no loss of life, and racked up a miniscule average of 1.7 maintenance man-hours per flight hour.

Unfortunately, this plane was excluded by several clauses in the original LAS RFP. Its landing gear doesn’t retract, for instance, so clause 3.1.2.4 of the SRD disqualified it. The LAS also had to be “configured to be readily available for use as either a two-seat advanced trainer or a two-seat attack platform with no field level conversion.” That isn’t what the AT-802U does.

What Now for LAS?

AAF C-27A: fail
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The Light Air Support contract is the much-diminished version of programs that have gone by names like OA-X and Light Attack/ Armed Reconnaissance (LAAR). Its devolution is instructive, because all the interests, rivalries, and prejudices that have brought things to this point are still operating. The past could be prologue.

Political/ legal obstruction. The Congressional resistance that stalled past Super Tucano requests from people like Afghan front commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal is still in place, and the legal and political reactions to the USAF’s 2nd award are still pending. What’s certain is that Beechcraft is in serious straits as it emerges from bankruptcy, and Boeing recently closed their Wichita, KS plant. Congressional delegations from smaller states with less diversified economies traditionally fight harder for these kinds of contracts, and this one has overtones of life and death for local industry, despite its small size. Expect a serious fight again.

Military disinterest. The USAF is still focused on big ticket fighters. Its pet plane is now the F-35 fighter instead of the F-22A, and the KC-46A tanker program has joined the F-35 in sucking all of the oxygen from the room. A country that seems disinclined to pursue counterinsurgency wars strengthens those big-ticket interest groups in the USAF, many of whom have been hostile to OA-X and its ilk from the beginning. Despite the operating savings, LAS’ very contract structure and order pattern demonstrates little appetite for domestic use as JTAC training and surveillance aircraft with front-line capability. Even US SOCOM, who has wanted Super Tucanos for a couple of years, is going to have its hands full funding desperately-needed replacement of its C-130 and helicopter fleets.

Nor is there much call for counterinsurgency strikes to kill American civilians – with the admitted exception AECOM’s Col. Benson (ret.), who used to head up the US Army’s School of Advanced Military Studies officer training facility at Fort Leavenworth, KS.

With budget crunches abounding, future funding is not guaranteed. Even present funding could now be jeopardized, by the same Congressional politics that has derailed related efforts before.

Afghan instabilities. Along the way, Afghanistan has devolved, and its air force just retired 20 C-27A transports that the USA spent about $600 million buying and delivering. All parties are keeping omerta on the subject beyond Alenia’s “inability to perform to the contract,” but there are rumors that Afghan corruption was a big factor in the inability to maintain them. The regime’s ability to avoid the C-27A’s fate for its Super Tucanos has to be viewed as questionable, and its mere survival to take full delivery is not a complete certainty.

The key to LAS may turn out to be its ability to recruit other customers. Mexico needs planes like this, and gets a lot of US aid, but it already picked an armed T-6C+. Beechcraft factories in Mexico ensure that they won’t switch. Iraq has a standing AT-6 request they could now switch to the Super Tucano under LAS, but it’s hard to see US funding for that at this point. LAS would still be useful as a pass-through vehicle for an Iraqi purchase, and that might turn out to be important for the program.

Beyond Iraq, Embraer has proven to be perfectly capable of selling the plane itself in Latin America, Africa, and even Asia. US aid to East Africa, Thailand, or the Philippines would seem to be the best near-term bet for LAS beyond Iraq – but no-one can predict the future, and world events could create a demand elsewhere before 2019.

Contracts & Key Events FY 2019

Getting started.

July 5/19: Philippines The Philippines will take delivery of the A-29 Super Tucano in February next year. According to local news, the Air Force (PAF) is set to acquire more air assets and equipment in the coming months. On Tuesday, Philippine Air Force commander, Lt. Gen. Rozzano Briguez spoke on this matter during the PAF’s 72nd founding anniversary. The commander said, the Super Tucanos “will be a game-changing platform, which will perform surface strike support to ground troops“. They are expected to support the remaining North American Rockwell OV-10 „Bronco“ attack aircraft being used by the PAF in strike missions. The A-29 is an Embraer light attack aircraft, which carries a wide variety of weapons, including precision-guided munitions. It was designed to be a low-cost system operated in low-threat environments.

FY 2014

Sept 25/14: 1st delivery. The 1st A-29 Super Tucano from the LAS contract is rolled out during a ceremony in Jacksonville, FL. Embraer expects to wrap up deliveries by mid-2015. The Brazilian company says it hired 72 employees (complemented by dozens of contractors) at the 40,000-square-foot facility since it opened the facility last year. They plan to keep using the plant for additional Super Tucano sales through FMS, while Embraer is to expand its corporate jet manufacturing capabilities in Melbourne, 175 miles further south in Florida. SNC on the other hand is laying off 90 people in Colorado after its loss in the CCiCap competition.

Meanwhile in Afghanistan, it took 6 months of tense negotiations for president-elect Ashraf Ghani and runner up Abdullah Abdullah to come to a power sharing understanding. The Taliban have redoubled their offensive as NATO troops were phasing out their presence, coordinating attacks involving larger numbers of insurgents. Signing security agreements with the US and NATO is a high priority, but whether the West will leave more than a token presence entrenched at their bases seems uncertain. With a divided population, weak economy, and booming drug production, the new Afghan leaders have their work cut out for them.

Sources: SNC, Embraer, Denver Post: “Sierra Nevada Space Systems’ Dream Chaser employees laid off”.

Oct 3/13: Support. The Diario Oficial for the Brazilian MdD includes PORTARIA No 1.787. It states that the FAB’s “Diretor de Material Aeronautico e Belico” Lt. Gen. John Paul Cury has been instructed to negotiate agreements between the FAB’s COMAER and Embraer, and the US LAS program. Sources: Diario Oficial da Uniao [in Portuguese].

FY 2013

Super Tucano wins again, prevails over GAO challenge; 20 more A-29s coming for the AAF; HBC out of bankruptcy as “Beechcraft”; SNC loses their suit, but sheds light on why LAS was canceled.

Super Tucano
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Aug 5/13: Senate FY 2014 budget appropriators have eliminated the $418.6 million Afghan LAS buy for a 2nd batch of 20 A-29s, in the wake of the SIGAR’s recent report (q.v. June 2013).

USAF Maj. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the senior airman in theater, describes the AAF as “small but capable,” and says they began flying Mi-35 attack helicopter missions again in July 2013. Aviation Week.

June 2013: The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan (SIGAR) report’s title sums it up: “Afghan Special Mission Wing: DOD Moving Forward with $771.8 Million Purchase of Aircraft that the Afghans Cannot Operate and Maintain”. SIGAR recommends freezing all activity under the 48-plane contracts until improvements happen.

The Special Mission Wing won’t operate A-29s, it will have 4 squadrons that each contain 7 Mi-17 helicopters and 4 PC-12 light transports. On the other hand, some of the factors behind its disarray are common to the Afghan Air Force: maintenance issues, for instance, and better-paying offers elsewhere for pilots who know English. The other connection is political – the SMW’s disarray comes back to haunt AAF Super Tucano funding. SIGAR report [PDF].

June 18/13: AT-6, Plan C. Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture tells Flight International that he doesn’t expect Congressional lobbying to derail LAS, but thinks they have a 24-plane launch customer for the AT-6C that they’ll be able to announce before the end of 2013. Flight International.

June 13/13: GAO OK. Even before the GAO has made its decision publicly available, Beechcraft’s release reveals that they lost the challenge, and asks Congress to limit LAS purchases to the 1st 20 planes under contract. They sum up:

“It is deeply distressing that the Air Force selected a more expensive, less capable, foreign-manufactured airplane with weapons and systems unfamiliar to, and outside the control of, the United States military. We have known that the requirements for this procurement were written to favor the competition’s aircraft. During this protest, we learned that the GAO’s review looks only at whether the Air Force followed its process, but not whether the process itself was actually correct or appropriate. We question whether the Embraer aircraft with its foreign-made weapons can be certified to U.S. military standards in time to provide the mission-capable aircraft per the contract.”

Be that as it may, what they describe is what the GAO is supposed to do. Any attempt to substitute their own judgment of what is appropriate in a bid protest would be a flagrant abuse, even if the GAO was right and the Pentagon was wrong. They save that for their program reports, and leave it to the legislators to intervene in contracts on those grounds.

Around 2 weeks later, the GAO makes its decision publicly available. Short summary? To meet its proposed offer targets, the AT-6C would experience a 40% rise in Maximum Gross Take-Off Weight, and experience shows that anything over 20% is a serious risk for problems and certification delays, as well as service life issues. There were other issues as well, and the bottom line is that the AT-6C got an Exception aircraft evaluation + High risk, while The A-29 was rated as Exceptional + Low Risk. Major delays would be catastrophic to US plans, and within the RFP itself, there was ample scope to give Sierra Nevada & Embraer the award. US GAO | Beechcraft.

GAO protest fails, LAS cleared to continue

May 2013: FY 2014 OCO Request. The Pentagon releases their “Fiscal Year 2014 Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) Request Afghanistan Security Forces Fund” request [PDF], which includes provisions for 20 more LAS planes, budgeted at $416.8 million:

“The initial purchase of twenty Light Air Support (LAS) fixed wing aircraft was funded with FY 2012 funds. An additional 20 aircraft, funded with FY 2014 funds, will bring the total number of LAS aircraft procured for the AAF to 40. A key challenge facing the Afghan Air Force (AAF) is its ability to directly support and assist the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) with air to ground kinetic actions. Currently, ISAF assets with some assistance from the Afghan Special Mission Wing carry this task out. The LAS program is intended to fill this AAF capability gap. The LAS cost per unit is $20.8 million. This is a 2014 [DID: withdrawal date] Enabler.”

April 25/13: Beechcraft’s case. Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture lays out the core of their protest and case. He starts by saying that the RFP was about compliance with requirements, contends that their AT-6 met all threshold and 5/7 objective requirements, and says their bid was $125 million cheaper. None of that is really new.

On a technical level. Boisture says that the AT-6’s design choices give it better takeoff, climb and cruise performance. The Super Tucano may be larger, but it carries 100 pounds less fuel, and unlike the AT-6 it can’t land at its Maximum Gross Takeoff Weight. Boisture adds that using the EO/IR turret forces the Super Tucano to give up its centerline weapons station.

It’s useful to know what the expected arguments are, but really, this is up to the GAO now. Aviation Week.

April 19/13: No Stop Work Order. The US Court of Federal Claims sides with the USAF decision to ignore a Stop Work Order until the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviews their award. Beechcraft continues its protest with the GAO. Kansas.com.

March 21/13: Lawsuit. Beechcraft Corporation announces that they filed suit again in the Court of Federal Claims, contesting the USAF’s decision to lift the stay of performance on the Light Air Support (LAS) contract while the GAO reviews the protest.

Note that their suit does not contest the award entire, which was the key to overturning the contract last time. Right now, they’re looking for an injunction to halt the existing contract while the GAO reviews their protest. If they’re successful, they’d keep their biggest political argument: the $125 million difference between the bid costs.

March 15/13: As you were. The USAF can’t stop Beechcraft’s protest, but they can use provisions of the Competition in Contracting Act to mandate that the best interests of the United States require continuation of the contract, while the protest takes its course.

They’ve just done that for LAS, and Beechcraft and the Kansas congressional delegation aren’t happy. A letter from state representatives cites waste of taxpayer dollars, which is true if the contract is overturned. What they don’t say is that it also impedes political efforts to stop the contract, by raising cancellation costs so that there’s a lot less difference between Beechcraft + cancellation fees, vs. SNC/Embraer. Beechcraft | Bloomberg | Wichita Eagle.

March 8/13: Protest. Beechcraft announces that they’re protesting the LAS award to the GAO. The award will be on hold until a decision is reached, which must come within 90 days. Their rationale? Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture:

“Following our debrief with the Air Force earlier this week, we are very perplexed by this decision. Our belief that we have the best aircraft was confirmed by the Air Force rating our aircraft ‘exceptional’…. We simply don’t understand how the Air Force can justify spending over 40 percent more – over $125 million more – for what we consider to be less capable aircraft…”

A couple of notes. It’s possible for multiple contenders to rate as “exceptional”, but still differ with respect to objective (desired vs. mandatory) requirements. In this case, the best value competition had 3 categories, where capability was most important, past performance the 2nd, and cost in 3rd place. It’s hard to argue the AT-6B as superior on capability, and past performance is a tough row given that the A-29 is operational and the AT-6B isn’t. Within the challenge, however, these questions aren’t going to be relevant. GAO’s focus will be whether the USAF violated its own RFP guidelines, or treated one contender unfairly. Congress is where price will be relevant. A better and more proven capability for a foreign air force, flying aircraft bought with American money, may not be as important to politicians as it is to the US military. Beechcraft | SNC/Embraer.

Feb 27/13: Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, NV wins a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract to provide both aircraft and trainers for allied countries under the Building Partnership Capacity program. The 6-year contract could be worth as much as $950 million, and Delivery Order #0001 is more expensive this time – $427.5 million for:

• 20 Super Tucano planes
  
• 6 mission planning stations
  
• 6 mission debrief systems
  
• 2 ground training devices for pilot training: 1 computer-based trainer, 1 flight training simulator
  
• Interim contractor support for all aircraft maintenance and supply requirements for the aircraft and associated support equipment
  
• Long-lead spares for interim contractor support
  
• Base activation work outside the continental United States
  
• LAS flight certification to United States Air Force Military Training Center standards

This seems to be the same set as December 2011’s $355.1 million contract. To fully evaluate the 20.4% price jump, however, we’d have to look at the exact subsets of work under items like “base activation” and “interim contractor support,” which could be different.

The LAS program’s assembly line will be in Jacksonville, FL. Embraer says that the facility at Jacksonville International Airport is already undergoing modifications necessary to receive the aircraft assembly line, with the support of the state of Florida and the Jacksonville Airport Authority. Coincidentally, SNC touts the LAS contract as supporting “more than 1,400 American jobs” – the same as Hawker Beechcraft’s claims for the T-6 and AT-6 programs. That’s up from past releases, which said “more than 1,200.” Delivery is expected to be complete by April 2015.

This award is “the result of a full and open competition,” and 2 offers were received by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (FA8637-13-D-6003, #0001). FBO | SNC | Embraer.

Super Tucano wins again

Feb 19/13: Just Beechcraft. Beechcraft announces that they’ve emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, after dropping the “Hawker” from the corporate name. The firm has also dropped its jets, and its new line includes Bonanza and Baron piston-engine aircraft, the King Air family of twin turboprops, and the T-6/ AT-6 family. Beechcraft [PDF].

HBC out of bankruptcy

Oct 18/12: HBC bankruptcy. Hawker Beechcraft, Inc. announces that it couldn’t reach an agreement with Superior Aviation Beijing Co., Ltd., and will go through normal Chapter 11 bankruptcy procedures instead. They do keep the $50 million deposit, and the plan remains the same: exit jets, keep the rest. They expect to emerge from bankruptcy in Q1 2013 as Beechcraft Corp. Hawker Beechcraft | Reuters.

HBC bankruptcy

Oct 15/12: SNC loses suit. The US Court of Federal Claims rejects SNC’s lawsuit, except that it asks the USAF to evaluate whether its use of funding and earmarks for LAS concept demonstrations with the AT-6 (vid. Oct 14/10 entry) violate the requirement that LAS contenders be non-developmental aircraft.

It also sheds a bit of light on why the USAF decided on the re-compete. The biggest issues included an “incomplete and unorganized” record, destruction of documents by the program team, and this:

“In response to comments from agency counsel that the PCO’s [DID: Program Contracting Officer] proposed Competitive Range Determination (the “CRD”), which eliminated HBDC, was unsatisfactory, the PCO stated that she was not qualified to write it.”

The evaluations were also lacking supporting documentation, and the flight demonstrations were used to assess technical capability. It’s a mystery why that last bit would be a problem, but the process treats technical capability and execution risk as 2 entirely separate things. The glaring weakness in the CRD might have been enough by itself, but Program Management’s failure to adhere to the exact decision process, followed by poor document turnover and poor cooperation with counsel, led the USAF to conclude that this wasn’t a case it could take to court. Court Ruling No. 12-375C [PDF] | Aviation Week.

SNC loses suit – but shows why USAF cancelled LAS

FY 2012

Super Tucano wins, GAO OKs, HBC sues, contract canceled; SNC’s turn to sue; HBC into bankruptcy process, as their AT-6 qualifies an array of weapons.

AT-6B vs. EMB-314
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Full comparison graphic, originals from SNC (JPG, 345.4k).

Sept 17/12: AT-6. Hawker Beechcraft announces [PDF] that they’ve completed Phase III weapons assessment at Eglin AFB, FL. Phases I and II of the weapons assessment included computer-aided deliveries of general purpose and laser-guided bombs, as well as air-to-ground and air-to-air gunnery using the aircraft’s two 50-caliber guns.

By the end of Phase III, weapons integrated and tested on the AT-6 included .50-cal/ 12.7mm gun pods; unguided bombs up to 500 pounds, Paveway-II laser-guided bombs up to 500 pounds; APKWS (BAE/GD), TALON (Raytheon/EAI), and GATR (ATK/Elbit) laser-guided 70mm rockets; and AGM-114P+ Hellfire short-range strike missiles.

That’s a very good array, which will suit the needs of most American allies. As a matter of comparison, the Super Tucano hasn’t tested laser-guided 70mm rockets or AGM-114 Hellfire missiles yet, but it offers a wider array of gun pods; a wider array of laser-guided weapons; Brazilian incendiary and cluster bombs; an array of air-to-air missiles including the AIM-9L Sidewinder, Brazil’s MAA-1 Piranha, and Israel’s Python 4/5s; and the heavier Raytheon AGM-65 Maverick strike missile.

July 24/12: Late. Air Force Brig. Gen. Timothy Ray, who heads the NATO air training command in Afghanistan, sums things up by saying that “Afghanistan is unlikely to gain an independent, fully functioning air force until around 2016 or 2017, two to three years after the U.S. pullout”.

The rest of the article provides a snapshot of the Afghan Air Force’s current state, and notes that the USA has spent nearly $300 million to upgrade the AAF’s Shindad AB facilities. Wall Street Journal.

July 10/12: Boeing and Embraer announce cooperation on the Super Tucano program, which will involve integrating Boeing weapons on the aircraft. Their GPS-guided JDAM family of bomb kits would be front and center in any such effort, and Boeing’s official statement is that:

“The new weapons integration capacity enhances the solution presented to the U.S. Air Force Light Air Support (LAS) program by not only meeting program requirements, but exceeding them in ways that are important to the customer.”

July 9/12: AT-6 LRIP. Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC) announces that they’ve begun low-rate initial production the AT-6 light attack aircraft in Wichita, KS, “in response to significant indications of interest around the world for the AT-6.”

“The aircraft has successfully demonstrated high-end net-centric and light attack capabilities and full compatibility with U.S. and NATO Joint Terminal Attack Controller systems during the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2010, the Air National Guard Operational Assessment, and capabilities demonstrations of precision guided weapons conducted between 2010 and 2012.”

AT-6 production begins

July 9/12: HBC Chinese ownership? Hawker Beechcraft, Inc. signs an exclusivity agreement that may lead to a buyout by China’s Superior Aviation Beijing Co. for $1.79 billion. This deal explicitly excludes Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC), which would remain a separate entity. That would keep the T-6 and AT-6 out of China’s Hands, but the USA is mostly done with its JPATS trainer buys, so HBDC’s stand-alone survival would be questionable.

June 19/12: Bids in. Sierra Nevada Corporation announces that they’re participating in the new LAS source selection process, but they’re still pursuing court action to reinstate the December 2011 contract. Their release also contains a jab at the removal of any requirement for a flight demonstration.

SNC commits that about 86% of each aircraft’s dollar value will come from components supplied by U.S. companies “or countries that qualify under the Buy American Act,” and that Embraer will invest about $3 million in bringing the Jacksonville, FL.

June 12/13: SNC lawsuit. SNC has gone from a motion to see documents, to a lawsuit in the United States Court of Federal Claims that contests the termination of its December 2011 contract, and attacks the terms of the new RFP.

“According to SNC the cancellation of the contract was an extreme response to what appears to be paperwork errors on the part of the USAF. Moreover, the revised Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the USAF is tilted in favor of the competition.”

To bolster that last point, SNC cites the elimination of flight demonstration/evaluation, the delay of First Article Testing until the point of delivery (!) in July 2014, and the fact that Amendment 8 now allows improvements that were made to the aircraft since the original source selection to be admitted into consideration. Their point of contention is that the USAF gave Hawker Beechcraft millions of Title X dollars for development, exercises etc. with US ANG pilots [DID: vid. Oct 14/10 entry], and that the products of that work should be tipping the scales. We understand the fairness argument there, but the EMB-314/ A-29 has a number of military customers doing the same things in real-life operational missions, so it’s not like there’s a major disadvantage. SNC.

May 8/12: HBC gripe. After an initial review of the revised LAS RFP, HawkerBeechcraft has this to say [PDF]:

“We are profoundly disappointed to see in the amended RFP that the USAF continues to permit antiquated pilot accommodation standards for ejection seat equipped aircraft which can place both USAF and partner nation pilots at unnecessary and higher risk. Those standards were developed by the USAF to protect their own male and female pilot population, and every aircraft acquired by the USAF should meet those modern safety standards.”

The Super Tucano reportedly uses Martin-Baker’s Mk 10 LCX ejection seat. Martin-Baker is the standard provider for pretty much every Western aircraft, including every US fighter type.

April 17/12: SNC sues. Sierra Nevada files a court motion in the botched Light Air Support award. They would like to see the content of the Air Force’s Commander Directed Investigation (CDI) of the LAS program, to assess whether a recompete is really warranted. SNC | Reuters.

Feb 28/12: Canceled. The USAF cancels the LAS contract with Sierra Nevada, and reinstates Hawker Beechcraft to the competition. USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said:

“That is one of the things I’m truly sad about – not withstanding the embarrassment of this to us as an Air Force – it’s the fact that we’re letting our [Afghan] teammates down here…”

See: HBC | Defense News.

LAS canceled

Feb 2/12: Lobbying. “Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), the winner of the U.S. Air Force Light Air Support (LAS) competition, today issued a point-by-point rebuttal of misinformation being spread by the disqualified contender for the contract.”

APKWS loading, AT-6C
(click to view full)

January 2012: AT-6. BAE’s APKWS and Raytheon’s TALON laser-guided rockets fired from a HawkerBeechcraft AT-6C turboprop light attack plane at Eglin AFB.

The shots will help both BAE and HawkerBeechcraft, whose setback in the 20-plane American LAS competition was mitigated by an initial sale of 6 “weapons capable” T-6C+ to Mexico. Mexico has used existing Pilatus trainers against domestic insurgencies before. The T-6C family’s proven ability to fire laser-guided rockets makes the new planes more valuable to Mexico, and to other potential customers. BAE | HawkerBeechcraft | Aviation Week.

Jan 25/12: Second Line of Defense:

“We are publishing a USAF background paper currently circulating on the Hill. It validates everything we have written on Second Line of Defense for more than a year about the LAS competition…. This paper provides information on the LAS acquisition. Due to the ongoing litigation brought by Hawker Beechcraft Defense Corporation (HBDC), the United States Air Force (USAF) cannot release information regarding the LAS competition.”

Jan 19/12: A Defence Talk article sums up the current situation:

“Since September, many unexpected changes have been made to the original USAF requirements. At the start of the competition, the Light Attack Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft (LAAR) program, planned to supply up to 100 aircraft to the USAF, was paired with Light Air Support (LAS) to supply 20 aircraft to Afghan Air Force.

Nevertheless, in September the USAF backtrack on LAAR, reducing the number to 15 aircraft…. The change in priorities left Hawker and the SNC/Embraer team to duck it out for LAAR’s 15 and LAS’s 20 aircraft requirement…. Meantime the U.S. Navy has run into difficulties of its own, by clearly preferring the Super Tucano after it took part in an evaluation phase known as Imminent Fury programme in 2009 to develop a CAS/COIN platform for special operations. Since then, congress rejected additional funds of $22 million for further development in 2010 and $17 million last October for phase II known as Combat Dragon II programme for deployment and combat confirmation of the Super Tucano’s capabilities in Afghanistan.”

Jan 4/12: Stop work. In light of the pending legal review, the USAF issues a stop work order for the LAS contract that was awarded to SNC. Source.

Dec 30/11: LAS. Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, NV wins a $355.1 million firm-fixed price delivery order for the Light Air Support (LAS) aircraft and associated support. It includes:

• 20 Super Tucano planes
  
• 6 mission planning stations
  
• 6 mission debrief systems
  
• 2 ground training devices for pilot training: 1 computer-based trainer, 1 flight training simulator
  
• Interim contractor support for all aircraft maintenance and supply requirements for the aircraft and associated support equipment
  
• 1 lot interim contractor support long-lead work in the continental United States
  
• 1 lot interim contractor support base activation work outside the continental United States
  
• LAS flight certification to United States Air Force Military Training Center standards

Work will be performed in Sparks, NV (55%), and Jacksonville, FL (45%). Delivery order #0001 is expected to be complete April 30/14, and the basic contract has a 5-year ordering period. ASC/WWYAC at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract (FA8637-12-D-6001, #0001).

A $355M contract confirms the USAF procurement of Light Air Support (LAS) A-29 Embraer Super Tucano aircraft via Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC). Deliveries of this batch of 20 planes is expected to be completed by the end of April 2014. They will be used by the Afghan air force for training, reconnaissance and air support. Last year Hawker Beechcraft filed a GAO protest for being excluded from the RFP and sued the US Air Force after losing the protest. DefenseLink | SNC | DefesaNet [in Portuguese].

Super Tucano wins LAS: 20 for AAF

Dec 27/11: HBC Sues. Hawker Beechcraft announces a lawsuit with the Court of Federal Claims.

“The company still has no concrete reasons for the AT-6’s exclusion, having been denied explanation by the U.S. Air Force on two occasions. The LAS contract is valued at nearly $1 billion of U.S. taxpayer money and exclusion of the AT-6 could result in a de facto award to a non-U.S. company. “We are disappointed in the GAO’s decision as we were relying on their investigation to provide transparency into what has been a bidding process of inconsistent, irregular and constantly changing requirements…” said Bill Boisture, Hawker Beechcraft chairman and CEO.”

Dec 22/11: GAO OK. The GAO dismisses Hawker Beechcraft’s protest of the LAS award. All it will say of the USAF’s actions is that:

“After reviewing HBDC’s responses to issues raised during discussions, the Air Force concluded that HBDC had not adequately corrected deficiencies in its proposal. In this regard, the agency concluded that “multiple deficiencies and significant weaknesses found in HBDC’s proposal make it technically unacceptable and results in unacceptable mission capability risk.”

Their ruling didn’t address that. It’s a narrow dismissal, on a narrow point of timing:

“Accordingly, HBDC was required to request a debriefing within three days of its receipt of the Air Force notice on November 4, or, absent a debriefing, was required to file its protest no later than 10 days after that date.[4] Where HBDC did not timely request a debriefing, and failed to file its protest until 17 days after it was notified that its proposal had been excluded from the competitive range, the protest is untimely and must be dismissed.”

Nov 20/11: Lobbying knife fight. We submit “Obama Admin Bans US Aircraft Maker, Favors Non-US Firm with Ties to Iran on Light Aircraft Project” as a snapshot of the type of public lobbying underway. It cites the fact that the order would keep the T-6 line open past 2015, securing “1,400 employees in 20 states – including 800 at Hawker Beechcraft in Wichita” who work on the AT-6 and T-6 programs.

We’re not sure how long 20 planes can keep them busy, but OK, sure. The article also focuses on Embraer’s sale of 40 EMB-312 Tucano trainers to Iran 22 years ago, in 1989. Tucanos are globally popular training aircraft in service with 17 air forces. They lack the EMB-314 Super Tucano’s purpose-built close air support construction and mounted machine guns, but they can be armed. Iran has armed them for close support roles within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Air Force (as distinct from Iran’s regular air force), and Brazil’s Lula administration has remained friendly to Iran without being aggressive toward the USA.

Nov 18/11: AT-6 out. Hawker Beechcraft says that the AT-6 has been excluded from the Light Air Support bidding process, and they don’t know why. We’ve received unverified reports of landing gear issues, and other engineering glitches related to added weight on the T-6 airframe, but we can’t confirm them. Here’s what Hawker Beechcraft says:

“We have been notified by the United States Air Force in a letter that the Beechcraft AT-6 has been excluded from the Light Air Support competition. The letter provides no basis for the exclusion.

We are both confounded and troubled by this decision, as we have been working closely with the Air Force for two years and, with our partners, have invested more than $100 million preparing to meet the Air Force’s specific requirements. Additionally, the AT-6 has been evaluated and proven capable through a multi-year, Congressionally-funded demonstration program led by the Air National Guard.

We have followed the Air Force’s guidance closely and, based on what we have seen, we continue to believe that we submitted the most capable, affordable and sustainable light attack aircraft as measured against the Air Force’s Request for Proposal. We have requested a debriefing from the Air Force and will be exploring all potential options in the coming days.”

See: HBC release | DC Examiner | DefenseTech.

AT-6 out of LAS

FY 2010 – 2011

LAS RFP; RAND urges OA-X forward; Support expressed, but funding delayed; AATC experiments with AT-6.

AT-6B exercise
(click to view full)

Jan 18/11: LAS. System Demonstration completed. Source.

Dec 28/10: LAS. Vendor proposals received. Source.

Oct 14/10: AATC & AT-6. The Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center (AATC) at Tucson International Airport, AZ is working on the requirements for light attack planes, and working with the AT-6 as a concept demonstrator. they inserted systems from A-10 and F-16 aircraft into the plane, performed testing on their own and with shipped-in A-10 and F-16 pilots, and continue to make adjustments and refinements.

AATC Director of Engineering Lt. Col. Keith Colmer is back from Iraq, after flying close air support and overwatch missions in an F-16. Colmer is concerned about the economics. F-16 cost per flying hour is around $15,000 – $17,000 dollars per flight hour for fuel and maintenance, and the A-10 isn’t that much cheaper. In contrast AATC officials peg the AT-6 at about $600 dollars per flight hour.

Overall, they see an aircraft with multiple uses. Joint Terminal Attack Controllers that embed with ground forces aren’t getting enough sorties to keep them trained, and a less expensive aircraft could not only perform that training, it could let them fly in the backseat on occasion to improve their understanding. Other countries are already using similar planes for border security, counter drug and homeland defense; and military sensor turrets can easily be re-used for state emergencies like fires, floods or other disasters, in places where UAVs can’t get civil flight clearance. USAF.

AATC experiments

Sept 14/10: In the wake of the LAS RFP, most of the “Light Attack Armed Reconnaissance” discussion at the Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference has shifted toward building the capabilities of partner air forces, and less around American use. Derek Hess, director of AT-6 development programs for Hawker Beechcraft, describes it as:

“…a structurally enhanced Beechcraft T-6A/B airframe with a more powerful Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68D engine, and a Lockheed Martin A-10C Mission System that is integrated with the T-6B primary flight avionics system. It also has the same sensor suite as the MC-12W with a laser designator/range finder. “When our airplane wakes up in the morning, it believes it’s an A-10…”

Aug 12/10: LAS RFP. LAAR is now Light Air Support, as the USAF releases its Request for Proposals, solicitation #FA8637-10-R-6000:

“The purpose of this contract is the acquisition of nondevelopmenatal Light Air Support Aircraft for current and future Building Partnership Capacity (BPC) nations. The procurement includes necessary Aircraft Interim Contractor Support (ICS); Ground Training Devices (GTDs) and corresponding Contractor Logistics Support (CLS); and Air Advisor Training for US Pilots allowing them the capability to train other Building Partnership Capacity (BPC) nations. The supplies covered are more fully defined in the attachments. This solicitation includes provisions for the Government, to include any Federal Agency, to procure additional quantities of the same supplies and services in the future, by issuing one or more orders against the resulting contract as other customers are added onto this vehicle by the contracting office (LAS Program Office).”

The Afghan delivery order will involve 20 planes. The RFP is amended many times, with the last change coming on May 30/12.

LAS RFP

May 10/10: LAAR. IHS Jane’s:

“There have been several proposals for LAAR – from the Aermacchi M-346 jet, through a reborn OV-10 Bronco, to the Air Tractor AT-802U militarised agricultural aircraft – but the front-runners appear to be two evolutions of turboprop trainers: Embraer’s Super Tucano and the Hawker Beechcraft AT-6.”

Spring 2010: Afghan war commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal sends an urgent request to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to acquire 4 EMB-314 Super Tucanos for American use, to provide extra air power to support Special Operations troops in Afghanistan.

The project stalls after lawmakers led by the Kansas congressional delegation block the $44 million request for funding. They’re reportedly concerned that the buy would give the EMB-314 an advantage in the LAS competition. Source.

Super Tucano UOR denied

April 8/10: AT-6. Hawker Beechcraft begins flying its modified AT-6 prototype, which it expects to submit for LAAR. Defense Tech.

April 5/10: RAND study endorses OA-X. RAND’s “Courses of Action for Enhancing U.S. Air Force “Irregular Warfare” Capabilities” makes a number of recommendations. Two of them involve training a lot more Iraqi and Afghan aviators, and standing up a dedicated counter-insurgency (COIN) air wing equipped with about 100 “OA-X” light attack aircraft.

They’d be designed to improve the training pipeline, make it much easier to partner with and transition Iraqi and Afghan aviators to similar planes, and reduce excessive flying hour demands for expensive and aging jets like the F-16, which are only using a small fraction of their capabilities. RAND Report MG-913 | DoD Buzz.

RAND report backs OA-X

Feb 5/10: OV-10X. Speaking at the Singapore Air Show at Changi Airport, Boeing’s vice-president of business development for Global Strike Systems, Jeff Johnson says that interest has been strong enough to ensure continued development of the modernized OV-10X Bronco, even if it loses the LAAR competition for up to 100 aircraft.

“Several countries have got very excited about the type of capability that an OV-10 could bring to their air forces,” he said. He added that the company could have a flying prototype ready within nine months, but that the real challenge would be costing the low-rate production run of the LAAR programme (the USAF has a requirement for 100 aircraft).”

Despite this statement, after the LAAR peters out and vanishes, Boeing drops the project, and ends up helping Embraer with its Super Tucano. IHS Jane’s.

Feb 2/10: LAAR funding delay. DefenseTech reports that:

“Air Force budget officials said the so-called “light attack aircraft” would not have any significant funding until the 2012 submission, where the service will allot $172 million for the so-called COIN plane.

The Air Force did, however, take a step toward a COIN wing by ordering up 15 Light Mobility Aircraft to the tune of nearly $66 million. According to a submission to FedBizOpps, the LiMA must be able to carry a minimum of six pax and crew, operate from “austere landing surfaces” and carry a minimum of 1800 pounds with crew. The plane needs a loading door that can take litters and a 36 inch warehouse skid and have two pilot stations but be able to be flown by one pilot.”

LiMA turned out to be the Pilatus PC-12, which is currently in use by US special forces.

Jan 20/10: LAAR. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley specifically mentions LAAR as part of the USAF’s “balanced force” concept, during his remarks to the Air, Space, and Cyberspace Power in the 21st Century Conference. Full transcript.

Dec 4/09: LAAR. The US military is expected to ask for $90 million in FY 2010, to begin the LAAR program. Long term costing estimates are $2 billion for 100 aircraft, to be placed under Air Combat Command rather than AFSOC. The goal is to have the first 24 reach IOC by 2013.

Possible contenders include the AirTractor AT-802U (a modified crop duster), Alenia Aermacchi M-346, Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano, Hawker Beechcraft AT-6, and Boeing’s OV-10X Bronco. Some sources also mention the Pilatus PC-6 Porter short-take-off transport, which was armed into the AU-23A, used in Vietnam, and later sold to the Thai Air Force. Defence IQ | Defense Media Network | Airforce Technology (some elements inaccurate).

Sept 16/09: AT-6. Hawker Beechcraft and Lockheed Martin have teamed to compete for the LAAR competition, with Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, NY acting as the AT-6’s mission systems integrator. Space War.

FY 2008 – 2009

OA-X gains traction; LAAR RFI; Boeing’s Bronco.

USAF OV-10
(click to view full)

Sept 11/09: OV-10X. Boeing confirms that it will bid a modernized version of the Vietnam-era OV-10 Bronco for the USAF’s LAAR requirement. The OV-10 served very capably as a forward air control and light strike plane in Vietnam, but like the “Misty” F-100F Commando Sabres fast FACs, it was an uncommonly dangerous way for a pilot to make a living.

Boeing inherits the OV-10 Bronco’s design rights from its 1980s acquisition of North American Rockwell. The DEW Line.

July 27/09: LAAR RFI. The USAF releases a “Air Combat Command (ACC) Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance (LAAR)” Request for Information to Industry, involving up to 100 aircraft under the OA-X program. Description:

“ASC is seeking information to determine the most cost-effective acquisition strategy to fulfill the need for 100 LAAR fixed-wing aircraft with deliveries starting in FY12 and an Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in FY13. All proposed systems will be USAF Military certified and flown by military pilots. Existing ACC facilities will be used for aircraft storage and maintenance and USAF organic Organizational-level maintenance will be established by IOC date of FY13. Depot level maintenance will be contractor provided.”

The LAAR aircraft will operate as a forward air controller (FAC), with voice, video and data-links, but it will be armed with weapons and surveillance systems that include a laser designator, to allow immediate response. The cockpit will be fully modern and night vision compatible, with an oxygen system. Flight up to 30,000 feet is desired but not required. Weapons will include podded 7.62mm mini-guns, up to 2 500-pound guided-munitions or rocket launchers, and the ability to use the AGM-114N Hellfire missile. They’re also looking for a plane that can operate from austere airfields on 5-hour missions with 30-minute fuel reserves, and ferry itself up to 900 nm (1,667km). See the full RFI document [MS Word] for full specifications and requirements.

LAAR RFI

April 2008: OA-X. Col. Gary L. Crowder, then commander of Air Forces Central’s Combined Air and Space Operations Center, makes a serious pitch for using light attack aircraft for missions over Iraq and Afghanistan, and details an international partnership building program.

Crowder has spent much of his Air Force career studying irregular warfare and counterinsurgency, but service leadership is busy arguing for more F-22As, and is very unreceptive until Gen. Norton A. Schwartz becomes Air Force Chief of Staff in mid-2008. Discussion of an “OA-X” aircraft begins. Airforce Magazine.

Additional Readings

• FBO.gov (Aug 12/10 – May 30/12, #FA8637-10-R-6000) – Light Air Support (LAS) Aircraft

• Embraer – Super Tucano

• SNC – Built for the Mission. Site promoting the EMB-314/ A-29 Super Tucano for LAS.

• Beechcraft – Light Attack

• Beechcraft – Mission-Ready AT-6. Site promoting the AT-6 for LAS, and beyond.

• Air Tractor – AT-802U

News & Views

• Defence Review Asia (Oct 22/12) – Super Tucano leads the flock

• Defence Talk (Sept 10/11) – Bringing Back Counter-Insurgency: AT-6B vs. A-29B

• Three Capes (March 20/10) – Light Attack Armed Reconnaissance: It’s Time to Change The Way We Fight The Long War. By Col James Jinnette.

• Airforce Magazine (January 2010) – The Light Attack Aircraft

Americas

The US Navy tapped Lockheed Martin with a $7 million contract for Combat System Ship Integration and testing on the next generation of Guided Missile Frigate or FFG(X). The work includes integration engineering support and test planning as well as waterfront ship integration and testing, post-delivery engineering support to government test teams, engineering services for ship integration, and test and developing test program documents for FFG(X) ships. The FFG(X) Class of multimission guided-missile frigates for the Navy, are to be contracted from 2020, as a follow-on to the modular Littoral Combat Ship. The Pentagon is in the process of selecting the prime contractor for the new class of ships. Each ship would have at least 32 vertical launching system cells and an AEGIS-based combat system. On June 20, the Navy released a Request for Proposals for companies to bid on the design and construction of FFG(X). Lockheed had already said in May that it would not submit its own bid for the competition. Under the new contract Lockheed will perform at the FFG(X) ship builder location as well as Moorestown, New Jersey. Scheduled completion date is in June, 2025.

Boeing will supply Trailing Edge Flaps for the US Navy’s Super Hornets. The company will provide 48 Trailing Edge Flaps under a $42.9 million contract. A Trailing Edge is the rear edge of an aircraft’s wing flap, where the airflow separated by the Leading Edge rejoins. Trailing Edge Flaps are used for extra lift on takeoff. Flaps also cause an increase in drag during mid-flight, so they are retracted when not needed. The US Navy F/A-18 E and F Super Hornet maritime strike attack aircraft, manufactured by Boeing, flew for the first time on 29 November 1995. Boeing will perform work within the US, and Switzerland. Work will approximately be finished in June 2021.

Middle East & Africa

According to local reports, the Royal Air Force of Oman performed two medical evacuations in Al Batinah and Dhofar. The first evacuation was for a citizen, who died after falling off a cliff in the mountains. The second medevac was for five Yemenis whose vehicle was damaged in Maqash in Dhofar. This comes within the framework of the humanitarian services provided by the Ministry of Defense and the Sultan’s Armed Forces to citizens and residents jointly with other government institutions.

Europe

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has reportedly inked a contract with shipbuilding company Sevmash for two Project 885-M Yasen M-class multipurpose nuclear-powered attack/cruise missile submarines (SSN/SSGN). The MoD signed a contract at the “Army-2019” military and technical forum, which took place last week near Moscow. “Today we have signed a number of large-scale deals. These deals also cover two new Yasen Class submarines. These are substantial volumes and a very significant contract”, Deputy Russian Defense Minister, Alexei Krivoruchko said. The new boat, the second overall Yasen Class SSN launched by Sevmash and the first upgraded Yasen M Class submarine, conducted its first set of factory and underwater sea trials in September 2018. Notably, the sub is not expected to enter service until the end of 2020 or possibly even later due to technical problems that emerged during dockside trials. The improved Yasen M Class SSN is reportedly quieter than the lead Yasen Class boat. It is built with low magnetic steel to reduce its magnetic signature.

Jane’s reports that Portugal received eight AeroVironment RQ-11B Raven Digital Data Link lightweight hand-launched tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The Ravens were delivered on June 27, and will be delivered to Artillery Regiment No 5’s Surveillance Systems Company. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency purchased the drones under a $5.9 million multiyear contract awarded on August 20, 2018. The Raven B is a lightweight and low-altitude, remote-controlled, man-portable UAV system designed and developed for the US Armed Forces. It performs intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance operations. The Raven is hand-launched. It lands safely through auto-piloting without the need for landing gear and prepared landing strips. Portugal’s purchase includes 36 drones, 36 electro-optical/infrared payloads, 12 ground control stations, 36 EO payloads for training purposes, 12 initial spare parts kits, and 18 remote video terminals with radio systems, as well as a comprehensive training package.

Asia-Pacific

The USS Montgomery or LCS-8 arrived in the Philippines last Saturday as part of her deployment to the Pacific. The Navy has resumed overseas deployments of the Littoral Combat Ships after an 18-month long hiatus. Repeated technical problems on both classes, the Freedom and the Independence Class, led the Navy to stand down all LCS crews in August 2016 – the first-ever stand down for a full class of vessels at once. All LCS personnel with a role in engineering were retrained, and the first four ships procured – two from each class, worth a combined $1.6 billion – were permanently restricted to testing duty. The stand down was soon lifted, but it has been more than a year and a half since an LCS deployed. The visit to Davao was the first indicator of the resumption of the LCS deployments. The USS Montgomery is a Independence Class Ship.

Today’s Video

Watch: US Air Force deployed F-22 Raptors Fighter Jets to Middle-East for the first time

Americas

Insitu won $390.4 million to supply Blackjack drones for the US Marine Corps US Navy, as well as Blackjacks and smaller ScanEagle unmanned air vehicles, for three foreign allies. The contract provides for up to 63 RQ-21A Blackjack attrition air vehicles plus six RQ-21A Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and up to 17 RQ-21A air vehicles for FMS customers, including Canada, Poland and Oman. The contractor will also provide up to 93 ScanEagle UASs in various configurations. Insitu developed the RQ-21A Blackjack program together with the Navy in order of filling the requirement for small tactical drones capable of operating from land and sea. With a flight endurance of up to 16 hours and an altitude ceiling of 19,500ft, RQ-21A can carry loads up to 39 pounds. The runway-independent system can be used to support tactical missions on land and at sea. The Marine Corps’ RQ-21A Blackjack UAS achieved initial operational capability in 2016. Under the new contract, Insitu provides for associated services, including training, test and engineering, development of engineering change proposals, operations support, organizational level maintenance, field service representatives, land and ship surveys, hardware site activations, hardware installs, repairs and data. Work will take place in Bingen, Washington as well as other locations inside and outside the continental US. Scheduled completion date is in June 2022.

International Marine and Industrial Applicators LLC was tapped with $8.5 million for the accomplishment of preservation and non-SUBSAFE structural repairs and maintenance on USS Michigan or SSGN 727. The deal will provide preservation, structural repairs, anode removal and safety track repair requirements and include all necessary management, material support services, labor, supplies and equipment deemed necessary to perform this work. Non-SUBSAFE means the structural repairs and maintenance are not part of the Submarine Safety Program, a quality assurance program of the US Navy designed to maintain the safety of the submarine fleet. The USS Michigan is the second sub of the Ohio Class of ballistic missile submarines and guided missile submarines. The Michigan was launched on April 26, 1980. It was built to carry the Navy’s third generation submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), the Trident C-4. Work under the contract will take place in Bremerton, Washington and is scheduled to be complete by June next year.

Carelton Life Support Systems won an $8 million contract modification for the Phase II Upgrade and qualification testing of the CGU-25 oxygen concentrator on the T-45 aircraft. The McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk is the Navy’s aircraft-carrier capable trainer. The T-45 is tandem-seat pilot trainer that replaces the TA-4J Skyhawk and T-2C Buckeye. It was modified from the British BAE Systems Hawk land-based training jet aircraft. In 2017, the USN grounded the T-45 fleet for a three-day “safety pause” after more than 100 instructor pilots refused to fly the aircraft. The pilots cited concerns about incidents of hypoxia that they believed to have resulted from faulty onboard oxygen-generation systems. Under the modification, Carelton will perform work in Davenport, Iowa, and work is expected to be finished in July 2021.

Middle East & Africa

Honeywell International won a $16.5 million firm-fixed FMS to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to produce J7 Digital Electronic Control Unit for the Abrams family of vehicles. The M1 Abrams is designed for modern armored ground warfare. It has a 1500 hp AGT1500 multifuel turbine engine, sophisticated Chobham composite armor, a computer fire control system and separate ammunition storage in a blow-out compartment along with NBC protection for crew safety. It weighs nearly 68 short tons, which makes it one of the heaviest Main Battle Tanks in service. After the start of the Saudi Arabian intervention in Yemen during 2015 Yemeni Civil War, Saudi Arabian M1 Main Battle Tanks, were deployed near the Saudi Arabia/Yemen border. In August 2016, the US approved a sale of up to 153 more Abrams tanks to Saudi Arabia, including 20 “battle damage replacements”, suggesting that some Saudi Arabian Abrams had been destroyed or severely damaged in combat in Yemen. The Kuwaiti Army has 218 M1A2s. Work under the current Foreign Military Sale will take place in Tucson, Arizona, and has a scheduled completion date of June 28, 2024.

A stray missile exploded over northern Cyprus on July 1, Reuters reports. The surface-to-air missile (SAM) was reportedly fired from Syria in response to an Israeli attack. Authorities said the missile sparked blazes in surrounding hills after its remnants landed early on Monday, barely 12 miles north-east of the capital Nicosia. Images of the crash showed the burnt-out remains of a missile that had landed in scrubland in the Turkish-occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus. Markings suggested it was a Russian-made S-200 surface-to-air missile, which can have a range of up to 250 miles. Jamming technology could have diverted the missile.

Europe

British company Meggitt PLC signed a 3 year agreement with BAE systems for a new generator system. According to Meggitt, its solution combines two existing generators into a single generator, capable of fitting into a compressed space envelope. It is designed to create space and weight savings and improves efficiency and performance. Together with BAE Systems, Meggitt has worked on developing a reliable, efficient system that reduces the number of critical parts, making assembly and maintenance much easier.

Asia-Pacific

Raytheon Missile Systems won a $36.7 million firm-fixed-price contract to procure Rolling Airframe Missile Guided Missile Launching System requirements. The deal is for the US Navy as well as Japan. The contract, for which 91% of the value is for the USN and 9% for Japan, is to procure material, fabricate parts, assemble, test, and deliver RAM Mk 49 Mod 3 GMLSs. The RAM guided-missile weapon system is co-developed and co-produced under an international cooperative program between the governments of the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany. RAM is a missile system designed to provide anti-ship missile defense for multiple ship platforms. Work is expected to be completed by June 2021.

Today’s Video

Watch: Errant ‘Russian-made Syrian missile’ explodes in Cyprus

Americas

Boeing won a $47.7 million contract modification in support of the Apache Attack Helicopter AH-64E production line and Apache Longbow Crew Trainers. The deal provides Version 6/Improved Drive System enhancement cut-in. The AH-64E is a variant of the twin-turboshaft Apache Attack Helicopter. The AH-64E features improved digital connectivity, the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System, more powerful T700-GE-701D engines with upgraded face gear transmission to accommodate more power, capability to control UAVS, and improved landing gear. The Apache is a multi-role helicopter used by the US Army. Boeing has delivered more than 2,200 Apaches to customers around the world since production started. The Longbow Crew Trainer is the centerpiece of Boeing’s AH-64 Apache training. The high-fidelity flight simulator is used by pilots and other personnel to practice aircraft procedures and rehearse missions. Work will take place in Mesa, Arizona, with a scheduled completion date of March 31, 2022.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems won a $22 million modification for support services on the Gray Eagle UAV. The deal calls for procurement of performance based logistics support services for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone. The Gray Eagle is a 3,600-pound, 28-foot-long drone with a 56-foot wingspan. It has a range of 2,500 nautical miles and a ceiling of 25,000 feet. Its mission set includes, but is not limited to, wide-area Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), convoy protection, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detection and defeat, close air support, communications relay, and weapons delivery missions. General Atomics will perform work at General Atomics’ facility in Poway, California with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2020.

Middle East & Africa

The US State Department approved a possible FMS to Morocco for continuing sustainment support to its current F-16 fleet for an estimated cost of $250.4 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. Morocco purchased their F-16s in 2011. In late 2014 Morocco sent F-16s into combat in Syria and Iraq. In March 2019, the US State Department has approved the upgrade of 23 Royal Moroccan Air Force F-16 Block 52+ to the F?16V configuration for an estimated cost of $985.2 million.

Europe

The US Army awarded Lockheed Martin $106.1 million for Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor systems, subcomponent production and technical services for the Apache Attack Helicopters. The deal involves Foreign Military Sales to the Netherlands and United Kingdom. The Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS), also known as Arrowhead, is an electro-optical sensor that provides enhanced situational awareness to Apache’s aircrew with greater performance and survivability. It offers long-range, precision engagement and pilotage solution for missions conducted during the day, night or adverse weather conditions. Estimated completion date is March 31, 2023.

The State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Germany, through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency acting as its Agent. The Sale provides for AGM-88 high-speed anti-radiation missiles. Berlin had requested up to 91 AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) Tactical Missiles, and up to 8 AGM-88E AARGM Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM). Also included are up to six telemetry/flight termination systems, Flight Data Recorders (FDR), US Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services and miscellaneous support equipment, and other related elements of logistical and program support.

Asia-Pacific

According to local reports, the Indian Air Force will be participating in its biggest joint air exercise of 2019 with the French Air Force at France from July 1 to 14. The French Embassy in New Delhi said that the Garuda-VI exercise is a tactical Indo-French exercise aimed at enhancing the interoperability level of the French and Indian crews in air defense and ground attack missions as part of the Indo-Pacific cooperation between the two countries. The exercise is alternately held in France and India. The Indian Air Force contingent comprises of 120 air-warriors and four Sukhoi 30 MKI along with an IL-78 flight refueling aircraft.

Today’s Video

Watch: One Dozen F-22 Raptors Sent to Persian Gulf amid Iran Tensions For Stability

Air India A330
(click to view full)

By the early 2000s, India’s Air Force was expressing interest in buying modern aerial tankers, AWACS radar planes, maritime patrol aircraft, and other long-range, high-value aircraft. Things always take a longer time than they should in India, but the IAF is moving ahead on all fronts. IL-76TD based A-50EI Phalcon AWACS radar aircraft are arriving from Israel, as are has ordered Lockheed Martin’s C-130J-30 Hercules transports for its special forces and Boeing’s 737-derived P-8i Neptune for maritime patrol. A project is underway to develop a mid-size AWACS aircraft, and a competition will select a similar-sized maritime patrol plane to complement the new P-8is.

Aerial tankers enhance the capability of nearly every aircraft in this set, along with India’s fighter fleet. The IAF already operates Russian IL-76 transports, and 6 or 7 related IL-78MK “Midas” aerial tankers, but that won’t be enough. As the Indian Air Force inducts new high-value aircraft, the need for aerial refueling tankers grows along with them. In response, the IAF plans to buy another 6 aerial tankers. In order to add to its fleet, however, the IAF must first overcome India’s bureaucracy.

India’s New Tankers: Enter Airbus

IL-78MK with SU-30MKIs
(click to expand)

Despite the IL-76 family’s strong position within the IAF as transport and aerial tanker planes, and an attractive price tag of well under $100 million for the base aircraft, May 2009 reports from India indicated that Russia’s position as India’s top arms exporter was about to take another blow.

Airbus’ A330 Multi-Role Tanker/Transport (MRTT), which had won the initial KC-X tanker competition in the USA, was reportedly about to win a EUR 1 billion order for 6 Indian aerial tankers. If so, India’s aerial tanker fleet would double to a mixed group of 12, while the A330 MRTT’s confirmed customer base would expand to include Australia, Britain, India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

The A330’s is a much more expensive base airplane, with commercial costs reported at over $150 million. Its other drawback is its lack of commonality with the IAF’s existing fleet, which creates additional burdens for maintenance and spares. On the other hand, commonality is not an insuperable barrier. Air India already operates the A330, and other buyers have leveraged their national airlines’ experience. Australia, for example, hired Quantas as its “KC-30B” maintenance provider, creating a global maintenance network. Given the historically poor performance of Russian suppliers, and India’s expectation that it would deploy its forces abroad more often in the coming years, that kind of maintenance arrangement was attractive to the IAF. The A330 would also offer them a more modern platform and engines, with good fuel economy and an advanced refueling system.

The problem was India’s Finance Ministry. They refused to approve the IAF’s choice, on the grounds that the A330 was not the lowest-cost option. The government gave up, and canceled the initial tender in January 2010.

The IAF’s need for more aerial tankers didn’t change, but its tactics did. A v2.0 RFP was released in September 2010: the IAF’s goal remains a buy of up to 6 more aerial tankers, with a budget of up to $2 billion. Besides an increased budget, the big difference this time is that the IAF has added lifetime operating costs into the equation.

RAAF A330-MRTT/ KC-30B
(click to view full)

Boeing’s KC-767 is smaller than the A330, and reportedly offers even more economical long-term operating costs, but it was not bid. That left Round 2 as a re-match between the same 2 competitors: IL-78MK vs. A330 MRTT.

India’s military believes that their RFP v2.0 changes will make the A330 cheaper to buy over the long-term, even if it’s more expensive in the short term. A design optimized for high-altitude cruise instead of short takeoffs with heavy loads, fitted with western avionics and engines, and having commonality with existing Indian airline fleets, may indeed be able to win on lifetime cost. After all, India knows the IL-78’s operating costs. If Airbus figures show a total cost crossover at some point within a reasonable service lifetime, it’s a simple matter of setting the RFP’s calculation time frame accordingly, in order to get the aircraft you wanted in the first place.

Will that work? The answer may depend on how much extra margin was built into the service lifetime assumptions. Boeing’s KC-X win showed that an unprofitable bid can upset standard calculations, and India’s procurement system has been vulnerable to Russia’s “lowball, then renegotiate” tactics in the past.

Contracts and Key Events

July 1/19: Refueling Aircraft to participate in Exercise According to local reports, the Indian Air Force will be participating in its biggest joint air exercise of 2019 with the French Air Force at France from July 1 to 14. The French Embassy in New Delhi said that the Garuda-VI exercise is a tactical Indo-French exercise aimed at enhancing the interoperability level of the French and Indian crews in air defense and ground attack missions as part of the Indo-Pacific cooperation between the two countries. The exercise is alternately held in France and India. The Indian Air Force contingent comprises of 120 air-warriors and four Sukhoi 30 MKI along with an IL-78 flight refueling aircraft.

January 29/18: Competition Restart For the third time in seven years, India has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the purchase of six aerial refueling tankers. Issued on January 25, the new procurement hopes to overcome pricing issues which have befallen the previous acquisition attempts, and will include necessary training and associated equipment. Previous entrants into the competition include the Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) and Ilyushin’s Il-78. At present, India operates six IL-78 tankers that were purchased in the 2003-2004 Fiscal Year, however, improper storage and maintenance over the years has adversely effected their serviceability and life, and the aircraft continue to fly with vintage 1985 avionics.

February 14/17: India’s state-run Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) is seeking permission to buy six A330s from Airbus and convert them into early warning radar platforms. The deal is currently before the Cabinet Committee on Security and once clearances are given, the DRDO claim they can have the indigenously-built Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) integrated on the first aircraft and delivered to the Indian Air Force within seven years. The IAF has also recently inducted an indigenous AWACS platform on a Brazilian-made Embraer-145 aircraft.

July 29/16: The Indian government has backtracked on a plan to procure six A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft for the Indian Air Force. This marks the second time that India has scrapped the aircraft’s tender which is estimated at $2 billion. But Airbus, already in the midst of financial hits due to its A400M transporter, seems to be remaining confident with an official saying the company “will engage with the Indian government in finding a way to bring the A330 MRTT’s capabilities to the IAF.”

March 8/16: Airbus plans to generate $2 billion in procurement under the “Make In India” initiative between now and 2020. The statement comes as the company’s Indian suppliers and partners generated over $500 million worth of aero-structures, components, materials, and services in India during 2015, which represented a 15% growth over the previous year. Over 45 suppliers, both private and public, have employed more than 6,000 people to contribute toward most of Airbus’ leading platforms, including the A380, A350 XWB, A320 Family, A330, C295W, A400M, Eurofighter, Tiger, and NH90. The company hopes that its willingness to engage in the “Make In India” program will put it in the running for India’s plans for a indigenous fighter.

January 26/16: Delays in the approval of six Airbus MRTT tankers has given to a rise in tensions between Indian Air Force brass and the Defense Ministry. The former has grown frustrated with the ministry’s lack of decision regarding the acquisition which is said to be worth $2 billion. The IAF, citing the urgency to quickly induct any new tankers into the air force, want either the purchase to be confirmed or a new competition to be announced and quickly processed. With the manufacturer’s headquarters stationed in Toulouse, the visit of French President Hollande may be cause for the renewed sense of urgency. But with the Dassault’s sale of Rafale fighters going nowhere fast, the tanker procurement might not go as quickly as the air force wants.

March 5/14: Singapore. Singapore picks the A330-MRTT as their aerial refueling platform and signs a contract for 6 planes, joining Australia as regional operators. Airbus also discusses Indian negotiations, which they still describe as being “in the final stages of contractual negotiations” for 6 aircraft.” MINDEF cyberpioneer, “Dr Ng showcases SAF 2030 at budget debate” | Airbus Military, “Singapore selects Airbus Defence and Space A330 MRTT Multi Role Tanker Transport” | Flight Global, “Singapore confirms A330 MRTT buy”.

Feb 25/14: Airbus officials tell Flight International that they’re “in the final stages of negotiations and down to the fine contractual details,” and have extended their bid terms to July 2014 at the request of the Indian government. National elections is coming by May 2014, which means another extension will almost certainly be needed.

India is yet to finalize its choice of A330 engine, which they’ve set up as a separate acquisition. In practice, that’s between GE’s CF6-80E1A3 or the Rolls-Royce Trent 772B. Pratt and Whitney’s PW-4168A exists in theory, but India would be the 1st to pick it if they do. Sources: “Airbus Military extends India A330 MRTT bid until July”.

Jan 9/14: Progress on the MRTT has been delayed by the death of the senior acquisition official, but meetings have been scheduled for mid-January 2014, according to “an informed source close to the program” who adds that “This contract has no political overtones or baggage attached to it.” Which makes it possible to imagine an actual contract, if it can fit into a budget that has been reduced for the 2nd year in a row. Sources: AIN, “India May Close Interim MMRCA Deal Soon – Plus MRTT”.

Jan 11/13: Airbus Military confirms they have been selected as the preferred bidder. After further negotiations to flesh out details, they expect a final production contract later this year.

Jan 4/13: A330 reportedly L-1. The Times of India quotes unnamed Ministry of Defence sources who say that the Airbus A330 MRTT was indeed L-1, the lowest cost offer when lifetime operating costs are accounted for.

“Defence ministry sources on Thursday said the European Aeronautics Defence and Space Company (EADS) “is now being called for the final commercial negotiations” for acquisition of six Airbus-330 MRTT…. The actual contract will be inked in the 2013-14 financial year since commercial negotiations with EADS will take some time. Moreover, there has been a massive cut (Rs 10,000 crore) in the defence capital budget for the ongoing fiscal…. the four-engine IL-78 and the two-engine Airbus-330 had passed the extensive field evaluation trials conducted by IAF but the latter emerged the cheaper option in the subsequent commercial evaluation…. “Four to five years have been lost. IAF could have got the Airbus-330 MRTT much earlier and at a cheaper cost,” said the source.”

The note about capital acquisition cuts is actually the bigger story. India has many major programs underway at the same time, and cost has been notably absent from the criteria for some of its most expensive buys. If ambition is forced to meet fiscal reality in the next few years, the collision could be messy.

Airbus picked, again

March 21/12: India’s PTI reports that there is no change to the basic situation, though Airbus thinks the final total may be more than 6 aerial tankers after follow-on buys:

“Flight trials were concluded by the end of last year. So the ball is now back in the court of Indian authorities,” Ian Elliott, Vice President, Defence Capability Marketing, Airbus told reporters… Talking about the requirement placed by the IAF, he said, “Requirement is of six tankers. But it is the initial stage of the competition and that number can probably go up because of the nature of the requirement in this part of the world.”

Jan 2/12: Rediff reports that the IAF has finished trial reports for the Airbus A330 MRTT and Ilyushin IL-78 Midas aerial tankers, following July 2011 trials in Spain (Airbus) and Russia (Ilyushin), as well as earlier trials at India’s Gwailor AB. Rediff | UPI.

Nov 28/11: Defence Minister Antony responds to a Parliamentary inquiry by saying that:

“Indian Air Force is processing a case for procurement of six Air to Air Re-fuellers from the global market. The Defence Procurement Procedure envisages a timeline of about two and a half years from the date of issue-of RFP to conclusion of contract in such multi-vendor cases. The delivery schedule is expected to be between 36 to 51 months from the date of signing the contract.”

In other words, India won’t see its new aerial tankers for another 4-5 years, and possibly much longer. By this time, Boeing’s 767-based KC-46A had won the American KC-X competition, removing uncertainties and ensuring production for many years to come.

KC-46A concept
(click to view full)

Feb 24/11: Boeing 767 for American KC-X. The KC-46A win surprises many aerospace analysts, who expected an EADS win based on leaks that EADS had scored better in the USAF’s models, and expectations they could price their planes lower. That expectation proved untrue, for 2 reasons.

One was an unprofitable bid by Boeing, who bid $20.6 billion vs. EADS $22.6 billion to develop and build the initial planes. The other had to do with changes to the KC-X v2.0 formula. These are adjusted prices. Rep. Norm Dicks [D-WA], for example, claims credit for successful pressure to change the USAF’s costing model from 25 years of expected fuel costs to 40 years, which he boasts cost Airbus “billions of dollars” in the respective calculations.

This decision has implications for India, on a couple of fronts. One is that it removes all production uncertainty for a KC-767, if Boeing wishes to change its mind and bid. The other is the insight it provides into the ways that RFP construction and bids can interact, in a competition of this type.

Jan 20/11: Reports indicate that the EADS A330 MRTT will face off once again against Russia’s IL-78, for India’s aerial refueling contract. IAI Bedek offered to convert a used Boeing 767-300 MMTT the way they did for Colombia, carrying the same IAI refueling system used on the IL-78s, but India insisted on new-build aircraft. On the new-build front, Boeing itself did not submit a KC-767 bid, and indeed made an active decision not to bid. Boeing DSS India VP Vivek Lall told reporters that:

“Only upon the outcome of the [American] KC-X competition will we be able to fully determine our ability to participate in future international competitions.”

Without a KC-767 order from the USAF, Boeing will close the 767 production line, in favor of putting resources into 777 and 787 production. If so, it would leave Japan (4 AWACS, 4 KC-767), Italy (4 KC-767), and Colombia (IAI 767-MMTT) as the only 767 military operators, alongside the world’s large civilian fleets. See: Defense Update | DNA India | Flight International | RIA Novosti | Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

September 2010: India’s Air Force issues a revised aerial tanker RFP.

Jan 6/10: DNA India reports that India’s government has canceled the proposed program, after the Ministry of Finance insisted on “L1 norms” where the cheapest item that satisfies the criteria must be bought.

That means the IL-78, but the Indian Air Force had justified their A330-MRTT choice in a detailed written reply, based on superior technology, competitive through-life costs, and the ability to service it in India. That last provision would help to avoid the dismal in-service readiness record of Russian equipment, which generally has to be shipped to Russia and back if anything significant goes wrong. An IAF officer told DNA:

“For every bit of sophistication, we have to pay a price, and that makes a huge difference in the battlefield… It would take us a few years now to select a tanker, unless they force us to buy the Russian tanker.”

The reason it would take years is because the tender would have to be started over again from the beginning, with criteria set up to exclude the IL-78 and favor the A330. This would achieve the same effect as complying with the IAF’s stated preferences, just force the service to jump through far more bureaucratic hoops before getting the aircraft it wants.

Dec 14/09: Reports surface that India’s mid-air refueling program may be canceled and rebid, following September 2009 objections from the Ministry of Finance over procedural maters, and the selection of Airbus over Russia’s IL-78. Brahmand Defence & Aerospace News | Indian Express | Defense News.

May 28/09: Pravda reports that India rejected the IL-78s because of they didn’t meet stated requisitions, but adds that Russia’s poor performance with spare parts supplies and after-sales service also played a role.

May 25/09: The Hindustan Times adds more fuel to the fire:

“In an exclusive interview to HT, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said, “We have finished all evaluations and selected the A330 MRTT. The deal will come up for final approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) very soon. The Russian platform did not meet certain requirements.”

The report places the deal’s value at 48,000 crore, which would be INR 480 billion or $10.1 billion. It’s very likely that this is a typographical error. The actual value for a purchase of this type should be closer to $1 billion, a figure that was also used in the article.

Jan 4/09: India Defence reports that the IL-78 may be set to lose the IAF’s follow-on order. That order’s value is reported as EUR 1 billion, or about $1.3 billion at the time.

Americas

BAE Systems together with Serco Inc. and Scientific Research Corporation each won combined contracts by the US Navy valued at $1.8 billion to support the branch’s shipbuilding programs, including communications and computers systems aboard vessels. The work will be performed aboard new construction aircraft carriers and large deck amphibious ships, including refueling and complex overhaul ships. The programs require integrated work on integrated command, control, communications, computers and intelligence systems (C41). This includes logistics, integration, engineering, procurement, fabrication, assembly, test, inspection, zone integration and installation. Throughout the duration of the awarded contracts, the total obligated amount on orders for all of the awarded contracts combined will not exceed $747,097,000. Seventy-three percent of the work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, 17 percent in Charleston, South Carolina and 10 percent in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Work is expected to be completed by June 2029.

On its way to its new homeport in Florida, the future Freedom Class Littoral Combat Ship USS Billings suffered damage after hitting another vessel in Montreal, Canada on June 24. The ship was awaiting its formal commissioning and the hope is that this incident will not delay its entry into service. The Billings struck the geared bulker Rosaire Desgagnes after it lost control for still unknown reasons. There were no reported injuries to personnel on either ship. There is no word yet about potential damage to the Rosaire Desgagnes. Construction of the future Billings began in 2014 and she was launched in 2017. The Navy officially took delivery of the Billings back in February. Lockheed Martin is the contractor. The ship left the shipyard for Mayport earlier in June. After delivery, new Freedom Class LCSs must sail through the Great Lakes and up the St. Lawrence Seaway in order to get out into the Atlantic Ocean and then make their way to their future homeports.

Middle East & Africa

Jane’s reports that a French Gazelle helicopter crashed while flying near the border of Mali and Niger under the auspices of Operation ‘Barkhane’. The incident occurred in mid-June. All three personnel onboard were reportedly immediately rescued. After a controlled crash landing, the two pilots were extracted by being strapped to the landing gear of an Airbus Tiger attack helicopter. The third person, a special forces soldier, destroyed the damaged Gazelle before being exfiltrated in another helicopter. Operation Barkhane is an insurgent operation in Africa’s Sahel region that started in August 2014. It consists of a 3,000-strong French Force.

Europe

The Russian defense ministry confirmed the purchase of 76 Su-57 multirole fighter jets under a contract with Sukhoi Company at the Army 2019 Forum. The jets will be supplied by 2028. Already in May, president Putin said that Russia planned to purchase 76 SU-57s instead of 16 by 2028 without increasing the price. The Sukhoi Su-57 is the country’s first indigenously designed and built fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. It can destroy all air, ground, and water surface targets.

Germany finished evaluating the Mikado (Mikoraufklärungsdrohne) UAV. The quadrocopter is powered by four brush and gearless electric motors. When disassembled, Mikado can be stored together with the ground station and the operating unit in a special backpack and transported by a soldier. The system includes batteries that allow up to six flights. The drone is used for reconnaissance in the local area to locate objects, identify and provide an optimal situation image. The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support tasked the Bundeswehr Technical Center for Aircraft and Aeronautical Equipment with the evaluation of the quadcopter’s characteristics, carrying out the assessment at the Feilenmoos test site in May 2019 in cooperation with the Air Force Center of Aerospace Medicine. The system underwent a special reconnaissance-mission, during which it had to find and identify different targets in the visual and infrared spectrum. Based on the results of this initial test, further tests will be performed.

Asia-Pacific

South Korea has finished development of a 120 mm self-propelled mortar system that has been integrated into an M113 tracked armored personnel carrier (APC). The self-propelled system, development of which began in March 2014, has successfully met all the requirements set by the South Korean military following final tests and evaluations. According to the Defense Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), final tests and evaluations confirmed that the new system met all the military requirements and is to replace aging 107-mm mortars. Developed for the Republic of Korea Army by several South Korean companies under $35.7 million, the integrated mortar system has a strike range 2.3 times that of the aging M30 107 mm rifled mortar it is expected to replace.

Today’s Video

Watch: The Most Aggressive F-22 Raptor Demo ever in Skyfest 2019

Americas

BAE Systems won a $14.1 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for an upgraded MK45 Mod 4 gun mount. The 5-inch MK 45 light weight gun mount system is fired aboard guided missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke and CG-47 Class ships. The MK 45 gun was developed as a lighter weight, more easily maintained replacement for the MK 42 5″/54 caliber gun mount. It is designed to engage surface and air targets and to provide naval surface fire support for expeditionary operations. The modification also includes for the MK45 associated components. The contract will provide all necessary material and services required to overhaul and upgrade MK 45 gun mounts to support AEGIS Modernization and Arleigh Burke new construction requirements. BAE Systems will perform work in Louisville, Kentucky, and is expected to be finished by October 2023.

Sikorsky will provide engineering services for the H-60 Blackhawk under a $91.3 million hybrid contract. The deal also features other support services for all versions of the Blackhawk four-bladed twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter. The Blackhawk is the primary medium lift helicopter for the US Army that performs a wide range of missions encompassing Air Assault, MEDEVAC, CSAR, Command and Control, and VIP transport. The newest version of the Army’s premier combat utility helicopter, the UH-60M, ensures compatibility with the US Army’s Future Force. It aims to improve the Forces’ effectiveness, reduce their vulnerability and allow for future growth, while lowering operating and support costs. At the beginning of the month it was reported that Sikorsky had tested a retrofit technology kit for the first time to operate a Blackhawk helicopter with full-authority, fly-by-wire flight controls. Estimated completion date for work under the new contract is June 27, 2019.

Middle East & Africa

Israeli, US and UK F-35 stealth fighter jets participated in a joint exercise over the eastern Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday, Israel Defense reports. The exercise called „Tri-Lightning“ was a one-day defensive counter air exercise involving friendly and adversary aircraft from the three participating countries and consisted of active and passive air defense operations. The Israeli Defense Forces emphasized that the exercise was pre-scheduled as part of the annual training graph and constitutes a unique opportunity for the joint training of the fifth-generation combat aircraft. Additionally, the exercise enabled the cooperation between the Air Forces and the development of joint capabilities.

Europe

Saab just inked a framework agreement with the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) in order of providing the Swedish Armed Forces with the Carl-Gustaf 84 mm man-portable reusable anti-tank weapon. The FMV can place orders in a ten-year-period under the agreement. It allows FMV to make quick and cost effective purchasing on behalf of the Swedish Armed Forces with a minimum of red tape. In addition, the Estonian and Latvian Armed Forces are also allowed to purchase under this framework agreement. The Carl-Gustaf provides high tactical flexibility through its wide range of ammunition types. It is fully optimized for dismounted soldiers who need a light-weight, and high-impact weapon. Saab unveiled the Carl-Gustaf M4 in October 2014 during AUSA, the Association of the US Army in Washington DC.

Russian company Kalashnikov launched its next-generation kamikaze drone, local reports say. The reconnaissance and attack drone can autonomously locate and destroy hostile targets in the air, on land and in the water. The drone is dubbed „Lancet“. The Lancet was the second high-precision attack drone presented by ZALA AERO, a subsidiary of the Kalashnikov group, this year. According to ZALA, the weapon system has already been tested. Earlier at the IDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi, the Kalashnikov presented the „Kubik“ kamikaze drone. However, this drone did not have a television channel guidance.

Asia-Pacific

India’s Ministry of Defense has sent Requests for Expression of Interest (REoIs) to local shipyards inviting them to participate in the long-deferred Project-75 India that aims to domestically construct six diesel-electric attack submarines equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems for the Indian Navy. The REoIs were sent out on June 20. The shipyards have two months to respond to the REoI. Project-75I is the second project after the procurement of 111 armed light naval utility helicopters and 24 naval multirole helicopters, under the MoD’s SP model. The Defense Acquisition Council, the Indian MoD’s principal procurement body chaired by the country’s defense minister, has approved the procurement of the six new SSKs back in January.

Today’s Video

Watch: US Military and NATO forces allies crossed Europe For Stability

Americas

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy megarocket successfully launched 24 satellites into orbit. The launch, which was part of a complex government mission, marked several firsts for the SpaceX team. It was the first nighttime launch for the Falcon Heavy, the first time this kind of government mission used two SpaceX boosters that have been flown before and the first time ever the military used the world’s most powerful weapon. The rocket blasted off at 2:30 am EDT on June 25. It was the Falcon Heavy’s third overall flight. The rocket carried payloads for universities, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the nonprofit organization The Planetary Society. The aim of the launch was for the rocket to release the satellites in three different orbits over a period of hours. The satellites will orbit Earth near the equator, taking measurements of the tropics and subtropics, and monitoring the ionosphere for the effects of solar storms. Additionally, the Defense Department and NASA will operate the satellites. Some are intended to conduct space environmental monitoring, communications and advanced space technologies. SpaceX founder Elon Musk called the mission the „most difficult“ ever for the company. While the overall launch was successful, SpaceX had to face one mishap: the center core of the rocket crashed into the ocean instead of landing on the drone ship „Of course I love you“. It is unclear why the center core missed its target. The disappointment was evident in the SpaceX headquarters during the livestream as initial celebration gave way to silence after the center core crashed.

L3 Technologies won a $73.7 million contract in support of the submarine photonics mast programs. The deal provides for repair, upgrades and overall services. A photonics mast is a sensor on a submarine that functions much like a periscope but without requiring a periscope tube. This prevents water leakage in the event of damage. The Navy started fitting photonics masts to the Virginia Class submarines in 2004. The Naval Sea Systems Command contracted L-3 with $48.7 million in 2015 to develop and build a new, slimmer version of its photonics mast for the Virginia Class submarines. In the boats, traditional periscopes have been supplanted by two Photonics Masts that house color, high-resolution black and white, and infrared digital cameras atop telescoping arms. L3 will perform 98 percent of the work in Northampton, Massachusetts and is expected to be finished by June 2025.

Middle East & Africa

Qatar’s $6.4 billion deal with the UK in 2018 to supply Qatar with 24 Typhoon fighter jets was the largest UK export credit deal ever, the recent UK Export Finance report shows. In the UKEF report, it says: „As well as being its centenary, this has also been a record year for UKEF, with the largest amount of business underwritten in a single year for decades. This included support for the biggest transaction in its history, worth nearly £5 billion for the export of defence equipment to Qatar. As well as supporting BAE Systems, MBDA UK and their thousands of UK employees and suppliers, this contract will strengthen our own defence capabilities and those of an important strategic ally“. According to Jane’s the provision of credit to Qatar continues the UKEF’s trend in recent years to engage primarily with the defense materiel requirements of countries from the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

Europe

Lockheed Martin won a $561.8 million FMS contract to Bahrain, Poland and Romania for the Army tactical missile guided missile. The contract for the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, includes guided missiles and a launching Service Life Extension Program, or SLEP III. According to Lockheed, the rounds will include sensor technology that provides the recently qualified Height-of-Burst capability. They will produce the rounds at the company’s Precision Fires Production Center of Excellence in Camden, Arkansas. Lockheed is expanding its Camden manufacturing facilities to include the capability to produce ATACMS and other upcoming missiles. Estimated completion date is June 30, 2022.

MBDA Germany and Lockheed Martin’s joint venture, the TLVS bidders consortium, submitted its proposal to develop, test and deliver TLVS, Germany’s future Integrated Air and Missile Defense system, MBDA said in a news release. The tender proposes an efficient four-phased approach that includes development, integration, testing and delivery of a fielded multi-mission system. The TLVS (Taktisches Luftverteidigungssystem) is designed to replace Germany’s aging, sectored Patriot systems. It will be the first-ever integrated air and missile defense system able to simultaneously detect, track and intercept multiple threat sets, including medium and short-range threats with full 360-degree coverage. According to MBDA, the fielded unit will deliver new capabilities and significant performance enhancements well beyond the MEADS program and all known systems. The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) program is aimed to replace Patriot missiles in the United States, the older Hawk system in Germany, and Italy’s even older Nike Hercules missiles.

Asia-Pacific

India’s Ministry of Defense approved the procurement of 10 more Boeing P-8I Neptune long-range maritime multi-mission aircraft for the Indian Navy for a total of $3 billion. The proposed P-8Is are expected to supplement 12 similar platforms, eight of which were ordered in 2009 for $2.1 billion and delivered by 2015. The other four were ordered in 2016 for $1.1 billion and are scheduled for delivery from 2021. The actual contract is scheduled to be signed early next year. First, the deal will have to be cleared by the Defense Acquisition Council, which is headed by defense minister Rajnath Singh and includes the three chiefs and the defense secretary, and then, by the Cabinet Committee on Security, which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and includes the finance, defense, home and external affairs ministers.

Today’s Video

Watch: SpaceX successfully launches Falcon Heavy rocket

Falcon 9 Engines

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

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

The Falcon 9

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

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

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

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

Falcon Family
(click to view full)

SpaceX: Rocket Science With A Difference

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

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

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

Falcon 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

SpaceX: The Future

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

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

Updates

June 26/19: Third Launch SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy megarocket successfully launched 24 satellites into orbit. The launch, which was part of a complex government mission, marked several firsts for the SpaceX team. It was the first nighttime launch for the Falcon Heavy, the first time this kind of government mission used two SpaceX boosters that have been flown before and the first time ever the military used the world’s most powerful weapon. The rocket blasted off at 2:30 am EDT on June 25. It was the Falcon Heavy’s third overall flight. The rocket carried payloads for universities, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the nonprofit organization The Planetary Society. The aim of the launch was for the rocket to release the satellites in three different orbits over a period of hours. The satellites will orbit Earth near the equator, taking measurements of the tropics and subtropics, and monitoring the ionosphere for the effects of solar storms. Additionally, the Defense Department and NASA will operate the satellites. Some are intended to conduct space environmental monitoring, communications and advanced space technologies. SpaceX founder Elon Musk called the mission the „most difficult“ ever for the company. While the overall launch was successful, SpaceX had to face one mishap: the center core of the rocket crashed into the ocean instead of landing on the drone ship „Of course I love you“. It is unclear why the center core missed its target. The disappointment was evident in the SpaceX headquarters during the livestream as initial celebration gave way to silence after the center core crashed.

September 15/16: SpaceX aims to resume rocket flights in November following a launch pad fire that destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket and an Israeli communications satellite it was due to lift into orbit earlier this month. The company stated that it has suspended Falcon 9 flights until it completes its investigation into why the rocket burst into flames during fueling for a routine prelaunch test at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SpaceX had previously stated that a nearly-completed second launch site in Florida, located at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC), would be finished in November. The pad was last used to launch NASA’s space shuttles five years ago.

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

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

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

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

Americas

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems won a $96.6 million contract modification for the initial production of the Silent Knight Radar system for the US Special Operations Command. The Silent Knight Radar is a terrain following, terrain avoidance system designed to increase the situational awareness of aircraft and helicopters in low visibility conditions. Silent Knight is claimed to be 30 percent lighter than previous airborne systems and to require less power, which means a lower probability of detection/interception. The system includes a range of new applications, including navigation support systems and threat detection and identification. The radar also features ground mapping and weather detection capabilities. The contract modification increases the ceiling to $300 million for continued low-rate initial production of the radar system for rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. Raytheon will perform work in McKinney and Forest, Mississippi, and is scheduled to be complete by October 2022.

Leidos won a $72.8 million contract to help the US Navy build a wide area surveillance technology to support antisubmarine warfare missions. The company will specifically develop the Transformational Reliable Acoustic Path System (TRAPS) for the Navy’s Maritime Surveillance Systems Program Office. The TRAPS capability complements fixed surveillance systems and the surveillance towed array sensor system. It provides flexible and responsive wide area surveillance for theater antisubmarine warfare commanders worldwide. Work will take place in Long Beach, Mississippi, and is scheduled to be finished by June 2022.

The Navy tapped Lockheed Martin to build elements of the Virginia Class submarines. The firm-fixed-price, cost contract is valued at $16.3 million and has the company build multifunction modular masts for the submarines’ Block V hull, which can be extended by sections, depending on the requirements of the vessels’ strike capabilities. The Virginia Class of nuclear powered fast attack submarines is the US Navy’s latest undersea warfare platform. Block V subs incorporate the Virginia Payload Module (VPM), an added section of the ship, which will extend the hull by 84 feet and boost its strike capabilities. Virginia Class submarines with Block V armaments are capable of carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles. The VPM will increase the number of torpedoes and Tomahawk missiles the Virginia class can carry. 70 percent of the work will take place in Nashua, new Hampshire, and 30 percent in Syracuse, New York. Scheduled completion date is in June next year.

Middle East & Africa

The US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center awarded Northrop Grumman a $17.8 million contract for sustainment services in support of the Lebanese Air Force Armed Caravan Program. The Cessna 208 Caravan is an American single-engined turboprop, fixed-tricycle landing gear, short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft. The airplane is able to seat between and fourteen passengers. The aircraft is also used for cargo operations. The Lebanese Air Force currently holds three Cessna AC 208 for reconnaissance and ground attack roles. The deal provides field service representatives, repair and return, calibration, support equipment and spares. Work will take place in Beirut, Lebanon. Scheduled completion date is June 30, 2021.

Europe

Jane’s reports that the Czech Republic is planning to procure two C295 transport aircraft, and upgrade 33 T-72M Main Battle Tanks as well as a flight planning system. The Czech Defense Minister submitted three contracts with a combined value of $176.6 million. Airbus reportedly offered the Czech Republic the two C295s for 2020-21, with the possibility of deferring payment until 2022-23, the original delivery dates. The T-72M4CZ MBTs were produced in the Czech Republic in 2003-2006 under a Russian license. The tank`s outdated components, including fire-control systems and control units, will be replaced. Work will be conducted at the state-owned company VOP CZ’s plant through 2023.

Two German Eurofighter Typhoons collided and subsequently crashed in the northeast of Germany, reportedly killing one of the pilots. According to the German Air Force, the aircraft were taking part in an air combat exercise when they collided and crashed near Laage Air Base. The German newspaper „Die Welt“ called the incident „the worst crash in the history of the Eurofighter“. It is yet unknown, what caused the collision. The accident comes in the midst of the Luftwaffe’s plans to procure more Eurofighters. The old models of the German Eurofighters are to be replaced by modernized variants. The cost for one Eurofighter is roughly valued at $148 million.

Asia-Pacific

FlexDecks Inc. won a $17.2 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for up to 40 V-22 and 40 MV-22B maintenance wing platform stands in support of the Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy as well as the government of Japan. The first Japanese V-22 Osprey multi-mission tilt-rotor aircraft Block C type rolled out on August 24, 2017 at the Bell facility in Amarillo, Texas. In January 2015, Japan’s parliament had approved a defense budget with funding for five V-22s. In September 2018, the Japanese Ministry of Defense decided to ya href=https://www.janes.com/article/83299/tokyo-to-delay-deployment-of-osprey-tiltrotors-amid-local-opposition>delay the deployment of the first five MV-22B aircraft it had received due to local opposition.

Today’s Video

Watch: Indian Defence Updates : India Starts 6 Next Gen SSN,M-88 Core Kaveri For AMCA,MPATGM By 2021

Americas

Leidos won a $30 million cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification for integrated logistic support, fleet support and life cycle sustainment of the US Navy’s AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 surface ship Undersea Warfare Systems. The AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is a combat system that’s able to search, detect, classify, localize and track undersea contacts and to engage and evade submarines, mine-like small objects and torpedo threats. It is the primary undersea warfare system used aboard US Navy surface combatants. The system uses active and passive sonar to conduct anti-submarine warfare search. The acoustic energy received is processed and displayed to enable operators to detect, classify, localize, and track threat submarines. Leidos will perform work within the US as well as Japan and Spain and is expected to be finished by June next year.

The Naval Sea Systems Command awarded Austal a modification for Littoral Combat Ship Class design services. The deal also includes integrated data and product model environment (IDPME) support. The IPDME will enable the Navy to access enterprise data management, visualization, program management applications, and network management and control. According to the Department of Defense, the company will provide efforts to support Littoral Combat Ship Class ships, including but not limited to technical analyses, non-recurring engineering, configuration management, software maintenance and development, production assessments, and diminishing manufacturing sources and seaframe reliability analysis. The Littoral Combat Ship is a set of two classes of relatively small surface vessels designed for operations near shore by the US Navy. Work under the modification will take place in Alabama and Massachusetts and is scheduled to be complete by June 2025.

The Naval Air Systems Command tapped Bell Boeing Joint Project Office to facilitate additional structural improvements, tooling assessment, and test aircraft retrofit tooling in support of the V-22 Nacelle Improvement effort. The contract modification provides for non-recurring engineering. Bell-Boeing’s V-22 Osprey is a joint service multirole combat aircraft utilizing tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft. With its rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter. It is the first production tiltrotor aircraft. Bell Boeing wants to increase Osprey mission readiness rates by 10 to 12 percent by removing eight of the 10 wiring interface boxes on the aircraft’s nacelles, changing wiring types, and through nacelle structural upgrades, such as latch changes. The fleet’s readiness rate has been below 60 percent. 84 percent of the work will take place in Fort Worth, Texas with a scheduled completion date in August next year.

Middle East & Africa

General Electric won a $24.9 million modification by the US Naval Air Systems Command to procure 72 F-414-GE-400 engines for the F/A-18 Super Hornets of the Navy and the government of Kuwait. 24 will be for the US Navy and 48 for Kuwait. The General Electric F414 is an afterburning turbofan engine. The contract also includes two spare and six test F414-GE-400 install engines devices for the government of Kuwait. Kuwait will underwrite 69 percent of the figure, or $17.5 million, under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work, which will take place in Evandale, Ohio, is scheduled to be finished in December next year.

The US confirmed that Iran shot down an American Navy RQ-4A Global Hawk. While Iran claimed the drone had violated Iranian airspace, the US insists that the aircraft had been over international waters at the time. The attack comes in a time of tensions between Iran and the US. Last week, the US announced it wants to send 1,000 additional troops to the region. It has already sent an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers. Jane’s reports that shooting down the Global Hawk might have confirmed that Iran has developed highly capable surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems in recent years. Iran credited a 3 Khordad, one of several new indigenous surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, with the shootdown. There are no fixed SAM sites within range of the shootdown location, affirming the claim that a mobile system like the 3 Khordad was used in the engagement.

Europe

The 47th annual Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) exercise came to an end on Friday in Kiel, Germany. The annual maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic region is one of the largest exercises in northern Europe. It started on June 9. The US Navy’s 2nd Fleet was leading the two-week-exercise. Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as NATO partner nations Finland and Sweden, participated and completed 389 serials, a planning term for a coordinated military exercise. During the exercise, a UK-led Maritime First Responder Force took to sea for the first time. The nine-nation Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) was formally created a year ago. The BALTOPS 2019 exercise is the second of three phases of the Baltic Protector Deployment 2019. UPI reports that BALTOPS ended with the start of “Kiel Week,” an annual sailing competition which draws millions of tourists to the city of Kiel.

Asia-Pacific

The Bangladesh Air Force ordered additional surplus ex-Royal Air Force C-130J Super Hercules. It previously had ordered two units from the UK. Marshall Aerospace and Defense Group will undertake the support contract. The new Super Hercules aircraft will improve Bangladesh’s overall airlift and logistics capability. The procurement also allows the Bangladesh Air Force to retire older C-130B Hercules it acquired second hand from the US in 2004. The C-130J is expected to become the most capable airlift asset of the BAF.

Today’s Video

Watch: U.S. Navy Successfully Tests Upgraded RAM Missile

Americas

Lockheed Martin won a $76.7 million modification in support of the AEGIS development and test sites operations. The option is for continued technical engineering, configuration management, associated equipment/supplies, quality assurance, information assurance and other operation and maintenance efforts at the Combat Systems Engineering Development Site, SPY-1A Test Facility and Naval Systems Computing Center. The deal also provides for continued site maintenance and planned improvements of the sites for AEGIS Combat System and Aegis Weapon System upgrades to CG-47 and DDG-51 class ships through the completion of Advanced Capability Build 20 and Technology Insertion 16, in addition to AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense and FMS requirements. The AEGIS Weapon System is a centralized, automated, command-and-control and weapons control system that was designed as a total weapon system, from detection to kill. The modification combines purchases for the US Navy and Missile Defense Agency as well as the governments of Japan, Australia, South Korea and Norway. Work is scheduled to be complete by June 2020.

The US Navy contracted Ultralife with $10 million to procure Universal Vehicle Adapter radio battery chargers, MRC-UVA-V1, in support of the Family of Special Operations Vehicles Ground Mobility Vehicle and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected platforms. The MRC-UVA-V1 is a handheld radio charging solution for vehicle communications. The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected family of vehicles provides soldiers with highly survivable multimission platforms capable of mitigating improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades, explosively formed penetrators, underbody mines and small arms fire threats which produce the greatest number of casualties in Overseas Contingency Operations. Ultralife will perform work in Newark, New York and is expected to be complete in June 2024.

Middle East & Africa

The US Army Contracting Command awarded Sikorsky a $15 million contract modification to procure the Post Green DD250 aircraft support, storage and maintenance for UH-60M aircraft for the Saudi Arabian Ministry of the National Guard. The UH-60M is a variant of the Black Hawk medium-lift utility helicopter. The UH-60M has multi-mission capabilities and features a new airframe, advanced digital avionics and a powerful propulsion system. It can be used to perform tactical transport, utility, combat search-and-rescue, airborne assault, command-and-control, medical evacuation, aerial sustainment, search-and-rescue, disaster relief and fire-fighting. In July 2017, Sikorsky secured a $3.8 billion contract from the US Department of Defense to deliver 142 UH-60M helicopters for the US Army and 115 helicopters to the National Guard of Saudi Arabia. Sikorsky will perform work in Stratford, Connecticut and estimated completion date is April 30, 2022. Foreign Military Sales funds in the full amount were obligated at the time of the award.

Europe

Thales announced that it won a contract to design and build the ground segment for the next-generation Syracuse 4 satellite communication system for the French armed forces. Syracuse 4 is a geostationary military satcom program designed to replace the Syracuse 3A and Syracuse 3B satellites currently in orbit. According to Thales, Syracuse 4 will benefit from Thales’s expertise in satellite communication systems, which the company has built up as a technology orchestrator and integrator in France and internationally. It will rely on the System21 highly secure transmission system to guarantee the availability and confidentiality of all communications and protection against jamming, interference, interception, detection and cyberattacks. This contract will enable French Armed Forces to meet their initial strategic capability objectives for the Scorpion vehicle program, the Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier and the Rafale combat aircraft.

According to local reports, Bulgarian president Rumen Radev warned the government not to cut the F-16 fighter aircraft package. The government is in negotiations with the US on the acquisition of new F-16 fighter jets. Radev wants to make sure that the aircraft’s combat capabilities will not be cut back for the sake of lowering the price. The president is a skilled fighter pilot who headed the Bulgarian Air Force before being elected President and Commander-in-Chief. “Every move down and trimming back of this package already leads to the impossibility of achieving the airplane’s operational capabilities, so I expect the government to ensure that there is no cut in the combat capabilities, and Bulgarian taxpayers will not give their money in vain,” Radev said. The government has already received a concrete offer for the acquisition of eight F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft, It however hopes to reduce it to about $1.2 billion in the framework of negotiations.

Asia-Pacific

The New Zealand government said it has made progress in its program to procure Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from the US government. New Zealand agreed to procure four P-8A aircraft in July 2018. It said at that time that the acquisition – including training systems, infrastructure, and introduction into service costs – would total $1.5 billion. A factsheet released last week states that delivery of the first P-8A to the RNZAF is expected by April 2023 with initial operating capability achieved by July of the same year. The entire fleet of four aircraft is slated to reach final operating capability by 2025.

Today’s Video

Watch: RAFAEL Litening + SAR