Defense Industry Daily

Americas

The Navy is modifying a support agreement with Boeing. The $136.9 million contract modification extends depot level maintenance and repair services for the P-8A’s engines. The contract is supporting Poseidon aircraft that are flown by the Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. Boeing will also be responsible to conduct field assessments and provide technical assistance during engine changes. The P-8A Poseidon is a heavily militarized derivative of the globally deployed, commercially supported Boeing 737-800 airframe and commercial CFM56-7B27A/3 and CFM56-7B27AE series engines. The high-bypass turbofan engines, are each rated at 120kN. The engine has logged more than 30 million flight hours and maintains a proven high-reliability figure of merit of 0.003% in-flight shut down rate for every 1,000 hours of flight. Work will be performed at Boeing facilities in Atlanta, Georgia and Seattle, Washington. The contract is expected to run through October 2019.

General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding (NASSCO) is being contracted to start pre-production of the Navy’s next Expeditionary Sea Base. The undefinitized contract action is valued at $136.7 million and covers the procurement of long lead time material in support of Expeditionary Sea Base-6. NASSCO will use the allocated funds to acquire components for the base’s propeller and shafting, centrifugal pumps, fuel and lube oil purifiers, integrated bridge electronics, integrated propulsion, main diesel generator and steering gear components. The Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship-class is based on NASSCO’s Alaska class crude oil carrier, and incorporates a number changes that make it a highly flexible platform that can be used across a broad range of military support operations. The ESB is optimized to support a variety of maritime-based missions and is designed around four core capabilities: aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging support, and command and control assets. Work will be performed at multiple locations including, but not limited to, San Diego, California; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Busan, Korea. This contract action is expected to be completed by May 2019.

EDO Corp. Defense Systems, a subsidiary of Harris Corp., is being awarded with a $7.8 million US Navy contract to deliver nine BRU-55B/A kits, four carriage system simulators and 30 joint miniature munition interface cables. BRU-55 allows carriage of two smart weapons (up to 1000lb class) on a single aircraft station. BRU-55 weapons currently consist of JSOW missiles, 1000 lbs JDAMs, and WCMD smart cluster bombs, and it is currently deployable on the Navy’s F-18 aircraft. The BRU-55 uses the MIL-STD-1760 interface. Work will be performed at EDO’s factory in Amityville, New York and is expected to be completed in June 2021.

Middle East & Africa

An undisclosed Asian customer is buying ELM-2032 fire-control radars from Elta Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The contract is valued at $55 million. The ELM-2032 can be delivered in different sizes, and equips a number of different aircraft. It has been fitted to F-16s, including Israel’s own fleet. The ELM-2032 is an advanced pulse Doppler, multimode planar array fire-control radar intended for multi-role fighter aircraft originated from the Lavi project. It is suitable for air-to-air and air-to-surface modes. The radar system is critical to the fighter aircraft’s weapon system effectiveness and accuracy. It detects and tracks maneuvering targets while employing advanced techniques to lock on the target. In 2012 a similar deal was struck, back then probable customers included Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and India.

Europe

Saab will launch a new version of its RBS15 Gungnir anti-ship missile system at Euronaval next week, the company says on its website. The surface launch version of the RBS15 uses the latest Mk4 missile variant. The RBS15 Mk4 development and production program started in March 2017 and incorporates a highly advanced target seeker and a range of more than 186 miles. This variant provides greater range, an enhanced defense penetration and electronic protection capability and the ability to precisely strike targets in adverse weather conditions. “With the RBS15 Gungnir we continue to build on the success and knowledge we have gained from the previous generations of RBS15. The surface launch version is a highly flexible missile system that can be integrated with existing command networks and on a wide range of the ships available on the market today”, says Görgen Johansson, Senior Vice President and head of Saab business area Dynamics.

Asia-Pacific

The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) is choosing Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen to be the country’s next supersonic jet fighter. The Philippine Air Force has been looking for new aircraft to replace its retired fleet of US-made F5 Interceptors for over a decade. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that the country is opting for the Gripen due to it being cheaper and less expensive in maintenance cost than the also offered F-16. Furthermore the Gripen is a proven supersonic fighter aircraft that has been in service with several countries in Europe and the Middle East. The Philippine Air Force needs the new multi-role jetfighters to counter ongoing Chinese pressure.

Taiwan is suspending a potential MQ-9 FMS request to the US and opts to wait for its domestically produced Tengyun UAV. The Taiwanese Air Force is currently in the process of creating a UAV Reconnaissance Squadron. A deal for the delivery of MQ-8B Fire Scout drones is currently under consideration. Until now it was believed that the Scout will be supplemented with the MQ-9, however the government will now wait for the completion of the Tengyun as it is expected under the country’s national defense autonomy policy. The Tengyun development program is led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and already cost $490 million. The Air Force plans to make a final decision on the purchase after it evaluated and assessed the UAVs in coming trials.

Today’s Video

Watch: I4th Combat Aviation Brigade Training In Germany

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33qV_l7Tq2Q

Americas

Dyncorp is being contracted to support the Navy’s fleet of TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters. The awarded contract is valued at $152.3 million and provides for logistics support services and depot level maintenance material for about 118 TH-57 aircraft. The TH-57 is more commonly known as the Bell 206 Jet Ranger, which was originally designed to meet the needs of the US Army’s 1962 Light Observation Helicopter competition as the YOH-4. It was defeated by the Hughes OH-6 Cayuse, but would later be adopted by the US Navy as the TH-57 Sea Ranger and used for pilot training. Work will be performed in Milton, Florida and is expected to be completed by November 2022.

Boeing is being tapped to enhance the AN/ALQ-218 Sensor System deployed on the EA-18G Growler. The company will add Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) System enhancements to the system’s hardware and the communication lines between assemblies at a cost of $24.4 million. The delivery order covers the modification of thirteen sets of WRA-7, WRA-8, WRA-9, and 18 AEA gun bay pallets. The AEA suite provides state-of-the-art selective-reactive and pre-emptive jamming capability. The majority of the AEA unique avionics are installed on a pallet in the gun bay and in two wingtip pods. The AEA communications receiver and jamming system provides electronic suppression and attack against communication threats. Work will be performed at Boeing facilities in Baltimore, St. Louis, St. Augustine, Bethpage, Patuxent River and China Lake. The modifications are expected to be completed in December 2020.

The Office of Naval Research is already starting to plan for the Navy’s next-generation of submarines. Electric Boat Corp will provide the service with work for the Next Generation Submarine Science and Technology Research program. The initial $14.7 million contract includes options, which if exercised, would bring the total value to $39.6 million. The Navy’s new submarines are still about two decades away from entering service, however the service is already looking towards the technologies that will allow future subs to become mother ships to entire fleets of unmanned underwater systems that find and sink the enemy. Work will be performed at Electric Boat’s facility in Groton, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed by either October 2019, or October 2023, depending if options are exercised.

Middle East & Africa

One of the Saudi Air Force’s Hawk jet trainers crashed on Monday, killing its crew. The crash happened during a training flight about 62 miles from Tabuk near the Jordanian border. BAE’s Hawk 100 trainer is an advanced two-seat weapons systems trainer with an enhanced ground attack capability. The aircraft provides fighter lead-in training and navigator and weapons systems operator training. The aircraft has seven hardpoints on the wings for weapon payloads. Short-range air-to-air missiles can be mounted on the wingtip missile launchers. Saudi Arabia acquired its first Hawks in the 1980s and purchased an additional 22 aircraft in 2016 in a $3 billion deal.

The Kenyan Air Force is continuing the build-up of its helicopter fleet. During a recent visit of President Uhuru Kenyatta at a base in Nairobi one H125 and one H125M were presented. Reports suggest that the Kenyan Defense Force has received about nine helicopters from the United Arab Emirates, including the delivery of 70mm rocket launchers and a M124D Minigun. The H125 is a cost-effective armed platform with a very small footprint and excellent maneuverability. The H125M is the most capable armed scout helicopter in its category. The H125M is tailored for locating and attacking targets of opportunity. It relies on the qualities of power, simplicity, firing stability and stealth to carry out a diverse range of demanding missions. Over the years, the Kenyan Air Force has been acquiring new helicopters to bolster its operations. Recent purchases include a $253 million deal for 12 Cayuse Warriors and a second-hand AH-1 Cobra.

Europe

Czech firm Aero Vodochody rolls out its first L-39NG jet trainer, four years after it announced the aircraft’s development at Farnborough 2014. The L-39NG is based on the aerodynamic concept of the current L-39 but utilizes the latest technologies and equipment. As Flight Global notes, one of the most significant changes the L-39NG brings over the company’s legacy L-39 Albatros is the introduction of a Williams International FJ44-4M turbofan engine, in place of its previous, Ukrainian-supplied AI-25. The new generation aircraft will be used to train future pilots of 4th and 5th generation aircraft, and can be tailored to the customer’s requirements to a great extent. Andrej Babiš, the Czech Prime Minister told an audience at the launch event that Aero Vodochody’s aircraft were always used by the Czech army and that “I [he] will personally support Aero Vodochody to ensure this aircraft is a success and will ensure my fellow ministers will do the same.” First deliveries are expected in the third quarter of 2020.

The Gesellschaft für Intelligente Wirksysteme mbH (GIWS) is being contracted by the German Ministry of Defense to restart the SMArt 155 program. The SMArt 155 shells contain 2 active sub-munitions that deploy by parachute, using redundant radar/radiometer/infrared sensors to detect armored vehicles. They attack through the top armor, using explosively-formed penetrators that serve as a sort of instant tank shell. Redundant mechanisms will destroy the shell if it finds no targets, and a further backup will render it inert if they fail for some reason. More than 12,000 SMArt 155 artillery projectiles were manufactured for Germany and Switzerland, followed by Australia and Greece with final deliveries in 2006. GIWS will now source all elements and materials required to restart serial production of the projectiles, which is expected to commence in 2024.

Asia-Pacific

Dassault is granting a first glimpse on Japan’s new Falcon 2000 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA). Japan has ordered a total of five Falcon 2000 MSAs for its Coast Guard. The aircraft is built in a partnership between Dassault, L-3 Platform Integration and Thales. The Falcon 2000 MSA is designed for a broad range of missions, including maritime surveillance, piracy control, drug interdiction, fishery patrol, law enforcement, search and rescue, intelligence and reconnaissance. It can also perform SIGINT, environment protection, monitoring of maritime approaches, over-the-horizon targeting (OTHT), surveillance of economic exclusive zone (EEZ) missions. The aircraft has underwing store stations for carrying a wide variety of weapons such as air-to-surface missiles, target towing equipment, electronic warfare and simulation pods. The first aircraft is due to enter service in the first half of 2019.

Today’s Video

Watch: Introducing the Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Americas

Rolls Royce is being contracted to support the US Air Force’s Advanced Turbine Technologies for Affordable Mission-Capability (ATTAM). The awarded IDIQ contract is valued at $100 million and enables the company to develop, demonstrate and transition advanced propulsion technologies as part of phase one of the ATTAM program. North American Technologies-LibertyWorks, a subsidiary of Rolls Royce, will provide the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base with work on power and thermal technologies that “provide improvement in the service’s affordable mission capability.” Work will be performed the company’s facility in Indianapolis and is expected to be completed by October 2026.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) is currently in the process of piloting new technologies that may redefine the future of naval engineering. The company plans to install the first certified 3D-printed metal part on an aircraft carrier. The Nimitz-class carrier USS Harry S. Truman will be fitted with a prototype piping assembly sometime next year. HII recently announced that its Newport News Shipbuilding division is working with the US Navy to develop methods of additive manufacturing of metal parts for its nuclear-powered warships. Additive manufacturing is a digitized process that layers metal powder to create three-dimensional parts, and was recently approved by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). HII plans to use the process to potentially replace castings and fabricated parts such as valves, housings and brackets. Charles Southall, Newport News’ vice president of engineering and design said “this is a watershed moment in our digital transformation, as well as a significant step forward in naval and marine engineering.”

Middle East & Africa

Turkish Aerospace is being tapped to provide the Turkish military with more MALE UAVs. The 22-unit order includes the delivery of 16 Anka-S drones and six Anka-Bs. The Anka-S made its maiden flight in September 2016 and entered serial production in 2017. The platform can carry a 200kg payload, making it suitable to perform a variety of missions, such as real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), communication relay, target acquisition and tracking. The S variant can also be fitted with Smart Micro Munition (MAM-L), developed by Roketsan. The drone’s fuselage is made out of composite materials, while some fittings and frames are built using high-strength material to withstand concentrated loads. Both variant will be equipped with Aselsan’s CATS HD electro-optical/infrared sensor. Turkey’s military currently flies eight Anka-S UAVs and will start receiving the additional drones in 2019.

Israel Aerospace Industries plans to expand its business in North America. IAI currently has two subsidiaries in the US, Stark Aerospace in Mississippi and Elta North America in Maryland. Israel’s Arrow-3 anti-ballistic missile canisters for example are tagged with “Made in Mississippi”. As Defense New notes, Stark’s production of the canister is part of the indigenous production of IAI parts and programs that the company expects to expand. They are key to the Arrow-3 program that received $310 million in funding from the US in FY18 and FY19. The US currently accounts for about 75% of the market for IAI. The company now plans to build the necessary legal constructs, that would make it an American entity in the US. This would allow IAI to bring its intellectual property to the US, and pitch products at a level that would increase its market share.

Europe

Jane’s reports that Leonardo is making its first sales of the Osprey-50 radar. Leonardo’s Osprey is an operating in X-Band radar based on a flat-panel antenna design. It has no moving parts and up to four AESA antennas positioned around the platform aircraft, each providing 120 degrees of coverage. The system is can be fitted with a range of antenna sizes, depending on the azimuth coverage requirement. Osprey’s flat panel design opens up the potential for installation on a long list of aircraft previously deemed unable to carry such a class of radar, including UAVs. The company did not identify the radar’s customers, but confirmed that it received an initial two orders for the Osprey’s larger aperture variant.

Asia-Pacific

Taiwan’s department of defense and the navy are currently evaluating the MQ-8B Fire Scout. Taiwan’s acquisition of the Fire Scout is part of a larger agreement with the US that includes more than ten individual military procurement projects. They include the acquisition of M777 155mm precision guided munitions, P-3C ASW aircraft and improved C-130s. Taiwan’s navy will soon need to retire its ageing fleet of MD500 anti-submarine helicopters that have been in service for over 40 years, the Fire Scout together with some MH-60Rs could be chosen as a replacement. The country’s navy needs a UAS that can operate at sea and start from a narrow ship deck. The MQ-8B could be used as a multi-functional weapon system that undertakes maritime patrol reconnaissance missions, and acts as an anti-ship and anti-mine warfare platform. If Taiwan will opt for the Fire Scout is still unclear because some essential steps in the formal procurement process have not been made. Taiwan plans to spend $646 million on its navy in the coming years.

China Daily reports that AVIC is ready to start batch production of its Z-19E export variant. This decisions follows a series of performance tests and verifications, demonstrating the model is capable of entering the production phase. The Z-19 is a light attack and reconnaissance helicopter developed and manufactured by Harbin Aircraft Industry Group, it is based on a license-built variant of the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin multi-purpose helicopter, and is able to conduct attack, armed reconnaissance and scout missions. While the Z-19 is operated by the Chinese army, it is not clear if AVIC has secured a customer for the Z-19E. Though not confirmed talks are said to be on with several countries in Africa, Middle East and parts of Asia to sell its military helicopters.

Today’s Video

Watch: F-35 pilot makes history with revolutionary way of landing jet on board HMS Queen Elizabeth

Americas

Parts of the global F-35 fleet are currently grounded in the wake of one of the aircraft crashing in South Carolina two weeks ago. The initial investigation that followed the incident, concluded that the crash was caused by a faulty fuel tube. The DoD’s Joint Program Office says in a statement that “the US Services and international partners have temporarily suspended F-35 flight operations while the enterprise conducts a fleet-wide inspection of a fuel tube within the engine on all F-35 aircraft.” So far, the F-35 has run into its share of problems, including faulty ejection seats, software issues and maintenance problems. The US military currently has 245 JSF’s in its service while there are 75 F-35s in the international fleet. However, whereas the Israeli Air Force halted all F-35i flights, the UK decided not to ground its jets but paused some F-35 flying as a “precautionary measure.”

Iridium Satellite LLC is being awarded with a $44 million contract modification that provides for the extension of services on the current airtime contract. The DoD is Iridium’s largest single customer, with the company supplying up to 40 percent of DoD satellite demand. From 2015 through 2017, Iridium replaced its former low-earth-orbit satellite constellation with a total of 72 new satellites and on-orbit spares, which provide more features, more flexibility, and more bandwidth to US troops. Performance of this contract will be at Iridium’s facility in Tempe, Arizona and is set to run from October 22, 2018 through to April 21, 2019.

Middle East & Africa

The Cameroonian military is taking delivery of its new Panthera T6 armored personnel carriers (APCs). The Panthera T6 is produced by Dubai-based firm Minerva Special Purpose Vehicles (MSPV). The APC is based on the Toyota 79-series 4×4 chassis and can be used in urban and cross-country patrol and border security operations. The T-6 is available in various body configurations and offers protection against assault rifle fire and two DM51 hand grenades. The T6 is powered by a 4 litre V6 petrol engine driving all four wheels through a five speed manual transmission. It seats two plus six, although other seating arrangements are available. The Cameroonian military will equip its Rapid Intervention Battalions with the new APC’s. The Battalions are currently conducting on a counter-insurgency deployment in the southwest and northwest regions.

Europe

Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall are teaming up in an attempt to land a tender to supply new heavy-lift helicopters to the German military. Together they will make a joint bid to supply the German navy and air force with a number of MH-60s. The navy is currently in the process of replacing its fleet of 21 Westland Sea Lynx ASW helicopters, which will be retired in 2025. The air force also plans to replace its current fleet of heavy-lift helicopters, a process that will likely cost about $4.6 billion. Competitors for this tender will likely include Airbus with its NH90 and AgustaWestland.

Flight Global reports that OCCAR is moving forward to upgrade the fleet of Tiger attack helicopters. The European defense procurement agency has placed two multinational de-risking contracts that are directly linked to the planned mid-life upgrade program for the Tiger. The program consists of a series of agreements with Airbus, MBDA and Thales and is conducted on behalf of France, Germany and Spain, which currently have 136 Tigers in their fleets. The program will bring the Tiger to an enhanced Mk III standard that sees for the integration of new avionics and an improved weapon system. OCCAR currently plans to reintroduce the first modernised helicopter to operational use between 2025 and 2026.

Asia-Pacific

Chinese media confirms what years of reports and rumors suggested, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) will soon be able to fly a new stealth-bomber. A documentary broadcast by China Central Television claims that the Hong-20 or H-20 is currently making “great progress” and will soon make its maiden flight. The Chinese government had disclosed it was working on this type of aircraft in 2015, but did not give it an official designation at that time. The bomber is developed by the Xi’an Aircraft Industrial Corporation, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. There is little hard data about the H-20, but the information that is available says that it will reportedly be a stealthy flying wing that can carry at least 10 tons of weaponry out to an unrefueled range of approximately 5,000 miles. The Hong-20 will be an essential platform for China’s nuclear triad consisting of ground-based ICMBs, sea-launched SLBMs and nukes launched from long-range bombers. Experts believe that the aircraft will make its first flight in early 2020.

The South Korean military is opting for Raytheon’s Standard Missile family to thwart potential missile attacks from North Korea. Maj. Gen. Kim Sun-ho, the head of Joint Chiefs of Staff’s force buildup planning bureau recently confirmed that the military will procure the naval-based SM-3 interceptor. The SM-3 will be part of the Korea Air and Missile Defense network (KAMD) and serve along the US Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. The SM-3 is designed to destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles, and its Block IB variant allows for defense against medium range missiles fielded by countries like North Korea and Iran, and some Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles developed by those regimes. No details about the timetable for adopting the SM-3 have been given so far.

Today’s Video

Watch: Spitfire flyby

Americas

The US Air Force is awarding a series of contracts for the development of a Launch System Prototype for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. The contracts are part of a portfolio that aims to leverage commercial launch solutions to meet National Security Space requirements. This includes the launch of the heaviest and most complex payloads the US military has to offer.

The first contract is awarded to United Launch Alliances and is valued at $967 million. This covers the an initial investment for the development of ULA’s Vulcan Centaur launch system. The Vulcan is being developed to replace both the Atlas-5 and Delta-4 families which will be phased out beginning in 2018. By 2023 ULA plans to introduce a more powerful Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES) to the Centaur second stage. ACES, assisted by six solid rocket boosters will be able to outlift the existing Delta 4 Heavy. ULA’s work will be performed at it’s factories in Centennial, Colorado; Decatur, Alabama; and at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Vulcan is expected to be ready for launch by end of March 2025.

The second contract is valued at $791.6 million goes to Orbital Sciences Corp, which will develop the OmegA launch system. Orbital’s OmegA rocket’s initial intermediate-payload configuration consists of a solid-rocket booster a second stage powered by the company’s Castor 300 or Castor 600 solid-rocket motor, and a third stage powered by two Aerojet RL-10C engines. By adding up to six strap-on boosters, OmegA will be capable of launching payloads of up to 22,266 lbs. to a geostationary transfer orbit, and payloads of up to nearly 17,200 lbs. to geostationary equatorial orbits. The OmegA will be produced at a variety of Orbital facilities including Chandler, Arizona; Magna and Promontory, Utah; Iuka, Mississippi; West Palm Beach, Florida; Sandusky, Ohio; and Michoud, Louisiana. The OmegA will be launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Orbit is expected to complete the rocket by December 31st, 2024.

The third contract is being awarded to Blue Origin LLC owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The $500 million order covers the initial development of the company’s New Glenn launch system. New Glenn is a new reusable rocket family, the three-stage version is 313 feet tall. The first stage is modelled after the reusable booster New Shepard and significantly reduces cost and maintenance. A single, vacuum-optimized BE-3 engine, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, powers its third stage. Work will be performed at the company’s factories in Kent, Washington and Huntsville, Alabama. The New Glenn will have its launch facilities at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg AFB and is expected to be ready by July 2024.

In the coming months the companies will create launch system prototypes; ultimately, the Air Force will narrow the field from three to two developers, who will continually compete for national security rocket launch opportunities from fiscal year 2020 onward. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is currently left out of the competition but may be able to join the program at a later stage. Under the EELV program, the competitors must develop or source domestically-produced propulsion systems — a reversal of the current status quo. (end)

 

General Electric is being awarded with a eight-year IDIQ contract to support the Air Force’s ATTAM program. The contract has a ceiling of $250 million and provides for the development of next generation turbines. The Advanced Turbine Technologies for Affordable Mission-Capability program aims to develop and demonstrate inlet, engine, exhaust nozzle, and integrated thermal management technologies that enable optimized propulsion system performance over a broad range of altitude and flight velocity. The new engine design will use adaptive fan blades and engine cores to generate high thrust when needed, and optimize fuel efficiency when cruising or loitering, in order to combine the best characteristics of high-performance and fuel-efficient jet engines. Work will be performed at GE’s factory in Cincinnati, Ohio and is expected to be completed by October 2026.

Lockheed Martin is receiving a contract modification to a previously awarded Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Field Support Contract (TFSC). The modification is valued at $164 million which raises the contract’s total ceiling value to $725 million. Lockheed will continue to provide logistics, in theatre support, software support, missile support and security and engineering services. THAAD is designed to intercept incoming enemy ballistic missiles as they begin their terminal descent phase in low space and the upper atmosphere. This modification also incorporates activities in support of the the International Engineering Services program and Field Surveillance program. Work will be performed at Lockheed’s factories in Huntsville, Alabama; Sunnyvale, California; Grand Prairie, Texas and Troy, Alabama. The ordering period remains from March 25, 2010, through March 31, 2019.

Middle East & Africa

Pakistan is consolidating its nuclear capability and is reaffirming it’s deterrence regime. The country conducted a test launch of its Ghauri or Hatf-V ballistic missile on Monday, October 8. The Pakistani military’s Inter-Services Public Relations team published a video that shows the missile to successfully launch and the dummy re-entry vehicle striking a land-based target. The Ghauri is a medium-range, road-mobile, liquid-fueled ballistic missile that can carry a 1.400 lbs payload. The Ghauri is a Pakistani modification of North Korea’s Nodong ballistic missile. Pakistan is thought to possess around two dozen Ghauri missiles. The Army states in a press release that “the launch was conducted by Army Strategic Forces Command and was aimed at testing the operational and technical readiness of Army Strategic Forces Command”, and that the missile “can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads up to a distance of 1300 km.” The ability to strike Indian targets make the missile a core part of Pakistan’s strategic missile forces.

Europe

Jane’s reports that the Spanish Ministry of Defense is selecting the Orbiter 3 UAV for overseas missions. The $3.6 million deal between Spain and Israeli company Aeronautics provides for the delivery of two Orbiter 3 systems, each comprising three UAVs. Orbiter can be ground or sea-launched from a catapult and uses a low acoustic signature electric motor for propulsion during missions of up to seven hours duration at a range of 100 km. On land, the UAS is recovered by means of a parachute and deployed airbag. The Orbiter 3 carries a triple sensor payload that is specifically designed to fulfil an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) role. The UAV can be assembled on 20 minutes, can fly-autonomous and will be used to protect Spanish bases and troops on overseas missions.

Asia-Pacific

BAE Systems Australia is currently in the run to secure a deal for the continued support of Australia’s Canberra-class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships and LHD Landing Craft (LLC). BAE is teaming up with Atlantic & Peninsula Australia, Saab Australia and Navantia Australia. Together they offer an experienced team that can maintain the capabilities of the LHD assets and optimise the sustainment and support system. Atlantic & Peninsula Australia previously worked on the HMAS Choules, a dock landing ship, while Saab supported the LHD combat system in the past. Navantia is the designer of the Canberra-class and also manufactures the class’ hulls. The Royal Australian Navy’s new Canberra-class LHDs are be able to serve as amphibious landing ships, helicopter carriers, floating HQs and medical facilities for humanitarian assistance, and launching pads for UAVs or even short/vertical takeoff fighters.

Today’s Video

Watch: Raytheon High-Energy Laser Mission Scenarios

Zephyr Flight
(click to view full)

QinetiQ’s Zephyr is a very high-flying, ultra-light solar powered UAV designed to break existing flight length records. It’s one of the contenders in DARPA’s Vulture program, which eventually expects to field an aircraft whose flight length will be measured in years.

The platform also attracted the independent interest of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Lakehurst, NJ. In May 2009, they issued a $44.9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to QinetiQ North America in Arlington, VA for 7 Zephyr UAVs and 1 ground station. Work will be performed in Farnborough Hampshire, United Kingdom, and is expected to be complete in May 2014. This contract was competitively procured via a Broad Agency Announcement (N68335-09-C-0194).

The DefenseLINK release cited “up to 3 months continuous operation” as the performance goal, which matched DARPA’s Phase 2 goals. On the other hand…

• Zephyr, and NAWCAD [NEW]
  
• Contracts & Key Events [NEW]
  
• Additional Readings [NEW]
  

Zephyr, and NAWCAD

Zephyr launch, 2010
(click to view full)

In May 2009, DARPA informed DID that this is not their award, adding that their Vulture program’s Phase 2 contract wasn’t expected until summer 2009 or so. Instead, the NAWCAD contract award marks the 2nd phase of a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) program jointly sponsored by the US OSD DDRE and the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence. Testing will include evaluating potential payloads, as well as advancing the concept of operations for operating long endurance persistent aircraft in excess of 5 days.

The program has achieved that goal, and more. As part of this effort, Zephyr’s wingspan has been lengthened to 22.5m/ 73′ 10″, and the wing shape and aerodynamics have been redesigned to lower drag further. The team added batteries, and a totally new integrated power management system. Zephyr flies by day on power from Uni-Solar’s amorphous silicon solar arrays no thicker than sheets of paper. These are also used to recharge Sion Power Inc.’s lithium-sulphur batteries, which power the aircraft at night. The entire UAV is easy to transport in a standard road transport container, and is actually hand-launched by a small team. Despite its size, Zephyr’s carbon fiber construction means that it weighs just 50 kg/ 110 pounds.

While DARPA programs are necessarily long term affairs, the redesigned Zephyr UAV offers near-term value. Conflicts need persistent surveillance with a wide field of view, and a UAV that has low support costs or infrastructure needs, is easily transported in other aircraft, and can stay in the air for 14 days or more, would have its own niche.

Zephyr would offer very long-endurance surveillance that can be flown in on jet transports, unlike a blimp. It also offers far better endurance and lower fuel costs than other UAV options. That’s especially valuable in roles like communications relay, which is important in harsh terrain like Afghanistan that routinely breaks line-of-sight, and will have growing value on our bandwidth-constrained battlefields.

In addition to the obvious defence and security applications, QinetiQ envisions commercial uses include environmental research, monitoring crops and pollution, providing tactical intelligence over disaster zones or forest fires, and delivering mobile communications capabilities in remote areas. Until UAVs can be used in civil airspace, however, and the payloads that let them do so are light enough, Zephyr’s potential uses will remain military.

Contracts & Key Events 2018

October 11/18: Zephyr eyed by US Army The US Army Futures Command is interested in buying Airbus’ Zephyr S HAPS system. The new group is the Army’s fourth command and is tasked with driving the service into the future to achieve clear overmatch in future conflicts. The command wants to use the high-altitude pseudo-satellite for a variety of missions, including as military, security and civil missions and acting as a communication hub. The Zephyr is built out of carbon fibre composite materials and is solar powered. The drone set the world record for flight endurance in July after staying aloft using solar cells for 25 days 23h 57min. Willie Nelson, the Futures Command’s director, told Flight Global “I think they are an incredible capability that we should continue to invest [science and technology] dollars into research and development”. The UK has currently three Zephyrs on order. They will provide British troops with battlefield intelligence and surveillance. The US Army currently has no funded program to acquire high-altitude UAVs.

2009 – 2016

February 5/16: The UK plans to buy two unmanned solar-powered aircraft, known as Zephyrs, which are capable of carrying small payloads that might consist of reconnaissance cameras or communications equipment. The Zephyrs hold the absolute endurance record for un-refuelled aeroplanes staying up for 336 hours, 22 minutes and eight seconds. Developed in the UK by QinetiQ, the technology has been recently bought and marketed by Airbus with the MoD’s vote of confidence expected to lead to an increase in sales. High altitude, solar powered planes have often been used for civilian purposes by companies like Google and Facebook to deliver broadband to locations that lack fixed-line connections.

July 23/10: Zephyr successfully lands after 14 days (336 hours and 21 minutes, launched July 9/10) flying over Yuma Proving Grounds, AZ and is now awaiting official confirmation of its world record status. If FAI confirms the feat as expected, Zephyr will have broken both the UAV and manned time aloft records. The current title holder is Rutan’s manned Voyager at 216 hours, 3 minutes and 44 seconds (9 days), set in December 1986. QinetiQ’s chief designer, Chris Kelleher said:

“The brand-new ‘production ready’ Zephyr airframe incorporates totally new approaches to aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, avionics, flight controls, power system management, thermal control, ground control station design and payload, as well as overall operating processes… We’ve also had to design for temperatures of around plus 40ºC on the ground to below minus 75ºC at altitude, ever changing weather systems including storms and high winds – and Zephyr took them all in its stride. It is a truly fantastic achievement.”

July 16/10: QinetiQ announces that Zephyr is breaking UAV records on its current endurance flight. It has already passed the 7 day / 168 hour mark, doubling its own previous record of 82 hours, 37 minutes set in 2008, and crushing the current official world record of 30 hours 24 minutes set by Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4A Global Hawk on March 22/01.

Longer Global Hawk flights have been held since, but record certification requires the presence and oversight of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI). At QinetiQ’s invitation and with customer permission, an FAI Official has been monitoring progress at the Yuma Proving Ground. Zephyr’s world records will not become official until the aircraft is safely back on the ground. QinetiQ.

Nov 23/09: QinetiQ’s Zephyr High-Altitude Long-Endurance unmanned aerial system (HALE UAS) resumes flight and payload evaluations in Yuma, AZ, as a joint US/UK Zephyr team undertakes the first operation of the system with a US flight crew. This test sequence, jointly sponsored by Britain’s Ministry of Defence and the USA’s OSD DDRE, focused on evaluating potential payloads as well as advancing the concept of operations for UAV flights longer than 5 days.

This was the first deliverable following the $44.8 million enabling contract awarded in May 2009 to QinetiQ North America for operational training in the US, accelerated development, in-theatre evaluation, and possible transition to production of Zephyr and its associated ground station. QinetiQ.

Additional Readings

• QinetiQ – High altitude long endurance UAV – Zephyr

Americas

The US Army is introducing a more lethal long-range missile to its inventory. The service is now able to fire Raytheon’s DeepStrike missile from its M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS launchers. The launchers are now outfitted with a launch pod missile container. This launchers are now able to fire two missiles from a single weapons pod. The DeepStrike is Raytheon’s answer to Russia’s Iskander Ballistic missile and has been designed to fulfil the requirements of the Army’s Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF) program. According to the Army the LRPF program is its “number one modernization priority and critical to winning in a peer adversary”. The DeepStrike will be the Army’s future surface-to-surface missile that can engage moving sea and land-based targets at ranges of up to 309 miles, ultimately replacing the ATACMS missiles. Live-fire demonstrations are expected to be held by the end of 2019.

Embraer’s first series production KC-390 successfully completes its maiden flight. This milestone allows the multi-mission medium airlifter to join the Brazilian Air Force’s flight test campaign, in which over 1.900 flight hours have been logged so far. Embraer states that the Brazilian aviation authority ANAC will soon issue the basic aircraft with a civil certification. The KC-390 is a T-tailed, high-winged, hump-backed form as a full military aircraft and C-130 competitor.

The US Army Futures Command is interested in buying Airbus’ Zephyr S HAPS system. The new group is the Army’s fourth command and is tasked with driving the service into the future to achieve clear overmatch in future conflicts. The command wants to use the high-altitude pseudo-satellite for a variety of missions, including as military, security and civil missions and acting as a communication hub. The Zephyr is built out of carbon fibre composite materials and is solar powered. The drone set the world record for flight endurance in July after staying aloft using solar cells for 25 days 23h 57min. Willie Nelson, the Futures Command’s director, told Flight Global “I think they are an incredible capability that we should continue to invest [science and technology] dollars into research and development”. The UK has currently three Zephyrs on order. They will provide British troops with battlefield intelligence and surveillance. The US Army currently has no funded program to acquire high-altitude UAVs.

Middle East & Africa

Israeli defense firm Smart Shooter unveils a new optical device that helps soldiers to engage targets under crowded and stressful conditions. The SMASH 2000 Plus can be placed on a wide range of small arms, such as the M4 Carbine, and according to the company virtually guarantees rounds on target. The SMASH consists of an imaging system, a firing processor and user display. A number of sensors allow the optical device to track ground and aerial drone targets, once the soldiers acquires a target the system works out a firing solution and releases a shot. The device helps fatigued and stressed soldiers to effectively engage enemies or drones in congested environments. The 2000 Plus is the latest variant, and is specifically designed to accurately hit fast and maneuverable tactical drones during the day and at night. The SMASH system is currently in use by the Israeli Defense Force and was successfully tested by US SOFs and other military agencies.

An Israeli official claims that Syria’s new S-300 is not a match for the IAF’s F-35i fighter aircraft. The official told Israel’s Army Radion on Wednesday that the Russian supplied air-defense missile system can be “defeated by Israel’s stealth fighters and possibly destroyed on the ground”. Tzachi Hanegbi also told the radio station that the S-300’s capabilities had long been factored into Israeli planning. The F-35 is designed as an ‘affordable stealth’ counterpart to the F-22 Raptor, in addition the F-35i incorporates Israeli-made electronic counter-measures systems. Experts have noted that although, the S-300 has systems that are designed to detect and track the presence of low observable aircraft such as the F-35i, its low-band early warning radars may not be able to accurately target the aircraft. The Russian government confirms that the delivery of the S-300 to Syria is a response to an incident last month that resulted in the downing of a Russian spy plane.

Europe

Thales and Leonardo are testing the jointly-developed end-to-end missile warning and protection system in live-fire scenarios. According to a press release, the system successfully demonstrated it’s ability to very quickly defend against incoming missiles, during a recently held Surface-to-Air Launch Trial hosted by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration. The warning and protection system consists of the Miysis DIRCM system and DAS controller provided by Leonardo and a Thales Elix-IR multi-function TWS. The Elix-IR warning system provides alert about incoming threats which typically are heat-seeking missiles equipped with infrared seekers such as inexpensive Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) used by terrorist organizations and military operators worldwide. The Miysis system tracks and jams the incoming missile’s guidance system, steering the missile away from the target. This latest-generation protective system is a UK Sovereign capability and has been specified to meet the requirements of the UK Ministry of Defense.

Asia-Pacific

The Australian Army is ordering a laboratory from Spain’s Indra. The awarded contract is valued at $25.4 million and provides for the design and manufacture of a deployable forensic laboratory. This new facility will help soldiers to faster collect, analyse, and document the evidence from IED attacks. Deployable Forensic C-IED Laboratories are intended to analyze the intelligence and evidence gathered at the scene of an IED event quickly, to both give a commander quick actionable intelligence and support subsequent exploitation. Procurement of this facility gives the Australian Army it’s needed Joint Counter Improvised Explosive Device Capability as outlined under the Land154 Phase 2 procurement program. According to the company, over 90% of the contract will be carried out by Australian equipment manufacturers and distributors.

Today’s Video

Watch: “Fat Albert” Flies Over San Francisco • Cockpit View

Americas

Raytheon is being contracted to develop a new propulsion system for the US Army’s TOW missile. The contract is valued at $21 million and covers three years of research and development necessary to make required performance improvements to the tube-launched, optically tracked TOW missile. “Improving TOW’s propulsion system will increase range and deliver enhanced protection for ground troops while providing them with more capability,” said Kim Ernzen, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems vice president. The wire-guided, operator-controlled BGM-71 TOW missile family external link remains a mainstay thanks to modernization, specialization, improved sighting systems, and pre-existing compatibility with a wide range of ground vehicles. The new propulsion system will be integrated into all TOW missile variants, including the top and direct attack 2B, direct attack 2A and Bunker Buster missiles. The TOW weapon system is scheduled to remain in the US Army’s inventory until the 2050s.

Lockheed Martin is being tapped to introduce a full rate production configuration to the new AN/TPQ-53 (Q-53) radar. The US Army is awarding Lockheed with a contract modification that sees for the insertion of Gallium Nitride into the Q-53. The Q-53 is a mobile, maneuverable, fully supportable and easily maintained counterfire target acquisition radar. Compared to currently deployed systems, the new, battle-tested Q-53 offers enhanced performance, including greater mobility, increased reliability and supportability, a lower life-cycle cost, reduced crew size, and the ability to track targets in a full-spectrum environment, a vital capability on today’s battlefield. According to the press release, the transition to GaN will provide the Q-53 with additional power for capabilities including long-range counterfire target acquisition. GaN has the added benefit of increasing system reliability and reducing lifecycle ownership costs. Work will be performed at Lockheed’s factories in New York, New Jersey and Florida.

Flight Global reports, that the new SB-1 Defiant is still on track to make its maiden flight before the end of 2018. The Defiant is a third-generation X2 aircraft jointly developed by Sikorsky and Boeing. It will be their main pitch in the US Government’s Future Vertical Lift program and is a direct rival to Bell’s V-280. The aircraft’s first flight will be conducted with a one-year delay due to problems during the composite blade manufacturing process. The companies have already installed a testbed for the Defiant’s powertrain systems at a West Palm Beach, Florida facility and plan to test the helicopter’s turbines, transmission and rotors in the coming weeks. This Powertrain System Test Bed (PSTB) lets them run the engines at their full combined 9,000 shaft horsepower and show how used components behave under increased stress. The Sikorsky-Boeing team plans to make ground runs with the Defiant in November. Both the Defiant and V-280 are aimed at satisfying the Army’s requirement under capability set-3, or “medium” variant that would be analogous to a legacy UH-60 Black Hawk.

Middle East & Africa

Chinese UAVs are becoming increasingly attractive to Middle-Eastern customers. Chinese arms dealers are especially attractive to those countries in the region which are restricted from purchasing US-manufactured UAVs because of their poor track record in protecting civilian lives during operations. Song Zhongping, a Chinese military analyst and former lecturer at the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force University of Engineering recently told Military Times that “the Chinese product now doesn’t lack technology, it only lacks market share,” and “the United States restricting its arms exports is precisely what gives China a great opportunity.” Preferred Chinese products include CASC’s Cai-Hong 4 and 5 models which are quite similar to General Atomics’ Predator and Reaper drones, but much cheaper. According to Ulrike Franke, an expert on drones and policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, China has sold more than 30 Chai-Hong 4s to countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq in deals worth over $700 million.

Europe

Jane’s reports that French shipbuilder Naval Group is one step closer in finishing the last two of the French Navy’s six Aquitaine-class FREMM (frégate européenne multi-mission) anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates. The FREMM European multi-mission frigate is a joint programme between France and Italy. It will build 21 FREMM frigates for the French Navy and the Italian Navy. Both the Bretagne and Normandie have now be fitted with the latest Sylver A50 vertical launchers. One Sylver A50 module can carry 8 missiles with a length under 5m, like the self-defense Aster15 and the tactical Aster30 missile. The MBDA Aster15 air defense missile system provides protection against supersonic and subsonic threats. The Aster 30 is an advanced two-stage hypersonic missile system for area defense against aircraft and missile attacks. Both ships are currently at Naval Group’s Lorient shipyard. After the successful completion of a set of sea trials the ships are expected for delivery in 2019. The French DGA confirmed to Jane’s that the decision to install the A50 was made to mitigate the risk created by a gap in the French Navy’s anti-air warfare (AAW) capability between 2020 and 2022/23.

Asia-Pacific

Japan’s submarine program is marking another major milestone. Last week Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation launched their first Soryu-class submarine. The JS Oryu, is a diesel-electric submarine that uses long-endurance lithium-ion batteries. The diesel-electric propulsion system gives the vessel a smaller acoustic signature, giving it an edge during sensitive and combat operations. MHI says the 84-meter submarines are the world’s largest conventionally powered boats. They are also Japan’s first submarines to be fitted with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems that enable them to remain fully submerged for longer periods of time. Lithium-ion batteries allow submariners to shut off the primary diesel-electric power to switch to batteries for longer-endurance propulsion during sensitive operations. Battery operations can, in theory, significantly reduce the acoustic signature of a given submarine, making them harder to detect. The JS Oryu will be delivered to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in 2020. Japan has commissioned 9 units in the class so far while a total of 13 are planned to be operated by 2023.

Today’s Video

Watch: Marines Connect F-35 Jet to HIMARS System For First Time

TOW family
(click to view full)

Despite modernization that has led to advanced anti-armor weapons like the Javelin and Hellfire fire and forget guided missiles, the wire-guided, operator-controlled BGM-71 TOW missile family remains a mainstay thanks to modernization, specialization, improved sighting systems, and pre-existing compatibility with a wide range of ground vehicles. TOW remains the US Army and Marine Corps’ primary heavy anti-tank/ precision assault weapon deployed on more than 4,000 TOW launch platforms including HMMWV jeeps, the Army’s M1134 Stryker ATGM variant and M2/M3 Bradley IFVs; the Marines’ LAV-AT wheeled APC and SuperCobra attack helicopters; and numerous foreign vehicles. Designation Systems notes that more than 620,000 BGM-71 missiles of all versions had been built for all customers by 2001.

Raytheon Co. in Tucson, AZ was recently awarded a pair of contracts that illustrate its continued production and maintenance work on these missiles.

TOW 2B missile
(click for cutaway)

The first contract involves engineering services for the TOW (Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-Guided) weapon system family of missiles and TOW fire control systems including: ITAS (Improved Target Acquisition System), IBAS (Improved Bradley Acquisition Subsystem), T2SS (TOW 2 Subsystem), and M220 Ground TOW. This is a one-year contract with five one-year options, and a total potential value of $122 million. See release.

The other contract is a $45 million modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for TOW 2A bunker-buster and TOW 2B top-attack missiles. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ and is expected to be complete by Nov. 30, 2008. This was a sole source contract initiated on July 15, 2002 by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-04-C-0061).

Update

October 10/18: New propulsion system Raytheon is being contracted to develop a new propulsion system for the US Army’s TOW missile. The contract is valued at $21 million and covers three years of research and development necessary to make required performance improvements to the tube-launched, optically tracked TOW missile. “Improving TOW’s propulsion system will increase range and deliver enhanced protection for ground troops while providing them with more capability,” said Kim Ernzen, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems vice president. The wire-guided, operator-controlled BGM-71 TOW missile family external link remains a mainstay thanks to modernization, specialization, improved sighting systems, and pre-existing compatibility with a wide range of ground vehicles. The new propulsion system will be integrated into all TOW missile variants, including the top and direct attack 2B, direct attack 2A and Bunker Buster missiles. The TOW weapon system is scheduled to remain in the US Army’s inventory until the 2050s.

March 26/18: DSCA clearance The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia of  TOW 2B (BGM-71F-Series) missiles for an estimated cost of $670 million. The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has requested to purchase up 6,600 TOW 2B missiles and 96 TOW 2B fly-to-buy lot validation missiles. The principal contractor is Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, AZ. The wire-guided, operator-controlled BGM-71 TOW missile family remains a mainstay thanks to modernization, specialization, improved sighting systems, and pre-existing compatibility with a wide range of ground vehicles. In September 2017, Raytheon has been awarded a $31.5 million US Army contract modification for domestic and foreign military sales of the BGM-71 TOW guided anti-tank missile. The contract is scheduled for completion by December 31, 2018 after which the missiles will be delivered to Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the US military. This deal comes at a time of heightened geo-political tension in the region and can be seen as a US foreign policy and national security initiative aimed at strengthening the security of one of its most important allies in the Middle East. This sale is in line with US initiatives providing key partners in the region with modern systems that enhance interoperability and increase stability.

September 20/17: Raytheon has been awarded a $31.5 million US Army contract modification for domestic and foreign military sales of the BGM-71 TOW guided anti-tank missile. Both Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, in addition to the US military, will receive the missiles after production at facilities in Tucson and Farmington, Ariz., scheduled for completion by December 31, 2018. Originally wire-guided, the newest versions of the TOW are completely digital, have a range of several miles and are capable of destroying tanks and fortifications. They come in man-portable, vehicle mounted or air-launched versions.

January 4/17: The USMC has issued a $60 million contract to Raytheon for TOW missiles. Delivery of the missiles is expected to be completed by December 28, 2018. The weapons are designed to help ground forces engage armored targets like tanks and can also be mounted to land platforms such as the Styker and Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

December 22/16: Raytheon has been awarded a $53 million foreign military sales contract to provide TOW missiles to Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The heavy assault weapon has been integrated on several land platforms by the US Army such as the Stryker, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and ITAS High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. Work on the deal is expected to be completed by October 2017.

December 12/16: Morocco has been cleared to purchase Raytheon-made TOW 2A Radio Frequency Missiles. Valued at $108 million, the sale includes 1,200 TOW 2A RF missiles and 14 TOW 2A fly-to-buy acceptance missiles. Morocco is regarded as a key US ally in maintaining stability in North Africa, following the increase in jihadist activity across the region.

EQ-36 concept
(click to view full)

Firefinder radars track the path of incoming shells, rockets, mortars, etc., and calculate the point they were fired from. Raytheon’s TPQ-36 radar is specifically designed to counter medium range enemy weapon systems out to a range of 24 kilometers, while the TPQ-37 can locate longer-range systems, and even surface launched missiles, out to 50 kilometers. Michael Yon, embedded with 1-24 (“Deuce Four”) in Mosul, offered a first hand description of counter-battery radars’ effect on enemy tactics in 2005.

Better radar technologies offer a number of potential advantages for this role, including wider fields of view and less maintenance. Not to mention fewer disruptive, time-sucking false positives for deployed troops. In September 2006, Lockheed Martin began a contract to deliver their “Enhanced AN/TPQ-36” (EQ-36) radars. Despite the close official name and designation, this was a wholly new radar system, from a different company. Orders have begun to accumulate, along with deployments – and, finally, a less confusing designation change to AN/TPQ-53.

The TPQ-53 Counterfire Radar System

TPQ-53 components
(click to view full)

The TPQ-53 includes a number of operational improvements, including 360 degree coverage capability instead of the TPQ-36’s current 90 degrees, and dramatic reductions in false alarm rates. A successful program would replace many of the TPQ-36 radars currently in service.

In 2002, the US Army began a research project called the Multi-Mission Radar Advance Technology Objective. The goal was similar to the US Marine Corps’ G/ATOR: a single mobile radar system able to perform Air Defense Surveillance, Air Defense Fire Control, Counter Target Acquisition (artillery tracing) and Air Traffic Service missions. Unlike the Marines, the Army didn’t proceed from there toward a full development project. Instead, they incorporated some of the technologies and learning from MMRATO into a competition that would begin by fielding radars to solve the CTA problem.

Both the truck-mounted AN/TPQ-53, and the smaller Humvee-mounted TPQ-50 LCMR (Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar) trace back to that effort, and the TPQ-53 also grew out of lessons learned from the previous generation TPQ-36/37 Firefinder radar series. The base radar technology is more advanced, and software and hardware were modernized. Mechanically, the radar got more robust gears, a rotating platform, an automated leveling system for faster and more reliable emplacement, and an improved air cooled system to improve reliability and keep costs down. The Army expects these changes to save millions of dollars over the radars’ lifetimes.

An AN/TPQ-53 radar system is actually made up of 2 vehicles. One FMTV truck is the Mission Essential Group, containing the radar antenna and the power generator. The second FMTV truck carries the Sustainment Group, with a climate controlled operations shelter and backup power generator.

The TPQ-53 is IFPC (Indirect Fire Protection Capability) compatible in countering rocket, artillery, and mortar attacks, and the Army is thinking of adding software upgrades to allow it to track larger targets, and perform air defense surveillance against UAVs, helicopters, and enemy aircraft.

The system’s operations center allows the radar to link back to Army command systems like AFATDS and FAADC2. Linkages to ground-based Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) command systems, which can also connect to fire control radars and defensive weapons like the Phalanx Centurion, provide a complete defensive solution for protected bases. If the radar’s functions expand to include broader air defense, those command system linkages will become even more important.

Automation and built-in test sensors means that only 4 soldiers can operate the system, with an emplacement time of 5 minutes and a displacement time of just 2 minutes. This compares to 3 HMMWVs and 6 people for the previous TPQ-36v8 system; or 2 FMTV trucks, 2 HMMWVs, and 13 people for the TPQ-37v8.

A built-in encrypted wireless radio can reach up to 1 km away, allowing operators to disperse and make themselves more difficult targets. Soldiers can use a pair of ruggedized Linux laptop computers to handle operations from anywhere in range, or work from the climate-controlled shelter vehicle.

EQ-36/ TPQ-53: Program and Industrial Team

Old: TPQ-36 Firefinder
(click to view full)

The initial Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) contract for 5 radars was issued in January 2007. In spring 2007, the prototype completed successful counterfire target acquisition testing in both 90- and 360-degree modes at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Grounds in Yuma, AZ. In summer 2007, the system completed successful air surveillance testing at White Sands Missile Range in White Sands, NM. A prototype was unveiled in October 2007, and the 1st system was delivered to the Army in summer 2009. By late 2010, the first EQ-36 systems were deployed in Iraq & Afghanistan.

An August 2011 option raised the EQ-36’s QRC order total to 36 systems (4 + 12 + 17 + 3), though some official documents place the number at 38. Another 65 AN/TPY-53 radars were ordered later, following the Milestone C update decision that launched low-rate initial production.

Over the longer term, the potential exists for $1.6+ billion in orders, covering all QRC units + 136 radars in the program of record. The Full Rate Production decision is scheduled for Q4 FY 2014.

Industrial team members for the EQ-36 program include Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors (MS2):

• Lockheed Martin MS2 in Syracuse, NY (Program lead, antenna array, digital module assemblies);
  
• Lockheed Martin MS2 in Moorestown, NJ, facility (transmit/receive modules);
  
• Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support, in Orlando, FL (TPQ-53 training system and curriculum);
  
• Burtek, Inc. in Chesterfield, MI (operations shelter and stationary platform);
  
• Syracuse Research Corp. in Syracuse, NY (digital signal processor);
  
• Tobyhanna Army Depot in Tobyhanna, PA (maintenance support).

Contracts and Key Events

The radar is an American product, with the USA as its founding and largest customer. As such, timelines and divisions use American fiscal years, which end on September 30th.

FY 2018

13 more for USA under MYP; Singapore’s export request.

TPQ-53 system
(click to view full)

October 10/18: Configuration Lockheed Martin is being tapped to introduce a full rate production configuration to the new AN/TPQ-53 (Q-53) radar. The US Army is awarding Lockheed with a contract modification that sees for the insertion of Gallium Nitride into the Q-53. The Q-53 is a mobile, maneuverable, fully supportable and easily maintained counterfire target acquisition radar. Compared to currently deployed systems, the new, battle-tested Q-53 offers enhanced performance, including greater mobility, increased reliability and supportability, a lower life-cycle cost, reduced crew size, and the ability to track targets in a full-spectrum environment, a vital capability on today’s battlefield. According to the press release, the transition to GaN will provide the Q-53 with additional power for capabilities including long-range counterfire target acquisition. GaN has the added benefit of increasing system reliability and reducing lifecycle ownership costs. Work will be performed at Lockheed’s factories in New York, New Jersey and Florida.

FY 2014 – 2017

June 7/17: The US State Department has cleared the sale of Lockheed Martin’s AN/TPQ-53 counter-battery radar to Saudi Arabia. Valued at at estimated cost of $662 million, the deal marks the first export order of the radar outside of the US. Included in the deal are 26 AN/TPQ-53(V) Radar Systems to include Solid State Phased Array Radar with KN-4083 Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) enhanced Land/Sea Inertial Navigation System (INS) and automatic leveling system, as well as various equipment, training and materials. Riyadh reportedly intends to use these radars to support its border security requirements and modernise its armed forces with a more current capability to locate and counter the source of incoming ballistic artillery, rockets, and mortars.

April 25/17: Lockheed Martin has won a $1.6 billion contract to continue manufacturing the AN/TP-Q-53 counterfire radar for the US Army. The Q-53 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar will eventually replace older systems like the Q-36 and Q-37, and is capable of detecting incoming indirect fire like rockets and mortars, allowing response time for troops to reach cover, but they can also detect the location of the launch site. This allows counter battery fire to triangulate and respond with fire of their own. Lockheed Martin remains the only supplier of such systems to the Army.

April 2/17: The US Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.5 billion contract to produce and deploy the AN/TPQ-53 Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar System. Developed as a replacement for existing AN/TPQ-36 and AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder radar systems, the new radar is designed to detect, classify, track and determine the location of enemy artillery assets such as mortars, cannons and rockets. The service claims that once in place, the radars will provide increased mobility, reliability and performance.

June 29/16: Lockheed Martin’s AN/TPQ-53 counter-battery radar has proven that it can be used to detect unmanned aerial vehicles alongside its usual task of detecting incoming artillery and rocket fire. The company announced the success following testing carried out by the US Army as part of its Maneuver and Fires Integration Experiment (MFIX) at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Conducted annually, the MFIX exercise brings together military, industry and academia to assess solutions to future warfighting needs in a live environment.

February 9/16: Testing of the Q-53 Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar System in June 2015 has shown the radar is having difficulty detecting volley-fired mortars. While the second initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) found the system effective against single-fired rockets, artillery, and mortar munitions, it was unable to handle the detection of more than one munition fired at the same time, according to Michael Gilmore’s annual Operational Test & Evaluation report. The radar also struggled to identify the difference between a mortar, a rocket, and artillery. The Army, however, has stated that the radars have been working well in operational environments, and plans are to increase performance in high clutter environments with development and integration of software upgrades in 2019, with more testing planned for 240 mm and 122 mm munitions not assessed in previous tests.

April 7/14: Support. Lockheed Martin in Liverpool, NY receives a $9.1 million contract modification for interim contractor ssupport of the AN/TPQ-53 radar fleet.

All funds are committed immediately, using FY 2012 Army budgets. Work will continue until Sept 30/14, and will be performed in Liverpool, NY. US Army Contracting Command in Aberdeen, MD manages the comntract (W15P7T-06-C-T004 P00092).

March 28/14: +14. Lockheed Martin in Liverpool, NY receives a $145.9 million contract modification for another 13 AN/TPQ-53 radar systems, along with 13 corresponding sets of on-board spares. This is the 4th installment under the March 13/12 multi-year contract, and brings orders to $751 million: 65 systems over 4 phases.

All funds are committed immediately, using FY14 US Army budgets. Work will be performed in Liverpool, NY, with an estimated completion date of Nov 30/16. US Army Contracting Command in Aberdeen, MD manages the contract (W15P7T-12-C-C015, PO 0022).

Oct 8/13: Singapore. The US DSCA announces Singapore’s export request for up to 6 AN/TPQ-53(V) Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar Systems (CTARS) with 120 degree sector scan capability, along with generators, power units, a simulator, a live fire exercise (!), tool and test equipment, spare and repair parts, repair & return services, software support, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, communication support equipment, personnel training, and other forms of US Government and contractor support. The estimated cost is up to $179 million.

Singapore would be the radar’s 1st export customer. Their forces do deploy abroad, where CTARS capability will be very useful. At home, the city-state’s small size also makes them inherently vulnerable if problems in neighboring countries should allow local terrorists to acquire ballistic rockets.

The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin in Syracuse, NY. If a sale is negotiated, they’ll need Government and contractor representatives in Singapore for 6 weeks to support equipment deprocessing/fielding, systems checkout and new equipment training. Source: US DSCA, Oct 8/13.

DSCA: Singapore

FY 2012 – 2013

Multi-year contract; Milestone C approval; Initial fielding; Future competition?

AUSA 2011
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June 27/13: +19. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Liverpool, NY receives a $206.9 million firm-fixed-price contract modification to procure AN/TPQ-53 Radar Systems and corresponding spare parts, using a combination of FY 2012 and 2012 funds. Lockheed Martin sets the number at 19 radar systems, and this order brings the cumulative total face value of this contract is $605.1 million over the low-rate initial production contract, with 52 systems ordered over 3 phases.

Work will be performed in Syracuse, NY. US Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD manages this contract (W15P7T-12-C-C015, PO 0010). Sources: Pentagon, Lockheed Martin Aug 26/13 release.

March 12/13: Support. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Liverpool, NY receives a $12 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification, to provide interim contractor support for the AN/TPQ-53 radar system.

Work will be performed in Liverpool, NY until the end of FY 2013 on Sept 30/13. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received (W15P7T-06-C-T004).

Dec 19/12 – Jan 17/13: future competition for FRP? PM Radars issues a Sources Sought request to determine whether reintroducing competition for Full Rate Production (FRP) may be possible in FY 2014. In other words, this is not an RFP to displace incumbent Lockheed Martin just yet, but it’s the homework that might create the option to do so.

The Army anticipates an FRP contract in Q4 FY 2014, as a single award, firm fixed price (FFP) contract comprised of a base year, with multiple separately priced options and range quantities. Spares, new equipment training, and technical manuals will also be acquired on a FFP basis. This would lead to the acquisition of about 70 systems over 4 years. Key factors in the source selection process include a Live Ammunition System Demonstration (LASD) planned for the first half of FY 2014. Data witnessed by the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) will not be an adequate substitute to participating in the live demo.

The submission date for this information request, originally set to Jan 14, 2013, is later postponed to Feb. 12. The FRP RFP itself is planned for release in Q4 FY 2013, with an award in Q3 FY 2014. FBO: W15P7T-13-R-C113.

Jan 2013: DOTE report. In its FY2012 report, the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation notes reliability improvements, with less frequent system aborts than the 2011 system demonstration’s 1 per 30 hours. Some of these original issues were attributed to user documentation and training, which slated for further improvement.

Even so, the results show a fallback from vast improvements after initial configuration changes, to a final configuration figure of 1 abort every 75 hours during limited testing. Initial Operational Test & Evaluation is scheduled for fall 2013, and the radars will need a big jump to hit required reliability levels of 1 abort every 257 hours.

A Limited User Test (LUT) took place in the fall of 2012, but that’s in FY 2013, and so it isn’t covered in the 2012 annual report.

Oct 17/12: Add other functions? The US Army announces that it has begun fielding the AN/TPQ-53, and the Humvee-mounted AN/TPQ-50 Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar, to protect forward-deployed forces. They also discuss a number of the AN/TPQ-53 system’s features, and reveal that the Army is considering software upgrades that would add general air surveillance radar capabilities against helicopters, UAVs, cruise missiles, and aircraft. Note that the radar’s antenna is heavily derived from the 2002 MMR ATO radar project, which already contemplated air volume search as a mission.

One indication that the Army is serious is that they’re moving the program from PEO IEWS Product Manager Radars, to PEO Missiles and Space. That will organize air defense radars under the same organizational umbrella as the counter-fire radars. US Army.

April 20/12: +21. Lockheed Martin issues a release citing $391 million in US Army contracts for 33 TPQ-53 systems.

Asked for clarification, the firm explains that the US Army has exercised its 2nd option under the contract since the March 13/12 announcement, adding another $225 million for another 21 systems (W15P7T-12-C-C015).

April 2/12: Lockheed Martin MS2 Radar Systems in Liverpool, NY receives a $23.3 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, for services “in support of the EQ-36 radar” through April 30/13.

Work will be performed in Liverpool, NY. The original bid was solicited through the Internet, with 3 bids received by U.S. Army Contracting Command in Fort Monmouth, NJ (W15P7T-06-C-T004).

March 13/12: Multi-year contract. Lockheed Martin Mission System and Sensors in Liverpool, NY receives a $166 million firm-fixed-price contract for 12 “enhanced AN/TPQ-36” (now called AN/TPQ-53) radar systems, including spares, testing, and training materials.

This means that Lockheed Martin will be the producer for the EQ-36 program of record, which could rise to 136 systems. It’s also the 1st installment of a larger $881 million contract, which could end up buying up to 51 low-rate production systems, plus Limited User Test (LUT) and Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) services.

Work will be performed in Liverpool, NY, with an estimated completion date of Feb 28/17. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 1 bid received. The US Army Contracting Command at Fort Monmouth, NJ manages the contract (W15P7T-12-C-C015). See also US Army PEO IEW&S, Aug 15/11 entry | Lockheed Martin.

Multi-year contract

February 2012: Despite the issues noted in the DOT&E report, the TPQ-53 radar receives Milestone C clearance, allowing it to go ahead to Low-Rate Initial Production. Source.

Milestone C

Jan 17/12: Test reports. The Pentagon releases the FY 2011 Annual Report from its Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E). The “Enhanced AN/TPQ-36 (EQ-36) Radar System” is included. The Army conducted 3 Live Ammunition System Demonstration (LASD) radar test events at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, in October 2010, January 2011, and June 2011. Unfortunately, the DOT&E office reports that the systems had problems with reliability and accuracy:

“Based on radar testing at Yuma Proving Ground and Army reporting from theater to date, radar reliability remains poor and is well below system requirements… one system abort every 30 hours [instead of 1 per] 185 hours… provided accurate locations of most rocket, artillery, and mortars systems… [but] has difficulty detecting certain types of rockets and artillery rounds. Using updated software, the QRC AN/TPQ-53 radar demonstrated improvements in reducing the rate of misclassifying aircraft as threat projectiles in the 90-degree and 360-degree modes… June 2011 testing, the QRC AN/TPQ-53 radar decreased the rate of [false positives, but]… misclassifying and false location reporting rates remain below the Program of Record requirement of one false report in 12 hours.”

FY 2008 – 2011

1st delivery. New name.

TPQ-53 on truck
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September 2011: TPQ-53. The EQ-36 gets a formal designation change, to the less-confusing QRC(Quick Reaction Capability) AN/TPQ-53. The Army will select the Program of Record EQ-36 radar contractor some time in FY 2012, to produce up to 136 systems. Source: 2011 DOT&E report.

Designation change

Aug 15/11: Army Contracting Command (ACC) APG-C4ISR, in Aberdeen, MD announces that it intends to buy more EQ-36 radar systems, to begin Program of Record purchases instead of the Quick Reaction Capability buys to date.

The solicitation for Full Rate Production (FRP) was first posted on Feb 16/11 at an estimated value of $940 million. The response date has been postponed by 30 days to Sept 14/11, under “Best Value” consideration and Firm Fixed Price (FFP) pricing. A June 30/11 revision addressed inconsistencies on desired quantities that had built up since the presolicitation. The planned production schedule for this 5-year contract is currently set to 12 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) units in FY 2013, 23 LRIP units in FY 2015, and 32 Full-Rate Production (FRP) units in FY 2016, for a total of 67 systems (W15P7T-11-R-T201). FBO.gov, ASFI.

Aug 15/11: +3. A $91.5 million firm-fixed-price cost-plus-fixed-fee award modifies Lockheed Martin’s April 14/10 contract, raising it to 20 EQ-36 systems: 4 EQ-36 radar systems with armored Sustained Operation Group (SOG) and Mission Essential Group (MEG) equipment, and 16 EQ-36 systems with standard SOG and MEGs.

Work will be performed in Liverpool, NY, with an estimated completion date of July 30/12 (W15P7T-06-C-T004). By our records, this appears to raise the order total to 54 systems, though DOT&E figures place QRC buys at just 38 systems.

3 more systems

Oct 26/10: Deployment. Lockheed Martin announces that the U.S. Army has deployed the first AN/TPQ-36 (EQ-36) radars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Deployment

June 21/10: Sub-contractors. Donaldson Company announces that the EQ-36 will use its patented StrataTube filtration technology to air-cool its electronics, without introducing dust and other contaminants. Current schedules have the final units for that initial 17-system June 2007 contract delivered by fall 2010.

Donaldson StrataTubes use inertial force to spin dust and other contaminants out of the air stream, but have no moving parts to wear out or break, and are maintenance-free. Custom designed EQ-36 Strata panels are included in the radar’s antenna and pedestal systems, and it joins other StrataTube using military devices like the M1 Abrams tank and H-60 family of helicopters.

April 14/10: +17. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Syracuse, NY receives a sole-source $108.5 million firm-fixed-price contract for 17 enhanced AN/TPQ-36 (EQ-36) radar systems, plus associated sustained operational group and mission essential group (MEG) non-recurring engineering and MEG installation. Work is to be performed in Syracuse, NY, with an estimated completion date of Oct 8/10. The US CECOM Acquisition Center in Fort Monmouth, NJ manages the contract (W15P7T-06-C-T004).

This award is made under an unfinalized contract, and commits 49% of the estimated final value. Lockheed Martin has confirmed to DID that this is a new radar order, which would make 34 radars ordered so far.

17 more Radars

July 2/09: 1st delivery. Lockheed Martin delivers the first EQ-36 Radar System to the U.S. Army on time, following successful live-fire performance testing against indirect fire from mortars, artillery and rockets this spring at the Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The effort also included engineering, contractor and government acceptance testing.

To accelerate the fielding of the EQ-36 radar, the U.S. Army in June 2008 exercised contract options with Lockheed Martin for 12 additional systems, which will include enhanced performance capabilities. With production for both orders now running in parallel, and the 12-radar order accelerated, all 17 of the EQ-36 systems are expected to be delivered by fall 2010. Lockheed Martin.

1st delivery

April 29/09: Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors in Liverpool, NY receives a $20.7 million firm-fixed-price contract that buys spares for the 12 initial production Enhanced AN/TPQ-36 Radar Systems.

Work is to be performed in Liverpool, NY, with an estimated completion date of Aug 31/10. One sole source was bid solicited from the radar’s manufacturer and one bid was received by the CECOM Acquisition Center in Fort Monmouth, NJ (W15P7T-06-C-T004).

FY 2006 – 2008

SDD; CDR.

EQ-36 at Yuma
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July 29/08: +12. Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Support in Syracuse, NY receives an $84.3 million firm-fixed-price contract to accelerate the production and delivery of the 12 Enhanced AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder Initial Production Radar Systems (EQ-36), which were listed as options within the initial development contract. Those options were reportedly exercised in June 2008.

Work will be performed in Syracuse, NY, and is expected to be complete by Oct 25/10. There was one bid solicited on March 23/08, and 1 bid was received by the CECOM Acquisition Center in Fort Monmouth, NJ activity (W15-P7T-06-C-T004)

March 2008: EQ-36 program successfully completes its Critical Design Review. Source.

CDR

Nov-Dec 2007: Testing. A prototype EQ-36 radar built by industry partner SRC is tested against mortars and rockets at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ. During the tests, the EQ-36 prototype successfully located the firing positions of both rocket and mortar launchers. Lockheed Martin says that live fire testing was conducted over a 7 day period without a single false alarm.

October 2007: EQ-36 program successfully completes its Preliminary Design Review. Lockheed Martin.

Oct 9/07: Lockheed Martin unveils an EQ-36 prototype.

Rollout & PDR

Sept 27/06: Development + 5. Lockheed Martin’s contract win of up to $120 million, issued by the Army’s Program Executive Officer-Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO-IEW and S).

The original release says that the company is directed to provide the Army with 5 Enhanced AN/TPQ-36 radars, within 36 months (W15P7T-06-C-T004). Subsequent conversations with Lockheed Martin reveal that this stage included just 4. The firm uses key technology from the MMR ATO program, especially the antenna/ emitter. Lockheed Martin release.

SDD

2002: MMR ATO. Contract to Syracuse Research Corp. (SRC) for a “Multi-Mission Radar, Advanced Technology Objective”. The radar is designed to perform C-RAM/ Firefinder, Air volume search, Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD), and Air Traffic Control functions.

For this demonstration project, Lockheed Martin is a sub-contractor. The radar turns out to be a TPQ-53 precursor. Later, the roles flip to make SRC a Lockheed sub-contractor, with responsibility for the radar’s core Digital Signal Processor.

Additional Readings

• Lockheed Martin – TPQ-53 Radar System. Formerly called the EQ-36, or Enhanced AN/TPQ-36 Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar. Still referred to that way in some contracts.

Competitors and predecessors include…

• Raytheon – AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder Weapon Locating System. See also ThalesRaytheon page.

• Global Security – AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder Radar

• Raytheon – AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder Weapon Locating System. See also ThalesRaytheon pages for the TPQ-37.

• Global Security – AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder Artillery Locating Radar

• DID – US Marines to Get G/ATOR AESA Ground Radars. G/ATOR’s scope matches MMRATO’s, but its evolution is a reverse image of the TPQ-53’s. It begins with air defense, and will add counterfire in Increment II. By Increment IV, it will have all of MMRATO’s envisioned capabilities, including Air Traffic Control.

• DoD Inspector General, via WayBack (Oct. 2001) – Firefinder audit report [PDF]. Older Firefinder radars were known as AN/TPQ-36, AN/TPQ-37 and AN/TPQ-47.r Artillery Locating Radar

• DID – US Marines to Get G/ATOR AESA Ground Radars. G/ATOR’s scope matches MMRATO’s, but its evolution is a reverse image of the TPQ-53’s. It begins with air defense, and will add counterfire in Increment II. By Increment IV, it will have all of MMRATO’s envisioned capabilities, including Air Traffic Control.

• DoD Inspector General, via WayBack (Oct. 2001) – Firefinder audit report [PDF]. Older Firefinder radars were known as AN/TPQ-36, AN/TPQ-37 and AN/TPQ-47.

The future is now
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The JMR-TD program is the science and technology precursor to the Department of Defense’s estimated $100 billion Future Vertical Lift program, which is expected to replace between 2,000-4,000 medium class UH-60 utility and AH-64 attack helicopters after 2030.

In reality, FVL will fall far short of that number if it ever goes ahead, but those figures are the current official fantasy. While they’re at it, the Pentagon wants breakthrough performance that includes the same hovering capability as smaller armed scout helicopters, and a 100+ knot improvement in cruising speed to 230+ knots. That’s almost certainly achievable, thanks to new developments that involve very different helicopter designs.

The JMR-TD Precursor Program

2014 CSIS Panel

We’ll begin with the Army’s core justification for FVL, and its Joint Multi-Role Technology Development precursor:

“Recent study findings concluded that the DoD rotary wing aviation fleet is aging and upgrades to current fleet aircraft will not provide the capabilities required for future operations. Additionally, because of the time in service for currently fielded helicopters, many of the decision points for the future fleet will occur within the next 10 years. The Operational Tempo (OPTEMPO) in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) was, and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) is, five times that of peacetime, and much higher than the design usage spectrum, further taxing the already aging fleet. The current fleet of DoD rotorcraft cannot continue to be incrementally improved to meet future operational requirements. Significant improvement in vertical lift, range, speed, payload, survivability, reliability, and reduced logistical footprint are all required to meet future needs and can only be achieved through the application of new technologies and designs. Operational costs must be reduced to a fraction of those for the current fleet.”

This combination of significant improvements and much lower operating costs is almost always asked for. It almost never happens. The request is akin to demanding a major-league baseball player who hits 30+ home runs per season, with under 50 strikeouts. New technologies and designs mean risk and added complexity, both of which tend to increase maintenance and operating costs. They also tend to lower mission availability percentages.

Faster, please
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On the other hand, profoundly new helicopter technologies are now in development for civilian as well as military applications, and new onboard monitoring systems and vibration control promise big improvements in maintenance and operating costs. There’s also a potential promise of significant parts commonality, and the US Marines’ UH-1Y/ AH-1Z program indicates that this is achievable in a utility/ attack helicopter pair.

So why not try? The point of JMR-TD, Phase 1 is to investigate some of the new technologies and configurations that are maturing, test metrics like weight and performance, identify performance and manufacturing risks, and improve analytical tools to deal with the new technologies.

Key Phase 1 criteria include a design that can perform medium utility or attack missions, a 230+ knot cruise speed (which stretches compound helicopters if you want them armed), the ability to hover out of ground effect at 6,000 feet in 95 degree temperatures, and a low noise level. That last item is a much-delayed but welcome recognition, and comes from hard experience in theater where loudness equals enemy warning time. Airframe life for Phase 1 prototypes need only be 200 hours or so, though it’s an advantage to be able to last longer.

Bell: V-280 Valor
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Can these new technologies be brought to a high enough Technology Readiness level for use in a defense Program of Record, while meeting performance goals? The Army is betting that they can, and 1st flights are expected in Summer 2017.

JMR-TD Phase 1. The original target was 2 award winners, but the solicitation acknowledged that 3 winners were possible, and there turned out to be 4: AVX, Bell, Karem, and Sikorsky-Boeing. From FBO.gov:

“It is possible that, given multiple meritorious proposals and proposed work that offers the potential for significant improvement to the Government’s best available knowledge in the first nine months, more than two initial selections will be made. In that case, the number of participants may be reduced after the initial design and risk review to match available funding or to minimize program risk.”

The 4 bidders were initially asked to focus on the airframe for the utility role. After July 2014, the 2 surviving bidders will develop an airframe for flight testing by 2017. The Bell V-280 and Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 airframes wouldn’t have full avionics, or production-representative engines, but they’ll be a start. Meanwhile, other industry teams are working on a digital backbone for plug-in mission systems, and a parallel lab-based testing contract for the joint common architecture standard is also expected in July 2014.

JMR-TD Phase 2 This phase is expected to begin in 2017, and would develop mission systems that can be common to utility and attack helicopters. This phase is much closer to present reality. Bell Helicopter’s UH-1Y and AH-1Z already have a substantially common mission system, and Sikorsky is fielding “armed MH-60S” kits that are being installed by the US Navy in their maritime utility helicopters, as well as Battlehawk kits to arm the UAE’s UH-60Ms. Sensors and equipment are also keeping pace. There have been battlefield instances of AH-64 Apache attack helicopter pilots asking the UH-60 Black Hawks they were escorting to use their onboard sensor turrets, because they were more modern and more capable than the Apache’s.

During JMR-TD Phase 2, the Army is expected to decide whether they want 1 airframe for both FVL roles, or different FVL attack/ utility variants.

Future Vertical Lift (FVL). This would notionally begin as an acquisition program in 2019, with an RFP that’s planned to be open to all contenders. That won’t mean much if the Army cuts AVX and Karem out in 2014, because they can’t self-finance for that long. On the flip side, while any success by those small contenders is a de facto elimination of either Sikorsky or Bell from JMR-TD, the magnitude of the FVL opportunity means they would be very likely to continue private development and bid on the FVL RFP. Sikorsky is already developing its X2 technologies regardless, and Bell has the V-22 Osprey business to fund continued refinement of tilt-rotor designs and technology.

JMR-TD Phase 1: The Finalists

USMC MV-22Bs
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The finalists divide into 2 basic design groups: compound helicopters, and tilt-rotor. Co-axial designs tend to fit better on ships, thanks to their folding rotors and short tail booms. Tilt rotors generally have an easier path to hit speed requirements, but they require a lot of extra engineering for shipboard use, and can suffer by comparison in terms of lifting capability and operations and maintenance costs. They’re also considered to be more accident prone, though tilt-rotor advocates tend to argue that point.

AVX JMR

AVX advantages

AVX began as a number of very experienced Bell Helicopter engineers who formed their own company in 2005, in order to pursue a low-cost, high-performance modification to the Army’s OH-58D Kiowa scout helicopters. By replacing the main rotor with rigid coaxial blades, and the tail with a much shorter tail hosting twin ducted fans, they could refurbish the fleet at relatively low cost, turning the helicopters into much faster machines with higher performance, and longer range.

That coaxial, twin-ducted design philosophy has carried over into their pursuit of the JMR-TD studies, and the funding they’ve received has helped keep the company going while it continues to pursue the Army’s Armed Aerial Scout program.

AVX: JMR-AT
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Aside from its larger size, their JMR design differs from their Kiowa upgrade by being entirely tailless, with a pair of stub wings mounted high near the front, in order to provide about 40% of total lift at speed. A rear ramp allows roll-on loading that can include 2x 463L cargo pallets, and fast exit by troops and even small vehicles. The compartment is wide, giving the helicopter a flattened oval cross-section. The attack version would just add a 30mm belly turret, plus floor weapon doors and internal extend-retract assemblies.

Flight is designed to be slightly nose-up to lower drag, and landing 5 degrees nose down has the effect of reducing brownout. They’re big on lowering drag, hence the use of ducted fans vs. the Sikorsky X2’s open pusher, and the tests of hub-and-mast fairings to reduce main rotor drag.

AVX: JMR-UT
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Overall weight with 12 troops and 4 crew is reportedly 27,000 pounds, compared to 22,000 pounds for the UH-60M, and 17,650 pounds loaded for the AH-64. Sling load capacity would jump from 9,000 to 13,000 pounds, which creates the ability to lift key items like the Army’s M777A2 lightweight 155mm howitzer, even at altitude or in hot climates. Without the ducted pusher fans running, speed is a bit faster than X2 in the 170 knot range. With them, AVX believes they can hit the required 230 knots.

The catch is the same catch all competitors will face: engines. Making 230 knots with the 4,300 pound payload would reportedly require 4,600 shp engines, compared to the Black Hawk’s 1,700 shp T700s. The Army will need to think about this requirement if they’re serious about costs, because dropping the requirement to 200 knots would let AVX downshift to 3,100 shp engines. It’s a trade-off between fuel consumption and costs, vs. greater speed and big load lifting improvements.

Bell Helicopter: V-280 Valor (finalist)

V-280 Valor

Bell Helicopter Textron’s V-280 Valor design differs from their V-22 Osprey, and can be seen in some ways as a 3rd generation tilt-rotor (GEN1 tilt-rotors didn’t become operational). Key differences include engines that don’t rotate – only the propeller assembly does. That avoids blocked lines of fire for door gunners, as is the case with the current V-22, and also removes landing surface damage from high-temperature exhaust out of its engines. Instead of the V-22’s rear ramp, the V-280 uses a pair of 6′ side doors, conforming to existing US Army practice.

The attack mission would take a leaf from the 7.62mm IDWS retractable gatling gun on the V-22, and use retractable weapon launchers.

V-22 manufacturer Bell is claiming a 280 knot/ 519 kmh cruise speed, a combat range of 500 – 800 nautical miles/ 925 – 1,480 km, 6,000 foot hover out of ground effect (HOGE) at 95F temperature, a useful load of 12,000 pounds, and space for a crew of 4 + 11 troops. They also claim “suitable down wash,” and “significantly smaller logistical footprint compared to other aircraft.” Close parsing shows that neither statement actually means anything concrete. What it does show, is that Bell is conscious of the negative impact these issues have had on the Bell/Boeing V-22 program.

Other team members for the demonstrator include GE (T64 engine used in CH-53s), GKN (tail), and Moog (flight controls).

Karem: TR36TD OSTR

TR36TD concept
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Karem Aircraft entered the mix in fall 2013. Their planned offering is the TR36TD Optimum Speed Tilt-Rotor Technology Demonstrator, with twin 36-foot, variable-speed swiveling rotors. Its design will be an important financial and engineering stepping stone along the way to their civil 90-seat “Aerocommuter” and 180-seat “Aerotrain” visions.

On the military end, their site touts an eventual TR75 JHL design that grows to become slightly bigger than a C-130, with a 330+ knot/ Mach 0.65+ cruising speed and a maximum payload of up to 36 tons. Karem Aircraft says that TR75 was extensively analyzed during the JHL program’s 2005-2007 cooperative development agreement phase, leading to a strategic teaming with Lockheed Martin as a production partner during the 2007-2010 CDA-X program extension. If TR75’s touted statistics ever came true, it would offer near-A400M level performance, with vertical/ short takeoff capability and better cruise efficiency. That’s quite the stretch goal, but Lockheed Martin took it seriously enough to create a hedge against the potential threat to its C-130x franchise.

JHL: TR75 concept
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Technically, Karem’s proposal is a farther reach than AVX’s, and might be laughed out of the room if it came from another source. But founder Abe Karem is best known for kick-starting the American UAV revolution with a viable and inexpensive garage-built product called Amber, after the ruinously-expensive performance disaster that was Lockheed Martin’s MQM-105 Aquila. Along the way, General Atomics bought Karem, his firm, and his technology from Hughes. Karem’s work and technology morphed into the Gnat UAV, which served over Bosnia and then morphed into the famous MQ-1 Predator. His current firm, Karem Aircraft, developed optimum-speed rotor (OSR) technology, which saves fuel and fine-tunes performance by varying the rotor’s speed in response to weight, conditions, etc. That core technology was sold to Boeing to create the A160 Hummingbird Heli-UAV, but Karem was left free to develop the underlying technology in other ways.

Karem hasn’t been known for his high opinion of large defense contractors and their performance, and JMR-FVL was shaping up as an excellent test of his belief in small staffs of very talented and motivated engineers. Unfortunately, budget cuts forced a finalist decision before the demonstrators could fly, and the Army picked the larger firms for policy reasons (q.v. Aug 25/14 entry).

Sikorsky & Boeing: SB>1 Defiant (finalist)

JMR: UTX-BA
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From the Army’s point of view, this pair are the incumbents. Sikorsky’s UH-60 is their standard utility aircraft, and Boeing’s AH-64 is their standard attack helicopter. Their pedigree in the compound helicopter technologies they’re using goes back farther than Bell’s V-22, to the XH-59A/S-69 compound helicopter that reached over 200 knots in the mid-1970s.

Sikorsky’s X2 is a privately developed effort that combines a number of leading edge but mature technologies, including rigid coaxial rotors, a pusher propeller, fly-by-wire, vibration control, a composite fuselage, and an active elevator and rudders. Their demonstrator first flew in August 2008, and has reached over 260 knots. It’s being followed by the privately developed S-97 Raider project, which aims to produce a sleek scout/attack helicopter for special forces use that can carry 4-6 troops inside. Sikorsky is building the Raider with its own money, and many of its technologies and lessons are expected to find their way into the JMR’s larger “Team Defiant” project with Boeing.

S-97 Raider
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The Defiant’s main rotor provides extra lift at full speed, but if the pusher propeller is turned off, X2 machines behave like standard coaxial helicopters with speed up to 160 knots. If the pusher propeller is reversed, it helps with fast stops, and the entire system can be used to create much tighter turns than a normal helicopter, with maneuvers at or exceeding 3Gs. The demonstrator’s engines will be the same Honeywell T55 that equips CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

Sikorsky envisions their X2 technology in a range of helicopter sizes and roles, and the JHL contracts have already helped them investigate larger designs than JMR. Meanwhile, Sikorsky is touting their smaller, privately developed S-97 armed scout as a significant plus for FVL requirements, given their expectation that they could begin fielding S-97 units about 10 years earlier than FVL is expected. That lets them match Textron’s learning curve and production experience with the V-22, while having the smaller end of the FVL spectrum already covered.

Contracts & Key Events

Maj. Gen. Michael Lundy, the Army’s aviation chief, indicated that in facing two competing technologies from two vendors for the medium-capacity variant of the Future Vertical Lift program, the Army would like both. One can be fitted for the troop carrying role, and the other for the attack/reconnaissance role. The Bell V-280 Valor (tilt rotor) has been theoretically competing against the Sikorsky/Boeing SB>1Defiant. Lundy told BreakingDefense.com that the decision was akin to the split between the Apache versus the Black Hawk.

The plan depends on the assumption – that other services have not been quite as bold in making – that sequestration will be lifted for FY 2016 onward. Lundy’s tone was fatalistic, indicating that the Army was planning for that one rosy scenario because the others – however likely – wouldn’t suit: “If we went to the worst case, it would affect almost every modernization program we’ve got in our branch.”

In addition to vanquishing sequestration, the Army’s modernization plans hinge on Congress approving their ARI plan, which involves shelving Kiowas and replacing that reconnaissance capacity with Apaches taken from reserve units, among other decisions that would be unpopular in many individual congressional districts.

Sikorsky’s S-97 Raider is relevant to this program, but is not a direct result of JMR-FVL. We cover it as part of the USA’s Armed Aerial Scout competition, where it’s a potential direct competitor.

FY 2015-2018

Spirit AeroSystems uvnveils fuselage for V-280.

V-280 mockup build

October 10/18: SB-1 – soon ready for takeoff Flight Global reports, that the new SB-1 Defiant is still on track to make its maiden flight before the end of 2018. The Defiant is a third-generation X2 aircraft jointly developed by Sikorsky and Boeing. It will be their main pitch in the US Government’s Future Vertical Lift program and is a direct rival to Bell’s V-280. The aircraft’s first flight will be conducted with a one-year delay due to problems during the composite blade manufacturing process. The companies have already installed a testbed for the Defiant’s powertrain systems at a West Palm Beach, Florida facility and plan to test the helicopter’s turbines, transmission and rotors in the coming weeks. This Powertrain System Test Bed (PSTB) lets them run the engines at their full combined 9,000 shaft horsepower and show how used components behave under increased stress. The Sikorsky-Boeing team plans to make ground runs with the Defiant in November. Both the Defiant and V-280 are aimed at satisfying the Army’s requirement under capability set-3, or “medium” variant that would be analogous to a legacy UH-60 Black Hawk.

March 16/18: Defiantly biding their time The Sikorsky-Boeing team developing the SB-1 Defiant are rigorously testing the coaxial helicopter demonstrator before its maiden flight, officials from both companies have told Defense News. Defiant is likely to fly in the latter part of this summer, Randy Rotte, Boeing’s director of global sales and marketing for cargo helicopters and Future Vertical Lift said, caveating that the team is “really focused on providing information to the Army throughout the whole flight test program to inform them as they go forward, as they are doing their analysis of alternatives, as they are doing their technical readiness assessment, as they are preparing for their program of record.” The Army is assessing two flight demonstrators—the other being the Bell V-280 Valor which first flew in December—as part of an effort to inform requirements for its Future Vertical Lift family of helicopters that are expected to reach an initial capability in the 2030s.

February 15/18: Milestone-First Army Flight Bell Helicopter’s V-280 Valor tilt-rotor demonstrator has been flown by a US Army pilot for the first time. The February 7 flight was conducted by Chief Warrant Officer 3, Tom Wiggins, of the US Army Special Operations Aviation Command, at the Bell Flight Test Facility in Amarillo, Tex. During the flight, Wiggins performed Hover In Ground Effect repositioning, pattern flight and roll-on landings. The aircraft is being funded under the US Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstration (JMRTD) program and is led by the service’s Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC). AMRDEC personnel have been fully involved in the demonstrator effort including integration of experimental test pilots and flight test engineers into the mixed flight test team, and Army pilots will take part in additional flights throughout the test program. The JMRTD is a precursor to the Department of Defense Future Vertical Lift program.

December 20/17: Milestone-First Flight Bell Helicopter’s V-280 Valor tilt-rotor aircraft flew for the first time on December 18, at a Bell facility in Amarillo, Texas. Monday’s test saw the helicopter perform a low hover for up to 20 minutes, and follows a series of ground trials conducted since the the completion of the prototype build in September. The Valor prototype has been developed as one of two different demonstrator aircraft—the other being the Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant coaxial helicopter—as part of the US Army’s Joint Multi-Role demonstrator program, and will pave the way for informing and shaping the design of a Future Vertical Lift helicopter fleet expected to hit the skies in the 2030s. The Defiant, which has experienced manufacturing issues with the complex rotor blades that make up the helicopter’s coaxial design, is expected to fly in the fist half of 2018.

November 15/17: Testing The first flight of Bell Helicopters V-280 Valor tiltrotor will take place before “the end of the autumn,” according to Vince Tobin, vice-president military business at Bell. In preparation for the sortie, Bell have conducted ground trails of the tiltrotor’s GE Aviation T64 powerplants over the last two months, with recent testing seeing the Valor rotate its engines between 75°-95°. Tobin added that initial flights will involve low hover manoeuvres, moving to transitions into airplane mode, before an eventual expansion of its flight envelope in spring 2018. The Valor is being developed initially as part of the US Army’s joint multirole technology (JMR) demonstrator program, and Bell hopes the aircraft will then be selected for the multi-service future vertical lift (FVL) initiative, initially as a replacement for the army’s fleet of Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks.

October 17/17: Following the crash of the first S-97 Raider prototype in August, manufacturer Sikorsky has traced the cause of the crash to a software issue and has corrected the problem in a simulator. Speaking on the incident, Sikorsky vice-president Chris Van Buiten said the crash was caused by “a very sophisticated fly-by-wire flight control issue,” adding that he did not see any requirement for hardware changes, and praised how all the systems behaved in the hard landing, including the fuselage, landing gear, seats and fuel systems. A second prototype, which had not been completely built at the time of the August crash, is expected to fly early next year. The helicopter is a development as part of the US Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program.

October 05/17: The planned first flight of Bell Helicopter’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor aircraft did not go ahead as originally announced on September 30. Instead, it is likely to meet the milestone in November. Testing of the aircraft started on September 20, with checks of its GE Aviation T64 engines and later electromagnetic interference checks on the Lockheed Martin-supplied avionics, however, the firm is being cautious with its checking regime and a test of its ground test regimen has yet to be conducted. Other reasons for the delay include the weather, with even drops of rain threatening to erode instrumentation on the rotor blades. Despite the delay, Bell’s Valor remains ahead of the competing Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant, who will not see a first flight until early 2018. The two aircraft are being developed for the US Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstration (JMR-TD)—an experiment intended by the army to evaluate technologies that could be used for a family of high-speed, Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft.

September 13/17: A delay to the planned first flight of the SB-1 Defiant Joint Multi-Role (JMR) demonstrator aircraft has been due to difficulties in manufacturing its complex rotor blades for the helicopter’s coaxial design. The SB-1 demonstrator is being developed by a Boeing-Sikorsky team and is facing off against the recently assembled Bell Helicopters V-280 Valor for the US Army’s JMR program. As a result of the manufacturing challenges, the SB-1 will not fly in 2017 but is on track to fly within the spring-summer 2018 timeframe. The Army expects the Valor to conduct its first flight within the next month.

September 11/17: Bell Helicopters has completed the first build of its V-280 Valor fixed-wing tiltrotor aircraft for the US Army. Assembled at Bell’s facility in Amarillo, Texas, the Valor is a co-development with Lockheed Martin for the Department of Defense’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program, and will face off against a Boeing-Sikorsky offering in the Army’s Joint Multi-Role (JMR) Technology Demonstrator (TD) phase later this year. Bell expect to conduct the Valor’s maiden flight later this fall.

February 17/16: A new start project listed for Fiscal Year 2017 will see the US Army look for rotor-craft designs to fund the next-generation of Future Vertical Lift (FVL) helicopters. If approved by Congress, FVL could initially produce mid-weight replacements for the long-serving Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64 Apache types. The news comes as both Boeing-Sikorsky and Bell Helicopters are developing their own next-gen FVL contributions which aim to have their first flights by the end of 2017. The Boeing-Sikorsky offering, the SB-1 Defiant compound coaxial helicopter has been developed as a precursor FLV under the Army’s Joint MultiRole (JMR) technology demonstration, while Bell is offering its V-280 Valor tiltrotor.

November 13/15: The Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program could be ready for fielding by 2025, if reports by Bell and Lockheed Martin are to be believed. The V-280 Valor design – based on the technology of the V-22 Osprey – is slated for flight testing in 2017. The fuselage of the first aircraft was unveiled in September, with the team insisting that the V-280 can achieve Initial Operating Capability by 2025.

October 16/15: Sikorsky is planning to increase tempo in testing of the company’s S-97 Raider, following the aircraft’s first flight in May. 110 to 120 hours of flight testing is expected, with the Raider’s technology forming a key aspect of the Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant, a finalist for the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator and Future Vertical Lift (JVR-FVL) programs.

Competition from the Bell-Lockheed Martin V-280 Valor has led to contractual changes between the two developers to ensure that there isn’t spillover between the two designs when Lockheed Martin finalizes its acquisition of Sikorsky. Reports now indicate that this deal could be finalized by early November, following the green light from the US government in September, along with the Japanese and South Korean governments. The $9 billion takeover still requires some regulatory head nods before finalization, with the European Union and China expected to respond next week.

September 24/15: The fuselage of the Bell Helicopters V-280 tiltrotor demonstrator aircraft was unveiled by manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems on Tuesday. Assembled by the company’s rapid prototyping facility, the fuselage will be combined with the V-280 wing, engines and tails. The V-280 Valor design will compete with Sikorsky/Boeing’s SB-1 Defiant design from September 2017 in a two-year evaluation period for the Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program. Both are part-funded through the Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMRTD) program, part of FVL, with contracts awarded last year.

FY 2014

JMR awards 4 TD contracts; Budgets force narrowing to 2 JMR-TD demonstrators, small firms downselected out.

Oct 2/14: S-97 unveiled. Sikorsky formally unveils the first of two S-97 Raider armed scout compound helicopter prototypes, signaling the start of the program’s test flight phase. The S-97’s core X2 technologies will also be the core of the SB-1 Defiant. Sikorsky, YouTube video and “Sikorsky Unveils S-97 RAIDE Helicopter”.

Aug 25/14: Aviation Week reports that the SB>1 Defiant and V-280 Valor became JMR finalists because the Army made financial resources and commitment a priority. They wanted to be sure the demonstrators would be fielded for the flight tests, and both Bell and Sikorsky/Boeing are pouring far more than the mandated 50/50 cost sharing into their programs. Meanwhile AVX and Karem are waiting to hear if the Army will fund them to continue some technology development work.

On a technical level, the Defiant is a much easier challenge. Take existing X2 technology, and field a new design that meets designated performance criteria. It isn’t simple, but the smaller X2 has already shown the required speed, and the Defiant will be flying and ironing out handling issues before 2017. What they don’t want, is something that achieves all goals but costs much more than a new UH-60M.

The road is harder for the V-280, because they’re conscious of the V-22’s much higher base cost and huge operating costs. Weight and complexity drives a lot of cost, so they’re looking to reduce weight and simplify components, removing fasteners and using different composite constructions. That’s said to reduce wing production costs by about 30% vs. the V-22, but they’ll need to demonstrate long-term affordability in several other areas by the time the demonstrator flies. Sources: Aviation Week, “Affordability Challenge In Pursuit Of Army JMR/FVL”.

Aug 12/14: Finalists. The US Army has chosen large firms as JMR-TD finalists, asking for flying demonstrators of the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant compound helicopter and Bell’s V-280 Valor tilt-rotor. Flights of their respective prototypes are expected in 2017.

AVX’s compound helicopter, and Karem’s optimum-speed tilt-rotor, are eliminated. As DID had noted:

“…[A future open RFP for FVL] won’t mean much if the Army cuts AVX and Karem out in 2014, because they can’t self-finance for that long. On the flip side… the magnitude of the FVL opportunity means they would be very likely to continue private development and bid on the FVL RFP. Sikorsky is already developing its X2 technologies regardless, and Bell has the V-22 Osprey business to fund continued refinement of tilt-rotor designs and technology.”

Both AVX and Karem are far more dependent on government financing for continued development, though Karem still has a small source of funds via DARPA’s VTOL X-Plane program. Even so, with American land and naval helicopter programs essentially set over the medium term, the losing firms face a dilemma. Absent significant outside investment based on expected commercial sales, they face a difficult path to realizing and selling their designs, and becoming established competitors. Sources: Sikorsky, “Sikorsky, Boeing Selected to Build Technology Demonstrator for Future Vertical Lift, SB>1 Defiant expected to fly in 2017” | Reuters, “Boeing-Sikorsky team, Bell selected for U.S. helicopter program”.

JMR Finalists: Defiant vs. V-280

Aug 1/14: JMR. The US Army was supposed to announce its finalists in July, but that didn’t happen. Instead, they plan to gather the 4 teams some time in late August or early September, tell them which 2 contractors are going forward, and discuss what’s next for the program. Current plans involve $350 million available through fiscal 2019. Sources: Defense News, “US Army’s JMR Helo Selection Slips”.

July 11/14: JCA picked. The US Army reportedly picks Boeing and Sikorsky for the Joint Common Architecture component of the JMR program. This pick only covers the helicopter’s core electronics; selection of this team’s SB>1 Defiant is a separate matter. Sources: FBO.gov #W911W614R0002, “Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR TD) Joint Common Architecture Demonstration (JCA Demo)” | Sikorsky, “Sikorsky, Boeing Selected to Develop “Digital Backbone” for Future Vertical Lift Program”.

June 4/14: The services have had to fight to protect JMR budgets, and the Pentagon’s deputy director of land warfare, munitions and tactical warfare systems is admitting that the JMR manufacturing phase is likely to be late at best.

“Officials said the military services are having to trade off new weapon systems to fund their payroll…. [Jose M.] Gonzalez said the joint multirole rotorcraft, or JMR, technology demonstration might not lead to the procurement of new aircraft within the desired timeline, but could “feed alternatives other than a new-start program … such as major upgrades or changes in con-ops [Concept of Operations].”

That first sentence is the beginning of a long-term death spiral, whose future end point can be seen today in countries like Belgium. With respect to FVL’s future, the nature of AVX’s technology makes it a good candidate for upgrades, but other than that, the radically different designs sharply limit upgrade potential, unless we’re talking about upgrades at a component or materials level. Common mission systems are another area that could see improvement, but that can be pursued on its own outside of FVL/JMR.

Meanwhile, the program remains on track to pick 2 Technology Development finalists. Analyst Roman Schweizer of Guggenheim Securities continues to favor Bell and Sikorsky, but he adds that: “If AVX or Karem pull off an upset, we would expect them to partner with a larger manufacturer, giving the losing primes a way back into the program.” That could make it more palatable for the Pentagon to include one of the smaller firms as a finalist. Sources: NDIA National Defense, “Bumpy Ride Ahead for Military’s Future Helicopter Program”.

May 7/14: F-35?!? Lockheed Martin showcased an F-35 flight simulator at the Army Aviation Association of America’s Mission Solutions Summit. Why? Not to promote the well-known LiftFan, but to promote the mission system and helmet-mounted display/ distributed sensors combination:

“Lockheed is working on the development of a single “common missions system” that could be integrated into light, medium, heavy and ultra-heavy future vertical lift aircraft.”

That isn’t completely far-fetched. It’s already part of FVL’s goals, and Northrop Grumman already provides a common avionics set and mission system for the USMC’s UH-1Y utility and AH-1Z attack helicopters. It would save a lot of money on maintenance, training and upgrades. Lockheed Martin is currently part of Bell’s V-280 team within FVL/JMR, but this is an interesting way for a large sub-contractor to hedge their bet. Sources: Flightglobal, “Lockheed pitches F-35 technology for US Army’s future vertical lifter”.

May 7/15: Schedule. Defense News reports that the 2 JMR-TD finalists won’t be picked until July 2014. That month will also see a contract award for lab testing of a “joint common architecture” standard for a digital backbone, which will allow mission systems to be plugged into the aircraft. Sources: Defense News, “Step by Step: US Army Slowly Nears Apache, Black Hawk Replacements”.

May 5-7/14: Bell V-280. More V-280 Valor tilt-rotor sub-contractors are announced. Astronics will contribute solid state primary and secondary electrical power distribution systems, after partnering in these areas on Bell’s new 505 light and 525 mid-range civil helicopters. Meggitt will provide the fuel system.

Eaton, meanwhile, is providing the V-280’s entire hydraulic system including engine-driven pumps, reservoirs, fuses, hoses, quick disconnects, tubing and the main engine starting subsystem. Sources: Bell Helicopter, “Bell Helicopter, Astronics Announce Cooperative Agreement” and “Bell Helicopter, Eaton Announce Cooperative Agreement” | Rotor & Wing, “Bell Reaches Deal with Meggitt, Astronics, Eaton for V-280 Tiltrotor”.

Oct 22/13: Early narrowing. The US Army is planning to narrow the JMR field from 4 bidders to 2 in June 2014, per the stipulations in the original solicitation if bid quality made the Army pick more than 2 designs initially. Bell President and CEO John Garrison offers optimistic thoughts:

“We also believe that with the maturity of this technology, as we look forward, it doesn’t need to take to 2035… That’s the current schedule, but from a technology standpoint, we… believe this can be shifted to the left [DID: earlier]. I know that sounds like a challenge in today’s budgetary environment, but you have to plan beyond the current crisis.”

JMR-TD Phase 2 would begin in 2017 focus on mission systems, while the Army decides whether they want 1 airframe for both Future Vertical Lift roles, or different FVL attack/ utility variants. Sources: IHS Jane’s 360, “AUSA 2013: Army to downselect to two JMR-TD bidders in 2014” | Defense News, “Bell President Says JMR Schedule Could be Accelerated.”

HPW3000 promo
click for video

Oct 21/13: Next engines? The US government’s Advanced Affordable Turbine Engine program (AATE) program begins to show public results, with PW/Honeywell’s ATEC joint venture touting its HPW3000’s performance in early tests. Their competitor is GE’s GE3000.

Within the Army, the application of these technologies will fall under AATE’s follow-on Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP). Its goal is a 3,000 shp turboshaft that also delivers AATE’s desired 25% better fuel efficiency, 20% longer engine life, and 35% maintenance cost improvements. All in a package that could act as a drop-in replacement for the AH-64E’s current T700-GE-701D, which delivers 2,000 shp. Assuming they can deliver, AH-64 on-station time could rise by an hour or so, or see range extensions and better altitude limits. As an alternative, the helicopter could carry about 3,300 more pounds of payload under better conditions. If the companies could deliver on the reliability goals as well, the combined value of those maintenance and longevity improvements for the UH-60 and AH-64 fleets could add up to $1 billion over the engines’ life cycle.

ITEP’s winner could also find its way into any future FVL helicopter. Sources: Pratt & Whitney release, Oct 21/13 | Aviation Week, “Teams Test More Powerful Engines For U.S. Army Helicopters” | ATEC JV site | ATEC HPW3000 infographic [PDF] | GE3000 page.

Oct 22/13: S/B Defiant. At AUSA 2013, Sikorsky and Boeing unveil “SB>1 Defiant” as the name for their JMR entry. Asked about the name, Sikorsky representatives explained that it should be read “SB-1”, as if it was a fancy dash. “However, you could infer that the combination of both companies is better or greater than either company individually.”

Definitely too cute by half.

Oct 16-21/13: Bell V-280. Bell Helicopter announces a number of V-280 Valor tilt-rotor sub-contractors. AGC Composites and Aerostructures will design, develop and manufacture the over wing fairing. GE will supply the engine. GKN will manufacture the rear V-tail structure. Finally, Boeing spinout Spirit AeroSystems will handle design and production of the main fuselage.

GKN’s expertise is in metalworking and composite construction, and AGC offers expertise in that field as well. Spirit is an important contributor to a number of civil airliner programs, including part of Boeing’s 787 fuselage. GE’s engine isn’t specified, and remains ambiguous. GE is developing the 7,500 shp GE38 for the CH-53K helicopter program, which would offer 22% more power than the V-22’s Rolls Royce AE 1107C. The release also has GE referring to technologies being studied under the Future Affordable Turbine Engine (FATE) program, however, which suggests a possible new design. That would be very expensive, compared to an adaptation of an existing design. Sources: Bell Helicopter, Oct 16/13 (GE), Oct 17/13 (GKN), Oct 18/13 (AGC), and Oct 21/13 (Spirit) releases.

Oct 9/13: Bell V-280. Bell Helicopter announces that they’ve picked Moog Inc. for the V-280’s integrated flight control system, including flight control computers, flight control actuation, and support software. Sources: Bell Helicopter, Oct 9/13 release.

AVX advantages
click for video

Oct 2/13: JMR-TD. Pentagon contracts aren’t being announced publicly, but AMRDEC has reportedly signed JMR-TD contracts with 4 vendors, not just the 3 initially picked. The contracts were scheduled for September 2013, and may well have been signed in FY 2013, but that’s unclear. Dollars amounts are equally unclear, but the awards are reportedly 9-month CRADAs (cooperative research and development agreements) aimed at refining each design and reducing/ identifying technical risks. Afterward, it’s expected that 2 firms will be picked to actually build prototypes and conduct flight tests by 2017. Winners include:

• AVX: JMR-AT/UT compound coaxial tailless helicopter.
  
• Bell Textron: V-280 Valor twin tilt-rotor.
  
• Karem Aircraft: TR36-TD optimum speed rotor twin tilt-rotor.
  
• Sikorsky & Boeing: X2 compound coaxial helicopter.

X2 technology has already passed the flying demonstrator stage, but the V-280 remains a paper concept, albeit one backed by experience building V-22 Osprey tilt-rotors. It won’t be easy for AVX or Karem to overcome those advantages with a design, but surprises are always a possibility, and they need any source of customer financing they can find for continued technology development. Sources: Bell Textron, Oct 8/13 release | Aviation Week, “Karem Unveils Variable-Speed Tiltrotor For U.S. Army JMR Demo” | Defense News, “Four Companies Get US Army’s Nod to Begin Critical Helicopter Designs”.

JMR-TD contracts

FY 2013

JMR-TD RFP; Initial winners picked, contracts follow.

Sikorsky X2, 2012
click for video

Sept 9/13: Bell V-280. Bell Helicopter and Lockheed Martin announce a Tier 1 partnership on the V-280 tilt-rotor, with Lockheed Martin in charge of mission systems: avionics, weapons integration, etc. It’s the same kind of role that Boeing is playing for Sikorsky’s X2. Sources: Bell Textron, Sept 9/13 release.

Aug 12-13/13: Industry Day. US Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) holds a meeting to present the results of the JMR TD Mission Systems Effectiveness Trades and Analysis (MS ETA) Technology Investment Agreements (TIAs). The meeting will be held at the Jacobs Theater in Ft. Eustis, VA. FBO.gov.

June 5-6/13: Who’s picked? Bell Helicopter’s V-280 Valor tilt-rotor, and Sikorsky/Boeing’s compound helicopter using X2 technology derivative, are picked by the US Army for JMR Technology Development contracts. Flight International reports that AVX’s tailless compound helicopter was also picked, along with Bell and Sikorsky/Boeing.

The Army is expected to award JMR-TD contracts by September 2013. If 3 contracts are awarded in September, there’s likely to be a cutoff to 2 competitors at the initial design and risk review, in Spring 2014. First flight of the 2 demonstrator machines is scheduled for 2017.

X-49 Speedhawk (a modified UH-60) developer Piasecki was not picked for JMR-TD. Flight International doesn’t say so, but to our knowledge, the X-49A’s Army tests didn’t exceed 180 knots. That stands in contrast to the X2 demonstrator’s recorded 261 knots, and the V-22 Osprey’s 250+. The Army’s solicitation had already made the decision between retrofit potential and total performance, and so Piasecki will have to wait for another opportunity. In the coming budget crunches, it just might get one. Bell Helicopter | Flight International.

JMR-TD1 picks

May 29/13: EADS out. EADS North America CEO Sean O’Keefe sends a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army Heidi Shyu, informing her that they’re pulling out of the JMR-TD competition. Their platform hadn’t been officially revealed, but was almost certain to be their X3.

The firm has reportedly decided to focus its energies on its AAS-72+ submission for the Army’s Armed Aerial scout, which is a close derivative of the conventional UH-72A Lakota/ EC145 design currently serving with Army National Guard units. In his letter, O’Keefe reportedly cites both the FVL’s “very long term… open-ended industry resource commitment,” and ongoing budgetary uncertainty. Translation: high investment required, low confidence in the program’s future. Aviation Week.

April 10/13: V-280. Bell Helicopter revealed its tilt-rotor V-280 Valor offering for the Joint Multi Role / Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Technology Demonstrator (JMR/TD) competition, during the Army Aviation Association of America’s 2013 expo in Fort Worth, TX. A YouTube promo is included, along with notional performance statistics. Unlike some observers, we really liked the video game buddies to front line motif. These days, that sort of thing really happens.

Note that our standard for “notional” is whenever no examples of type have been built and tested yet. By this standard, all JMR competitor designs will have notional performance figures. Bell Helicopter.

Feb 28/13: X2. Unsurprisingly, the Sikorsky/Boeing team decides to build on the already-flying X2 for their JMR submission. Boeing does have other technologies it could apply, but none have X2’s maturity level.

The team also makes some smart structural choices. Sikorsky will take the lead role in this JMR TD Phase 1 proposal, since the core X2 technology is theirs. Boeing knows much more about mission systems for attack helicopters, and they’ll take the lead role for the Phase 2 mission systems demonstrator program. Boeing | Sikorsky.

Jan 13/13: X2. Sikorsky teams up with Boeing, as they agree to submit a joint proposal in response to the U.S. Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate’s Joint Multi-Role (JMR) Technology Demonstrator (TD) Phase 1 program.

Boeing makes the AH-64 attack helicopter and CH-47F heavy-lift helicopter. They’re also Bell Helicopter’s partner for the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor that currently serves with the USMC and Special Forces, but didn’t partner with Bell this time around. Sikorsky.

Aug 17 – Dec 17/12: JMR. The US Army releases its Broad Agency Announcement for the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstration Phase 1 – Air Vehicle Development. The final draft is released on Dec 17/12. The original target was 2 award winners, but the solicitation acknowledged that 3 winners were possible:

“It is possible that, given multiple meritorious proposals and proposed work that offers the potential for significant improvement to the Government’s best available knowledge in the first nine months, more than two initial selections will be made. In that case, the number of participants may be reduced after the initial design and risk review to match available funding or to minimize program risk.”

See: FBO.gov.

JMR-RD Phase 1 RFP

FY 2005 – 2012

JHL and JMR studies contracted; JMR firms up, with Special Forces involvement; Sikorsky wraps up successful X2 program; Competitors position themselves.

Early Army concept
(click to view full)

July 27/12: EADS. EADS North America lands the X3 demonstrator at the Pentagon. DEW Line.

Jan 19/12: SpecOps, too. Defense Tech quotes SOCOM Col. Charles Yomant, who says SOCOM is working very closely with Maj. Gen. Anthony Crutchfield’s team on inserting their requirements into JMR. Crutchfield himself confirms this, adding that an SOF aviator is working with his team at Fort Rucker, AL.

Dec 9/11: JMR. The US Army begins to talk publicly, specifically naming a JMR program It’s described as:

“…a far-reaching Science and technology effort designed to engineer, build and deliver a next-generation helicopter with vastly improved avionics, electronics, range, speed, propulsion, survivability, operating density altitudes and payload capacity…. able to sustain speeds in excess of 170 knots, achieve an overall combat range greater than 800 kilometers (combat radius of 424 kilometers) and hover with a full combat load under high/hot conditions (altitudes of 6,000 feet and 95 degrees F)…. Planned mission sets for the JMR include cargo, utility, armed scout, attack, humanitarian assistance, MEDEVAC, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, land/sea search and rescue, special warfare support, vertical replenishment, airborne mine countermeasures, and others….”

The initial focus involves medium lift options, though the Army does intend to field an attack variant as well. Future Vertical Lift also gets a mention:

The over-arching JFVL efforts span a range of four classes of future aircraft, ranging from light helicopters to medium and heavy-lift variants and an ultra-class category designed to build a new fleet of super-heavy-lift aircraft. The ultra-class aircraft…. described as a C-130 type of transport aircraft, is part of an Air Force led, Army-Air Force collaborative S&T effort called Joint Future Theater Lift, or JFTL.”

Nov 8/11: JMR. At the AUSA 2011 expo, US Army PEO Aviation Maj. Gen. Tim Crosby discusses:

“…a 2030 aim point for a Joint Multi-Role kind of system – I am not going to name it today as JMR but people are kind of referring to it as that – but a system that is scalable in its architecture. And our focus will be, we believe, towards a Utility/ Attack variant… That’s the investment we need to continue to focus on while we continue to sustain and modernize our fleet that is currently in the fight.”

Meanwhile, Flight International offers pictures of Bell-Boeing concepts for “JMR,” which were shown in their booth. The somewhat crude designs are tilt-rotors with V-tails, and the larger example has what is described as “three pairs of scissor blades”. David Axe of WIRED Defense sees wholesale replacement with ‘son of Osprey’ as “doubling down on a risky bet,” though he does acknowledge a few improvements in the new designs. Defense Media Network | Flight International | WIRED Danger Room.

Sept 29/11: CTA studies. The US Army’s Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) at Redstone Arsenal, AL has awarded 18-month Technology Investment Agreements to 3 competitors: Boeing, a Bell-Boeing team, and Sikorsky.

AVX Corporation, which is led by the former Head of Engineering at Bell Helicopters, gets a 15-month contract worth $4 million. Other competitors’ awards aren’t disclosed, which implies that they were under the $5 million threshold.

Their job is to conduct analytical studies and trade assessments designed to articulate the scope of what might be technically possible. That means Configuration and Trades Analysis (CTA) studies aimed at giving defensible estimates for cost, schedule, and technical risk elements for next generation rotorcraft; and firm up their approach to meet the Army’s future requirements. AVX [PDF].

JMR studies

July 14/11: X2. Sikorsky formally wraps up its self-funded X2 R&D program, after 23 test flights and a maximum cruise speed of 253 knots in level flight on Sept 15/10. The design, technology, and team aren’t going anywhere, though. They’re just transitioning to the self-funded S-97 Raider armed scout and special forces application demonstrator, which Sikorsky has picked as its first development of X2 technology. Sikorsky.

X2 development done

Sept 20/05: JHL studies. The US Army awards a set of conceptual design and analysis contracts for the Joint Heavy Lift program, which is envisioned a sa long-term replacement for the CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters they’re ordering. About 5 contracts are issued, for about $3.5 million each. The winners were:

• Sikorsky X2C, X2 Technology Crane – coaxial rotor (165 knots, eliminated)
  
• Boeing ATRH, Advanced Tandem Rotor Helicopter (165 knots, eliminated)
  
• Sikorsky X2HSL, X2 Technology High Speed Lifter – advancing blade compound (245 knots);
  
• Bell Boeing QTR, Quad Tilt Rotor (275 knots); and
  
• Frontier Aircraft OSTR, Optimum Speed Tilt Rotor (310 knots).

Frontier Aircraft is eventually bought by Boeing, and 2 of the design are eliminated in late 2007 when the Army decides to add aerial refueler capability and make the minimum speed 220 knots.

Read “Joint Heavy Lift Program: Breakthrough, Borg, or Backwater?” for full coverage of the effort, which eventually stalled out completely before resurfacing, yet again, in the Future Vertical Lift concept. On the other hand, it allowed a number of current competitors a few more R&D dollars to play with, and spurred serious development of technologies like X2.

JHL studies

Additional Readings Background: JMR-FVL Program & Contenders

• FBO.gov – A–DRAFT Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Joint Multi-Role (JMR) Technology Demonstrator(TD) Phase I- Air Vehicle Development. Solicitation Number: W911W6-12-R-0021

• Aviation Today – Future Vertical Lift: An Overview. Written May 1/13. Very good article.

• Wikipedia – Future Vertical Lift. Short entry.

• AVX Aircraft Company.

• Bell Helicopter – V-280 official site.

• Karem Aircraft – Joint Heavy Lift.

• Sikorsky Raider – X2 Basics.

News & Views

• CSIS (Sept 5/14) – The Challenges of Complex Acquisition Efforts: Lessons Learned for Future Vertical Lift. Includes MP3 Audio and video [YouTube].

• Aviation Week (May 6/13) – AVX Presses Case For Coaxial-Rotor JMR Demonstrator

• DID (Aug 3/08) – Joint Heavy Lift Program: Breakthrough, Borg, or Backwater? The latter, apparently, though it helped spur development of X2, and issued some small technology development contracts.

Americas

The US Air Force is designating its hypersonic research rocket. Formerly known as GOLauncher1, the vehicle now carries the official military designation of X-60A. The rocket is flown by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Aerospace Systems Directorate, High Speed Systems Division and is being developed by Generation Orbit Launch Services. The X-60A is an air-dropped liquid rocket designed for hypersonic flight research, including testing of technologies like scramjet propulsion, high-temperature-resistant materials and autonomous control. The X-60A is a research vehicle designed to capture data complementary to AFRL’s ground testing capability. The captured data helps the laboratory to better understand how material and other technologies behave while flying at more than 5 times the speed of sound. According to the Air Force, the X-60A “enables faster development of both our current hypersonic weapon rapid prototypes and evolving future systems.” The single-stage liquid rocket is powered by Hadley rocket engine and is designed to provide affordable and regular access to high dynamic pressure flight conditions between Mach 5 and Mach 8.

The Canadian government is requesting the purchase of three King Air 350ER aircraft in their ISR configuration. The State Department is determined to approve this possible FMS with a value of $300 million. The King Air 350ER is a multi-mission, twin-engine turboprop aircraft, which can be deployed to conduct SAR, ISR, transport, and monitoring operations. The aircraft is a derivative of the King Air 350 and incorporates advanced technology and a unique and flexible mission package. It is highly reliable and can last for more than 12 hours with extended range. Canada’s unique customer post-modifications for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations include three WESCAM MX-15D EO/IR sensors, three AN/AAR-47B(V)2 MWS, three AN/ALE-47 CMDS, three VORTEX Dual RF Ku LOS Transceivers and a number of different transponder sets. The DSCA release states that “the proposed sale improves Canada’s capability to meet current and future threats; strengthen its homeland defense and the combined defense of North America; and support coalition partners overseas.” Principal contractor will be Beechcraft (Textron Aviation).

The Marine Corps is experimenting with an innovative slew of ways to make its HIMARS more capable. During a recently held test, one of the USMC’s F-35Bs was able to connect with a HIMARS shot for the first time. According to Lt,. Gen. Steven R. Rudder, the F-35 used sensors to create a data link, and then pushed data about the location of the target to a HIMARS system. HIMARS is a highly-mobile artillery rocket system with the purpose to engage and defeat artillery, air defense concentrations, trucks, light armor and personel carriers. The Marine Corps is currently working on improving and extending its ability to rapidly move the HIMARS by air and destroy a target once landed. A tactic that could prove to be an advantage in the Pacific theatre where Marines will likely be fighting as a distributed force across ships, islands and barges.

Jane’s reports that the Brazilian Air Force is contracting Portuguese aerospace maintenance and aircraft modernisation specialist OGMA to maintain 12 Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. OGMA, a subsidiary of Embraer, will provide the Air Force with depot maintenance, replacement and repair of equipment and parts. The deal is valued at $98.9 million and covers work on eight C-130H, two C-130H2 and two KC-130H aircraft. The Brazilian Air Force is the biggest air force in Latin America; it operates more than 600 aircraft and has more than 50.000 personnel. The Hercules is its main heavy transport aircraft.

Middle East & Africa

The Marine Corps is gaining its first experiences with using the F-35B in combat. One of its JSFs recently conducted its first combat mission over Afghanistan. The F-35 is part of the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 currently embarked on the USS Essex, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship. The USMC was the first service to integrate the F-35 into its fleet, when it declared the aircraft operational in 2015. Col. Chandler Nelms, commanding officer of the 13th MEU told Military Times that “the opportunity for us [now, is] to be the first Navy, Marine Corps team to employ the F-35B in support of maneuver forces on the ground, demonstrating one aspect of the capabilities this platform brings to the region, our allies, and our partners.” The B variant of the F-35 allows for short takeoff and vertical landing which is a key requirement for the Marine Corps. Earlier this year, Israel confirmed that it used its F-35A ‘Adir’ for strikes in Syria.

Europe

French shipbuilder Naval Group confirms that the French Navy will soon receive a new anti-air warfare (AAW) frigate. The AAW configuration includes the PAAMS (E) area air defense system with the Aster 30 long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM). The Frégates de défense aérienne will feature an ASW sensor fit but will not be able to fire naval cruise missiles. The Alsace is set for launch in the first half of 2019 and will, together with its sister ship Lorraine, replace two F70 AA frigates. The new FREDAs are the last of eight Aquitaine-class FREMM frigates for the French Navy. The first six ships are configured to conduct anti-submarine warfare and land-attack missions. The Aquitaine class is a class of multi-mission stealth frigates. The general characteristics of the class is a displacement of 6,000tons, a length of 142m, a beam of 20m, a maximum speed of 28knots and a range of 6,000n.m. with a cruising speed of 15knots. International customers include the Royal Moroccan Navy and Egyptian Navy.

Asia-Pacific

The Russian defense ministry is planning to launch a trainer competition. The ministry wants to procure up-to 230 turboprops for its flight schools. Government officials have yet not disclosed which platform they prefer, however General Alexander Akhlyustin told Mil.Press Today that the Yak-152 has good chances of winning the upcoming tender. The Yak-152 is new-generation primary trainer aircraft developed by Irkut. The aircraft is intended to provide primary pilot training, professional selection, and occupational guidance for future military fighter pilots. The aircraft performed its maiden flight on September 29, 2016. Irkut received a contract from the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) in June 2015 to supply approximately 150 Yak-152 aircraft by 2020.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense will develop its own “cooperative engagement capability” (CEC) system to strengthen its net-centric warfare capabilities. A CEC sensor netting system allows ships, aircraft, and even land radars to pool their radar and sensor information together, creating a very powerful and detailed picture that’s much finer, more wide-ranging, and more consistent than any one of them could generate on its own. With this system troops can share enemy information in real time and carry out joint counterattacks against enemy weapons. The ministry has earmarked about $60 million for the development of high-speed, high-capacity communications devices necessary for a CEC system in tis FY19 budget request. Japan’s Self-Defense Force plans to have a prototype system by 2022 and conduct its first operational tests in 2023. Japan is part of the US CEC system which is integrated on its two latest Maya-class destroyers. The decision to develop a Japanese system stems from concerns about the US system’s hefty price-tag.

Today’s Video

Watch: First Time in History US Air Force F 15C Eagle fighter jets arrive in Ukraine

MC-12 arrives
(click to view full)

Despite all of the high-tech fighter hours flown in theater, Hawker Beechcraft’s twin-propeller King Air 350 continues to gain traction as an affordable, long-endurance option for light cargo delivery in remote areas – and effective manned battlefield surveillance and attack. Iraq’s Air Force was the first to order them, and an initial 6-plane UC-12W order from the US Marines/Navy followed in July 2008.

Former US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates pushed hard to improve ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance) capabilities on the front lines, and one of those planned purchases involved about 30 King Air 350/ C-12 aircraft for the Army. These “MC-12s” have proven to be very useful as a component of the Army’s Task Force ODIN, which has combined the respective advantages of UAVs and manned aircraft to improve aerial surveillance and response over Iraq. ODIN is credited with a number of successes on the ground, and the concept is being exported to Afghanistan. Part of that process involves buying new, updated aircraft, and the US military continues to buy KA350 turboprops for use in different configurations.

Project Liberty, and the MC-12

C-12 near Washington
(click to view full)

The new King Air 350s are called “MC-12W Project Liberty special mission turboprop aircraft” by the US Air Force. The old C-12/UC-12 is also known as the Huron, and was derivative of the civilian Beechcraft King Air 200. It can land on airfields under 3,000 feet in length, and is normally used for VIP and light transport duties. These short-field capabilities, coupled with the small size of many urgent needs on the front lines, have pressed many C-12s into service in theater.

Secretary Gates gave the green light to buy 37 MC-12 aircraft by the end of 2009, as part of the Project Liberty program. Project Liberty is part of the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ ISR task force, which was set up to provide enhanced ISR capabilities to U.S. Central Command.

The new MC/UC-12 orders are King Air 350s, however, a slightly larger aircraft with 23.5% more engine power, improved speed and rate of climb, and slightly more load-carrying capacity. Another advantage they’ll have over their predecessors is built-in protective systems. In contrast, American UC-12s have often had their in-theater flights limited or at risk due to their their lack of protection against shoulder fired ground-to-air missiles like the SA-7.

350-ISR layout
(click to view full)

Taking off with full fuel and payload, an MC-12 can perform medium-altitude surveillance over a designated area for more than 7 hours, fly back 100 nautical miles to base, and still land with more than 45 minutes of fuel on board. That’s significantly less time than an MQ-1B Predator UAV’s 30 hours, but the plane can carry more gear, and has a much wider general field of view.

The MC-12 aircraft are equipped with signals intelligence (SIGINT) electronic interception capabilities, and carry L-3 Westar’s MX-15i surveillance turrets. The first 8 MC-12s were restricted to an infrared pointer, which allowed the aircraft to signal an object or building to soldiers wearing special goggles. It took until September 2013 to begin working with a full laser targeting designator that could mark targets for helicopter or UAV-fired Hellfire missiles, laser-guided AGM-65 Maverick missiles fired from manned fighters, and the laser-guided 70mm rockets that many vendors are currently developing.

Contracts and Key Events

The US military also lets service contracts for King Airs, but those contracts also include existing legacy B200/C-12 aircraft. They are not covered here. Unless otherwise noted, contracts are issued to Hawker Beechcraft Corp. in Wichita, KS.

FY 2014 – 2018

USAF divests the fleet to US Army; Crash.

MC-12W, Bagram
(click to view full)

October 9/18: Canadian order The Canadian government is requesting the purchase of three King Air 350ER aircraft in their ISR configuration. The State Department is determined to approve this possible FMS with a value of $300 million. The King Air 350ER is a multi-mission, twin-engine turboprop aircraft, which can be deployed to conduct SAR, ISR, transport, and monitoring operations. The aircraft is a derivative of the King Air 350 and incorporates advanced technology and a unique and flexible mission package. It is highly reliable and can last for more than 12 hours with extended range. Canada’s unique customer post-modifications for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations include three WESCAM MX-15D EO/IR sensors, three AN/AAR-47B(V)2 MWS, three AN/ALE-47 CMDS, three VORTEX Dual RF Ku LOS Transceivers and a number of different transponder sets. The DSCA release states that “the proposed sale improves Canada’s capability to meet current and future threats; strengthen its homeland defense and the combined defense of North America; and support coalition partners overseas.” Principal contractor will be Beechcraft (Textron Aviation).

February 23/18: FMS-Kuwait The possible foreign military sale (FMS) of four King Air 350ER Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft has been cleared by the Trump administration to the government of Kuwait. An announcement posted by the US State Department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) estimate the sale at $259 million, with the package to include enhanced PT6A-67A engines, AN/AAQ-35 WESCAM MX-15HDi Electro-Optical & Infrared Imaging Sensor Turrets, Selex Seaspray 7500E Active Electronically Scanned Array Radars (AESA), AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning Systems (MWS), AN/ALE-47 Countermeasure Dispenser Systems, as well as other systems, training and support. Furthermore, one of the four aircraft will be further modified to accommodate VIP/senior leadership personnel for transport and Med Evac capability or command and control,and other related elements of logistical support. Sierra Nevada Corp will act as lead contractor on the sale.

February 25/16: Iraq is to receive a $350 million five-year sustainment package for its KA-350 fleet after the sale was approved by the US Congress. The six King Air aircraft were purchased from manufacturer Beechcraft in 2007 with five possessing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. The latest package will include provision of operational and intermediate depot level maintenance, spare parts, component repair, publication updates, maintenance training, and logistics. The majority of the aircraft have been used in supporting Iraqi military operations against Al-Qaeda affiliates and Islamic State militants in the country.

Nov 12/14: Transferred. After an initial period that transferred some USAF MC-12W ISR aircraft to US Army control, the USAF announces that they’re divesting the entire fleet to a combination of the US Army, and Air Force Special Operations Command.

“…so it can invest in capabilities suited for highly contested operations. Even so, the MC-12 will be regarded as an extraordinarily successful program. During the 400,000 combat hours flown, the MC-12W Liberty aided in the kill or capture of more than 8,000 terrorists, discovered more than 650 weapons caches, helped divert convoys around improvised explosive devices, provided over watch for large numbers of coalition forces, and saved coalition lives.”

By 2015, only the Army will own the aircraft, and USAF crews will augment Army personnel. The Air Force will also provide the back-end processing, exploitation and dissemination of MC-12W information until FY 2016, at which point Army personnel will take on the whole mission. Sources: USAF, “ISR aircraft hones in on strategic agility”.

Transfer to US Army/ SOCOM

Jan 10/14: Crash. An MC-12 crash near Baghram Airfield in eastern Afghanistan kills 2 US soldiers and a civilian. Officials denied that enemy action was responsible. Sources: Defense News, “2 soldiers, civilian killed in Afghanistan MC-12 crash”.

Crash

FY 2012 – 2013

Company goes bankrupt, almost bought by China; 5 ordered; MC-12Ws add laser designators.

USMC UC-12W
(click to view full)

Sept 12/13: Target! MC-12W Liberty planes have traditionally needed to pass targets on to Joint Terminal Attack Controller troops, who would then direct fire from aircraft, artillery, etc. They can still do that, but a USAF release says that the MC-12Ws at Beale AFB, CA have added laser designators to their sensor systems, and are training with nearby A-10 and F-15E units.

It’s an obvious benefit to front line troops, who asked for “buddy lasing” capabilities in a recent Tactics Improvement Proposal. That seems to have pushed the USAF to move on something that had been an envisioned upgrade for years. Sources: USAF, “MC-12W airframe now boasts ‘Buddy Lase’ capability”.

Oct 18/12: No boat to China. 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. Reuters says that:

“At a conference in New York on Thursday, Hawker CEO Steve Miller said China-bashing by U.S. presidential candidates may have contributed to failure of the sale talks, which involved many complex issues. “Global politics may have interfered,” said Miller, who was in Beijing last week trying to sell the firm.”

Hawker Beechcraft’s legal representative is Kirkland & Ellis LLP; its financial advisor is Perella Weinberg Partners LP; and its restructuring advisor is Alvarez & Marsal. The Ad Hoc Committee of Senior Secured Lenders’ legal representative is Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz. Credit Suisse serves as agent for the lenders under Hawker Beechcraft’s secured pre-petition and DIP credit facilities. Credit Suisse’ legal representative is Sidley Austin LLP and its financial advisor is Houlihan Lokey. The Unsecured Creditors Committee’s legal representative is Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and its financial advisor is FTI Consulting, Inc. Hawker Beechcraft | Reuters.

No Chinese sale, regular Bankruptcy instead

July 27/12: +4 used. L-3 Communications’ Mission Integration Division in Greenville, TX receives a $12.5 million firm-fixed-price contract for 4 used King Air Model 350 basic aircraft platforms for the US Army, including Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 integrated avionics systems.

Work will be performed in Greenville, TX and is expected to be complete in August 2012. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to the FAR 6.302-1 by the Naval Air Warfare Center in Lakehurst, NJ (N68335-12-C-0338).

4 used King Air 350ERs

July 20/12: +1. A $7.5 million firm-fixed-price contract for 1 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350ER aircraft with program support. Work will be performed in Wichita, KS with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/14. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 1 bid received by Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-12-C-0117).

1 King Air 350ER

July 17/12: Chinese negotiations. HBC announces that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has approved HBC’s motion to enter into exclusive negotiations with Superior Aviation Beijing Co., Ltd., giving them up to 45 days of exclusive negotiations.

As part of the exclusivity agreement, Superior will make an initial deposit of $25 million, with a second $25 million deposit payable within 30 days. Any definitive agreement reached with Superior would be subject to approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and other regulatory agencies. In addition, any definitive agreement with Superior will be subject to termination if another potential purchaser succeeds in the mandatory competitive auction overseen by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

July 9/12: 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. The Chinese firm had approached Hawker Beechcraft “several years ago” with the same intentions, but there are 3 reasons for HBC’s new receptiveness:

1. Superior intends to maintain Hawker Beechcraft’s existing American operations, saving thousands of jobs.

2. Their proposal was the best the company saw in its ongoing review of strategic options, and includes both additional investment and continuing to operate as a standalone entity.

3. HBC believes that this combination would give Hawker Beechcraft greater access to the Chinese business and general aviation marketplace, which is forecast to grow more than 10% a year for the next 10-15 years.

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. Superior seems to think so, too, and if HBDC is sold, up to $400 million will be refundable to Superior. Meanwhile, the base King Air 350 would be owned by a Chinese company.

If negotiations with Superior fail, HBC will go back to the Joint Plan of Reorganization it filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court on June 30/12, and wind down the company’s jet-related businesses.

Chinese bid

July 9/12: Special Mission Sales. Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) reports that over the past 5 years, markets outside of the United States accounted for 68% of its special mission aircraft sales. Their definition is fairly broad, and includes air ambulances, trainer aircraft, and even weather modification planes, which are apparently popular in the Middle East. The split is about 33% USA, 34% for Europe, the Middle East and Africa combined, 26% Asia/Pacific and 7% Latin America. VP Special Missions, Jay Gibson, adds that:

“In particular, we expect to see an increase in demand for ISR globally and maritime surveillance aircraft in Africa and Latin America as countries there look to increasingly secure their borders – both on land and at sea.”

May 3/12: Bankruptcy. Hawker Beechcraft, Inc. and “a significant number of its senior secured lenders and senior bondholders” agree to the terms of a financial restructuring plan that will eliminate approximately $2.5 billion in debt and approximately $125 million of annual cash interest expense. The next day, the company’s entry into bankruptcy begins:

“Hawker Beechcraft, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has granted approval of the company’s “First Day Motions” as part of the company’s voluntary filing for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code… [including] approval to continue to pay employees, and to pay all vendors and suppliers in the ordinary course for goods and services delivered after the commencement of the Chapter 11 case. The company will utilize a commitment for $400 million in Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) financing, negotiated as part of the prearranged restructuring, to meet these obligations.”

Bankruptcy begins

The company’s legal representative is Kirkland & Ellis LLP, its financial advisor is Perella Weinberg Partners LP, and its restructuring advisor is Alvarez & Marsal.

March 27/12: Financial. Hawker Beechcraft, Inc. CEO Steve Miller has a blunt assessment of his company core problem: “the company is operating with a debt load that is restricting its ability to succeed.” As an immediate step, the firm announces:

“…an agreement with certain lenders that will provide the company with approximately $120 million of additional liquidity through an incremental term loan facility under its existing credit facility. The company intends to use the proceeds of this loan to fund its ongoing operations as Hawker Beechcraft continues working with its lenders toward a comprehensive recapitalization. As part of the agreement, lenders currently holding approximately 70 percent of Hawker Beechcraft bank debt have agreed to defer the company’s obligation to make certain interest payments on the company’s senior secured revolving and term loans when due, and have granted the company relief from certain existing loan covenants. This forbearance agreement is scheduled to expire on June 29, 2012.”

See: Hawker Beechcraft | Wichita Eagle.

March 27/12: Support. Hawker Beechcraft Corp. in Wichita, KS receives an $8.5 million dollar firm fixed price contract for 6 months of contractor logistics services. Effort includes total maintenance, logistics for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft and associated ground support equipment. The location of the performance is Wichita, KS. Work is expected to be complete by Sept 30/12. ASC/WINK, Wright Patterson Air Force Base is the contracting activity (FA8620-11-C-3000 P00012).

FY 2011

Orders begin under a new contract (4); LIDAR?; Electric power boost option; L-3’s similar Spydr.

L-3’s Spydr
(click to view full)

July 13-18/11: L-3’s Spydr. L-3’s Mission Integration Division (MID) displays a Spydr King Air 350-ISR surveillance plane, similar to the popular MC-12W Liberty, but a technological step ahead. L-3 is the technology integrator for the MC-12W, but the firm tells Defense News that they’re working on versions built with key technologies from non-American suppliers, in order to avoid ITAR issues. SELEX Galileo’s PicoSAR radar, optics from Zeiss, and other choices yet to be announced are specifically designed to minimize export clearance requirements.

The Spydr Spiral 1 unveiled by L-3 at the UK’s RIAT featured a fuselage-mounted electro-optical/infrared turret, a fuselage pod with a 100-pound payload, a tactical data link, satellite communications, a full signals intelligence system, 4G cellular, and other options. Spiral 2 will add 2 feet to the plane’s nose, to house a 2nd sensor turret. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are seen as potential customers in the near term, and L-3 expects to compete in other locations as well (incl. the USA) against offerings from Raytheon, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin. Like Lockheed’s Dragon family of systems, L-3 sees its equipment suite as transferable to a number of different aircraft types. L-3 MID | Defense News | defpro re: PicoSAR selection.

June 21/11: Power up. Hawker Beechcraft Corporation announces an upgraded electric power system for its late model Beechcraft King Air 350 turboprops, designed to add more power for special mission needs. It includes two 400 amp starter generators with paralleled output of 760 amps, an additional mission electrical bus with cockpit control, and automatic load shedding. Overall, it provides another 190 amps of 28 VDC power for late model King Air 350s (serial FL-500 and on) as an aftermarket kit, and is available as an option for on new production special mission King Air 350 aircraft.

The company expects FAA certification in Spring 2012, but has begun accepting orders.

June 16/11: +2 A $15.3 million firm-fixed-price contract for 2 King Air 350ER aircraft. Work will be performed in Wichita, KS, with an expected completion date of Dec. 29/11. Six bids were solicited with two bids received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL manages the contract (W58RGZ-11-C-0133).

2 King Air 350ERs

March 9/11: 2 + LIDAR. A pair of FBO.gov pre-solicitations cover 2 KA-350ER aircraft, and their LIDAR sensors. Because of its characteristics, LIDAR is especially useful at seeing through foliage.

The first pre-solicitation is for 2 KA-350 ER aircraft, bought as a sole-source, firm-fixed-price contract (amount not mentioned) from HawkerBeechcraft under FAR Part 12, for delivery L-3 in Greenville, TX within 150 days from the date of Award. (FBO# N0016411RJQ95)

L-3 Communications Corp. in Greenville, TX received the sole-source, cost plus fixed fee contract (amount not announced) to integrate the Tactical Operations Light Detection and Ranging (TACOP LIDAR) quick reaction capability aircraft, “…to avoid the significant duplication of cost. Integration required to be completed 12 months from award of contract.” (FBO# N0016411RJQ96)

Dec 2/10: +2. Hawker Beechcraft Corp. in Wichita, KS receives a $15.2 million contract for 2 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350ERs. At this time, all funds have been obligated. The 645th AESG/SYK at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH (FA8620-11-C-4008).

When asked about this order, Hawker Beechcraft said these were US Army planes, to be delivered in a configuration “similar” to the MC-12W Liberty surveillance variant. Note that most of the gear that could make it a surveillance aircraft would be delivered under separate contracts.

2 King Air 350ERs

FY 2010

More orders under the base contract; MC-12W fielded in Afghanistan; MC-12Ws become communications relays; Sensor contracts; USMC UC-12W rolls out; Study showing UAVs and manned aircraft are complementary.

MC-12: 1st combat mission
(click to view full)

Aug 17/10: Comms. ViaSat Inc. announces that it has deployed airborne communications-on-the-move (COTM) terminals onboard “several dozen” MC-12W aircraft, using the ArcLight Ku-band mobile broadband system, configured in this application for data rates up to 1 Mbps off the aircraft. ViaSat.

July 23/10: Sensors. L-3 Communications announces that its WESCAM subsidiary announces a $200 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract from the USAF. It will buy MX-15Di high-definition surveillance and targeting turrets for MC-12W Project Liberty ISR planes, and MX-20D HD surveillance and targeting turrets for “an undisclosed customer.”

The contract is the 3rd in a series of US military contracts over the last 18 months, worth of to $400 million and covering 6 different surveillance turret types. WESCAM’s L-3 parent is also the prime contractor and systems integrator for Project Liberty. L-3 Communications.

June 1/10: A USA Today article offers some useful background regarding the MC-12W Liberty program. Hyperlinks added by DID:

“MC-12 crews have flown more than 2,000 missions in Iraq, Air Force records show. The first aircraft arrived in Afghanistan last December. The Air Force plans to spend $100 million to train airmen on using the aircraft’s spy technology over the next two years, Air Force budget records show… The Air Force initially bought seven used planes from private businessmen and retrofitted them. It now buys new planes… In April, the Air Force narrowed candidates vying to be the official MC-12 base to facilities in Oklahoma, Mississippi, Virginia, Georgia and Missouri. The final decision will be made next year, the Air Force said in a statement.

Col. Dan Johnson, who commands the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing… interviewed, researched and wrote a paper for the Air Force exploring whether drones or manned planes were better at spying on insurgents. “It turned out that we need both,” he said in an e-mail.”

May 18/10: USMC UC-12. Hawker Beechcraft Corporation officially rolls the first UC-12W Operational Support Airlift King Air 350 for the United States Marine Corps. The plane is 1 of 6 ordered in July 2008, with additional options that would let the Marines replace their remaining 6 previous-generation UC-12/ King Air 200 light cargo aircraft. Hawker Beechcraft release [PDF].

UC-12W rollout

March 19/10: Sortie #2,000. The USAF announces that its MC-12W program has completed its 2,000th combat sortie. Capt. Ryan Woodman of the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, at Joint Base Balad in Iraq:

“A year ago the commander and I were learning how to start the new aircraft, and now the program just flew its 2,000th mission… Given what this program accomplishes for the troops on the ground, it is a great feeling.”

Many USAF programs spend over 10 years in development, and operational ramp-up is often a more measured process, so Capt. Woodman’s summary is more than just PR.

2,000 MC-12W sorties

Dec 27/09: Afghan arrival. Bagram Airfield welcomes its first USAF MC-12W aircraft to Afghanistan. US Military DVIDS | USAF.

Oct 19/09: +6 MC-12W. Hawker Beechcraft Corporation announces [PDF] that the USAF has exercised a $45 million option for 6 additional MC-12W special mission aircraft in support of Project Liberty, per the original November 2008 contract. The company adds that the first 23 planes have all been delivered, on or ahead of schedule. See also Flight International.

FY 2008 – 2009

Base contract for 23-29 MC-12Ws, and orders; $17 million price broken down; Britain’s “Shadow R1s”.

SecDef Gates speaks to
MC-12W production line
(click to view full)

Sept 15/09: Price breakdown. A comment at the US Air Force Association’s Air & Space Symposium helps clarify the price breakdown of an MC-12W. Lionel G. Smith, L-3’s director, Strategic Development Special Programs, is quoted as saying that:

“It costs about $7 million [per plane] from Hawker Beechcraft, and about $10 million in modifications. From [initial] contract to [deployment in] combat was about eight months.”

July 28/09: +3. Hawker Beechcraft Corporation in Wichita, KS receives a $21.6 million firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of 1 King Air B350 aircraft, and 2 King Air B350Cs in the air ambulance/medical evacuation, with cargo door options. There are also 6 one-month options for storage of the aircraft.

Work is to be performed in Wichita, KS, with an estimated completion date of Feb 28/11. One was bid solicited with one bid received by U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, CCAM-RD-F at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-09-C-0087).

June 16/09: Export potential. Defense News reports that Iraqi and American buys may be the forerunner of a much larger trend:

“…in the coming decade [L-3 and HawkerBeechcraft] saw a potential domestic market for up to 75 of the [King Air 350 ISR] aircraft at a value of $1.3 billion. [L-3 VP Allison] Hartley said Africa, the Middle East and other regions were all potential markets. The international market could be worth double that in platform sales with a value of about $2.5 billion… She specifically named the United Kingdom as a potential sales opportunity. The British have already ordered a handful of King Airs for the ISR mission. One has been delivered.”

As of 2012, Britain operates 5 “Shadow R1” planes.

June 10/09: The first MC-12 Liberty combat mission is flown from Joint Base Balad, Iraq, by the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. The specialty reconnaissance aircraft flies a 4-hour mission, after arriving at Balad on June 8/09. Air Force Report: MC-12

| Pentagon DVIDS re: arrival | Pentagon DVIDS re: combat mission.

MC-12W in combat

April 8/09: The USAF announces their acceptance of the first MC-12 from Hawker Beechcraft. Deployment will take place in May 2009.

Dec 24/08: +2. Hawker Beechcraft Corporation in Wichita, KS received a $12.7 million firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of 2 Super King Air Model 350 aircraft. Work will be performed in Ozark, AL, with an estimated completion date of July 31/09. One bid was solicited and one bid received by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-09-C-0087).

Nov 21/08: L3 Communications Integrated Systems in Greenville, TX received a firm fixed price commercial contract for $7.5 million. This action will provide for 1 Beechcraft King Air 350ER aircraft. L3 does not make the aircraft, but it does perform integration for the ISR version, which will use their MX-15 line or surveillance and targeting turrets.

At this time, the entire amount has been obligated in advance by 645 AESG/SYK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (FA8620-09-C-3021)

Civilian 350
(click to view full)

Nov 18/08: Hawker Beechcraft Corp. in Wichita, KS receives a firm-fixed commercial contract for 23 Beechcraft King Air 350ERs, with an option for 6 additional aircraft. The contract’s value is $171.5 million, and the entire amount has already been obligated.

The 645 AESG/SYK at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH manages this contract (FA8620-09-C-3020). Hawker Beechcraft’s subsequent release [PDF] confirms that these are “special mission” ISR variants.

23-29 MC-12W

July 10/08: USMC. Hawker Beechcraft Corp. in Wichita, KS receives an estimated $48.8 million firm-fixed-price contract from the US Navy for 6 “C-12 replacement aircraft.” The USMC’s UC-12 fleet, based on the King Air 200, is more than 25 years old.

The USMC’s new planes, based on the King Air 350ER, are eventually given the designation “UC-12W.”

Work will be performed in Wichita, KS and is expected to be completed in February 2011. This contract was competitively procured via electronic request for proposal by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD manages the contract (N00019-08-C-0057).

6 USMC UC-12W

Additional Readings

• Beechcraft – King Air 350i.

• Beechcraft – Special Missions: Surveillance.

• L-3 Communications – MX-15. The MC-12W’s electro-optical surveillance and targeting turret.

Similar & Related

• DID – Task Force ODIN: In the Kingdom of the Blind….

• DID – MARSS: Quasi-Civilian Spy Plane Service Ordered by Pentagon, Canada. The Canadian order involves King Air 300s, modified for the ISR role.

• Aerial Surveillance Systems, Inc. – SkyEye 350. A private venture based on the King Air 350, similar in concept and equipment to the MC-12W.

News & Views

• US NAVAIR (March 28/13) – Light lift; heavy load: Small aircraft pull their weight.

• DoD Buzz, via WayBack (Oct 2/12) – Army seeks commonality in fixed wing fleet.

• USA Today, via Google Cache (June 1/10) – Newest manned spy plane scores points in war effort.

• Pentagon DVIDS, via WayBack (Sept 1/09) – Gates to MC-12 Workers: Your Work Is Saving Troops’ Lives.

• Defense News, Paris Airshow 2009 (June 16/09) – Beechcraft May Add Weapon-Carrying Capability to King Air [dead link]. They haven’t, yet, but by 2013 they had added laser designation.

• DID (July 16/08) – $48.8M Buys 6 King Air 350s for US Marines.

Americas

The US Air Force is ordering a large batch of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSMs) from Lockheed Martin. The firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-fee contract is valued at $390.8 million and covers the delivery of 360 JASSMs, three FMS separation text vehicles and one FMS set consisting of a flight test vehicle, tooling and test equipment. The 2,000 lbs. AGM-158 JASSM is a stealthy, inexpensive cruise missile costing about $1 million per unit. The JASSM is currently integrated on a variety of platforms ranging from B-1B Lancer bombers to F-16 Block 50 fighter jets. Work will be performed at Lockheed’s facility in Orlando, Florida and is expected to be completed by October 31, 2021.

General Dynamics is being contracted to upgrade more Strykers for the US Army. The awarded contract modification is priced at $366.9 million and covers the conversion of several Stryker flat-bottom vehicles to the Double V-hull configuration. The V-hull configuration was the Army’s answer to vehicle’s poor performance during IED attacks. The new design channels blast force away from the vehicle and its occupants thus drastically enhancing soldier protection. The Army plans to acquire 742 Stryker DVH vehicles, as retrofits and as new production vehicles. That’s the full extent of the current plan, which was a major step beyond the program’s initial plan of 450 Stryker DVHs. Work will be performed at GD’s factory in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and is scheduled for completion by April 30, 2021.

Boeing is currently in talks with Brazil’s Embraer to set up a KC-390 assembly line in the United States. This round of talks follows a July agreement between the two companies that resulted in Boeing gaining a 80% stake in the Brazilian company’s commercial business. Boeing and Embraer established agreements in 2012 and 2014 that allow the US firm to have a hand in global marketing and logistics support of the KC-390, but a defense related joint venture would allow for a more intensive collaboration. The KC-390 is designed to be a jet-powered rival to compete with Lockheed Martin’s C-130J. The multi-mission aircraft is capable of in-air refueling operations, cargo transport and SOF deployment.

Middle East & Africa

The government of the United Arab Emirates is ordering more attack helicopters for its armed forces. Boeing will provide the Middle-Eastern country with a total of 17 Apache AH-64E aircraft. The $242.1 million contract modification covers the remanufacture of eight, and the production of nine newly build Apaches by Boeing. The AH-64E Guardian Block III is the platform’s next big-leap forward. The upgraded attack helicopter incorporates 26 key new-technology insertions which keep his 1980s airframe at the leading edge of technology. Work will be performed at Boeing’s factory in Mesa, Arizona. Production of the aircraft is estimated to be completed by February 28, 2023.

Iraq is requesting the purchase of five additional Bell 407GX helicopters to support ongoing counter-insurgency operations. The FMS contract has a value of $82.5 million and is currently pending approval by Congress. The possible deal covers the delivery of all helicopters armed with M240 7.62mm Machine Guns. In addition the order also includes options for five M3P .50 caliber machine guns, five M260 rocket launchers in APKWS configuration and five GAU-19 .50 caliber machine guns. The helicopters would be equipped with MX-15Di EO/IR sensors and RF-7850A secure communications radios. Self-Defense measures include the AN/ALE-47 airborne countermeasure dispensing system and AAR-60 MILDS detectors. Installed systems include the Pathfinder MMS, the ARES WMS and MCAS. The DSCA notes that “the addition of five Bell 407GX helicopters will help compensate for the combat loss of seven IA407 helicopters in recent years and increase the Iraqi Security Forces’ combat effectiveness against ISIS and other terrorist elements in Iraq.”

Europe

Jane’s reports that Swedish defense contractor Saab and Raytheon are currently co-developing a new round for the Carl-Gustaf reloadable weapon system. The new round would be the first guided one for the 84 mm recoilless weapon and is designated as Guided Carl-Gustaf Munition (GCGM). The Carl-Gustaf, which the Army calls the M3 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System (MAAWS), entered service in 1991 and has been a staple infantry support weapon in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The MAAWS has similarities to the AT4 shoulder-fired, anti-tank system. But the MAAWS is unique in that the system itself is not disposable, which means it can be used more than once. Jane’s notes that “the GCGM development is effectively an evolutionary progression of the earlier Saab Ultra Light Munition concept, which, under the teaming agreement with Raytheon, has been matured and defined in terms of capability and performance requirements.”

Northrop Grumman confirms that the Italian Air Force successfully completed operational testing of the company’s Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM). The missiles are integrated on Italy’s Tornado fighter jets. A series of flight tests ended with two direct hits on critical air defense targets, this milestone allows for the transition of the AARGMs into operational squadrons. Italy and the US signed a MoU in 2005 to cooperatively develop the AGM-88E AARGM missile. The AARGM is a medium range, supersonic, air-launched tactical missile whose primary job is to attack and kill enemy radars. Italy currently plans to buy a total of 250 AARGMs.

Asia-Pacific

Japan’s ATD-X (X-2) program is taking a new turn. The Japanese Ministry of Defense is determined to develop a new fighter jet, that will eventually replace its fleet of F-2s. Proposals from three American and British companies failed to meet Japan’s costs and capability requirements, hence the decision to indigenously develop a new fighter jet. The companies made offers to upgrade their existing models, Lockheed for the F-22, Boeing for the F-15 and BAE for the Typhoon. Development of the new aircraft could cost trillions of yen and could be a major financial burden on Japan’s defense budget. To mitigate the overall cost the ministry has an eye on a joint development with foreign companies. The government is looking towards British or German-French partners as they are also looking into developing next-generation jets. Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force currently operates 92 F-2s which will begin to reach the end of their service life in the 2030s.

Today’s Video

Watch: S-97 hits 200 knots

Americas

The US Army launches a major design competition for its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FVL). The service wants the first prototypes flying by 2023 and expects an initial operational capability by 2028. The Army describes the desired platform as a “knife fighter” of future battlefield capabilities in a “small form factor … with maximized performance.” The next generation rotorcraft should be able to fly manned and unmanned, reduce the cognitive workload of the crew and increase the overall operational tempo while being reliable over extended maintenance free periods. A key element of the new platform will be the focus on net-centric warfare. The FVL must be able to team-up with unmanned systems and a variety of air-launched weapons and decoys. The Army plans to make the helicopter the centrepiece of the integrated air defense system (IADS) breeching team to provide freedom of maneuver in a multi-domain battle. The solicitation is part of the US Army’s effort to procure a whole family of Future Vertical Lift aircraft (FVL) in the early 2030s. The Army plans to spend approximately $15 million per industry participant in the initial design phase. Participants would receive $8.5 million in FY19 and $6.5 million in FY20. The two participants selected to continue into the prototype phase of the program would receive around $735 million each from FY20 to FY23.

The US Air Force is procuring technical support for its Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) from Boeing. Boeing will provide the service with studies and analysis, product improvement efforts, upgrades and integration work at a cost of $45 million. The JDAM program essentially makes ‘dumb’ bombs ‘smart’ by adding sophisticated rear guidance sections. This tail kit includes adjustable tail fins, a control computer, an inertial guidance system and a GPS receiver. Before release, the aircraft tells the bomb its current position and the GPS coordinates of the target. According to the US Air Force, the system is accurate to within 40 feet. One JDAM tail kit costs about $20.000 making it significantly cheaper than laser-guided bombs. Work will be performed at Boeing’s facility in St. Louis, Missouri and is expected to be completed by March 31st, 2019.

DoD is constructing a new Fighter Alert Facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Nordic PCL will construct the facility for the 199th Fighter Squadron at a cost of $41.5 million. The effort includes the construction of aircraft alert shelters, alert and maintenance crew quarters, an entry control point and sustainability and energy measures. The 199th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the 154th Wing and operates the F-22 Raptor. The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the modern Air Force. The construction of the new F-22 Fighter Alert Facility is expected to be completed by December 2021.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems successfully completes testing of its Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) in support of a US Navy propeller Aircraft Recovery Bulletin (ARB). The tests included the C-2A Greyhound, E-2C+ Hawkeye and the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The Advanced Arresting Gear is part of the Navy’s EMALS system developed for the new Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. The AAG sub-program will replace the current Mk 7 hydraulic system used to provide the requisite combination of plane-slowing firmness and necessary flexibility to the carriers’ arresting wires. AAG is intended to allow successful landings with heavier aircraft, reduce manning and maintenance, and add capabilities like self-diagnosis and maintenance alerts.

Middle East & Africa

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps launches more missiles towards Syria. Fars News reports that the IRGC launched six ballistic missiles at Islamic State targets in Syria. The missiles used in the attack include the Qiam and Zolfaghar. The Qiam-1 is a liquid fueled, short-range ballistic missile and the indigenous variant of the Shahab-2. The missile was first modified in 2010, alterations include improved guidance system that can more quickly detect and correct changes in its trajectory, removing the need for stabilizing fins in boost phase. The Qiam 1 can deliver a payload of up to 746kg to a distance of 496 miles. The Zolfaghar belongs to the Fateh-110 family of missiles, it has a cluster munition warhead and a range of 434 miles. Iran is retaliating after 25 soldiers were killed in a terror attack involving armed UAVs on September 22.

Europe

French defense contractor SAFRAN will remanufacture the landing systems of the US Air Force’s KC-135s. The firm-fixed-price requirements contract is valued at $220.1 million and provides for a 10-year strategic remanufacturing and supply period. Over the next decade SAFRAN will rebuild the Stratotanker’s heat shields, main wheel, carbon brake, torque tube adjustor, assembly, and piston housing. Boeing built 732 KC-135 Stratotankers for the US Air Force between 1957 and 1965. The US Air Force still has about 550 KC-135 Stratotankers in service. Work will be performed at SAFRAN’s factory in Vellzyvillacoublay, France, and is expected to be complete by September 2028.

Asia-Pacific

The Taiwanese Air Force will soon be able to fly the first batch of upgraded F-16s. The first four planes to be delivered are currently undergoing ground-testing at Taiwan’s state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. Taiwan is currently in the process of upgrading its fleet of 144 F-16 A/B jets to the Viper configuration. The $3.64 billion program is considered the most important modernization program ever undertaken by the Air Force and significantly enhances its war fighting capabilities. Upgrades in the V-variant include new mission computers, navigation equipment, large color multifunction displays, Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF) transponders, updated electronic warfare suite, and the Link-16 tactical data link, as well as an AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR).

India could add two second-hand Mirage 2000 fighter jets to its fleet. The jets are priced at $2 million each and would be later upgraded by India’s state-owned HAL. The airframes reportedly still have about 3.000 flight hours left and would incorporate upgrade kits which were delivered as part of India’s Vajra modernization program. Vajra upgrades include a new RDY-3 radar with greater air-air and air-ground capability, a new night vision compatible all-digital cockpit, and improved electronic warfare systems. If the deal goes through, India would regain its initial fleet strength of 51 Mirage 2000s.

Today’s Video

Watch: B-52 Bomber Lands In The United Kingdom

B-2 drops JDAM
(click to view full)

Precision bombing has been a significant military goal since the invention of the Norden bomb sight in the 1920s, but its application remained elusive. Over 30 years later, in Vietnam, the destruction of a single target could require 300 bombs, which meant sending an appropriate number of fighters or bombers into harm’s way to deliver them. Even the 1991 Desert Storm war with Iraq featured unguided munitions for the most part. The USAF some laser and TV-guided weapons like Paveway bombs and Maverick missiles, but they were very expensive, and only effective in good weather. If precision bombing was finally to become a reality throughout the Air Force, a new approach would be needed. The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) became that alternative, an engine of military transformation that was also a model of procurement transformation.

DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This DID FOCUS Article looks at the transformational history of the JDAM GPS-guided bomb program, the ongoing efforts to bring its capabilities up to and beyond the level of dual-mode guidance kits like Israel’s Spice and Raytheon’s Enhanced Paveway, and the contracts issued under the JDAM program since its inception.[updated]

JDAM: A Timely History of Transformation

JDAM family
(click to view full)

JDAM’s core concept goes back several decades. A group of researchers and engineers at Eglin AFB in Florida had been looking at a new way to guide a bomb to its target since the 1980s. This group came up with the idea of using inertial navigation systems (INS), which measure acceleration to compute distance and direction traveled from a known point, in order to guide a device to another pre-plotted point.

After the USAF’s review of the 1991 Desert Storm conflict and its subsequent findings, the technology was ready to be taken off the shelf. By that time, the USA had also built a robust Global Positioning System, with capabilities reserved only for military users. The GPS system itself was capable of unaided accuracy to within about 3 feet, no matter what the weather was like. The reaction times involved in guiding a bomb wouldn’t achieve 3-foot accuracy, and even 3 feet wasn’t quite as accurate as laser-guided weapons. Nor would the initial JDAMs be able to hit moving targets, as laser-guided weapons did. On the other hand, lasers could be blocked by fog, sand, etc., while JDAM’s INS/GPS guidance modes were impervious to weather.

MK80 Bomb Structure

Initial development work showed promise. Unfortunately, that only solved part of the problem. Laser and TV guided precision weapons were expensive. JDAM already had promise as one thing they weren’t: an all-weather weapon. To become more than a niche player, however, it would have to be something else its competition wasn’t: cheap.

A bit of luck helped the program along that path. The stepped up urgency around the JDAM program coincided with some of the 1990s military acquisition reform initiatives, which aimed to reduce the system’s immense bureaucratic weight. JDAM was one of just 7 pilot programs to receive special waivers that sidestepped a number of expensive and time-consuming regulations. The program took full and proper advantage. Roy Handsel, a project manager with the JDAM Squadron:

“Previously, companies dealing with the government were required to provide extensive cost data to justify prices. This complicated and labor intensive information gathering put many small manufacturing shops out of the running for government contracts. But with waivers … small businesses across America could be subcontracted … to produce the subassemblies that make up a JDAM.”

JDAM strike
(click to view full)

By the time they were done, JDAM was a tail kit that could be attached to existing Mk 80 family ‘dumb’ bombs, turning them into affordable precision weapons with a range of up to 15 miles, depending on their altitude and speed at the release point.

The JDAM program was accelerated in 1995, as low-rate initial production was moved up 9 months, to the latter half of FY 1997. All 22 weapons tested during this interval performed successfully, including overall Circular Error Probable (CEP) of 10.3 meters, significantly better than the program’s 13 meter requirement. JDAM was certified as operational capable on the B-2 in July 1997. Limited Initial Operational Capability was achieved on the B-52 in December 1998.

Then came Kosovo, aka. Operation Allied Force in 1999. JDAMs were used from B-2 bombers at rate that nearly equaled manufacturing capacity. Approximately 650 JDAMs, containing approximately 1.4 million pounds of high explosive, were dropped on military and infrastructure targets. The Joint Chiefs of Staff directed rapid acceleration of production, and soon F/A-18 Hornets were also formally authorized as JDAM-capable, with other aircraft certifications following as the program ramped up. The DoD eventually picked McDonnell Douglas to develop 87,000 of these tail kits over the program’s lifetime for the USAF and Navy – at just $18,000 apiece in then-year dollars, instead of the original $40,000 estimate.

Boom!
(click to view full)

Two years later, as the ruins of the World Trade Center were still smoking, the USAF was ready.

By mid-December 2001, the first 9 weeks of intense air strikes over Afghanistan had consumed about half of the 10,000 or so JDAM kits in inventory. Among the 18,000 munitions expended, half were precision-guided. Fully half of those were JDAMs, and they were put to very creative uses by Special Forces teams on the ground. From Bob Woodward’s book “Bush At War“:

“The Northern Alliance was trying to induce defections from the Taliban itself, but the CIA could come in and offer cash. The agency’s hand would often be hidden as the negotiations began — $10,000 for this sub-commander and his dozens of fighters, $50,000 for this bigger commander and his hundreds of fighters. In one case, $50,000 was offered to a commander to defect. Let me think about it, the commander said. So the Special Forces A-team directed a J-DAM precision bomb right outside the commander’s headquarters. The next day, they called the commander back. How about $40,000? He accepted.”

The JDAM kits’ price rose slightly with inflation etc. to about $30,000 each, but FY 2010 figures indicate a drop back to about $25,000. Their bargain basement price and proven performance have made JDAM a standout on both the battlefield and the procurement field. Pentagon documents give an official figure of less than 5 meters CEP (50% of bombs fall within 5m of target) when GPS is available, and less than 20 meters CEP using inertial navigation if GPS is absent or jammed.

As JDAM’s success gathers steam, the transformation it brought has spread beyond its associated programs. American weapons like the AGM-154 JSOW long-range glide bomb/cruise missile have incorporated aspects of JDAM technology, and the JDAM concept – whether implemented via Navstar GPS, Russia’s GLONASS, or other systems – can be expected to be a standard feature of future weapons around the world. China’s Lei Shi 6 glide bomb, France’s rocket-boosted AASM, Russia’s KAB-500S-E, South Africa’s Umbani/ Al-Tariq, and other foreign products are already competing directly with JDAM. In the dual-guidance LJDAM’s market segments, Sagem’s AASM, RAFAEL’s GPS/IIR Spice, and Raytheon/Lockheed enhanced Paveway variants have created an even more competitive environment.

JDAM: Program & Variants

According to Boeing, by 2012 over 230,000 JDAM kits had been bought by the USA and “more than 26” allied countries. Conversations with Boeing, and DID research, indicate that the following platforms have been integrated to use JDAMs:

(click to view full)

Boeing would not confirm integrations beyond US military platforms, except to state that JDAMs have also been integrated with “earlier” F-16 and F/A-18 variants, and that that all F-15E Strike Eagle family variants are JDAM compatible. This includes the new stealth-enhanced F-15SE.

Excel
download

By early 2002, the Boeing JDAM production facility in St. Charles, MO was working 3 shifts around the clock; Boeing ramped up deliveries from 750 a month during winter 2001, to 2,000 per month in October 2002, and 2,800 per month by August 2003. Production was expected to increase to 5,000 per month with the addition of a new assembly line, and the need to replenish stocks drawn down by war on the Afghan and Iraqi fronts kept demand high. US orders have tailed off sharply, but JDAM’s popularity around the world ensures that the line won’t be closing any time soon. US budgetary requests have included both regular buys, and supplemental/”OCO” purchases to replenish wartime use:

In addition to Boeing, the core JDAM production team includes:

DID doesn’t cover the GFE items as part of this article; obviously, both items have applications that reach far beyond JDAM. The Joint Programmable Fuze System has a variable delay setting that may be programmed manually or from the cockpit, giving their attached bombs good versatility against a range of targets.

JDAM: Variants

(click to view full)

The tail kit + a Mk.80 family weapon creates a JDAM. If a nose kit is added, other targeting modes like laser guidance can be added. To extend range, a wing kit can be attached to the main bomb body. Mixing and matching Mk.80 bomb bodies with the tail kit, plus some combination of optional nose or wing kits creates the full range of JDAM models. Completed JDAM weapons have designations that primarily reflect the size of the base bomb.

Sub-designations exist to distinguish USAF from USMC/USN weapons, but DID has left those out for simplicity. The big difference? Naval variants are “thermally protected,” which means they use explosives that are less likely to detonate if the ship they’re on is hit.

RAAF F/A-18B
with JDAM-ERs
(click to view full)

As the chart above shows, JDAM’s spreading popularity means is creating demands for new variants and add-ons, official or otherwise. While there’s no co-marketing agreement in place, European firm MBDA is already touting its own “Diamondback” kit as a potential add-on; Diamondback equips the Small Diameter Bomb, and was originally tested in 2000 with full JDAM versions.

In an odd turn of fate, JDAM’s popularity is even causing it to lose its “alternative” status, and emulate the very laser-guided weapons it was intended to supplant.

The LJDAM (Laser JDAM) kit adds a DSU-38 or DSU-40 laser guidance module to the standard JDAM INS/GPS kit. The combination improves accuracy to 1m CEP or less. It also allows the weapon to target moving objects, using GPS/INS to get the weapon into the vicinity, and laser guidance for the final strike. This combination creates a more versatile and standardized weapon set, and gives aircraft on station an option that lets them hit transient “pop up” targets of opportunity, without having to be within laser sighting range themselves. In exchange, of course, LJDAM costs more. LJDAM’s 1st combat use came in Iraq, in August 2008.

The closely related US Navy Direct Attack Moving Target Capability (DAMTC) weapon was first delivered in October 2008. It’s very similar to LJDAM, with some maneuvering enhancements, explosive materials optimized for naval use, and a few minor configuration changes.

SDB, in attack mode
(click to view full)

The 250 pound GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb program is a direct outgrowth of JDAM technology. It incorporates a more streamlined bomb shape and pop-out wings. These modifications give it a longer glide range, as well as performance against hardened targets equivalent to a 2,000 pound conventional bomb. The difference is an aircraft that can carry 8 GBU-39s in place of a single 2,000 pound GBU-31 bomb, dramatically expanding its capabilities.

JDAM: Contracts and Key Events

JDAMs into B-1B:
Libya 2011
(click to view full)

Unless otherwise specified, contracts are awarded by The Headquarters 308th Armament Systems Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. Unless otherwise specified, contracts are issued to Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St Louis, MO.

DID doesn’t cover Joint Programmable Fuze contracts here. They are used in JDAM variants, offering variable detonation delay settings that may be programmed manually or from the cockpit, but they’re also used in other weapons.

FY 2016 – 2018

 

GBU-54 LJDAMs
(click to view full)

October 05/18: Smartening-Up The US Air Force is procuring technical support for its Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) from Boeing. Boeing will provide the service with studies and analysis, product improvement efforts, upgrades and integration work at a cost of $45 million. The JDAM program essentially makes ‘dumb’ bombs ‘smart’ by adding sophisticated rear guidance sections. This tail kit includes adjustable tail fins, a control computer, an inertial guidance system and a GPS receiver. Before release, the aircraft tells the bomb its current position and the GPS coordinates of the target. According to the US Air Force, the system is accurate to within 40 feet. One JDAM tail kit costs about $20.000 making it significantly cheaper than laser-guided bombs. Work will be performed at Boeing’s facility in St. Louis, Missouri and is expected to be completed by March 31st, 2019.

March 04/18: Contract Modification-Tail Kits Orders Boeing has been awarded a ceiling increase modification to a previously awarded contract for the provision of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits. The modification is valued at over $311 million. The deal provides for JDAM strap-on inertial guidance kits with the capability to receive guidance updates from GPS which increases the weapon’s accuracy. JDAM tail kits turn previously unguided free-fall munitions such as the 2,000-pound BLU-109/MK 84 or the smaller 500-pound BLU-111/MK 82 warhead, into guided air-to-surface munitions. The awarding of the modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $1.23 billion. Work will be performed at Boeing’s St. Louis, Missouri, facility and is scheduled for completion by March 2020.

February 6/18: Contract Modification-Tail Kit Orders Boeing was awarded Thursday, February 1, a $195 million contract modification for the provision of additional Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits. The awarding of the USAF contract brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $927,581,526. Work will take place at Boeing’s St. Louis, Missouri, facility with an expected completion date set for January 30, 2020. JDAM tail kits turn previously unguided free-fall munitions such as the 2,000-pound BLU-109/MK 84 or the smaller 500-pound BLU-111/MK 82 warhead, into guided air-to-surface munitions.

December 28/16: Kuwait has been cleared by the US State Department for the purchase of 750 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Tail Kits. The $37 million deal is divided into three equal number purchases for the GBU-31, GBU-32 and GBU-38 munitions. JDAM tail kits contain a global positioning system and an inertial navigational system to improve accuracy, and are an integral part of the guidance kit that converts unguided bombs into precision-guided weapons.

September 9/16: Boeing has been awarded a $10 million contract to integrate the 2,000 lb GBU-56(V)4/B dual-mode Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) on the F/A-18 Super Hornet. The deal covers the systems engineering and logistic support planning required for production acceptance testing and evaluation of the DSU-42/B precision laser guidance set and the KMU-558 series guidance set of the GBU-56(V)4/B PGM as well as integration for Navy and USMC F/A-18. GBU-56s are cleared for carriage on the Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16, F/A-18, McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier, Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, Rockwell B-1B Lancer, Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, Panavia Tornado, and Eurofighter Typhoon.

December 30/15: More Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) look to be on their way to the Middle East. Boeing has won a $357.9 million contract to produce Lots 4-8 of the DSU-38 A/B Precision Laser Guided Sets (PLGSs) for the US Navy, US Air Force and foreign military sales to UAE, Belgium, Turkey, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. When the PLGS are combined with the KMU-572 guidance set, air forces are able to cheaply convert unguided munitions into smart munitions as part of the JDAM system. Work is scheduled to be completed by December 2021.

December 9/15: Turkey is to receive $70 million worth of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and associated equipment, parts and technical support after being approved by the US State Department. The approval was procured through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) with the aim of helping with Turkish participation in NATO missions in the region. Sales of JDAM kits have been an extremely popular order from foreign nations as they allow for the cheap conversion of unguided bombs into smart munition. The kits are to be supplied by Boeing.

November 6/15: The United Arab Emirates has requested thousands of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits (JDAMs) and bombs from the US, along with sustainment and support services in a deal estimated to value $380 million. The request – approved by the State Department and now referred to Congress – includes 3,250 GBU-31V1s with associated MK-84/BLU-117 bombs, 750 GBU-31V3s with BLU-109 bombs and 1,000 GBU-12s with MK-82/BLU-111 bombs, as well as fuzes and other equipment. The UAE is engaged in combat operations as part of the Operation Inherent Resolve coalition against ISIS.

FY 2014 – 2015

 

May 21/15: Israel has requested 14,500 JDAM tail kits in a potential sale worth $1.9 billion. Israel previously ordered 3,000 upgraded JDAM kits in November last year, with these upgrades for the ultra-tightly coupled (UTC) capability, with that delivery set for November 2016.

March 2/15: New wing kits extend range, get new designation. Australia tests new wing kits called the JDAM ER (standing for extended range), tripling range from 24 miles to 72 miles. They were launched out of F/A-18s. The RAAF will purchase the kits later in 2015 pending additional certification tests.

Nov 24/14: Israel. Israel is buying 3,000 JDAM tail kits with “the ultra-tightly coupled capability,” using a maximum $82.6 million firm-fixed-price contract modification. This isn’t Israel’s first buy (q.v. Dec 12/10 request, April 12/13).

Work will be performed at St. Louis, MO, and is expected to be complete by Nov 30/16. The USAF Life Cycle Management Center at Hill AFB, UT (FA8213-15-D-0002, DO 0001, MOD 02).

Israel: 3,000

July 7/14: Singapore. The US DSCA officially announces Singapore’s export request for JDAM and LJDAM kits, “to sustain its air-to-ground weapons stockpiles and to accommodate training expenditures.” The DSCA explains that beyond building their stocks on Singapore:

“Singapore maintains a large CONUS F-15SG training presence at Mountain Home AFB. A portion of these munitions are anticipated for use at this CONUS training facility, and will enable RSAF pilots to practice using GPS-guided munitions that will further refine their combat capability.”

The JDAMs could also be used by Singapore’s F-16C/Ds. Boeing in St. Louis is the prime contractor, and the estimated cost is $63 million for:

• 913 KMU-556B/B JDAM kits for Mk-84 2000 lb bombs
  
• 100 FMU-152A/B fuzes
  
• 300 DSU-40 Precision Laser Guidance Sets
  
• Containers, munition trailers, support equipment, spare and repair parts, test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and other forms of support.

Sources: DSCA #14-18, “Singapore – Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Kits”.

DSCA: Singapore request for JDAM/LJDAM

April 17/14: SAR. The Pentagon releases its Dec 31/13 Selected Acquisitions Report. For JDAM, program cost is going up because they’re ordering more:

“Program costs increased $788.0 million (+12.2%) from $6,441.8 million to $7,229.8 million, due primarily to a quantity increase of 30,758 tailkits from 181,830 to 212,588 (+$712.6 million) and associated schedule and estimating allocations (+$68.0 million).”

Orders up

April 1/14: R&D. A maximum $80 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract covers JDAM technical support for studies and analysis, product improvement, upgrades, integration (including, but not limited to, software integration, aircraft integration, and associated hardware) and testing. Work will be performed in Missouri with an expected completion date of March 31/19.

$4.3 million is committed immediately, using FY14 USAF and USN funding. This is a sole source acquisition by USAF Life Cycle Management Center/EBDK at Eglin AFB, FL (FA8681-14-D-0028).

Feb 27/14: A $49.8 million contract modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for the full rate production of 3,500 Precision Laser Guidance Set (PLGS) units and 5,000 kits to convert the PLGS units from the DSU-38/B configuration to the DSU-38A/B for the USAF. These are the front ends used in LJDAMs (q.v. April 19/13), and it’s our guess that the key change involves retrofitting tougher sapphire lenses (q.v. Jan 17/13).

All funds are committed, using FY 2014 USAF ammunition budgets. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, TX (57%); St. Charles, MO (17%); Cincinnati, OH (12%); Greenville, SC (5%); Minneapolis, MN (4%); Glen Riddle, PA (3%); Danville, VA (1%); and Georgetown, TX (1%), and is expected to be complete in February 2016. US NAVAIR in Patuxent River, MD manages the contract (N00019-10-C-0030).

Jan 28/14: DOT&E Testing Report. The Pentagon releases the FY 2013 Annual Report from its Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E). The JDAM is included, but only under systems like the F-35 that have been testing it. The MQ-9 continues to have issues:

“DOT&E rescinded the 2009 GBU-38 500-pound JDAM FDE plan in February 2013 due to lack of progress in maturing software capabilities to support an operational evaluation with the current MQ-9 OFPs. AFOTEC will test JDAM during FOT&E of the MQ-9 Increment One system.”

FY 2013

Lot 17 buys; Request and purchase from Israel; Foreign sales; Laser SDB-I; JDAM-ER production partner picked; South Korea competes with their KGGB.

F-35A drops JDAM
(click to view full)

June 27/13: Lot 17. A $39.5 million contract option adds 1,601 JDAM tailkits to Lot 17 (q.v. Dec 21/12), split $14.9 million baseline funds plus $24.6 million supplementary (OCO) funds. This brings the total contract to $141.9 million. Pro-rating this cost per tailkit would give us 5,751 for FY 2013, though the American budget for that year is 4,678.

All funds are committed immediately, using FY 2013 Ammunition budgets. Work will be performed at Saint Charles, MO, and is expected to be complete by March 31/15. The USAF Life Cycle Management Center/EBDK at Eglin AFB, FL manages the contract (FA8681-13-C-0063, PO 0006).

April 19/13: A $17.7 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for full rate production of Laser JDAM front ends. The total contract involves 1,496 DSU-38/B precision laser guidance sets and appropriate shipping containers for the US Navy (509/ $5.6M/ 31%), USAF (463/ $5.1M/ 29%) and the governments of Saudi Arabia (496/ $6.7M/ 38%) and Japan (28/ $375,970/ 2%). The buy will use Foreign Military Sale funds, as well as FY 2013 USAF and USN ammunition budgets.

Work will be performed in St. Charles, MO, and is expected to be complete in February 2015. US Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD manages the contract (N00019-10-C-0030).

LJDAM: USA, Saudi Arabia, Japan

April 12/13: Israel. A $65.9 million firm-fixed-price contract for 2,701 JDAM tail kits, which would only represent a part of Dec 10/12 DSCA request.

Work will be performed at St. Louis, MO, and is expected to be completed by March 31/15. The contract involves foreign military sales (FMS) to Israel, with the AFLCMC/EBDKI at Eglin AFB, FL acting as Israel’s FMS agent (FA8681-13-C-0093).

Israel

March 15/13: FMS. Boeing in St. Louis, MO receives a $99.9 million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee and indefinite-quantity/ indefinite-delivery contract for production assets (JDAM kits), spares, repairs and sustainment. The contract involves foreign military sales, but they won’t say to whom.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO, until Jan 31/16, using foreign military sales funding. USAF Life Cycle Management Command’s EBDK at Eglin AFB, FL manages this contract, as an agent for its foreign customer (FA8681-13-D-0102).

Purchase – but by whom?

March 13/13: JDAM-ER. The Royal Australian Air Force became Boeing’s first JDAM-ER customer in 2011. Now, Boeing announces that they’ve picked Ferra Engineering in Australia to build the wing kits, after partnering with Hawker de Havilland to create them. The kit is reported to give this 500-pound laser/GPS dual-guidance weapon a range of up to 55 nm/ 102 km, when launched at high speed and altitude. By now, however, this is no longer a unique offering. In September 2012, South Africa’s Denel and the UAE’s Tawazun signed a partnership to take their similar but larger Umbani (“Al-Tariq”) GPS glide bomb concept to market around the globe.

Ferra was Boeing’s 2011 International Supplier of the Year, who also does work for the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter, and for Boeing’s Commercial Aviation Services group. Boeing.

Jan 17/13: DOT&E Testing Report. The Pentagon releases the FY 2012 Annual Report from its Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E). The F-22A Raptor’s radar and sensors let it drop JDAMs and SDB-I bombs accurately and reliably, but the MQ-9 Reaper drone remains in limbo with JDAM, and hasn’t resolved and tested the fuzing and weapons envelope discrepancies identified in 2010. Meanwhile, the Laser JDAM’s glass lens covering took a real beating in Afghanistan, to the point that Boeing had to develop a sapphire lens instead.

The Navy’s DAMTC LJDAM gets the most coverage. It benefited from the sapphire lens switch, and reliability was 98%, but 3 operator errors and an unexplained miss knocked it down to 77%. Demonstrated accuracy was 5.8m CEP in self-lasing mode, but buddy lasing tests went poorly. DOT&E think test range and target limitations may be the difference, and isn’t overly concerned. They also cite the high cockpit workload of using LJDAM, but that’s the same problem faced by all laser-guided weapons. Apparently, targeting pod limitations are the common cause.

DOT&E is very critical of the dense wiring inside the DAMTC tail kit, which makes verifying fuze arming and function settings extremely difficult, especially at night. Workarounds are worse than the problem, and they’d like this issue fixed. Since DOT&E declared DAMTC operationally effective and suitable, however, their recommendation doesn’t have a lot of push behind it. It will be up to the US Navy.

Jan 14/13: KGGB competitor. South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and 20 defense firms, including LIG Nex1, have jointly developed the extended range, 500 pound Korea GPS-Guided Bomb (KGGB) with a 5-year, KRW 40 billion ($378 million) budget. The bombs include GPS/INS guidance and a wing kit, with a claimed range of 100 km at maximum launch altitude and speed. Cost is reportedly KRW 100 million each (about $97,600).

The KGGB is “designed to take out North Korean artillery positions concealed behind mountains.” The weapon’s big question is accuracy, depending on its allowed level of GPS M-code signal access. Then again, if the core problem is the artillery and rockets near Seoul, ground stations could be used to create fantastic GPS precision on top of a civilian signal.

This isn’t a JDAM modification – it’s a JDAM competitor. South Korea’s ADD is talking about using these bombs on old F-5 and F-4 fighters, which implies an integration method that doesn’t require rewiring the planes, or adding MIL-STD-1760 databus technology. That could make the KGGB attractive on the export market. The standard alternatives in the industry are to either rely on pre-programmed targets that are set before takeoff, or use a wireless link and a separate control pad for the pilot. Yonhap News | Chosun Ilbo | Korea Times.

Dec 21/12: Lot 17. A $118 million firm-fixed-price contract to procure JDAM Production Lot 17 Guided Vehicle kits. Work will be performed in St. Charles, MO until March 31/15 (FA8681-13-C-0063)

Dec 19/12: Laser SDB. An $8.9 million firm-fixed price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Laser Small Diameter Bombs (LSDB) retrofits, LSDB guided test vehicles, storage/shipping containers; and production, engineering, integration and test support. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO, and is expected to be complete by Dec 31/13 (FA8656-13-C-0053).

The AFLCMC/PZJ at Eglin Air Force Base, FL is listed as the managing agency, but inquiries are directed to US SOCOM, who do not respond to questions. The is a GBU-53 SDB-II program underway top field a tri-mode GPS/laser/MW radar guided weapon, but a near-term laser retrofit would allow SDB-I capable aircraft and UAVs to begin attacking moving targets. SOCOM’s MQ-9 MALET/Reaper UAVs would be an obvious candidate, since the SDB’s all-weather versatility and precision strike design fit extremely well with SOCOM’s needs. Beyond US SOCOM, the USAF’s high-end F-22A Raptor would probably be the most immediate beneficiary of a Laser SDB.

Laser SDB-I

Dec 10/12: Israel. The US DSCA announces [PDF] Israel’s formal request to buy a variety of JDAM-related items, at an estimated cost of up to $647 million. The request includes 6,900 JDAM tail kits and their associated bombs, whose numbers match exactly. That’s significant, because IMI makes its own JDAM-certified MPR-500 bomb for hardened targets. The exact requests break down as:

• 1,725 MK-82 500 pound bombs
  
• 1,725 KMU-572 tail kits for MK-82s, creating GBU-38s
  
• 3,450 MK-84 2,000 pound bombs
  
• 3,450 JDAM Anti-Jam KMU-556 tail kits for MK-84s, creating GBU-31s
  
• 1,725 BLU-109 2,000 pound “bunker buster” forged casing bombs
  
• 1,725 KMU-557 tail kits for BLU-109s, creating the GBU-31v3/B
  
• 3,450 GBU-39s: 250 pound Small Diameter Bombs
  
• 11,500 FMU-139 Fuses
  
• 11,500 FMU-143 Fuses
  
• 11,500 FMU-152 Fuses

Plus spare and repair parts, support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documentation, and other forms of US Government and contractor support. The principal contractors will be:

• The Boeing Company in St. Charles, MO (JDAMs, SDB-I)
  
• General Dynamics in Garland, TX (Bombs)
  
• Kaman Dayron in Orlando, FL (Fuzes)
  
• ATK in Edina, MI
  
• Elwood National Forge Co. in Irvine, PA
  
• KDI Precision Products in Cincinnati, OH
  
• Lockheed-Martin Missile and Fire Control in Archibald, TN
  
• Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ

Israel already has these weapons in inventory, and implementation of this proposed sale won’t require any additional personnel from the USA.

Israel request

FY 2012

DAMTC, JDAM-ER variants.

GBU-54 LJDAMs, USMC
VFMA-122, Kandahar
(click for full picture)

July 16/12: DAMTC/LJDAM. A $22.8 million firm-fixed-price contract modification exercises an option for 2,384 US Navy Direct Attack Moving Target (DAMTC, Laser JDAM variant) weapons, including shipping containers.

Work will be performed in St. Charles, MO, and is expected to be complete in February 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/12. US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD manages this contract (N00019-10-C-0030)

July 10/12: Australia’s JDAM-ER. Australia’s government announces that their Enhanced JDAM has completed its 1st round of testing, and provides details regarding this variant.

Australia’s JDAM-ER will have the Extended Range wing kit that boost range to over 40 miles, developed as part of a Capability and Technology Demonstrator (CTD) program by Australia’s DSTO and Boeing. That kit is likely to be available for international sale through the newly established Australian Military Sales Office.

Australia’s final bombs will actually be more like LJDAM-ERs, with dual-mode laser/GPS guidance, and a warhead designed for low collateral damage. The program began on Oct 19/05, with a contract for Australia’s “AIR 5409 Bomb Improvement Program.” Australian DoD | Boeing.

May 14-16/12: LJDAMs from B-1B. B-1 Lancer aircrews from Ellsworth AFB, SD employ GBU-54 Laser JDAMs against moving targets during the Combat Hammer exercise, from May 14 – 16. It’s the 1st operational release from this type of aircraft. USAF.

LJDAM on B-1B

May 10/12: A $24 million cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity for JDAM technical support, to include non-warranty induction and repair, annual software updates, mission planning support, studies, and analysis.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO by Dec 31/13. The AAC/EBDK at Eglin AFB, FL is the contracting activity (FA8681-05-D-0277, PO 0025).

March 12/12: DAMTC/ LJDAM. A $12.6 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, exercising an option for 1,116 DAMTC laser/GPS guidance kits and appropriate shipping containers, plus 640 hours of production engineering and logistics support services. This is NAVAIR’s 3rd Low Rate Initial Production order for its Direct Attack Moving Target Capability (DAMTC).

Work will be performed in St. Charles, MO, and deliveries are expected to be complete in February 2013. This contract is managed by US Naval Air Systems Command, in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-10-C-0030). See also Boeing release.

Feb 14/12: Lot 16. Boeing receives an $111.4 million “predominantly firm-fixed-price contract” for 4,844 JDAMs. Work will be performed in St. Charles, MO, and is expected to be complete by May 2014 (FA8681-12-C-0160, PO 0002). When asked, Boeing said that:

“In 2011, the U.S. Air Force announced contract awards totaling $180 million for nearly 7,500 Lot 15 JDAM tail kits. Boeing received a $126 million contract from the U.S. Air Force on Nov. 30, 2011, and [this contract, too], for approximately 10,000 JDAM tail kits for Lot 16. Deliveries for these [Lot 16] tail kits will begin in May 2013 and continue through May 2014.”

Feb 12/12: MPR-500 JDAM. Israel Military Industries announces [PDF] that their Multi-Purpose Rigid 500-pound bomb has been certified with Boeing for use with the JDAM kit. It has more penetrating power and less fragmentation than the conventional Mk.82.

Israeli variant

Feb 3/12: Polish request. The US DSCA announces Poland’s official request for F-16 weapons, as well as a 5 year fleet support contract that includes associated equipment, parts, and training. The entire contract set could be worth up to $447 million, and includes up to “200 GBU-54 (2000 lb) Laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) Bombs”. Which doesn’t make sense, because the GBU-54 is a 500 pound weapon. What Boeing could say, was that:

“The GBU-56 Laser JDAM [DID: q.v. Sept 28/10 entry] includes the 2,000-pound MK-84 warhead and has been developed by Boeing. Final certification flight testing is planned by the USAF on behalf of our international customers and is expected to be completed within the next 12-18 months… you’ll need to contact the Dept. of Defense or DCMA for clarification on whether they meant GBU-54 or GBU-56.”

See “2012-02: Poland Requests F-16 Weapons, Support” for full coverage.

Poland & the GBU-56

Jan 30/12: An $8.3 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for another 700 precision laser guidance set kits. The US Air Force will receive them, and subsequent releases reveal that they’ll be used to maintain GBU-54 Laser JDAM inventory levels.

Work will be performed in Haifa, Israel (37%); Fort Worth, TX (32%); and St. Charles, MO (31%), and is expected to be complete in August 2012. $1.3 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD manages the contract (N00019-10-C-0030).

Dec 2/11: Lot 16. A $125.9 million firm-fixed-price contract for Production Lot 16: 4,977 JDAM Guided Vehicle tail kits of various types. This is actually a contract option, but it’s exercised as a separate contract. Work will be performed at St. Charles, MO, and is expected to be completed May 31/14 (FA8681-12-C-0160).

See also Boeing release, which states that a full-rate production decision on the Laser JDAM sensors is expected in “early 2012.”

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

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

The weapons are explicitly slated for the UAE’s F-16E/F Block 60 fleet, which may be slated to grow soon, and are designed to “help the UAE AF&AD become one of the most capable air forces in the region, thereby serving U.S. interests by deterring regional aggression. These munitions will be used to complement the normal war-readiness reserve stockpile of munitions and provide munitions for routine training requirements.”

UAE request

FY 2011

LJDAM production. Poland, UAE.

Tornado ASSTA 3 test
(click to view full)

Aug 31/11: A $14.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for 602 JDAMs, type unspecified (FA8681-11-C-0111, PO 0004).

May 16/11: Lot 15. Boeing in St. Louis, MO received a $9.3 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for 389 MK-82 SAASM/AJ JDAMs under production Lot 15. In English, those are 500 pound JDAM bomb kits, with improved jamming resistance (FA8681-11-C-0111, PO 0003).

May 2/11: Lot 15. A Boeing release refers to:

“The U.S. Air Force announced a $92 million contract for more than 4,000 Lot 15 JDAM kits on March 14. This follows an $88 million contract awarded Jan. 14 for the first 3,500 tail kits in the same lot.”

The award does not list on DefenseLINK for March 14/11 or surrounding days, though the Jan 14/11 award is present and listed below.

May 2/11: LJDAM/DAMTC. US NAVAIR announces that the Navy’s Direct Attack Moving Target Capability (Laser JDAM) has successfully completed the 18th integrated test.

That was supposed to be the final test, but during the testing process, DAMTC made a configuration change to replace the current glass window with one made of sapphire, in order to improve resistance to weather and the elements. To ensure the change doesn’t create problems, 3 additional regression tests were added in July 2011. Operational testing is expected to begin in late summer 2011, with DAMTC slated to reach formal Initial Operating Capability on all F/A-18 family and AV-8B Harrier fighters by late winter 2012. Meanwhile, the weapons are already being used on the front lines.

March 16/11: LJDAM. An $8 million firm-fixed-price contract modification covers first article testing and 700 Low Rate Initial Production laser JDAM retrofit kits, as well as accompanying technical data. The Pentagon’s wording was very unclear, but a Boeing representative said:

“This contract is for the laser sensor kits that can be added to a conventional Mk 82 500-lb JDAM, which turns it into a [GBU-54] Laser JDAM. The sensor allows a conventional JDAM to have the flexibility to prosecute moving targets, relocatable targets and even maritime targets.”

This is LJDAM’s 1st major production order. Work will be performed in St. Charles, MO, and is expected to be complete in March 2012 (N00019-10-C-0030). See also Boeing release.

1st LJDAM production order

Feb 8/11: F-15K integration. The Chosun Ilbo quotes the South Korean ROKAF, who says it has integrated the 2,000 pound GBU-31 JDAM with its KF-16 fighters, as well as its F-15K “Slam Eagles.” After developing the software, the ROKAF successfully carried out 3 tests, and finished pilot training at the end of January 2011.

The report also mentions wing kits, which are absent from normal JDAMs – but not from the 2,000 pound JDAM Extended Range kit, which was being developed by Boeing and South Korea.

KF-16, F-15K… and JDAM-ER?

Feb 7/11: Tornado integration. EADS Cassidian discusses ongoing upgrades of German Luftwaffe Tornado strike/wild weasel aircraft to the ASSTA 3 (Avionics Software System Tornado Ada) standard. Adding Link-16 shared battlespace awareness via MIDS Low Volume Terminals are a key part of that upgrade, which also includes the latest generation radios, a digital video and voice recorder (DVDR), and the dual-guidance Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM).

LJDAM integration and launch behavior was verified during test flights in Vidsel, Sweden, in September 2010. In January 2011, Cassidian in Manching, Germany began the flight testing of a Tornado with an ASSTA 3 hardware and software configuration approximating that of series production. As of early February 2011, EADS Cassidian has already started to upgrade the first series aircraft in Manching, and deliveries are scheduled to start in mid-2012.

LJDAM on Tornado

Jan 14/11: Lot 15. An $88 million contract for 3,500 JDAM “Guided Vehicle kits”, or about $25,000 per kit. At this time, the entire amount has been committed (FA8681-11-C-0111).

FY 2010

Lot 14. Singapore.

LJDAM vs. Truck
(click for full picture)

Sept 28/10: LJDAM GBU-56. Boeing announces successful tests of the 2,000 pound MK-84 bomb with a Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (Laser JDAM) kit. The tests took place in July 2010 at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. The first 2 of 7 planned tests were dropped from a USAF F-16 test aircraft, flying sub-sonic at 30,000 feet.

An existing JDAM becomes a Laser JDAM with the installation of the Precision Laser Guidance Set (PLGS). The MK-84 PLGS uses the same laser sensor as the 500-pound MK-82’s Laser JDAM kit, which has already been fielded as the GBU-54 with the USAF, US Navy, and internationally.

March 8/10: Lot 14. A $148.7 million contract for 6,565 JDAM guided vehicle kits, under production Lot 14. At this time, all funds have been committed (FA8681-10-C-0072, P00003).

This is the 3rd procurement of a 6-year contract that Boeing received in January 2008. The modification increases the overall value of this phase from $72 million to $229 million, and the overall agreement now has a potential total value of $1.3 billion with deliveries extending through 2015, if all options are exercised. See also Boeing release.

March 2/10: LJDAM/ DAMTC. Boeing announces an $11.4 million contract to supply Laser JDAMs for the U.S. Navy’s Direct Attack Moving Target Capability (DAMTC) initiative. The initial contract calls for the delivery of 23 smart bombs for testing and evaluation, and is expected to lead to a production contract in 2011. With follow-on options, total DAMTC deliveries could reach 11,000 units, and the total contract value could exceed $91 million.

The Navy already operates Laser JDAMs, as well as Lockheed Martin’s similar DMLGB kit, and Raytheon’s Paveway offerings which can include the dual-mode Paveway Plus. Boeing Weapons VP Debbie Rub says that their winning DAMTC offering will improve the Laser JDAM’s moving and maneuvering capability, in order to make it more useful against fast and/or maneuvering targets.

Nov 16/09: Singapore request. The US DSCA announces [PDF] Singapore’s official request for JDAM and LJDAM kits, plus support equipment, repair and return, tools and test equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and other related support. The estimated cost is $40 million, and the request includes:

• 670 KMU-572B/B Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) Guidance Kits. These fit on 500 pound Mk82 bombs to create GBU-32 JDAMs, and the “B/B” means they include pin-lock actuators and SAASM (Selective Availability/Anti-Spoofing Module) capability.

• 670 DSU-38/B Precision Laser Guidance kits, to turn GBU-32 JDAMs into GBU-54v1/B LJDAMs. The Precision Laser Guidance Set consists of the LDSU-38 laser Seeker itself, and a wire harness fixed under the bomb body to connect the DSU-38/B with the JDAM guidance tailkit. For some reason, the DSCA announced this element twice.

• 670 KMU-572B/B Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) Guidance Kits for 500 pound GBU-28Bv1/B Paveway-II laser-guided bombs.

Singapore already has JDAM guidance kits in its inventory, and will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government and contractor representatives to Singapore.

Singapore request

Oct 28/09: Lot 14. A $72 million contract for Lot XIV JDAM production: 2,925 JDAM Guided Vehicle kits that are attached to the tails of ordinary 500 – 2,000 pound bombs, giving them inertial navigation system and GPS-based guidance (FA8681-10-C-0072).

Oct 8/09: LJDAM exports. Boeing announces Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contracts to provide Laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) to 2 unnamed international customers, as part of Aug 17/09’s $98 million contract. The weapons are scheduled for delivery in 2010. Dan Jaspering, Boeing director of Direct Attack Programs, adds that “There are more than 20 countries that have JDAM, and we expect many of them will adopt Laser JDAM within the next few years.”

Other recent developments include a recent Block 08 update to the weapon system’s software, to improve Laser JDAM’s effectiveness against targets that are turning, accelerating or decelerating. Boeing has completed 2 successful maneuvering target missions with the Block 08 software, which is expected to be fielded in 2010.

LJDAM orders

FY 2009

Lot 14. JDAM-ER.

LJDAM test from A-10C
(click for full picture)

Aug 17/09: LJDAM. A $98 million cost plus fixed-fee contract to provide production of the Laser JDAM, and integration onto “various Foreign Military Sales aircraft platforms” throughout the life of the contract. At this time no funds have been obligated, which means funds will be spent as orders and tasks come in. The 680th ARSSG/PK at Eglin AFB, FL manages the contract (FA8681-09-D-0065).

Feb 27/09: GBU-31 JDAM-ER. Boeing signs an agreement with Times Aerospace Korea, LLC (TAK) to jointly develop a wing assembly that will create an 2,000 pound JDAM Extended Range (JDAM-ER) variant.

Under the teaming arrangement for this 40-month development program, Boeing and TAK will co-develop, test, and field a JDAM-ER wing kit to convert the 2,000-pound GBU-31 JDAM into a JDAM-ER. Boeing will provide support to help TAK improve its aerospace capabilities, including preparations for production of the JDAM ER wing assembly. Once development and flight tests are successful, TAK would become Boeing’s primary supplier of wing assemblies for all 2,000 pound JDAM-ERs sold around the world. Boeing’s release adds that as of March 31/09, “the baseline JDAM has been sold to the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy, as well as to 22 international customers.”

POSTSCRIPT: Boeing later tells DID that: “TAK management changes resulted in funding challenges and the co-development contract was mutually terminated. However, in March 2012, Boeing selected a development partner to complete the design…”

Dev: 2000 lb. JDAM-ER

Dec 12/08: Israel. The Jerusalem Post reports that the Israeli Air Force is considering JDAM-ER kits, one version of which is under development by Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force. Their 500 pound JDAM-ER collaboration is expected to enter Australian service in 2010.

Dec 5/08: Lot 13. A firm fixed price, $106.9 million contract for Lot XIII JDAM production: 4,372 Joint Direct Attack Munition Guided Vehicle kits, for delivery in 2010 and 2011. At this time, the entire amount has been committed (FA8681-09-C-0057). See also Boeing release.

This appears to be a higher number of JDAMs than the official FY 2009 budget request.

Nov 25/08: JDAM-ER. Boeing announces that its Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (JDAM ER) successfully completed testing with HUG-upgraded Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18s in August 2008, exceeding the RAAF’s range and accuracy requirements. Work at the Woomera Test Facility in South Australia was led by the Australian DoD, with support from Boeing. In addition to the firm’s prime integrator role, Boeing subsidiary Hawker de Havilland is the developer of the 500-pound JDAM ER’s wing kits.

Boeing’s JDAM-ER program manager Kevin Holt says that he expects JDAM-ER to move from the flight demonstration phase into Low Rate Initial Production beginning in calendar year 2010. That would turn out to be premature, with testing still ongoing in 2012.

Nov 14/08: LJDAM & A-10C. The USAF announces that an upgraded USAF A-10C has dropped the GBU-54 LJDAM in a successful test. The next step is operational testing to develop tactics and techniques for employing the weapon. If those tests continue to go well, Eglin AFB’s test team may have their feedback as early as January. The goal is to have the LJDAM/A-10C combination deployed on the front lines by early 2009.

A-10C L-JDAM

Nov 7/08: LJDAM to USN. NAVAIR delivers the first GBU-54 Laser JDAM to the fleet. (See May 18/07 entry). Additional flight tests and clearance activities on the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet are expected to begin later in 2008.

The USN also has the DMLGB program underway, in which Lockheed Martin is converting about 7,000 stockpiled laser-only Paveway guidance kits to dual laser/GPS-INS guidance.NAVAIR | Boeing release.

FY 2008

Germany, South Korea, UAE.

F-22A drops JDAM
(click to view full)

Sept 17/08: #200,000. Boeing delivers the 200,000th JDAM tailkit to the USAF, just 10 years after JDAM guidance tailkit deliveries to the United States and allied countries began.

Boeing’s release adds that it is currently under contract to build an additional 11,670 JDAM tailkits for the United States and its allies in the coming years, with additional quantities in the planning stages.

200,000

Sept 15/08: LJDAM & B-52H. Airmen at Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB), LA, load a Boeing Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) onto a B-52H aircraft for a demonstration flight. It was the first time the LJDAM had been carried and delivered from a B-52H. Boeing photo release.

B-52H L-JDAM

July 24/08: Germany orders LJDAM. Boeing announces that it has signed a contract with Germany for 500 lb. Laser JDAM kits, plus integration support to add them to that country’s Tornado aircraft. This is the first international sale of the LJDAM weapon system. Oddly, it was completed as a mere commercial contract, rather than a foreign military sale of weapons; as such, there is no disclosure requirement regarding costs or numbers.

Delivery of the kits is expected to begin in mid-2009, and the unknown order includes options for unspecified additional kits in 2009.

1st L-JDAM export

June 20/08: South Korean request. South Korea is requesting additional air-air missiles and precision attack weapons for its F-15Ks: 280 JDAM tail kits, 2 load/build trainers; plus AIM-120-C7 AMRAAMs, AGM-54G Mavericks, Paveway II/IIIs, and chaff. Read “South Korea Buying Weapons for its new F-15Ks.”

South Korea request

May 30/08: An $8.6 million contract modification for 300 JDAM High Data Rate Compact Telemetry Units, which are used to gather real-time JDAM weapon data during testing. This procurement also includes 100 HCTM Adapter Kits in support of Test and Integration activities. At this time all funds have been obligated (FA8681-07-C-0002 P00004).

Jan 10/08: Lot 12. A firm-fixed price contract for $115.6 million for 4,907 JDAM Lot 12 Guided Vehicle kits for existing 500, 1000, 2000 pound bombs. At this time all funds have been obligated. The 678 ARSS/PK at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract (FA8681-08-C-0001).

Jan 3/08: UAE request. The US DSCA announces the United Arab Emirates’ formal request for 200 GBU-31 JDAM tail kits, as part of a larger weapons request that also includes 224 of the Mk84 2,000 pound bombs they fit to. See full DID coverage.

UAE request

FY 2007

Lot 11. Israel.

F-16I “Soufa”
(click to view full)

Aug 3/07: Israel request. The US DSCA announces [PDF] a formal weapons request from Israel that includes 10,000 JDAM kits. The request does not specify which bomb body sizes the tail kits are for, and the rest of the request involves bomb bodies and Paveway laser or laser/GPS kits.

See “Israel Looks to Replenish Bomb Stocks” for full coverage.

Israel request

May 29/07: IGAS anti-jam. Successful completion of developmental flight testing for the JDAM’s forthcoming Integrated GPS Anti-Jam System (IGAS) at the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, CA. IGAS uses digital signal processing to significantly reduce the impact of GPS jamming.

During the program, testers released five weapons from a U.S. Navy F/A-18 under various mission and GPS jamming scenarios. All five weapons acquired and maintained their GPS coordinates while flying to their targets. Boeing will complete IGAS development in 2007, with deliveries planned to begin in 2008. Boeing release.

May 18/07: LJDAM. A $28.8 million firm-fixed-price contract to provide for Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) Precision Laser Guidance Set (PLGS), quantity of 600 (400 USAF, 200 USN) “In response to a compelling and urgent operational need…”

This effort also involves the management, engineering and logistics support necessary for production qualification and performance verification of the non-development PLGS. At this time, $2.8 million have been obligated. Work will be complete June 2009. The Headquarters Air to Ground Munitions Systems Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract (FA8681-07-C-0209). Boeing June 9/07 release.

March 19/07: JDAM-ER. Flying at 20,000 feet over the Woomera Prohibited Area in South Australia, a RAAF F/A-18B released a pair of 500-pound Mk82 JDAM Extended Range (JDAM-ER) weapons and scored a direct hit on their respective targets. The JDAM-ER uses Australian-designed and built modular wing kit developed by Hawker de Havilland, based on technology licensed by Australia Defence Science & Technology Organization. The ER wing kit provides more than three times the range of a baseline JDAM (i.e. over 45 miles) and is designed to be installed in the field as an addition to existing JDAM weapons.

The AIR 5425 JDAM ER test program is a joint effort with the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation, Hawker de Havilland Aerospace Pty. Ltd., and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. The test team conducted the technology demonstration under the Australian Capability Technology Demonstrator Program, managed by the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), but the design will be exportable to Boeing’s 16 international JDAM customers, some of whom have shown interest in this variant. MBDA’s Diamond Back wing kit is also designed to extend the range of JDAM weapons, and is used on the 250 pound Small Diameter Bomb variant. Boeing release.

Feb 6/07: Lot 11. A $20.6 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for another 784 JDAM production lot 11 Guided Vehicle kits. At this time, total funds have been obligated; work will be complete March 2009 (FA8681-07-C-0002/P00001).

Nov 14/06: Lot 11. A $296 million firm-fixed-price with cost reimbursement contract for 12,889 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Lot 11 Guided Vehicle (GV) kits. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began July 2006, negotiations were complete November 2006, and work will be complete March 2009 (FA8681-07-C-0002).

FY 2006

Lot 10. Pakistan, Norway.

JDAM: loading
(click to view full)

Sept 8/06: An $8.2 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for 287 JDAM High Data Rate Compact Telemetry Units (HCTMs). The JDAM HCTMs are flight test instrumentation hardware, which is used to gather real-time JDAM weapon data during testing. Work will be complete September 2008 (FA8681-06-C-0058/P00004).

June 30/06: LJDAM. A 500 pound Joint Direct Attack Munition with a laser guidance add-on (LJDAM) bomb scores a direct hit from 4 miles away, when dropped by a U.S. Air Force F-16 flying at 20,000 feet over Eglin AFB, FL. Just to make things interesting, the target Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) was moving at 25 mph.

Boeing will complete its development of the 500-pound LJDAM in 2006. Initial production deliveries are planned to begin as early as 2007, giving it a weapon with capabilities similar to Israel’s existing Spice. A previous May 2005 test had also been successful. Boeing release.

June 30/06: Lot 10. A $28 million firm-fixed-price with a cost-reimbursement contract modification for an additional 1,288 lot 10 JDAM guided vehicle kits. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Negotiations were complete in June 2006, and work will be complete March 2008 (FA8681-06-C-0058/P00002).

June 28/06: Pakistan request. Pakistan requests 500 JDAM kits as part of a proposed $5.1 billion deal for F-16 C/Ds (Block 50/52), F-16 fleet upgrades, and weapons. Pakistan eventually buys all of those F-16s and upgrades. Read “$5.1B Proposed in Sales, Upgrades, Weapons for Pakistan’s F-16s” for full coverage.

Pakistan request

June 12/06: JDAM & F-22. The F-22 Combined Test Force team of The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, and the US Air Force successfully tested the F-22’s precision strike capabilities at White Sands Missile Range, NM. The F-22 flew at a speed of Mach 1.5 at 50,000 feet, released a 1,000 pound JDAM from a range of 24 nautical miles to destroy a ground target.

Note the extended range. The drop tested the Raptor’s Launch Acceptability Region (LAR) supersonic algorithm, developed by a Boeing collaboration of F-22, Phantom Works and JDAM engineers. It defines the area in the sky from which the pilot can release a weapon to successfully attack the desired target, factoring in navigation, weather, target and weapon information. Not to mention that range-boosting supersonic speed. See Boeing release.

F-22 supersonic drop

June 1/06: Integration. Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St Louis, MO received a $70 million cost-plus fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract. This indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity basic contract is for aircraft integration with the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) weapon system. The Air Force can issue delivery orders totaling up to the maximum amount indicated above. Solicitations began January 2006, negotiations were complete in May 2006, and work will be complete April 2011. The Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract. (FA8681-06-D-0021). As a reminder, the current US Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet notes that:

“JDAM is currently compatible with B-1B, B-2A, B-52H, F-15E, F-14A/B/D, F/A-18E/F, F-16C/D, F/A-22 and F/A-18C/D aircraft. Follow-on integration efforts are currently underway or planned to evaluate compatibility with the A-10, F-117, AV-8B, S-3, Joint Strike Fighter, and unmanned aerial vehicles.”

April 18/06: Super Hornet Hand-off. Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Demonstrates Network Capability in Multiple JDAM Drop. Boeing has successfully demonstrated the capability of an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to provide targeting coordinates to other aircraft using the Raytheon APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system.

During the test at the Naval Air Weapons Center at China Lake, Calif., an AESA-equipped F/A-18F created a long-range, high resolution synthetic aperture radar map and designated 4 closely-spaced stationary targets. The aircraft then data-linked 2 target designations to non-AESA equipped Super Hornets, which successfully delivered 4 JDAMs (2,000 lb.) “within lethal distance.” The targeting Super Hornet then used the AESA to provide highly detailed bomb damage assessments to confirm the hits. Boeing release.

March 3/06: Lot 10. A $240.6 million firm fixed price with cost reimbursement type for alternate disputes resolution contract for 10,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Lot 10 Guided Vehicle (GV) kits. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began in November 2005, negotiations were complete in March 2006, and work will be complete March 2008. The Headquarters Air to Ground Munitions Systems Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract (FA8681-06-C-0058).

Feb 20/06: Norway order. Boeing reaches an agreement with Norway to provide the JDAM system to the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) F-16s. The contract includes JDAM guidance kits, F-16 weapon system integration and operational support.

Boeing says that Norway is the 5th member of the European Participating Air Forces (EPAF) to select JDAM, and the 14th international customer. Boeing has produced more than 140,000 JDAM guidance kits from 1998 to February 2006, for the USA and for 14 international customers. Boeing release.

Norway

Feb 13/06: Support. A $45 million time and material, firm-fixed-price and cost-plus fixed-fee contract for technical support for the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) weapon system until the end of 2010. This includes non-warranty inductions and repair, annual software updates, mission planning support and studies/analysis. The Air Force can issue delivery orders totaling up to the maximum amount indicated above, but doesn’t have to spend the full amount. Solicitations began October 2005, negotiations were complete December 2005, and work will be complete by December 2010. The Headquarters Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract (FA8681-05-D-0277)

Nov 1/05: GPS. Harris Corporation, best known for its success in the tactical radio market, announced that it has been awarded an $18.2 million follow-on contract by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems to provide Anti-Jam Global Positioning System (AJ GPS) modules for Boeing’s Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) program that turns conventional bombs into smart bombs.

The initial development contract was valued at approximately $3.9 million, bringing the total value of the program for Harris to more than $21 million since 2003. Full production and future options could increase the program’s value for Harris to more than $50 million by 2008.

Oct 25/05: Greece request. Greece requests 6 JDAMs as part of its F-16 C/D (Block 50/52) sale and weapons package. Greece would go on to buy those F-16s.

Greece request

Oct 19/05: JDAM-ER. Australia picks Boeing to provide the JDAM for the AIR 5409 Bomb Improvement Program. The contract covers Australia’s upgraded F/A-18A aircraft, and includes JDAM guidance kits, F/A-18 weapon system integration, and operational support. Numbers and figures were not disclosed. Boeing release.

Dev: Australia’s JDAM-ER

FY 2002 – 2005

Lot 8. HART. Singapore.

F-15E: 5 targets
(click to view full)

Sept 20/05: HART Test. A low-cost, UHF network-capable weapon data link from Harris Corporation provided target updates in the successful demonstration of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet’s ability to engage moving land targets with Boeing’s JDAM at the Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, California. The inert weapon was delivered within two meters of the moving target, a radio-controlled panel-side truck. The 2-way link also demonstrated the ability of the weapon data link to transmit real-time weapon status back to the host F/A-18 aircraft during the JDAM’s free fall.

Harris’ Falcon II radio from its RF Communications Division and Improved Data Modem technology from Innovative Concepts, Inc. were used to create the two ends of the data linkage from aircraft to JDAM. See the Oct 21/03 entry for more background. Harris release.

Aug 23/05: Singapore. Singapore notifies the USA that it wants 150 JDAM kits as part of a $741 million complementary weapons order to go with its F-15SG Strike Eagles. The F-15SG order is finalized with a contract on Dec 13/06, clearing the way for the complementary weapon purchases.

Read “F-15E Strike Eagle Taking Off With Singapore Contract?” for full coverage.

Singapore request

Dec 2/04: #100,000. Boeing delivers the 100,000th JDAM Tail Kit. The original production estimate had been 87,000 JDAMs for the entire program.

100,000

March 01/04: Lot 8 & integration. Boeing Integrated Defense Systems announces 2 key JDAM contracts worth $857 million total.

The first contract, worth $642 million, is for more than 32,000 JDAM Lot 8 guidance kits for the U.S. Air Force and Navy. The kits will convert existing 500, 1000 and 2000-pound unguided free-fall bombs into cost-effective and capable air-to-surface “smart” weapons. The JDAM kits will be delivered by February 2006.

The second contract, worth $215 million, is a 5-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for future integration of JDAM (and JDAM derivative weapons) on various foreign military sales aircraft. The first order issued on the contract was valued at $1 million. At the time, Boeing had 7 active international customers; integration is scheduled for completion by December 2008. Boeing release.

Oct 21/03: HART. Boeing announces a $121 million undefinitized contract for system development and demonstration of the Hornet Autonomous Real-time Targeting (HART) system. HART adds a precision guidance capability to Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) that enables aircrews to designate targets and deploy JDAM based on aircraft sensors, rather than depending on pre-planned coordinates or uploads.

HART builds on a previous DAMASK effort, and also aims to provide a production imaging seeker for the JDAM, which incorporates the capability to download an image from the aircraft’s targeting pod. It can also work with other sensors, as Boeing advertises that the aircraft’s AN/APG-79 AESA radar can be used to acquire and designate a target, and transfer a reference SAR radar image of the target to the JDAM. After release, the weapon compares the reference image to that in its sensor’s field of view, guiding it to the point designated in the target scene. The HART guidance kit includes an infrared sensor, a processor, and image-matching software.

Plans call for a low rate initial production decision on HART in late 2006, with initial operational capability expected in December 2007. Boeing would expect to produce approximately 600 units during Long Range Initial Production (LRIP) 1. Follow on production contracts would bring the total kits produced to 6000 through 2011. Boeing release.

HART SDD

Sept 13/02: Boeing announces a $378 million contract for an additional 18,840 JDAM kits by the JDAM Joint Program Office. The new contract is for a mix of GBU-31 (2,000 lb. warhead) kits and GBU-32 (1,000 lb. warhead) kits for both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy to be delivered between October 2002 and March 2004.

The new contract will require Boeing to deliver kits to both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy at a production rate of 2,800 kits per month by August 2003. In response, Boeing is expanding its production facility in St. Charles, MO. Boeing release.

May 14/02: An F-15E Strike Eagle releases 5 JDAMs at 5 different targets in a single drop. Boeing.

FY 1996 – 2001

Full rate production. 1st export: Israel.

JDAM drawing

July 18/01: Alenia team-up. Boeing Company and Alenia Marconi Systems announce a teaming agreement under which Alenia will market JDAM throughout much of Europe and the Middle East. It may also assemble JDAMs and derivative weapons that its customers purchase commercially, rather than through the U.S. foreign military sales program.

Alenia eventually became MBDA as a result of Europe’s government-driven mergers. By 2012, the partnership was no longer operational. Boeing release.

April 04/01: Boeing announces a $235 million contract for the production of 11,054 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits. Boeing will deliver 10,382 JDAM kits to the U.S. Air Force. The U.S. Navy will receive 672 kits and has an option for an additional 1,150. The contract includes a $25 million option for an additional 1,150 kits. The U.S. Air Force Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, FL is the contracting agency.

The award follows the Milestone III decision by the Pentagon’s Defense Acquisition Board earlier in April 2001, allowing the program to enter full-rate production.

Milestone III/ FRP

Sept 29/2000: 500 pound JDAM. Boeing announces a $45 million award to engineer, manufacture and develop (EMD) a version of the JDAM for 500 pound Mk80 bombs. The weapon will be integrated in to the F-16, F/A-18, and B-2 bombers during the EMD period. Work is scheduled to be completed by the Boeing weapons facility in St. Charles, MO by December 2002.

500 lb. JDAM

June 1/2000: Israeli integration. First International JDAM Sale: Boeing to Integrate Weapon on Israeli F-16 Aircraft. Boeing release.

1st export

April 28/2000: McDonnell Douglas Corp. in Berkeley, MO received a $5.65 million modification to a firm-fixed-price contract to provide for incorporation of Pin-Lock Tail Actuator System technology into the production effort for 8,163 Joint Direct Attack Munition kits. The Pin-Lock Tail Actuator System provides a more durable and accurate method of maneuvering the tail fins of the JDAM than the existing Friction Brake technology. Contract completion date was 31 March 2001.

Feb 24/2000: LRIP-4. A $162 million award for production of 7,247 JDAMs for the USAF, and 916 for the U.S. Navy. LRIP began in the spring of 1997; this is the 4th lot of low-rate initial production JDAM kits, and a decision on full-rate production is expected later in 2000. To this point, Boeing has received orders for approximately 16,000 kits of the 87,000 that the U.S. government has plans to procure.

Production of Lot 4 will begin in March 2001, and ramp up to a rate of 700 kits per month in the Boeing weapons facility in St. Charles, MO. Production is scheduled to run through February 2002. Boeing release.

April 2/99: LRIP-3. A $50.5 million face value increase to a firm-fixed-price contract to provide for low rate initial production of 2,527 Joint Direct Attack Munition kits. The work was complete by January 2001.

June 24/98: 1st JDAM delivered. Boeing Delivers First JDAM.

Delivery

April 30/97: LRIP-1. The USAF announced the decision to initiate low-rate initial production (LRIP) of JDAM, with the first production lot of 937 JDAM kits. MDC release.

Production begins

Oct 24/96: JDAM Guided Flight Tests Begin.

Additional Readings & Sources JDAM Family

• Boeing – Joint Direct Attack Munition

• Designation Systems – Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) JDAM: (GBU-29/B, GBU-30/B, GBU-31/B, GBU-32/B, GBU-34/B, GBU-35/B, GBU-38/B, GBU-54/B, GBU-55/B, GBU-56/B)

• GlobalSecurity.org – Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). See also sub-pages, especially the JDAM program history.

• Wikipedia – Joint Direct Attack Munition

• Australian Air Power – The Agile Gliding Weapon. The The Kerkanya glide bomb, whose rights were acquired by Hawker de Havilland, and used as the basis for Australia’s JDAM-ER.

• Australian Air Power – JDAM Matures: Parts 1 and 2. Includes background covering HART, and Australia’s JDAM-ER.

Competitiors

• DID – France’s AASM Precision-Guided Bombs. Uses a rocket booster to extend range, and comes in GPS, GPS/IIR, and GPS/laser variants.

• Mectron – Armamentos Intelligentes. The Brazilian firm’s products include ACAUAN GPS/INS guidance kits.

• DID – The US Navy’s DMLGB Program. Lockheed Martin product, separate from Boeing’s DAMTC naval Laser JDAM.

• LIG Nex1 – KGGB. The South Korean firm’s strap-on glide-bomb kit creates an extended range GPS/INS weapon.

• RAF – Enhanced Paveway (II/III). Raytheon’s Laser/GPS in 1,000 and 2,000 pound weapons.

• DID – Paveway IV: British Dual-Guidance Bomb. A Raytheon UK Laser/GPS, just 500 pounds. The USA tried to block its exports to the Middle East in favor of American options, but eventually had to give in.

News & Views

• US Air Force Association (September 2006) – The JDAM Revolution

• US Air Force Link (March 17/06) – JDAM continues to be warfighter’s weapon of choice

• US Air Force Association (November 2003) – Precision: The Next Generation

• NASA Tech Briefs (March 2001) – Diamond back boosts range. Refers to MBDA’s Diamond Back wing kit.

• Air & Space Power Journal, Chronicles Online Supplement (July 26/00) – Expanding the Envelope – Stealth and Other Strike Roles. Discusses concepts of operations for the combination of JDAM-family bombs and stealthy aircraft like the B-2, F-22, and F-35.

Into that good night
(click to view full)

The 5th-generation F-22A Raptor fighter program has been the subject of fierce controversy, with advocates and detractors aplenty. On the one hand, the aircraft offers full stealth, revolutionary radar and sensor capabilities, dual air-air and air-ground SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) excellence, the ability to cruise above Mach 1 without afterburners, thrust-vectoring super-maneuverability… and a ridiculously lopsided kill record in exercises against the best American fighters. On the other hand, critics charged that it was too expensive, too limited, and cripples the USAF’s overall force structure.

Meanwhile, close American allies like Australia, Japan and Israel, and other allies like Korea, were pressing the USA to abandon its “no export” policy. Most already fly F-15s, but several were interested in an export version of the F-22 in order to help them deal with advanced – and advancing – Russian-designed aircraft, air-to-air missiles, and surface-to-air missile systems. That would have broadened the F-22 fleet in several important ways, but the US political system would not or could not respond.

This DID FOCUS Article tracks continuing maintenance and fleet upgrade programs, contracts, and timely news. A separate public-access feature offers a profile of the USAF’s most advanced fighter, and covers both sides of the F-22 Raptor program’s controversies.

The F-22 Raptor

From YF-22 to F-22
(click to view full)

The Raptor had a long development history, in order to bring its unique capabilities together in one package. About 2 decades and 7+ quantum electronics leaps later, other countries are just beginning to test fighters with somewhat similar characteristics.

All-aspect stealth, supercruise, and thrust vectoring combine to give the F-22 unmatched abilities to engage or disengage in combat. A radar based on leap-ahead technologies, embedded sensors, and sensor fusion in the cockpit are designed to help the pilot use those capabilities wisely. The F-22’s astounding performance in competitive exercises suggests that they do, and history suggests that their intimidation value will add to their combat effectiveness.

The last Raptor
click for video

Even so, the Raptor has remained a focus for controversy, cost concerns, Congressional cutbacks, and program lessons learned the hard way. Ongoing health issues involving their pilots are equally troubling. The F-22 Raptor has racked up its share of critics, and a number of their points are valid ones. The F-22 has a limited weapon set, limited usefulness in conflicts short of full state warfare, high maintenance and readiness costs that affect training, and a very small pool of operational fighters.

Our background article, “F-22 Raptor: Capabilities and Controversies,” examines each of these factors in greater depth.

F-22 Raptor: Program

F-22A over Alaska
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The F-22 program is led by Lockheed Martin. Boeing Integrated Defense Systems has responsibility for the avionics systems, and a Northrop Grumman-led joint venture with Raytheon produces the APG-77 radar, under contract to Boeing. The F119 thrust-vectoring engines are produced by United Technologies subsidiary Pratt & Whitney. As of 2011, order totals stand at 187. That number will not rise unless the production line is restarted, which means the 2009 and 2010 crashes will leave the USAF with a fleet of 185.

By the end of Lot 6 production (the FY 2007 batch), the Air Force and manufacturer expected to have all the major design changes to the Raptor worked out; there would be no major changes to the aircraft after that, unless the service wanted to produce an F-22B or F-22C model. Production of each F-22 took about 30 months from start to finish, as the various parts are sent to the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta for final assembly. Within the final production line in Marietta, GA’s 3.5 million square foot main building, the “mate and final assembly” process took about 12 months.

Flyaway Costs & Budgets

When the final aircraft was delivered in May 2012, the F-22A acquisition program was complete. It cost $67.3 billion to develop the aircraft, establish the infrastructure, and buy 187 jets.

Lockheed Martin claims that their nationwide production team achieved Lot to Lot cost reductions greater than 10% for each set from Lot 1 to Lot 4. Larry Lawson, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F/A-22 program manager, saw that trend slowing but not stopping, as the firm continued to focus on cost reductions and efficiency improvements. A June 23/06 US Air Force article added:

“The current cost for a single copy of an F-22 stands at about $137 million. And that number has dropped by 23 percent since Lot 3 procurement, General Lewis said. “The cost of the airplane is going down,” he said. “And the next 100 aircraft, if I am allowed to buy another 100 aircraft… the average fly-away cost would be $116 million per airplane.” “

Depending on which “dollar-year” those fly-away cost figures represent, actual amounts may vary, since current year dollars include inflation. Final-stage budgets suggest figures of $150-180 million per plane, but a July 2009 USAF response [PDF] gave the F-22A’s current flyaway cost as $142.6 million each. That no longer matters, since production stopped in 2012.

Raptor, Redux: Upgrading the Fleet

F-22A vs. F-15 to -18
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Even though the F-22 is out of production, the program itself will continue to attract spending on maintenance, spares, and upgrades. The F-22A began as a single-step program, with no need for significant future modernization. Reality intervened, and the USAF came up with a $5.4 billion modernization plan in 2004. As of December 2011, the current total estimated cost of F-22A modernization had more than doubled, to $11.7 billion (+117%). Around $6.2 billion remained to be spent: $1.3 billion for Increment 3.2B, $3.6 billion to maintain modernization and support infrastructure, and $1.3 billion to complete RAMMP design-for-maintenance improvements and structural repairs.

Right now the Air Force operates mostly Block-20 aircraft. The Block 10s were used for training at Tyndall AFB. The Block 20s, produced from 2007 on, use “Increment 2” hardware and software. That lets them launch GPS-guided JDAM bombs at supersonic speeds, and improves performance with the AIM-120C AMRAAM air-air missile. Increment 2 also helped fix some previous operations and maintenance issues.

Under the Common Configuration program, the F-22A Block 10s were retrofitted to Block 20/ Increment 2 status, but retain the original core processor. They could be used operationally as air superiority planes, but present plans call for them to remain as training and demonstration platforms. The USAF intends to retain 36 aircraft in this configuration.

As of 2012, the USAF intends to upgrade 143 aircraft with the full complement of modernized Block 35/ Increment 3 capabilities by FY 2020. The Raptor’s problem is that its Increment 3 set keeps changing, with items being added and subtracted while costs climb, and the schedule lengthens. Here’s the December 2011 timeline:

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Note the changes below…

F-22A with SDB-Is
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Increment 3.1 began development in 2006, and finally reached OpEval in January 2011. It finished testing in November 2011, and fielding is taking place from July 2011 (via USAF waivers) through 2016. Upgrades include new ground-looking synthetic aperture radar (SAR) modes for the AN/APG-77, some electronic attack capability, geo-location of detected electro-magnetic emitters, and initial integration with the GPS-guided GBU-39 Small-Diameter Bomb (SDB-I). That last change expands the F-22’s ground attack arsenal from 1 JDAM per bay to 4 SDB-Is, though a pilot will only be able to release 2 weapons at a time.

Timing Etc.: Testing shows that this upgrade has also improved the F-22’s Mean Time Between Critical Failure rates. Increment 3.1 is being fielded from 2011 – August 2017.

Changing upgrades
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Increment 3.2 was meant to be a software-focused upgrade, and was initially expected to begin delivering planes in 2010. The effort ran into funding delays, then ran into technical and cost problems. It has now split into a 3.2A and 3.2B phase, and a number of items have vanished from the plan.

Increment 3.2A will focus on Electronic Protection and Combat Identification, including Link-16 track fusion. Development began in November 2011, testing is expected to run from late 2012 – late 2013, and operational testing was expected to finish in early 2014.

Removed: Improved geo-location of detected emitters, Ground Moving Target Indication and Tracking Indicator (GMTI) radar mode to upgrade its ground-looking SAR from Increment 3.1, the MADL datalink, Anti-jam GPS SASSM retrofits, an Automatic Ground-Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS) to improve safety, and improved data recording.

Timing Etc.: Fielding of Increment 3.2A is planned to overlap Increment 3.1, and it will be fielded from FY 2014 – 2018.

Increment 3.2B has been structured as a new major defense acquisition program since December 2011. It will provide compatibility with new AIM-9X Sidewinder short range air-air missiles, and with the AIM-120D medium range air-air missile; the AIM-120D’s range, 2-way datalink, and AESA friendly features appear to be tailor-made for the F-22. Beyond that, 3.2B will finish Increment 3.1’s Electronic Protection Update, add the IFDL datalink, and improve geo-location of detected emitters (albeit to a lesser degree than initially planned).

Removed: All items removed from 3.2A are still gone, except geo-location which is added back to a degree.

The USAF also cut full SDB-I integration, which offered the ability to release all of the plane’s bombs at once against 8 separate targets. That can be very useful in some tactical situations, allowing just one screaming pass over defended and dispersed targets: airfields, air defense complexes, etc. On the other hand, FY 2013 USAF budget summary states that the GBU-53 tri-mode (MMW radar/IIR/laser) guidance SDB-II will also be integrated with the F-22A, and this has remained consistent. It’s possible that initial SDB-II integration will be done by the end of 3.2B. If added, it would give the Raptor the ability to hit moving targets, and to drop bombs using “buddy lasing” designation from other platforms.

Timing Etc.: Increment 3.2B estimated at $1.538 billion, of which $1.2 billion is R&D, and only $338.6 million is procurement. That isn’t unusual for a software-heavy upgrade.

Milestone B approval and system development was planned for Q1 2013, with fielding to take place between 2017 – 2020. Development began in February 2013, with a design review scheduled for July 2015 and a Milestone C decision in December 2015. Testing will begin in August 2016, with a “full rate production” (deployment) decision in October 2017, an expected initial operational capability in December 2018, and fielding running to 2020. The problem is that delays in completing the 3.1 and 3.2A increments are likely to push 3.2B back as well.

What Comes Next? There may be a hardware focus at the end of Increment 3.2, if a USAF effort to examine the full replacement of the F-22’s core electronics with a modern, open architecture software and hardware framework (vid. the F-35) bears fruit. If so, that would probably become Increment 3.2C, or an Increment 3.3 upgrade program. Previous wish lists have included items like side-mounted AESA radar arrays to improve radar field of view and simultaneous ground scans, multispectral/infrared search and track (IRST) systems for aerial and/or ground targets, and the JHMCS helmet-mounted sight. Improved jamming capabilities are another item that will always be in demand. At present, there are no plans to add powered weapons like HARM/AARGM anti-radar missiles, and fitting them into the weapon bays could be a challenge.

Milestones for F-22 modernization, and forecast dates for future milestones, are reproduced below:

Long-Term Maintenance Programs

Ready?
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Operations and Maintenance is about 2/3s of the cost of any fighter over its lifetime, and the F-22 has been criticized for its performance. It promised better O&M costs than the F-15, but 2008 costs per flying hour were $19,750 for the F-22, vs. $17,465 for the F-15. All-in cost estimates of $49,808 vs. $30,818 are even more unfavorable. Those costs tend to rise as aircraft get older, and the F-22’s extensive use of uncommon materials like titanium and composites adds some new variables to the aging curve. An independent 2007 estimate by the Air Force Cost Analysis Agency projected a $49,549 all-in cost per F-22 flight hour at maturity in 2015 – more than double the $23,282 estimate made in 2005. It’s true that cuts in the number bought have raised fixed costs per plane, and also contributed to a shrinking industrial base that makes parts more expensive. The biggest impact, however, has come from the work required to maintain the F-22’s stealth coatings after flights and maintenance work.

The US military has a couple of programs aimed at tackling these challenges.

RAMMP. The F-22’s Reliability and Maintainability Maturation Program began in 2005, and will run as long as the aircraft serves. It aims to drive continuous improvement in F-22 reliability and maintainability, as measured by metrics like Availability, Maintenance Man Hours per Flight Hour [MMH], Mean Time Between Maintenance (MTBM), and cost-saving Return on Investment. RAMMP used to include production cut-in opportunities, but that stopped when production did. It still encompasses development work and retrofits that are seen as affordable up front and technically viable, with a good return on investment. According to program officials, as of January 2014 there were over 100 RAMMP projects of varying scope and cost under way, and over 200 projects had been completed.

In April 2011, the Pentagon changed the way they measured F-22 readiness to “material availability,” the percentage of the fleet available to perform assigned missions at any given time. The GAO says that this was just 55.5% in 2011, and the current goal for RAAMP is an availability rate of 70.6% by 2015. In May 2014, the US GAO flatly said that RAMMP wouldn’t achieve this.

The program had planned to spend about $258 million between 2005 and 2011, but a May 2012 GAO report pegged actual investments through 2011 at about $528 million. RAMMP is expected to need almost $1.3 billion through 2023, and is expected to run until the F-22 leaves service around 2033.

SRP I/II. The Structures Retrofit Plan/Program (SRP) is a 2-part program designed to correct warning signs discovered during the F-22’s 2005 Full Scale Fatigue Testing (FSFT), and make sure the planes reach their 8,000 flight hour service lives. All USAF planes have a routine structural integrity process designed to proactively detect and repair damage, and SRP is the Raptor’s. Phase I was designed to correct structural deficiencies with that were less than 2,000 flight hours from their limits, while SRP II is tackling less urgent deficiencies with life shortfalls between 2,000 – 8,000 flight hours. The SRP II program was scheduled to run from 2006 – 2015, but that has been stretched to 2019.

Basing

The F-22A Raptor is currently assigned to 7 bases across the US, 3-4 of which have operational aircraft:

• Langley AFB, VA: Operational F-22As of the 1st Fighter Wing’s 27th Fighter Squadron (FS) are assigned here. They have been certified to Full Operational Capability, and the Virginia Air National Guard’s (ANG’s) 192nd Fighter Wing is an associate squadron.

• Elemendorf AFB, AK: 3rd Fighter Wing’s 90th FS & 525th FS. Elmendorf AFB should have its full complement of 40 aircraft by December 2009. The US Pacific Air Force’s 477th Fighter Group (302nd FS, 477th Maintenance Sqn and 477th Aircraft Maintenance Sqn) will associate with the 3rd FW, becoming the first Air Force Reserve unit to maintain and fly the F-22A; its units have historic connections to the Tuskegee Airmen, the USAF’s highly-decorated black aviators of WW2. Source.

• Hickam AFB, Hawaii: Future base for 18-24 F-22A Block 30s; the Hawaii ANG’s 199th FS will contribute most of the personnel, and the 531st FS will be a USAF active force associate squadron to them. F-22As began arriving in July 2010, and the squadron flew its last F-15 mission in August 2010.

• Holloman AFB, NM: Was to become base #6 as its tenants transitioned from F-117 stealth aircraft to the F-22A. The base was converted to an F-16 training center instead, and the 8th Fighter Squadron was inactivated in May 2011. The 7th Fighter Squadron’s transfer was delayed for years because of a USAF freeze on structure changes, but te last set of F-22s left in April 2014.

• Tyndall AFB, FL: Pilot and maintenance teams training. Tyndall AFB has become the largest F-22 base, with over 50 planes. The Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard also have individuals here as instructors, and Tyndall boosted its numbers with F-22s from Holloman AFB.

Temporary deployments to Andersen AFB on Guam and Kadena AFB in Japan can be expected on a regular basis. F-22s can also be found at:

• Edwards AFB, CA: Flight testing, of course.
  
• Nellis AFB, NV: Tactics development, which becomes a new issue with full stealth aircraft.

F-22 Raptor: Key Events 2018

1st combat missions; GAO on F-22 maintenance program issues; F-22 training stats; Holloman AFB squadrons finally move; USAF reprisals against whistleblower pilot?; F-22s needed as F-35 air cover?

Syria later!

The F-22 Raptor is reportedly improving its maintenance and servicing record through the ongoing Reliability and Maintainability Maturation Program (RAMMP). However, efforts to retrofit the Air Force’s Raptors with upgrades (through the Structural Retrofit Program) are now timetabled to slip by a year, owing to competing depot line work priorities.

 

October 5/18: New digs at Pearl DoD is constructing a new Fighter Alert Facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Nordic PCL will construct the facility for the 199th Fighter Squadron at a cost of $41.5 million. The effort includes the construction of aircraft alert shelters, alert and maintenance crew quarters, an entry control point and sustainability and energy measures. The 199th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the 154th Wing and operates the F-22 Raptor. The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the modern Air Force. The construction of the new F-22 Fighter Alert Facility is expected to be completed by December 2021.

2014 – 2017

December 27/17: Contracts-Sustainment Lockheed Martin landed a $7 billion contract to provide F-22 Raptor sustainment services. The agreement has a five-year base ordering period calling for comprehensive F-22 air vehicle sustainment—to be completed by December 31 2027—with work to be carried out at five operational US Air Force (USAF) and joint service bases and five US military installation support bases across the USA, as well as some undisclosed overseas locations. The deal follows last week’s $6.7 billion award to United Technologies for sustainment activities on the Raptor’s Pratt and Whitney F-119 engine.

December 18/17: Contracts-Engine Sustainment United Technologies Corp. will perform sustainment services on Pratt and Whitney F-119 engines used on Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor. The $6.7 billion agreement falls under the terms of an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract between the firm and the US Air Force (USAF), with work to be carried out at UTC’s East Hartford Connecticut office, as well as at multiple USAF bases across the USA. Contract completion is expected by December 2025.

August 14/17: The US Air Force has taken a F-22 Raptor out of storage at Edwards Air Force Base and is expected to be returned to flying status by the end of the year. The aircraft in question, serial number 91-4006, is an engineering, manufacturing and development model aircraft with a Block 10 avionics configuration. In preparation for its first flight, the Raptor is currently undergoing a $25 million upgrade to a Block 20 avionics standard. A total of eight test and 187 operational aircraft were produced by Lockheed Martin for the USAF before the program was mothballed in 2012.

June 23/17: Production of the F-22 Raptor is unlikely to happen any time soon after a USAF report costed the procurement of 194 aircraft at $90 billion. The report found that $10 billion alone was needed to restart Lockheed Martin’s production line and each plane would cost in the region of $206-216 million.The additional costs in part is down to the need to develop a newer, more modern Raptor rather than the 1990s version. Instead, the USAF is advocating the application of resources to the capability development plans outlined in the Air Superiority 2030 strategy—a plan to promote advanced fighter aircraft, sensors and weapons in a growing and unpredictable threat environment. More F-35s it is then.

June 22/17: A report into restarting production of F-22 Raptor aircraft has been received by the US House Armed Services Committee. The USAF report was ordered by the committee last year, asking what it would take and how much it might cost to begin producing the high-tech, fifth generation aircraft again. Congress voted in 2009 to stop purchasing the F-22 after just 187 were made, hundreds less than USAF procurement needs. It is now been considered as a possible solution to filling US air power requirements, cost depending.

May 8/17: USAF F-22 Raptors have completed a series of operational tests as part of massive upgrades to the fighters. During the tests, the aircraft fired inert AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles against multiple BQM-167A sub-scale aerial targets, a “significant effort” along the 3.2B initial operational test and evaluation upgrade timeline, the Air Force said, adding that the added capability enhances the service’s air superiority but did not offer specifics. The F-22s are due for a weapons systems upgrade in Summer 2019, which will include enhanced target location capabilities and new antennas for the aircraft’s stealth abilities, among other developments.

March 21/17: Lockheed Martin has been given a $40 million contract modification to strip and recoat F-22 coatings for the USAF’s F-22 Raptor fleet. Work on the contract will be performed at various locations in California, Georgia, Utah, and Texas, and work is expected to be completed by the end of June 2019. At the time of the award, the company received $6.4 million. The fifth-generation tactical stealth fighter has been in service since 2005 and designed to perform air superiority missions.

November 17/16: Issues affecting an F-22 Raptor weapons system have been fixed and the fighter has returned to normal operations with student pilots. While few details have been released, the issues surround the in-flight operations including radar functions and low observability capabilities. The USAF’s thrifty maintenance crews took as little as two days to formulate a solution at a cost of only $250. A replacement system would have set them back $40,000 and $50,000.

November 3/16: November 3/16: A number of F-35Bs will conduct developmental and operational testing external link aboard the USS America amphibious assault ship. Two of the Short Takeoff & Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant will be used in third phase development testing, evaluating the jet’s short take-off vertical landing operations in a high-sea state, shipboard landings, and night operations. Another five will undergo operational testing which involves the simulation of extensive maintenance on a ship. The USS America is the first ship of its class that incorporates design elements specifically to accommodate the new Joint Strike Fighter.

May 27/16: “Not a wild idea” is outgoing USAF’s chief of staff Gen. Mark Welsh’s thoughts on restarting the F-22 production line as industry officials and the air force have repeatedly dubbed the concept a nonstarter. In an era of declining military budgets and streamlining of services, Walsh’s comments will bolster lawmakers supporting the superiority fighter’s reintroduction, and may see an F-22 revival gaining traction, after the full House passed legislation that would, if approved by the Senate and signed into law, direct the service to study the possibility.

May 16/16: US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has come out against the idea of restarting the F-22 Raptor production line during a press conference at the Air Force Academy. Warning that restarting production would take away from other defense programs, Carter said “We’re busy upgrading them and making sure that their avionics and so forth are state of the art. But we don’t need to restart the F-22 line.” With only 187 F-22s produced, Russian and Chinese modernization has resulted in lawmakers asking the USAF to take a look at restarting the aircraft’s production in order to beef up its inventory.

April 21/16: A study has been ordered by US Lawmakers into potentially restarting the F-22 Raptor production line. It’s been nearly six years since Lockheed Martin ceased manufacturing the jet; however, due to the growing perception that the US military is losing its technological edge to adversaries like Russia and China, Congress has expressed keen interest throughout this year’s budget season in restarting the line. Only 187 jets were ever produced, falling short of the initial production aims of 749.

March 14/16: Despite some interest from the Pentagon, the USAF has reiterated that it is not interested in restarting production of the F-22, instead preferring to move quickly on a new F-X program. Cost has been cited as a factor, with estimations that resuming F-22 production would be $17 billion, or $267 million for 75 more aircraft. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is already working with industry leaders on clean sheet aircraft and engine designs. Boeing, Northrop, and Lockheed have already started releasing artist’s impressions of conceptual “sixth-generation” fighter jets, but none are based on previous aircraft.

January 22/16: US Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James has dismissed ideas that production of F-22 Raptor would restart after a cap of 187 was made in 2011. Citing the spiraling costs of the development and length of time to produce the aircraft, factors which caused the program’s termination, James called a potential reboot “a non-starter”. The current fleet, which is currently seeing missions in Syria, will be joined by the F-35, and while very much a different beast, James stated they would compliment the Raptors in use.

June 25/15: The Air Force has published a draft program schedule and requirements list for a Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD) and cuing system to fit out the F-22 Raptor, with a provisional entry date given of 2020. A four-year development and testing period has been pencilled-in to start in 2017. Sequestration curtailed previous development on an earlier system, with the HMD a requirement for the Raptor program since 2007.

May 14/15: The Air Force has test fired two AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles from a F-22 Raptor fighter. This test-firing is a step towards the F-22’s Increment 3.2B upgrade program, with Lockheed Martin awarded a contract last October to modify 220 F-22 Configurable Rail Launchers to accommodate the AIM-9X. Full operational fielding of the AIM-9X by the F-22 is not expected until 2017.

Sept 23/14: First combat strikes. The Pentagon touts how F-22s were used in their first combat role during strikes against ISIS in Syria. The aircraft dropped GPS-guided munitions and destroyed a building believed to be used for command and control purposes. Which makes the insurgents look like a regular military, but in some way that is how they have been fighting in past months. Given the relatively limited damage shown in the before/after pictures [PDF] released by DoD, as well as a video of one of the strikes, the bombs used were likely 250 pound GBU-39 SDB-Is optimized for penetration, rather than heavier 1,000 pound JDAMs.

The mission looks a bit out of character and underwhelming for what is primarily an air-to-air fighter, but the F-22 does have air-to-ground capabilities. Penetration against Syrian air defenses might have been an issue making the case for stealth, but then F-15s, F-16s and even UAVs were used in the same wave against northern Syria.

July 30/14: Reprisals? The Inspector General report covering allegations of reprisals against Capt. Wilson (q.v. April 20/14) is due – well, “soon” may be the wrong term to use:

“U.S. Sen. Mark Warner met Tuesday with officials of the Department of Defense inspector general and said he is pleased they’re promising to deliver their findings by Aug. 30 if not sooner…. Warner said he’s angered that the investigation has taken years instead of months, calling it a message to service members that those who sound an alarm will be punished…. “We’re now over 800 days since this process started. We’ve gone through three secretaries of defense. It’s time to get an answer.”

Acknowledgement of wrongdoing could carry a price tag for the US military. When the USAF removed him from his full time Air Combat Command job, they also removed most of his $100,000 per year salary. Sources: Virginia-Pilot, “Pentagon: F-22 whistleblower inquiry to finish in Aug.”

July 30/14: F-22 training stats. The USAF describes greater use of simulators and classroom instruction, as it moves to drastically cut the number of flight hours to qualify in an F-22. they’re hoping to pump up the volume:

“F-22 B-Course graduations increased from approximately 10 pilots per year on average to 23 pilots during fiscal year 2014. The program expects to graduate 30 pilots in fiscal year 2015. While increased numbers fall short of the 42 B-Course F-22 pilots the Air Staff said are required to meet the overall CAF fighter need, the trend is heading in the right direction… The F-22 basic qualification syllabus is one area that has seen sizable cuts and changes, primarily with the number of sorties B-Course students need to perform to graduate from the F-22 training course. Prior to the adjustments, a B-Course student required 43 sorties to graduate. The number is now down to 38 sorties. Track 1 course pilots, more experienced pilots retraining from other aircraft, also saw a reduction in the number of sorties needed to graduate, from 19 to 12 sorties.”

Meanwhile, the T-38s are taking up the aggressor role from F-22s. In 2013, T-38s flew 831 adversary air sorties in 9 months, and that number is expected to double in 2014.

At the same time, the USAF is touting improvements in the F-22’s availability rate, despite a negative recent report from the GAO (q.v. May 15/14). The 325th FW reportedly hit an 80.7% Mission Capable rate in March 2014, vs. an average rate from January – March 2013 of 49%. Software enhancements and beter availability of spare parts are cited as drivers, and the latter is helped by the 325th’s status as a training unit. Sources: USAF, “Tyndall AFB takes F-22 pilot training to next level”.

Training stats

F-22A readiness
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May 15/14: GAO Report. The US GAO looks at ongoing costs and estimates for the F-22’s SRP I/II and RAMMP programs, which aim to address the aircraft’s reliability and structural problems. The most recent combined cost estimate for these efforts from 2003 was approximately $11.3 billion, of which nearly 60% has already been invested. Of this total, $9.36 billion involves modernization, vs. $1.93 billion for maintenance efforts like RAMMP and SRP. Overall, GAO highlights 3 issues related to these efforts.

The 1st is the difficulty of tracking RAMMP, as the FY 2013 defense budget bill requested. The Pentagon says that reliability and maintainability programs can’t be baselined like regular new-item programs, because of unexpected life cycle issues that arise as the weapon system ages. GAO says that the current reporting system makes it impossible to consistently track cost and schedule progress. Both can be right.

The 2nd issue involves depot-level maintenance and turnaround time, whose lateness will now delay the fielding of key modernization increments like 3.1 (now August 2017, not FY 2016), 3.2A (now FY 2018, not FY 2016), and remediation programs like SRP (now 2019, not late 2017). The GAO cites management turnover at the contractor-run depot in Palmdale, CA, plus extra time needed for corrosion fixes, as the causes. One wonders whether the coming move to a government-operated facility in Ogden, UT will help, though they do have lower labor rates there, and have reportedly charged fewer labor-hours when performing modifications. A residual capability will be maintained at Palmdale, CA into 2015.

The 3rd issue cited is that the USAF has never been able to meet the F-22’s aircraft availability targets, and doesn’t expect to hit the required 70.6% figure by fiscal year 2018. Even that target figure isn’t all that high for a fighter, but the F-22 is handicapped by the fact that maintaining the F-22’s stealth with tapes, coatings, etc. accounts for almost 50% of off-line maintenance time. As such, “minor repairs or modifications that would take a few hours on a non-stealth aircraft can require days of maintenance on an F-22.” Sources: US GAO-14-425, “Cost and Schedule Transparency Is Improved, Further Visibility into Reliability Efforts Is Needed” | Defense-Aerospace, “F-22 Availability Lags Despite $11Bn Investment”.

April 20/14: Reprisals? F-22 pilot Capt. Joshua Wilson of the VA Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Squadron was one of the pilots who talked publicly about the F-22’s oxygen problems on the CBS’ “60 Minutes” episode that aired in May 2012. In April 2012, the USAF stopped his planned promotion to major over his reluctance to fly the jets before various fixes were made; they’ve also forced him out of his full-time desk job with the Air Combat Command at Langley, and reportedly threatened to take away his wings.

“If you guys can prove I’m a bad officer, kick me out of the military,” he said. “If not, let me get back to my job. Let me get back to what I love to do, what I’m good at and what I trained my entire life to do.”

Wilson alerted the Department of Defense’s office of inspector general, which is investigating, and his own lawyers are calling the USAF’s actions a reprisal. U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger [R-IL-16] concurs, and Sen. Mark Warner [D-VA] has been critical.

It’s worth noting that Maj. Jeremy Gordon was also part of that 60 Minutes interview, and remains in the squadron, flying a T-38 after voluntarily stepping away from the Raptor in mid-2012. At the same time, the USAF hasn’t exactly explained themselves re: Wilson. Sources: Virginia-Pilot, “Pilot’s career stalls after criticizing oxygen system”.

April 8/14: Basing. The last 4 F-22A Raptors from Holloman AFB, NM’s 7th Fighter Squadron arrive at their new home in Tyndall AFB, FL (q.v. July 29/10, May 13/11, Oct 12/12, Jan 6/14), and become part of a new squadron. Col. David E. Graff, who commands the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall AFB, FL declares that the recently-reactivated 95th Fighter Squadron has reached Initial Operational Capability. Additional personnel and equipment still need to arrive from the F-22s’ former base at Holloman AFB, NM, and full operational capability is expected “this summer.”

The F-22s will also be flown by the 301st Fighter Squadron Air Force Reserve Command Associate unit. Including 95th FS, 43rd FS, and the F-22 training squadron, more than 50 Raptors are now based at Tyndall. Sources: Lockheed Martin Code One Magazine, “Last Raptor Leaves Holloman” and “Raptor Squadron Reaches IOC”.

F-22As over Fla.
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Feb 3/14: F-22s & F-35s. USAF Air Combat Command’s veteran leader, Gen. Michael Hostage, offers an interview answer that ignites much more controversy than he expected. After firmly stating that he intends to defend every single one of the 1,763 F-35As in the program, and adding that “adversaries are building fleets that will overmatch our legacy fleet, no matter what I do, by the middle of the next decade”, he’s asked about expensive upgrades to the F-22:

“A. The F-22, when it was produced, was flying with computers that were already so out of date you would not find them in a kid’s game console in somebody’s home gaming system. But I was forced to use that because that was the [specification] that was written by the acquisition process when I was going to buy the F-22.

Then, I have to go through the [service life extension plan] and [cost and assessment program evaluation] efforts with airplanes to try to get modern technology into my legacy fleet. That is why the current upgrade programs to the F-22 I put easily as critical as my F-35 fleet. If I do not keep that F-22 fleet viable, the F-35 fleet frankly will be irrelevant. The F-35 is not built as an air superiority platform. It needs the F-22. Because I got such a pitifully tiny fleet, I’ve got to ensure I will have every single one of those F-22s as capable as it possibly can be.”

Gen. Hostage’s views are more complex than this, and his ideas concerning “the combat cloud” with F-35s as its backbone are especially interesting. His position is also operationally prudent. The problem is that Lockheed Martin and the USAF have been selling the F-35 as an air superiority aircraft. Meanwhile, outside commenters had looked at design tradeoffs and test data, while pointing to fighter design advances from Russia, China, et. al. and expressing skepticism re: air superiority claims. Now, the head of USAF ACC has just confirmed their skepticism. Can a very political military and industrial complex handle that? Sources: Defense News, “Interview: Gen. Michael Hostage, Commander, US Air Force’s Air Combat Command” | The Aviationist, “”If we don’t keep F-22 Raptor viable, the F-35 fleet will be irrelevant” Air Combat Command says” | Canada’s National Post, “Canada’s multi-billion dollar F-35s ‘irrelevant’ without U.S.-only F-22 as support, American general says” || Breaking Defense (2013), “Why Air Force Needs Lots Of F-35s: Gen. Hostage On The ‘Combat Cloud'”.

F-22s and F-35s kerfuffle

Jan 6/14: Basing. The first 5 Raptors arrive at Tyndall AFB, FL from Holloman AFB, NM. The 19 remaining fighters of the renamed 95th Fighter Squadron will arrive by the end of April 2014, making Tyndall the largest F-22 base with more than 50 Raptors. It will be the first time Tyndall has ever hosted a combat aviation unit.

The transfer has taken more than 3 years, thanks in part to an ongoing Congressional freeze on USAF structure changes (q.v. July 29/10, May 13/11, Oct 12/12). The F-22 move also frees up space for the transfer of 2 F-16 squadrons from Luke AFB, AZ in Arizona to Holloman AFB, which is becoming the USAF’s F-16 training center. Sources: Panama City News Herald, “‘Awesome’ new mission awaits Raptor pilots at Tyndall”.

2013

Last F119 engine; No HMD becoming a problem?

AIM-9X test
(click to view full)

Nov 7/13: RaIL. Technicians at the Raptor Avionics Integration Laboratory (RaIL) at Hill AFB, UT complete the conversion from a contractor-run to an Air Force-run operation. The RaIL has been performing the critical avionics sustainment function for the F-22 Raptor at Hill since April 10/14. It’s a public/private partnership with Lockheed Martin, with 10 civil service employees part of an intensive 2 year training program. Sources: Lockheed Martin Code One Magazine, “RaIL Up And Running”.

Oct 10/13: Innovation. The usual method of deploying fighters is structured around large footprint packages to a select few operating bases. That wasn’t good enough for Lt. Col. Kevin Sutterfield, a reserve F-22 pilot assigned to the 477th Fighter Group at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. He circulated a white paper around the concept of mobile stealth fighter groups that could refuel, rearm, and redeploy from a number of smaller bases, greatly complicating enemy planning.

Once that paper had senior attention, Sutterfield worked with other active duty and reserve experts to flesh out the details. The new approach uses a flexible combination of 4 F-22As, 1 C-17A, a tailored package of spares and equipment, and trained personnel on board as the “cell” quickly disperses to new bases to refuel, rearm, and fly operations. To test these theories, experienced pilots and maintainers from the 3rd Wing and 477th developed exercises in 2009, 2010, 2012, and in August 2013. The USAF considers the new approach to be ready for operational use. Sources: USAF, “Innovation advances F-22 as strategic force in Pacific”.

Aug 8/13: Crash report. USAF Air Combat Command’s Accident Investigation Board report says that the November 2012 crash at Tyndall AFB, FL (q.v. Nov 15/12) was caused by a chafed electrical wire. The positive generator-feeder wire arced out, burning through a nearby hydraulic line and forcing the generator offline. When the F-22A pilot attempted to restart the generator, the spark ignited misted hydraulic fluid. That fire took out key electrical and hydraulic systems, and c’est fini for Raptor 00-4013.

Fortunately, the pilot ejected safely, but the jet became a smoking hole in the ground. Total damage is estimated at $149.6 million. Sources: USAF, “F-22 accident report released”.

May 29/13: Infrastructure. The USAF is consolidating F-22A maintenance at Ogden Air Logistics Complex, Hill AFB, UT. A a 31-month incremental transition plan will shift away from the current arrangement, which is split between Ogden and Lockheed Martin’s Palmdale, CA facility. The USAF’s business case says they’ll save $16 million per year. As with all business cases, the proof is in the results. Sources: USAF, “Air Force to consolidate F-22 depot maintenance at Hill”.

April 8/13: Squadron stand-down. The USAF is standing down 17 combat-coded squadrons in response to budget cuts that reduced the flying hours budget by $591 million for the remainder of FY 2013. The grounding includes F-22As from the 1st Fighter Wing’s 94th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA, who are returning from a high-profile exercise in South Korea. Gannett’s Military Times.

April 4/13: Some restrictions lifted. The F-22 Raptor fleet’s prohibition on venturing more than 30 minutes flight from suitable airfields is removed, after modifications to aircrew life-support equipment were completed across the fleet. F-22 crews have also resumed their aerospace control alert mission in Alaska after the Automatic Back-up Oxygen System (ABOS) was installed in the F-22s at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Altitude restrictions still remain for some of the fleet. Altitude restrictions for training flights remain for non-ABOS aircraft; however, those restrictions will be removed as each aircraft is modified. Officials expect combat fleet completion by July 2014. USAF | KHON 2 Hawaii.

April 1/13: Korea. Pentagon Press Secretary George Little underscores the fact that 2 F-22As have deployed from Kadena AB, Japan to Osan AB in South Korea, arriving in the middle of the 2-month-long Foal Eagle exercise. Little says the move was pre-planned, and it happens to coincide with a sharp escalation in tensions with North Korea. Then again, escalations and acts of war have happened to every new South Korean administration, so it was predictable in advance. US DoD | CNN.

March 28/13: GAO Report. The US GAO tables its “Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs“. Which is actually a review for 2012, plus time to compile and publish. The F-22 itself is no longer a major program, but its Increment 3.2B upgrade has been approved as an MDAP all its own. It’s estimated at $1.538 billion, of which $1.2 billion is R&D, and only $338.6 million is procurement. That isn’t unusual for a software-heavy upgrade.

Development will begin in February 2013, with a design review scheduled for July 2015 and a Milestone C decision in December 2015. Testing will begin in August 2016, with a “full rate production” (deployment) decision in October 2017, and an expected initial operational capability in December 2018.

GAO is worried that the AIM-9X Block II air-to-air missile won’t be ready in time to support that 2016 testing, or 2018 fielding. It would have to be pretty late, though, because its IOC is scheduled for 2014. Other GAO concerns include the possibility of testing delays from more “pilot hypoxia” fleet groundings. F-22 flight software updates could create a concurrency risk for the developers, and if the Ogden Air Logistics Center’s software development lab isn’t accredited, it will add 75 more test flights and extend testing. Finally, the GAO cites “a lack of test resources to verify electronic protection and geo-location capabilities…” as a notable risk.

Feb 9/13: NASA on Hypoxia. The Hampton Roads Daily Press used Freedom of Information requests to review a redacted copy of NASA’s 120 page August 2012 report concerning F-22 “hypoxia” issues (q.v. also Sept 13/12 entry). The 14-member NASA team cites lack of information sharing at the outset, as different bases tried different approaches. Langley AFB, VA, for instance, found that hyperbaric treatments were helpful, but pilots in Alaska didn’t receive them. They also use the ominous term “normalization of deviance” to describe initial lack of reaction to pilot health problems.

NASA is also recommending reducing oxygen levels at lower altitudes as a way of avoiding “absorption atelectasis,” in which too much oxygen at low altitudes wash away necessary nitrogen within the lungs and cause lung tissue to collapse. The USAF says that many Navy pilots have flown without issue on 100% oxygen instead of 95%, and wants more data before making that change. NASA also wanted a central F-22 Medical Consult Service in place, as a resource for flight surgeons who treat pilots. The USAF says that Hyperbaric Division of the Aeromedical Consultation Service at the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine already serves in that role.

Feb 6/13: Pentagon IG Slams USAF. The Pentagon’s Inspector-General delivers a scathing assessment of the USAF Accident Investigation Board report that faulted the late Capt. Haney for the Nov 16/10 crash in Alaska. The crash led directly to fleet cockpit retrofits and changes in the flight vests, after the AIB’s own report described the absurdly difficult process for reactivating the pilot’s cut-off oxygen (q.v. Dec 14/11, March 20/12 entries). The IG’s report was sharply critical, and its main criticisms can be excerpted as follows:

“The AIB report cites three causal factors (channelized attention, breakdown of visual scan, and unrecognized spatial disorientation) as the cause of the F-22 mishap. However, these three factors are separate, distinct, and conflicting…. The AIB report’s determination that the mishap pilot’s mask was in the full up position throughout the mishap sequence was not adequately supported by the Summary of Facts or by the analysis cited in the TABs…. The AIB report’s Non-Contributory portion of the Human Factors section inadequately analyzes the human factors listed, such as hypoxia, gravity-induced loss of consciousness, and sudden incapacitation and does not contain any references and/or supporting documentation…. lacked detailed analysis of several areas, such as the Emergency Oxygen System activation as well as the physiological reactions to lack of oxygen…. Of the 109 references in the AIB report’s Summary of Facts, 60 of those references were either incorrect or did not direct the reader of the AIB report to the information cited in the paragraph.”

Reading the report in detail, the IG says there’s a lot of evidence that the pilot was “not actively flying the aircraft” for critical periods, citing inter alia 39 seconds of either unintentional or no flight control inputs just prior to the 7.4 g “recovery” maneuver and crash. Basically, the IG believes the pilot was probably unconscious.

The report is an interesting collision. Its conclusions vindicate the honor of the deceased pilot, which the Accident Board report had damaged, at the price of charging the USAF with incompetence (the alternative being dishonesty). The USAF disagrees, stating that the AIB report could have been clearer, but their conclusion was “supported by clear and convincing evidence and he exhausted all available investigative leads.” The IG responds that writing clarity was not the issue. They continue to lack confidence in both the quality of the evidence, and the thoroughness of the investigation, which means the AIB should be re-convened. The USAF is resisting that, and the IG wants more than a vague promise to “address deficiencies”. The tug-of-war continues. Pentagon Inspector General Report | ABC News | Flight International.

Inspector General slams USAF AIB’s 2010 accident report

Feb 6/13: Doc. The USAF does a feature on Lt. Col. (Dr.) Jay Flottmann, a former flight surgeon who is now a fully qualified F-22A pilot, and 325th Fighter Wing chief of flight safety at Tyndall AFB, FL. That role began in November 2010, so he has been very involved in many of the investigations and revised procedures. Including installation of a pulseoximeter in the F-22’s helmet.

Another part of his legacy is that Air Force Instruction 11-405 now allows qualified flight surgeons to apply to pilot training through normal channels.

Feb 5/13: RAF Eurofighters. British Eurofighter Typhoon fighters are training with F-22s at Langley AFB for the first time. German Typhoons reportedly found that they could deal with the Raptor in close during a recent exercise (q.v. July 30/12 entry), but exercises like these are more about teaching other air forces how to work together with the F-22’s different capabilities and protocols. Hampton Roads Daily Press.

Jan 31/13: Missile gap? Increment 3.2B upgrades are supposed to deliver AIM-9X Sidewinder missile capabilities to the F-22A fleet, but pilots are concerned that the short-range air combat missile will fall short of required performance without a Helmet Mounted Display, and leave the F-22A at a disadvantage in close-in fights. One Raptor pilot told Flight International that:

“We’ve been screaming for years that the F-22 needs to have the capability fielded, and fast… Once the jets transitions from BVR [beyond visual range] to WVR [within visual range] with only AIM-9M-9s it is hugely vulnerable…”

The pilots like the AIM-9X’s added range, which extends to beyond visual range levels when launched at supercruise speed, and its ability to lock-on after launch. The problem is that without an HMD like the JHMCS I/II on other USAF fighters, or the Thales (Gentex) Scorpion that equips A-10s and some Air National Guard F-16s, the pilots can’t take full advantage of the missile’s full targeting cone. It doesn’t help that AIM-9X Block II’s one cited deficiency is helmetless high off-boresight (HHOBS) performance, but a fix can be expected by 2017.

The Raptor may be able to out-turn anyone, but an opponent with 30 degrees more sighting cone to work with doesn’t have to maneuver as hard. As experiences with the Eurofighter show (q.v. June 30/12 entry), some 4+ generation aircraft do approach the F-22’s capabilities in close. Russian thrust-vectoring designs like the MiG-35, SU-30SM, and SU-35 may also fall into this category, and top-end SRAAMs can even create openings against the F-22’s infrared masking countermeasures.

Jan 17/13: Engine. Pratt & Whitney delivers the last of 507 production F119-PW-100 engines for the F-22 fleet. They’ll continue to produce parts and spares, but the plant removed 100 people in December 2012: 80 layoffs, and 20 early retirement buy-outs.

The last F-22A was delivered on May 2/12. WTNH, CT.

Last F119 engine

2012

The ‘Hypoxia’ issue; Why stealth maintenance is so expensive; F-22’s serious accident rate; 186 aircraft left; German Eurofighters claim good WVR record against F-22s.

F-22A w. fuel tanks
(click to view full)

Dec 7/12: Fender bender. An F-22A stationed at Joint Base Preal Harbor – Hickam sustains $1.8 million in damage in a landing incident. The fighters scrapes both horizontal stabilizers on the runway, about 90 minutes after conducting a Missing Man Flyover during the 71st Anniversary Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration ceremony. The Aviationist | UK’s Daily Mail.

Nov 27/12: Stealth. The USAF discusses some aspects of stealth-related maintenance on its F-22s:

“Once a week, the LO shop conducts outer mold line inspections on the Raptor. All the information is placed into a database that rates its stealth capability, called a signature assessment system… Senior Master Sgt. Dave Strunk, 477th Maintenance Squadron fabrication flight chief… said that LO application falls into two areas – the removal of coatings to facilitate other maintenance and the removal and replacement to bring the SAS rating down… “We are working all day every day,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew Duque, 477th Maintenance Squadron LO technician. “We have 24/7 coverage to ensure a steady flow of progress from the start of a repair to finish.” “

All day, every day, in a highly specialized and technical job, using expensive materials, equals cost. This is normal for stealth aircraft, but it’s worthwhile to illustrate why they cost more to run.

Nov 20/12: The 325th Fighter Wing resumes flying. Tyndall AFB.

Nov 15/12: Crash. An F-22 crashes less than 500 yards from the drone runway at Tyndall AFB, FL. The pilot ejects safely. In response the 325th Fighter Wing stands down operations. Also in response, Flight International asks the intriguing question: how many F-22As does the USAF have left? The researcher’s tally is 184, and the head of USAF Air Combat Command agrees. But ACC’s press had this to say:

“This is what ACC sent me: “The F-22 inventory is 123 combat-coded, 27 training, 16 test, and 20 attrition reserve. The incident at Tyndall was a training aircraft which brought the number down from 28. There are currently 186 total.”

StrategyPage offers another useful calculation, finding that the Raptor has had just over 6 serious accidents per 100,000 flight hours. That’s about double the F-16 and F-15 fleets, and around the same level as India’s air force. In this case, a subsequent report finds that a chafed wire is to blame for the $145+ million accident (q.v. Aug 8/13). Sources: USAF | Tyndall AFB | Flight International | StrategyPage.

Crash

Oct 12/12: Delayed move. Holloman AFB, NM officials announce that the scheduled transfer of 7th Fighter Squadron F-22As to Tyndall AFB, FL will be delayed for another 18 months, due to an ongoing freeze on U.S. Air Force structure changes. The freeze will also postpone the transfer of 2 F-16 squadrons from Luke AFB, AZ in Arizona to Holloman.

Meanwhile, the 7th FS continues to perform its missions from Holloman, and they returned from a 9-month deployment to “Southwest Asia” in January. Las Cruces Sun-News, “F-22 Raptors move from Holloman AFB on hold for 18 months” | USAF, “Holloman loses F-22s to fleet consolidation, picks up F-16 schoolhouse”.

Sept 27/12: Hypoxia. Associated Press reconstructs some of the history behind the F-22’s oxygen related controversies. An informal working group of experts had flagged some of these problems a while ago:

“Internal documents and emails obtained by The Associated Press show [the Raptor Aeromedical Working Group, RAW-G] proposed a range of solutions by 2005, including adjustments to the flow of oxygen into pilot’s masks. But that key recommendation was rejected… “This initiative has not been funded,” read the minutes of their final meeting in 2007.”

RAW-G also forecast potential issues with the system providing too much oxygen at lower altitudes. Its founder, Tyndall AFB flight surgeon Wyman, is now a brigadier general, and USAF Air Combat Command surgeon general. Sources: AP, Air Force insiders foresaw F-22 woes.

Sept 13/12: Hypoxia Hearings. The House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee On Tactical Air And Land Forces meets to discuss the F-22’s pilot health issues. At this point, the USAF Scientific Advisory Board’s Oxygen Generation Study Group has been delivered, but not implemented. USAF Air Combat Command’s Life Support Systems Task Force still needs to complete its report and provide its final recommendations, and so does NASA’s Engineering and Safety Center, but NASA’s core conclusions are known (q.v. Feb 9/13). Senior leaders from all 3 efforts are invited to testify, and the subcommittee chair is a Congressman who did his Ph.D in flight physiology, and has been involved in military accident investigations.

The full testimony is very detailed, and covers a complex subject. There’s no substitute for reading it in full at the link below. With that said, here are some key points and take-aways:

• The estimated cost of fleet modifications is $82.5 million, including an Automatic Backup Oxygen System (A-BOS), Automatic Ground Collision and Avoidance System (AGCAS), Upper Pressure Garment Valve, Oxygen Hose Pass-Thru Panel, and Helmet Mounted Pulse Oximeter. Trying to mount an oximeter on pilots’ fingers kept giving incorrect readings, and it took the USAF a little while to catch on to that.

• The USAF doesn’t have any plans to reduce “Raptor cough” (acceleration atelectasis) among pilots. Rep. Bartlett points out that oxygen feeds that rise way above 158 partial pressure leave too little nitrogen to keep the alveoli inflated in the lungs, especially under high Gs. If the systems adjust the partial pressure to stay close to that figure, he believes that many of the coughing-related problems & risks will go away. The USAF, on the other hand, says that super-oxygenating the bloodstream maximizes “time of useful consciousness” if the cockpit blows off and the pilot has to eject at altitude. Translation: get used to coughing.

• The Raptor is different because of the amount of time spent at high altitude. Gen. Lyon notes that the has over 3,000 hours in the F-16, but less than 10.0 above 40,000 feet. In contrast, F-22 pilots spend most of their time at 40,000 – 60,000 feet. The USAF is still learning about very high altitude flying’s effects on pilots, even after 50+ years of experience with U-2 spyplanes.

• The USAF doesn’t plan any changes for maintenance personnel either, who have also reported health issues. The USAF couldn’t find any significant toxicology traces in tests.

• Ground testing needs to include the full life-support system, and it must be realistic. It wasn’t until the USAF started putting F-22 pilots and their flying ensembles into altitude chambers and centrifuges that they really began to see repeatable failures.

• The USAF acknowledges that their flight medicine and aviation physiology research capabilities were cut back sharply during the 1990s. Some shifted to contractors, but it’s a high cost/ low payout field, aso much of the capability just went away. One of the recommendations is for the USAF to restore some of that capability.

• NASA notes, dryly, that “…the investigative process could have been more efficient. The F-22 task force was never given a directive that assigned the authority to conduct the investigation. They began with two narrow hypotheses, and did not communicate well to all parties.”

• Comprehensive testing has ruled out stealth coating by-products as an issue for maintainers or pilots.

• All F-22 pilots and associated ground crew have received baseline pulmonary tests and blood tests, which have been put into a registry that will track them through their Air Force career “and, if necessary, beyond.” Gen. Lyon acknowledged “…if something is discovered [in future] that would be tied to this aircraft or in servicing this aircraft, we have a moral imperative to take care of those Americans.”

• The F-35’s oxygen system is described as “designed with a bit more redundancy and robustness”, including a backup system.

Sources: HASC Subcommittee, “No. 112-154 F-22 Pilot Physiological Issues: full transcript” | WIRED, “Air Force to Stealth Fighter Pilots: Get Used to Coughing Fits” | Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Sky Talk, “More on the F-22 Raptor’s oxygen problems.

Hypoxia hearings

Sept 20/12: Hypoxia. US Air Combat Command chief Gen. Mike Hostage says that the F-22’s oxygen problem is one of human physiology limits. It’s odd that Eurofighter pilots, who also fly above 50,000 feet at high gs, haven’t reported similar issues. Regardless:

“The service will “train our aviators that the issue is work of breathing,” Hostage told Air Force Times following the conference.” Gannett’s Air Force Times.

Sept 18/12: Hypoxia. USAF Gen. Gregory Martin (ret.), who headed the official investigation into the F-22’s hypoxia issues, explained the removal of the backup oxygen system to the HASC Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee:

“It was not a cost issue… the catalyst for this particular decision was… the ‘war on weight.’ In retrospect, that was not an appropriate decision.”

ABC News says that Martin’s comments seem to contradict Gen. Charles Lyon, who cited cost-driven cuts in August. On the other hand, it’s likely that Martin has the more complete briefing on the issue. ABC News.

Sept 19/12: 20 in Hawaii. The Hawaii National Air Guard’s 199th Fighter Squadron and the Active Duty Air Force’s 19th Fighter Squadron have received their last 4 F-22As. Their fleet is now complete, with 18 housed on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and 2 under depot maintenance on the Mainland. Hawaii News Now.

Sept 13/12: Hypoxia – NASA’s take. NASA’s Engineering Safety Center presents its own assessment of the F-22A’s problems to a House Armed Services Committee. They point to “absorption atelectasis,” in which too much oxygen at low altitudes wash away necessary nitrogen within the lungs and cause lung tissue to collapse. NASA also uses a term with strong echoes, when they say that acceptance of “Raptor cough” and difficulty breathing “could be seen as a ‘normalization of deviance.’ ” NASA has used that term with respect to the Space Shuttle Challenger, during their post-mortem of its explosion. Aviation Week. See also Feb 9/13 entry.

Aug 25/12: Long-term safety issue? The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has been looking into the F-22 issues, and notes a disturbing piece of news: some Raptor pilots and families are complaining about long-term health problems, which include a chronic cough, impaired motor skills, loss of concentration and an inability to recall words and facts, lethargy and “crushing headaches.” There’s even one suicide that has the family raising questions, involving Brig. Gen. Thomas Tinsley.

The USAF says that contamination has been ruled out, but the article also takes a deeper look at various possibilities like contaminants, or repeated acceleration atelectasis (collapsing alveoli in the lungs). The USAF hasn’t issued its full report, so it’s hard to evaluate why it has ruled out those possibilities. As for the symptoms, they could be from contamination, they could be something that isn’t physical, or they could involve some aspect of physiology at extreme conditions that isn’t well understood yet. If it was easy to tell, we’d have answers already. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Aug 13-17/12: Lawsuit settled. Anna Haney has agreed to a settlement in her wrongful death case against Lockheed Martin (F-22), Boeing (life support system), Pratt & Whitney (bleed air system), and Honeywell (OBOGGS). Her husband, Captain Jeff Haney, was killed in the Nov 16/10 crash in Alaska. The terms of the settlement are confidential.

An ABC News report points out that part of the problem was known to the USAF for a decade. In March 2000, a combined USAF/ contractor test group said that during certain specific high-altitude maneuvers, the Environmental Control System (ECS) system would shut down. Worse, it was built so that if it failed, a cascade of events would cut off the pilot’s primary oxygen supply. Such a real-world failure was described as “unacceptable,” but instead of installing an automatic plenum tank within the system, the USAF’s solution involved the incredibly difficult to use manual ring-pull system that contributed to Captain Haney’s death.

A June 5/12 contract (q.v.) with Lockheed Martin will retrofit 40 jets in the fleet with an automatic system, designed to kick in whenever the plane’s instruments detect an interruption in the oxygen flow. ABC News | Alaska Dispatch | Flight International.

July 30/12: Red Flag. Combat Aircraft leaks some results from the 2012 Red Flag exercises. WIRED Danger Room:

“In mid-June… [8] Typhoons arrived at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska for an American-led Red Flag exercise involving more than 100 aircraft from Germany, the U.S. Air Force and Army, NATO, Japan, Australia and Poland. Eight times during the two-week war game, individual German Typhoons flew against single F-22s… The results were a surprise to the Germans and presumably the Americans, too. “We were evenly matched,” Maj. Marc Gruene told Combat Aircraft’s Jamie Hunter. The key, Gruene said, is to get as close as possible to the F-22 … and stay there. “As soon as you get to the [close-in] merge … the Typhoon doesn’t necessarily have to fear the F-22,” Gruene said.”

The news has even more impact because the Eurofighters are still flying without helmet-mounted displays, which expand the engagement radius for short-range missiles. That’s a gap in the Raptor’s arsenal, too, but the Eurofighters are about to field an HMD. In contrast, JHMCS HMD integration was cut from the F-22 program during cost overruns, and an HMD isn’t in their current plans.

F-22As vs. Eurofighters

July 30/12: AIM-9X test. An F-22A performs the 1st supersonic launch of an AIM-9X short range air to air missile over the Sea Test Range at Point Mugu, CA. The first launch of an AIM-9X from the F-22 was carried out in May 2012.

Note that these are mechanical and aerodynamic tests, to ensure safe separation, ignition, etc. F-22As won’t be able to really use the AIM-9X in combat until the Increment 3.2B upgrade, which is expected to debut in 2017. Lockheed Martin @ Flickr.

July 30/12: To Japan. USAF F-22As arrive at Kadena AB in Japan. They’re expected to remain on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa for several months, but will be under flight restrictions during that time since pilots won’t be wearing the Combat Edge vests. CBS News.

July 24-30/12: Hypoxia solved? The USAF says they’ve found the root cause of the hypoxia problem. Part is said to be hose and valve connection hardware in the cockpit, and part is with pilots’ Combat Edge upper pressure system, and its breathing regulator/anti-g (BRAG) valve. The valve works fine for F-15 and F-16 pilots, but they don’t have the same performance envelope, and they have different life support systems. The USAF says that in the F-22A the BRAG valve stays open, keeping the vest inflated when it shouldn’t be. That leads to shallow breathing, and hyperventilation.

Kevin Divers, a former USAF rated-physiologist and F-22 flight test engineer, isn’t so sure, He says that the problem was known in 2000, but he had been assured that the issue had been tested thoroughly. There’s also the question of why maintainers on the ground are suffering from similar symptoms to the pilots. The USAF says that the issue is unrelated, but others aren’t so sure. They cite potential causal chains involving chemicals that become much more toxic when heated, can be introduced to the pilot in ways that go beyond the breathing system, and would also affect maintainers afterward.

Meanwhile, flight restrictions of 44,000 feet, maneuvering limitations, and a mandate to remain within 30 minutes of an airfield will remain until all of the USAF’s mechanical modifications reach flight crews. That isn’t expected to begin until September 2012. CBS News | Defense Tech | Flight International in-depth report | Flight International – USAF doubles down.

June 5/12: Oops. A “ground incident” at Tyndall AFB, FL puts an F-22 out of commission, but no-one is hurt. The former F-16 pilot at the controls was making his 2nd flight in an F-22, and the incident happened during a “touch and go”. Tyndall is where F-22 training happens, so that situation is normal.

This kind of thing usually means some repair expense (tail drag? wingtip runway strike? landing gear damage?), but shouldn’t scrap the plane. With a fleet size this low, however, even minor incidents like this one can become significant. Panama City News Herald.

May 15/12: Restricted flight. US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta issues a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, ordering that F-22 flights remain “within proximity of potential landing locations”. The specifics will be up to individual pilots and commanders, but you don’t want to be the commander if an F-22A accident occurs very far away from any landing options.

Panetta also asks the USAF to accelerate installations of an automatic backup oxygen system, and a contract for the first 50 is later announced in early June 2012. Finally, the US Navy and NASA are to be brought in, to help solve the ongoing oxygen problems that have hampered the fleet’s effectiveness for over a year now. Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby, USN, tells reporters that in light of the recent deployment of several F-22s to the Persian Gulf, and because of pilots’ complaints, Panetta chose to “dive a little more deeply into the issue,” and then to issue the letter. Panetta letter, via scribd | Minneapolis Star-Tribune | Rep. Kinziger | Sen. Warner | WIRED Danger Room.

May 11/12: U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner [D-VA] and Rep. Adam Kinzinger [R-11-IL] send a joint letter to Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley, asking for a comprehensive and confidential survey of F-22 pilots and USAF flight surgeons. Rep. Kinziger.

May 3/12: 60 Minutes. Raptor pilots Maj. Jeremy Gordon and Capt. Josh Wilson of the Virginia Air National Guard’s 192nd Fighter Wing come forward and talk to the news show 60 Minutes, explaining why they have told their command they do not wish to fly the jet.

Gordon and Wilson say the Air Force has threatened to fire F-22 pilots who express these objections, and have asked Rep. Adam Kinziger [R-11-IL, formerly USAF Maj. Kinziger] to help them gain protection under the federal whistleblower law. On May 8/12, testimony to the House indicates that the 2 pilots will not face sanctions from the USAF. CBS News 60 Minutes

| Rep. Kinziger release.

May 2/12: Last F-22A delivered. Lockheed Martin formally delivers its 195th and last F-22 Raptor to the USAF, after a run of 187 F-22As and 8 test aircraft from 1997-2012. This final Raptor will join 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Lockheed Martin.

Last delivery

May 2/12: GAO Modernization, Part 2. The US GAO issues report #GAO-12-447, “F-22A Modernization Program Faces Cost, Technical, and Sustainment Risks.” The summary is not positive:

“Total projected cost of the F-22A modernization program and related reliability and maintainability improvements more than doubled since the program started – from $5.4 billion to $11.7 billion – and the schedule for delivering full capabilities slipped 7 years, from 2010 to 2017. The content, scope, and phasing of planned capabilities also shifted over time with changes in requirements, priorities, and annual funding decisions. Visibility and oversight of the program’s cost and schedule is hampered by a management structure that does not track and account for the full cost of specific capability increments… Results to date have been satisfactory but development and operational testing of the largest and most challenging sets of capabilities have not yet begun. Going forward, major challenges will be developing, integrating, and testing new hardware and software to counter emerging future threats… While modernization is under way, the Air Force has undertaken parallel [RAAMP] efforts to improve F-22A reliability and maintainability to ensure life-cycle sustainment of the fleet is affordable and to justify future modernization investments. But the fleet has not been able to meet a key reliability requirement, now changed, and operating and support costs are much greater than earlier estimated.”

F-22A vs. “Teen series”
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April 26/12: GAO Modernization Report. The F-22A began as a single-step program, with no need for significant future modernization. Reality intervened, and the current total estimated cost of F-22A modernization is now $9.7 billion for Increments 2, 3.1, and 3.2B. GAO explains why this is more expensive than past “teen series” fighter designs:

“In 2003… We noted that while [advertising a single-step approach] may have allowed the F-22A program to compete for funding, it hamstrung the program with little knowledge about its true technology, funding, and schedule needs. In addition, the Air Force did not make early trade-offs between requirements and available resources… Ultimately F-22A development took more than 14 years, encountered significant cost increases and quantity reductions, and has not yet fully met established requirements, specifically those related to reliability and maintainability.

…F-22A production was terminated in 2009, before… (Increment 3.1) had finished development, so the remaining modernization increments will have to be retrofitted… Based on F-22A flight hour data provided by the program office our analysis indicates that a large number of aircraft are likely to have flown more than 1,500 hours, or nearly 20 percent of their 8,000-hour service lives, before the Increment 3.2B upgrades are fielded.11 …retrofitting upgrades onto stealth aircraft with fully integrated computer systems – referred to as fused or integrated avionics – like the F-22A is a riskier and more complex process than integrating new technologies into a conventional aircraft with separate and distinct computer systems and software for each subsystem – known as federated avionics – even if the technologies are mature.”

See: GAO | Washington Examiner.

March 23/12: Increment 3.1. Flight International reports that the 3rd Wing’s 525th fighter squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska became the first Combat Air Forces squadron to receive the F-22A Increment 3.1, with greatly improved ground-attack capabilities.

Increment 3.1 fielded

March 20/12: Hypoxia. Gannett’s Air Force Times reports that Capt. Haney’s fatal Alaska crash (vid. Dec 14/11) has led to design changes and retrofits. The Air Force is replacing handles that engage the F-22A’s emergency oxygen system, at a fleet material cost of $8,400 for 200. Elemndorf’s F-22As have already been refitted, and refits to other units are ongoing.

March 12/12: Lawsuit. Capt. Haney’s widow, Anna Haney, files a wrongful death suit in Cook County Court, IL against Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell International and Pratt & Whitney. The core of the suit reportedly claims that the plane’s onboard oxygen delivery system is defective, and that the mechanism for activating the emergency backup oxygen system is essentially impossible to operate impossible in emergencies. As such, the plane “did not safely or properly provide breathable oxygen to the pilot operating the aircraft.”

Lockheed Martin’s spokeswoman was sympathetic, but added that the company does not agree with the allegations, and will contest them in court. Military.com.

Jan 17/12: 2011 DOT&E. The Pentagon releases the “FY2011 Annual Report for the Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation.” The F-22A is included, and results are mixed.

On the one hand, Increment 3.1 improvements involving ground radar modes and the new Small Diameter Bomb appear to be effective, and strongly improved Mean Time Between Critical Failure rates. The fleet grounding in 2011 delayed full testing, but in July 2011, the USAF authorized early fielding anyway.

A more mixed review came in the USAF’s 5-year Low Observables Stability Over Time (LOSOT) testing. The stealth system was found to be durable and stable over time, but stealth-related maintenance “continues to account for a significant proportion of the man hours per flight hour required to maintain the F-22A.” That has always been true for stealth aircraft, though the F-22 was supposed to feature new technologies that would avoid this outcome and keep costs in line. That does not appear to have happened. The USAF continues to try and improve things by fielding an LO(Low-observable, i.e. stealth) Repair Verification Radar tool, performing periodic maintenance audits of the LO system, and fielding more people (aka. “Martians”) for low-observable maintenance. The extra Martians should improve mission-readiness, in exchange for extra costs per flight hour.

2011

Last Raptor rolls out; Increment 3.2 upgrade gets split up; Fleet grounding; T-38s introduced to reduce aerial training costs; Cockpit design the real cause of a fatal crash.

End of the day
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Dec 14/11: Crash cause? Terrible Man-Machine Interface. That’s certainly what a leaked USAF report appears to conclude, concerning the fatal November 2010 F-22A crash in Alaska. According to reports, onboard computers detected that bleed air was leaking out of the engine bay, which could cause a fire. They shut that system down, leaving the OBOGS with no air feed. To activate the Emergency Oxygen System (EOS) back-up, the pilot has to pull up on a small ring tucked into the side of his ejection seat. While trying to find it, Capt. Haney seems to have put his aircraft into a dive – a result repeated in ground simulations, as the pilot moves the stick and rudder while twisting in the cockpit.

It doesn’t help that to avoid hitting their canopy with protruding night vision goggles, while looking down and to the side, F-22 pilots have to brace themselves to shift their torso. A requirement that wouldn’t exist, except that the F-22 program cut JHMCS Helmet-Mounted Display integration. The accident investigation board still blames the accident on the pilot, for failing to activate the EOS. Flight International.

Dec 12/11: Last Raptor. The last F-22 rolls off the assembly line in Marietta, GA, as the US prepares to mothball the production line’s tooling, along with photos, video, and detailed instructions. Mothballing is a rare step, which would reduce the cost of re-starting production later.

About 5,600 Lockheed employees worked on the F-22 program at its peak in 2005, including 944 in Marietta. The current number is 1,650, with 930 in Marietta. More than 200 Marietta jobs have been cut in 2011, and more cuts could be coming. What’s known is that 600 Marietta, GA employees will handle F-22 technical support and modernizations. Some of the rest will be cut, while others will move to other programs. Atlanta Journal Constitution | UK’s Daily Mail | Reuters | TIME Magazine Battleland.

The Last Raptor

Oct 20-25/11: Stand-down. The commander of the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, VA issues a temporary stand-down order for the squadron’s F-22As, after another hypoxia-like incident. The F-22s at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska follow suit. All F-22s are flying again by Oct 25/11, but it’s clear that whatever problems the plane has aren’t going away. AP | Gannett’s Air Force Times | WAVY TV 10 | WIRED Danger Room.

Oct 15/11: Reservists with the 477th Fighter Group in Joint AB Elmendorf, AK resume F-22 flying operations. After the fleet’s 4-month grounding, active duty pilots had priority to begin flying the F-22s. US PACAF.

Oct 5/11: USMC Maj. Christopher Cannon writes a report advocating the F-22 as a ‘Plan B’ fallback replacement for the Marines’ F-35B if it’s canceled. The challenge is that the F-22 can’t be flown from ships, and current plans call for the USMC to buy a mix of F-35B STOVL and F-35C carrier aircraft. If the F-35B in canceled, therefore, the current Plan B is the F-35C. On the other hand, Canon argues that:

“The F-22 dwarfs the F-35 in stealth, speed, survivability, deployability and firepower… F-22s could be purchased now and would be cheaper initially and cost less to maintain than F-35s in the future. The current DoD (Department of Defense) plan is to buy 50 Marine Corps F-35B aircraft… [costing] $190 million per aircraft. In 2011, flyaway costs for the F-22 are a reported $150 million per aircraft… The U.S. Air Force estimates flying hour costs for the F-22 are $44,259 per hour. The 2008 GAO (Government Accountability Office) report estimated $33,000 per flying hour in a JSF aircraft… However, F-35B costs will likely be higher than A and C models. Additionally, the 2011 GAO update states that ‘current JSF life-cycle cost estimates are considerably higher than the legacy aircraft it will replace.’ “

Short takeaway: The report is very unlikely to become policy. Walton Sun.

Sept 26/11: Return to flight. The F-22 Raptor returns to the skies in a series of test and production flights at Lockheed’s Marietta, GA facility. Lockheed Martin.

Sept 19/11: Grounding. The USAF says that it will resume F-22 flights on Sept 21/11, even though it’s not sure what the problem is. While the wait for the fall report, the USAF will continue studying the problem, run regular physiological tests on the pilots, add training and unspecified protective gear, beef up aircraft inspections, and implement some short-term flight restrictions. The timing will, however, allow pilots grounded since May 3/11 to maintain their proficiency certifications. Aviation Week | Bloomberg | DoD Buzz | Gannett’s Air Force Times.

Aug 31/11: Grounding. Defense News reports that the USAF is looking to lift the F-22 fleet grounding, even though the cause of the hypoxia-like symptoms hasn’t been determined yet. A Sept 2/11 meeting will determine what flight restrictions need to remain: the USAF wants to restrict the planes below 40,000 feet, but the pilots are pushing for the full 60,000 foot ceiling, and want the physiologists dealing with this issue to have piloting experience. A Sept 7/11 Defense News article goes into more detail:

“Sources said the man they want to help with the investigation is a former Air Force flight test engineer and rated physiologist… Kevin Divers [of] Warrior Edge. Divers was a member of the F-22 Combined Test Force during the jet’s developmental testing and operational testing… Physiologists don’t fully comprehend the safety systems built into the modern aircraft, Divers said, but moreover, most don’t have the real-world experience in an aircraft. The consequence is that it has made it harder for the Air Force to get to the bottom of the problem… also created “an aircrew perception that the career field doesn’t understand its customer any more,” Divers said… “I know all of their flight equipment – the [onboard oxygen generating system] OBOGS, the entire plumbing of the aircraft to the OBOGS… My pilot training experience taught me to break down subsystems and know the aircraft to the level that the aircrew has to know it. Air Force physiologists aren’t trained that way coming into the Air Force.”

See also: Defense News Aug 31/11 | POGO.

August 16/11: Grounding. As of this date, F-22s have been grounded for 105 days. A mix of toxins has been found in pilots’ blood after the various incidents that led to the fleet’s grounding, but how the gasses make it into the plane’s air supply is still unclear. Carbon monoxide dissolves too quickly to have been found by the tests, but it could also explain hypoxia and may make it into cockpits during hangar startups used during Alaska’s winter.

The investigation led by the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) has been expanded to other planes: F-35 Lightning II, T-6A Texan II, F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II. It is planned to be completed by early fall.

Meanwhile, a larger readiness problem is growing. Simulators help maintain a pilot’s instrument approach, but do not replace the live experience, so this is disrupting training. After 210 days without flying, pilots may have to go through extensive re-qualification.

June 16/11: Grounding. The F-22 fleet remains grounded, except for any emergency and testing missions that might be ordered.

May 30/11: New Core? The USAF is considering scrapping or heavily supplementing the F-22’s hardware/ software core with a modern open architecture system that would make upgrades much more portable from platforms like the F-35, EA-18G, etc., and also allow the USAF to open upgrades to competition beyond Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

When the F-22 was in development, VAX hardware and the Ada programming language were the most advanced mature technologies available; UNIX had not fully evolved to a military grade choice, and the project needed to lower risk. A lot has changed on the technology front since then, and now the tightly-coupled nature of the F-22’s systems, and age of their legacy underpinnings, is making improvements difficult.

The F-22 System Program Office (SPO) at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH will be trying to scope out the cost and effort via a 2011 RFI for demonstration projects. Depending on what they find, the system might become part of “Increment 3.2C” installations in 2019-2020, and allow the USAF to bring the entire Raptor fleet up to Increment 3.2 standard. Defense News | Vector Software | WSJ Tech Europe.

May 19/11: 3.2 splits up. The Senate Armed Services Committee gets bad news from USAF procurement chief David Van Buren, as he tells them that:

“Increment 3.2 that we’re currently working on for the F-22 for our war-fighting customer is taking too long to implement… We are working with the company to try to speed that up and make it more affordable.”

Software development issues are the problem for this mostly-software upgrade, which has now been split into Increment 3.2A for 2014 fielding, and Increment 3.2B for 2017 fielding. As noted elsewhere in this article, the F-22 runs on VAX computers, programmed in Ada. During the F-22’s development phase, they were the stable, mature options available. Now, they’re almost extinct. Lockheed Martin says that they’re working on it, adding that they saved the USAF $20 million by moving some electronic protection software forward from Increment 3.2B (2017) to Increment 3.2A (2014). They’re reportedly looking at 100 additional cost-cutting items for Increment 3.2B. SASC Hearing (actually focused on F-35) | Defense News | Gannett’s Air Force Times.

May 13/11: Holloman out. The active-duty 8th Fighter Squadron at Holloman AFB is officially inactivated, marking only the second time in the squadron’s 61-year history that it has been inactive. 8th FS flew F-22s, and Holloman AFB, NM is being converted to an F-16 training base. Source.

May 5/11: Grounded. The F-22A fleet, which had been restricted to flying at a maximum of 25,000 feet since January 2011, gets a full grounding order from the USAF. A few pilots have been experiencing hypoxia-like symptoms on a few flights, and the USAF still doesn’t know why, so they’ve taken a cautious approach while a full investigation is conducted.

Suspicion naturally falls on the fighter’s on-board oxygen gas generation system (OBOGGS) system, and the USAF is also investigating the OBOGGS systems on a range of other planes: F-15s, F-16s, F-35s, and T-6 trainers. With that said, the F-22A uses a new system designed by Honeywell, as opposed to the older Cobham plc systems found on many other USAF aircraft. Those kinds of systems do not usually fail, and the F-22 fleet has operated for some time without this problem. It is possible that some component may be wearing out early, or not holding up well over time, but the USAF is careful to note that they have not confirmed the source of the problem – if they knew it was the OBOGGS, this would not be an investigation. Meanwhile, the F-35 program takes pains to point out that their OBOGGS system is a newer Honeywell design. Bloomberg | DefenceWeb | Defense News | Flight International | Stars and Stripes.

Fleet grounded

March 19/11: Libya from afar. Operation Odyssey Dawn begins multinational enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya, and includes strikes on a wide range of defended Libyan targets. The F-22 is completely absent from these proceedings, though the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare fighter makes its combat debut. Given a clear air superiority and air defense suppression mission, which seems to play to all of the F-22’s strengths, and a March 17/11 statement by USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz that he expected the F-22s to be employed in the early days of the conflict, many observers speculate about the F-22’s absence from the conflict.

Speculation includes political motives to force a coalition effort, lack of shared datalinks with most of the other planes participating, the fact that upgrade Increment 3.1’s ground-looking SAR mode for the AN/APG-77 radar hasn’t been delivered yet, or just an assessment that Libya wasn’t all that tough, and the F-22 wasn’t needed. A less credible reason was advanced by the USAF, who said it was because the F-22s aren’t based in Europe. All other reasons are possible contributors, but the May 2011 grounding adds an additional, and very persuasive, possibility: distrust of the plane’s oxygen system. Bloomberg | The DEW Line | DoD Buzz | Gannett’s Air Force Times.

Feb 14/11: FY 2012 budget. The Pentagon releases its FY 2012 budget request, which includes over $1 billion for the F-22 program. What will that fund? No new planes, but:

“Supports procurement of equipment associated with standing up operational locations and other support required to deliver new aircraft and funds shutdown activities, preserving assets for long-term F-22 fleet sustainment. Continues critical F-22 modernization through incremental capability upgrades and key reliability and maintainability efforts. Continues retrofit of Increment 3.1 into the combat-coded F-22 fleet. Increment 3.1 provides an initial ground attack kill chain capability via inclusion of emitter-based geo-location of threat systems, ground-looking synthetic aperture radar (SAR) modes, electronic attack capability, and initial integration of the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB-1), which expands the F-22’s ground attack arsenal from one Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) to four SDB-1s per payload. Continues development of Increment 3.2, providing AIM-120D and AIM-9X integration, radar electronic protection, enhanced speed and accuracy of target geo-location, Link-16 track fusion, Automatic Ground-Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS), and other enhancements to improve system safety and effectiveness.”

F-22A and T-38
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Jan 10/11: T-38 substitutes. One way to keep operations and maintenance costs down is to use cheaper fighters for air combat training. Lt. Col. Derek Wyler of the T-38 Adversary Air Program at JB Langley, VA explains:

“Right now at (JB Langley) … the F-22s are having to fly against themselves for their air-to-air training… By bringing the T-38s out, we’ll be able to train F-22 pilots by flying against the T-38s, which will give them a larger number of aircraft to fly against, and it will be a far more cost-effective way to train.”

It will, but T-38s are not a full substitute for training against fully-capable adversaries. NASA officials used an Aero Spacelines Super Guppy outsize cargo plane to deliver the first 2 of an eventual 15 T-38s that will be regenerated at Holloman AFB, NM, then flown to operating locations at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA, and Tyndall AFB, FL. Holloman AFB will receive 2 T-38s at a time, with the last slated for February 2011. The first 7 regenerated planes will go to JB Langley, VA. USAF.

2010

Corrosion. Wondering what’s next.

Last few…
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Dec 16/10: Corrosion. A GAO study looks at corrosion lessons learned from the F-22 program, and provides some details. Unfortunately, the very same materials used to help ensure smooth and stealthy surfaces are responsible for corrosion problems:

“Efforts are under way to address corrosion problems with the F-22. Corrosion of the aluminum skin panels on the F-22 was first observed in spring 2005, less than 6 months after the Air Force first introduced the aircraft to a severe environment. By October 2007, a total of 534 instances of corrosion were documented, and corrosion in the substructure was becoming prevalent. For corrosion damage identified to date, the government is paying $228 million to make F-22 corrosion-related repairs and retrofits through 2016… Many of the F-22’s corrosion problems were linked to problems with gap filler materials and paint… [Also,] Environmental and occupational health concerns drove the initial use of a nonchromated primer[Footnote 6] on the F-22 that did not provide corrosion protection, and the program later switched to a chromated primer.”

According to the GAO, the F-35 program has learned from the F-22 in some areas, but is making similar mistakes in others. Other programs that could also learn from the F-22 experience include the US Marines’ EFV armored vehicle and CH-53K helicopter, the Navy’s JHSV fast transport/ support catamarans and RQ-4N BAMS naval surveillance UAVs, and the Hummer replacement JLTV.

Nov 16/10: Restart? The US Air Force Association’s airforce-magazine says that the USAF is beginning to discuss a restart of F-22A Raptor production:

“Extending F-22 production could be the dealmaker if F-35 foes carry the day and compel USAF to take mostly new-build F-16s instead. The Raptors would provide the extra stealth force required to make the non-stealthy F-16s acceptable. Also, if you’ve listened carefully, USAF has gone from saying it will retain a “portion” of F-22 production tooling to “most” and, most recently, to “all.” Gen. William Fraser, head of Air Combat Command, acknowledged last week that Lockheed Martin is filming all F-22 tooling processes as the earliest parts of production shut down, so that it can go back to production of parts… Also last week, Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) said he might spearhead an effort to get more F-22s into the budget. But he acknowledged it could be a difficult task given pressures to rein in spending.”

Nov 8/10: Industrial. Flight International reports that Lockheed Martin has entered the final 12 months of F-22A production in Marietta, GA, with the final aircraft due out of building B-1 by November 2011. Production will then shift over to F-35 inner-wing shipsets, using 250,000 square feet of space that had used for C-5M tooling storage, even as the site also works to treble C-130J production to about 36 a year.

Nov 3/10: What’s next? The USAF issues its “Next Generation Tactical Aircraft (Next Gen TACAIR) Materiel and Technology Concepts Search” solicitation, as it begins to think about what might replace the F-22 Raptor:

“ASC/XRX is conducting market research analyses to examine applicable materiel concepts and related technology for a Next Gen TACAIR capability with an IOC(Initial Operational Capability) of approximately 2030. The envisioned system may possess enhanced capabilities in areas such as reach, persistence, survivability, net-centricity, situational awareness, human-system integration, and weapons effects. The primary mission in the future Next Gen TACAIR definition is Offensive and Defensive Counterair to include subset missions including Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD), Close Air Support (CAS) and Air Interdiction (AI). It may also fulfill airborne electronic attack and intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance capabilities. This is not an all-inclusive list and the Next Gen TACAIR definition will mature and sharpen as the market research and Capabilities Based Assessment (CBA) unfold… The future system will have to counter adversaries equipped with next generation advanced electronic attack, sophisticated integrated air defense systems, passive detection, integrated self-protection, directed energy weapons, and cyber attack capabilities. It must be able to operate in the anti-access/area-denial environment that will exist in the 2030-2050 timeframe.

ASC is issuing this CRFI to support Air Combat Command (ACC) in their effort to establish potential weapon system concepts and future operating environment definition, establish a common understanding of future capability needs, and define key enabling technologies and their path to maturity. This CRFI will support requirements generation/refinement and provide decision-making products (including cost analyses) required to estimate operational benefits. The Government is issuing this CRFI to conduct market research in accordance with Part 10 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.”

That list of requirements seems calculated to produce another bleeding edge research project; time will tell, as it gets whittled down to a set of firm requirements, and the USA’s budgetary situation becomes clearer over the next decade. See also Flight International | Reuters.

Oct 27/10: What’s next? An Aviation Week article discusses the future of fighter design in the face of widespread spending reviews, including possible plans for the F-22:

“Much of the thinking about future designs is being driven by the emergence of new threats, including the ability to deal with more sophisticated and longer-range air defenses and advanced fighters such as Russia’s PAK FA. Those developments also have U.S. Air Force officials mulling how to continue to evolve the Lockheed Martin F-22. Potential improvements in the 2020-plus timeframe include a multispectral infrared search-and-track system and introducing side radar arrays that were once part of the program but dropped in the 1990s to cut costs. Advanced data links and improved combat identification capability also could be in the cards.”

Multispectral IRST systems let fighters scan aerial targets in the non-radar spectra like infrared, allowing them to identify enemy aircraft by air friction and/or engine heat. Conventional radar stealth is not a defense, and a pilot with medium range infrared-guided air-to-air missiles can launch attacks from beyond visual range that do not rely on radar, and so do not trigger a target’s radar warning receivers.

Oct 20/10: Science! It’s good to know physics. Boeing’s F-22 manager Duane Innes does, so when he saw a truck sliding across lanes at around 40 miles an hour, he warned his passengers, slammed on the minivan’s gas, pulled ahead of the runaway vehicle, and let it rear-end him. As he explains “Basic physics: If I could get in front of him and let him hit me, the delta difference in speed would just be a few miles an hour, and we could slow down together.”

They did. The driver had suffered a heart attack and passed out at the wheel – but USAF veteran Bill Pace survived, thanks to the same combination of courage and physics that builds and then commands every F-22 in service. Well done, Mr. Innes. Seattle Times.

Hero

Sept 15/10: Industrial. Lockheed Martin announces that it has reached 86 consecutive F-22As aircraft delivered on or ahead of schedule. To date, the company has delivered 166 production F-22s, including 13 in 2010.

Aug 25/10: Hawaii. Pilots from the Hawaii Air National Guard 199th Fighter Squadron complete their last training mission with the F-15 Eagle from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The 3 remaining F-15s will depart JB Hickam Sept 1/10, with 2 joining the 56th Aggressors Squadron at Nellis AFB, NV, and 1 moving to the 120th Fighter Wing of the Montana Air National Guard. The 199th FS will use the next year to transition to the F-22, and they will fly and help maintain the 20 F-22A Raptors that will deploy there. USAF.

Aug 6/10: UAE exercise. The 2010 ATLC (Advanced Tactical Leadership Course) at Al Dhafra is an annual exercise in the United Arab Emirates that bring American, British, French, and regional aircraft together. The main 2010 exercise featured the UAE’s own F-16 E/F Block 60s and Mirage 2000v9s, along with 6 Royal Jordanian Air Force F-16s, 6 Pakistani F-7PGs (Chinese MiG-21 copy), 6 French Rafales, 6 RAF Eurofighter Typhoons, and 6 USAF F-16CJ Block 52 “Wild Weasel” aircraft, which are optimized for killing ground-based air defenses.

A 6 aircraft deployment of F-22As from the 1st Fighter Wing’s 27th FS participated in bilateral training opportunities during this period, but did not participate in the main exercise. They flew 86 exercise sorties during the deployment, including 36 DACT (Dissimilar Air Combat Training) sorties and 4 sorties at the Dubai air show. Arabian Aerospace:

“This marked the first deployment of the F-22A Raptor to… the Central Command AOR… The F-22As fought Armée de l’Air Rafales on six occasions… [in 2010. In 2009] The USAF refused to comment directly about the French claims [re: the Rafale and Raptor]… Lt Col Lansing Pilch, commander of the 27th, and of the F-22 deployment [said in 2010 that] “In every test we did, the Raptors just blew the competition out of the water.” He did praise the Rafale, however… The deployment… was undertaken to test the expeditionary capabilities of the F-22A, and particularly… operations in a harsh desert environment… Pilch was keen to stress that the purpose… “We were not there to beat up on anybody [it’s about] showing them what we can do, and learning about what they can do, and thus how best we can operate alongside them in coalition operations.” …F-22As flew only within visual range 1 vs 1 BFM (Basic Fighter Manoeuvring) sorties, and [without using] the F-22’s AN/APG-77 radar and highly advanced AN/ALR-94 passive receiver system. The Raptor pilots flew against a variety of opponents, with only the RAF turning down the offer of training against the F-22A, to the evident disappointment of Pilch and Rogers… [Using a generic support package] the F-22A operated at a higher tempo and with a smaller logistics footprint than would be required by the F-15 or F-16…”

See also Flight International. In a separate article, Arabian Aerospace adds an overview of the ATLC itself.

July 30/10: Industrial. Flight International reports that even after the F-22 production line shuts down, tooling with “near-term needs” for fleet maintenance will be retained on site. Others will be stored in large, bar-coded steel ISO containers, instead of using conventional warehousing. all of this will be funded by shutdown contracts.

Retaining the line’s tooling will allow the USAF to repair and modernise the service’s aircraft more easily – or re-start the line again to manufacture new Raptors. The latter course would not be cheap or fast, however, taking an estimated 2 years and costing about $4 billion by the time skills are retrained, new suppliers for some components are found, engineering modifications to incorporate the new components are finished and testing is done, etc. Flight International | Conservative Weekly Standard magazine.

July 29/10: Holloman out. Well, that was fast. The F-22s will be leaving Holloman AFB under a new re-basing plan, and the base will turn into an F-16 training center by adding 2 training squadrons.

The existing Holloman half-squadron (8th Fighter Squadron) will be deactivated and redistributed to Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK (6), Langley AFB, VA (6), and Nellis AFB, NV (2). The other F-22 squadron (7th Squadron) will relocate as a unit to Tyndall AFB, FL. USAF Tyndall AFB | Alamogordo Daily News.

June 2/10: Holloman in. The first 2 F-22A Raptors arrive at Holloman AFB, NM, and taxi into Hangar 301. USAF.

May 26/10: Corrosion. Rust never sleeps. DoD Buzz reports a quote from the US House Armed Services Committee, in its FY 2011 budget proposal:

“The Committee notes that it has yet to receive the congressionally directed report from the Director of Corrosion Policy and Oversight assessing the corrosion control lessons learned from the F-22 Raptor fleet – which was grounded in February 2010 for corrosion on ejection seat rods due to poorly designed drainage in the cockpit – as they apply to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.”

As DoD Buzz notes:

“Regardless of how lowly rust might seem at first glance, it is a huge problem for the military, costing about $20 billion each year. According to the House Armed Services Committee, roughly $7 billion of that rust is preventable. So, the committee… wants to substantially increase the budget of a little known Pentagon entity, the Office of Corrosion Policy and Oversight… to… $10.8 million, up from a tiny request of $3.6 million.”

April 14/10: More work for F-15s. Aviation Week reports that USAF F-15Cs with new APG-82 AESA radars will now shoulder 50% of the “air dominance” burden, to compensate for the F-22A’s production shutdown.

The USAF’s F-15 A-D fleet has faced structural concerns in recent years, following catastrophic accidents that led to fleet-wide groundings.

Sukhoi’s PAK-FA
(click to view larger)

Jan 29/10: PAK-FA competitor flies. Russia’s first prototype PAK-FA 5th generation stealth fighter lifts off from KNAAPO’s Komsomolsk-on-Amur facility for a 47 minute flight, piloted by Sukhoi test-pilot Sergey Bogdan.

Sukhoi says that the plane met all expectations. Sukhoi JSC release | NPO Saturn release [in Russian] | Russia 1 TV video | Pravda | RIA Novosti | Times of India | Aviation Week | Defense News | Agence France Presse | BBC | Canadian Press | Washington Post | China’s Xinhua | Aviation Week’s Bill Sweetman: Preliminary Analysis. See also APA: “Assessing the Sukhoi PAK-FA.”

Competitor

2009

Program terminated. Japan has to look elsewhere.

F-22, inverted
(click to view full)

Dec 21/09: To CENTCOM. A set of 6 F-22As from Langley AFB, VA complete a deployment to the Middle East, including participation in training sorties alongside pilots engaged in a multinational training exercise. The F-22s did not fly missions during that exercise, which included pilots and planes from Britain, France, Jordan, Pakistan, and the USA. USAF | UPI.

As a separate matter, F-22As have also deployed to several international air shows, including a demonstration at the Dubai Air Show in November 2009. These deployments are the first time the F-22A has been sent to the Middle East.

Nov 23/09: Japan. In the wake of the FY 2010 American defense budget that ended F-22 production, while maintaining the ban on exporting the aircraft, Japan has been forced to look at other options. Kyodo news agency reports that Japan is considering buying 40 F-35s, and that the Japanese defence ministry is seeking fiscal allocation in the 2011 budget. According to media reports, other contenders include the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, F-15 Eagle variants, and EADS’ Eurofighter. The acquisition plan is likely to be incorporated in new defense policy guidelines and a medium-term defense plan to be adopted in December 2010. Japan Today | Agence France Presse | domain-b | Times of India.

Oct 20/09: Industrial. Second Line of Defense offers “Michael Wynne on: The Industrial Impact of the Decision to Terminate the F-22 Program,” by former Secretary of the USAF Michael Wynne. His article discusses the entire sweep of the F-22 program and its key decisions. Among them are the detrimental role of the DoD’s insistence on ADA programming, which has made updating the plane’s electronics so difficult. With respect to the decision to close the F-22 production line and deny exports, Wynne cites fallout effects that include the potential for F135 engine cost increases, and other industrial impacts:

“Nationally; we have one fifth generation fighter facility left, and that ultimately will be the Fort Worth Facility. Yes, the Navy continues to buy the F-18 from the St. Louis Boeing facility, but the follow on program is the F-35, and the clock is now ticking loudly. Large Aircraft is Long Beach, and without the C-17, that facility will be history. Bomber programs – we have none, and the planned future one seems at risk. C-130 program will suffer further price increases, and the C-130J program barely made it to production as did the C-17.

While you cannot pile the entirety of two decades or more of industrial base decisions and program decisions on this F-22 decision, it is clearly correlated; it is a decision taken in a context and has strategic consequences. And it is stunning to see the money being given to industries such as the automotive industry and little or no concern being expressed about the fate and future of the aerospace and defense industries.”

July 31/09: The US House passes its “H.R. 3326: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010” by a 400-30 vote. The bill contains a number of provisions that challenge official Pentagon decisions re: the C-17, VH-71, and F136 engine, but before it was passed, H.Amdt. 392 by H.R. 3326 sponsor John Murtha [D-PA] stripped the additional $369 million for F-22 long-lead production items out of the House Bill. It passed by a 269-165 vote.

That vote was not straight party line, but it was heavily influenced. While 26 Republicans voted in favor, 165 were opposed. While 13 Democrats were opposed, 243 voted in favor. As House members prepare for negotiations with the Senate on a single, final bill to send to the President, the amendment vote, and subsequent passage of HR 3326, effectively marks the end of the F-22 program. F-22 production will continue through remaining funded orders, and cease in 2011.

Both the House and Senate versions of the 2010 defense authorization bill require a report to study the potential for F-22A exports. The House version listed only Japan, while the Senate bill did not restrict the countries involved. Development work would be required before production, however, and is almost certain to require an expensive restart of the F-22 production line when it’s complete. While it is theoretically possible to bridge that time gap by resurrecting the American program in future defense bills, the aircraft’s supply chain will stop producing certain parts, and begin losing the people associated with them, long before the final delivery in 2011. See also: Aero News.

Raptor Program shot down

July 21/09: Politics. The US Senate votes 58-40 in favor of S.Amdt 1469, the Levin-McCain amendment to strip $1.75 billion for 7 F-22As out of the Senate’s FY 2010 defense budget. The additional funds had been inserted in committee, just as the recently-passed FY 2010 House defense budget proposal contains $369 million in initial funding for 12 more F-22s.

The vote was heavily determined by state lines, with 40/50 states voting coherently. Both Republicans voted “yea” to F-22 funding removal in AZ, SC and WY. Both Democrats voted against the amendment in CA, CT, HI, NM, and WA. John Kerry [D-MA], who often reiterated his support for the F-22 in the run-up to the vote, would have added to that trend – but he voted to remove funding, and F-22 supporter Sen. Kennedy [D-MA] was absent for medical reasons. Democrat senators split in WVA (Sen. Byrd nay) while Republicans split in AL (Sen. Shelby yea), and OK (Sen. Coburn yea). In the 7 remaining cases, the split was party-based, with the state’s Democratic Party senator supporting the amendment to remove funding, and the Republican Party Senator opposing: FL, IA, LA, NE, NH, NC, and SD.

S.Amdt 1469’s passage does not entirely end the mater, since the House and Senate bills must now be reconciled in committee before they are submitted to the President. But the 17-12-1 vote among Senate Armed Services committee members to remove F-22 funding does raise the aircraft’s obstacles, absent pressure in the interim that causes Senators to shift their positions. Bloomberg News | Washington Post | POGO re: Senate Armed Services Committee member votes | Senate Roll Call.

July 15/09: Politics. S.Amdt 1469, the Levin-McCain amendment to strip $1.75 billion for 7 F-22As out of the Senate’s FY 2010 defense budget, is withdrawn from consideration. That generally means that a measure does not yet have enough reliable votes. The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) offers its own assessment of where the votes stand, then wusses out and removes its tally.

July 15/09: Politics. The Air Force Association reports that:

“It now turns out that a recent “study” touted by Pentagon leadership as the justification for terminating the F-22 fighter isn’t really a study at all, but a series of briefings by DOD’s Program Analysis and Evaluation shop and the Air Force. That word comes from the Pentagon’s top spokesman, Geoff Morrell… Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been claiming a rigorous analytical basis for stopping the F-22 since early this year. Congress has been pressing the Pentagon for a vetted analysis of F-22 requirements since 2007, when then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England was directed to provide, within a year, a comprehensive tacair plan that would specifically explain how the number of F-22s had been determined. According to various members of Congress, he never complied with this directive.”

July 13/09: Politics. President Obama threatens to veto the defense budget if F-22 funding is included. That same day, S.Amdt 1469, the Levin-McCain amendment to strip $1.75 billion for 7 F-22As out of the Senate’s FY 2010 defense budget, is introduced.

July 13/09: Politics. The right-wing Heritage Foundation discusses past and ongoing rationales for F-22 force structures, in “U.S. Air Force Fifth-Generation Fighter: The F-22A Raptor Requirements Retreat” and “Congress Should Support the Development of an Allied Variant of the F-22A.”

July 9/09: F-22 effectiveness argued. The Washington Post runs “Premier U.S. Fighter Jet Has Major Shortcomings,” an article that’s highly critical of the F-22. It alleges failure to meet key performance parameters, spiraling maintenance and operations costs, and failures of the plane’s stealth coatings in conditions like rain. The USAF offers official replies, which states that the paper got most of its cost and performance claims wrong, and furnishes figures. USAF replies, via Sen. Orrin Hatch [R-UT] | Air Force Association: “A Bagel and a Smear“.

June 29/09: Lawsuit. Stephen Trimble reports that sued former Lockheed Martin engineer Darrol Olsen has filed suit, claiming that the company knowingly supplied defective stealth coatings for the F-22. A copy of the suit is reproduced via scribd.com.

A July 2009 response [PDF] by Lockheed Martin states that:

“We believe the allegations are without merit. While we are aware of the Olsen lawsuit, the Corporation has not yet been served in this matter. We deny Mr. Olsen’s allegations and will vigorously defend this matter if and when it is served.”

June 25/09: Politics. H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, passes the House by a margin of 389 Ayes, 22 Nays, and 22 Present/Not voting. It includes $369 million in funding for long-lead materials to build 12 more F-22s.

In addition, Sec. 132 requires the Secretary of the Air Force to “develop a plan for the preservation and storage of unique tooling related to the production of hardware and end items for F-22 fighter aircraft.” Sec. 1237 requires “a report on potential foreign military sales of the F-22A fighter aircraft to the Government of Japan.”

June 18/09: Politics. House Armed Services Committee disagree with SecDef Gates’ F-22 decision, and prepare to go their own way with respect to F-22 funding. Christian Science Monitor | Aviation Week.

April 22/09: Collision. CF-18 kills! An F-22 Raptor collides with a Canadian CF-18 while taxiing on the runway at Tyndall AFB, FL. This is the 5th F-22 Class A accident in the last 6 years, and it’s a Class A accident because damage is over $1 million. That’s easy on a $150 million F-22A, even if wing damage is minor as it reportedly was in this case.

A higher accident rate per 100,000 flying hours is normal for new aircraft, and the F-22’s rate is reportedly around 7. Older F-16s and F-15s have rates around 3-4, while the venerable B-52 sits at just 1.5 per 100,000 hours. By comparison, unmanned MQ-1 Predator UAVs have a rate of close to 30 per 100,000 hours. Gannett Air Force Times | StrategyPage.

F-22 Accidents

F-22 and F-16s
(click to view full)

April 6/09: Politics. US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announces his recommendation to terminate F-22 orders at the end of FY 2009, leaving the USA with a fleet of 187 aircraft. Let the political fight begin.

The Hill magazine describes the production implications. The Christian Science Monitor’s “You can’t kill F-22, Georgians tell Gates” looks at the local impact of that announcement, the likely 2011-2014 production line hiring gap between the F-22 and F-35, and the role of the unions in any lobbying effort.

March 30/09: GAO Report. The US government’s GAO audit office issues its 7th annual “Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs. This includes the F-22A modernization and improvement program, which began in 2003. It aimed to add better air-to-ground capabilities, leverage the plane’s electronics to offer information warfare, reconnaissance, and other capabilities, and improve the aircraft’s reliability.

The plan was to field these capabilities in 3 increments, to be completed in 2010. Funding decreases, schedule slips, and changes in requirements have pushed the development date back to 2013. The USAF now plans to integrate additional capabilities beyond the three increments in a separate major defense acquisition program, and some planned enhancements have been deferred. GAO:

“One of the F-22A modernization program’s three critical technologies-processing memory-is mature. The two remaining technologies-stores management system and cryptography-are approaching maturity, and have been tested in a relevant environment… According to the F-22 program office, implementation of the modernization program’s three increments has been delayed by 3 years because of numerous budget decreases and program restructurings. Since fiscal year 2002, the F-22A’s modernization budget has been decreased by over $450 million.”

March 29/08: Israel. The Jerusalem Post reports that:

“The [Israeli] Defense Ministry will closely follow discussions in Congress next month over the United States’ 2010 fiscal defense budget amid growing speculation that a ban on foreign sales of the stealth F-22 fighter jet may be lifted to keep the threatened production line alive… “If this happens we will definitely want to review the possibility of purchasing the F-22,” explained a top military source. “In order to have strong deterrence and to win a conflict we need to have the best aircraft that exists.”

Speculation is that Israel would seek to order F-22As immediately, then wait until later in the F-35’s production cycle, when the plane will be cheaper to buy, fully tested, and more technically mature.

March 25/09: An F-22A crashes during a test mission at around 10am, about 35 miles northeast of Edwards Air Force Base, CA. The pilot is killed. For decades, Edwards has been the USAF’s Flight Test Center, where pilots push the envelope in existing and experimental aircraft. Edwards AFB was also the scene of the last F-22 crash, in December 2004.

The 49 year old Lockheed Martin test pilot, David Cooley, was a 21-year USAF veteran. He worked at the F-22 Combined Test Force, a joint team of Lockheed Martin and USAF pilots. Pentagon, initial release | USAF statement | Lockheed Martin statement | Wall St. Journal. A July 2009 Washington Post article says that the pilot was performing a high speed run with weapon bay doors open when the plane crashed.

Crash

Feb 24/09: Australia. Australian Liberal Party MP Dr. Dennis Jensen used to be a defense research scientist. He pens “US Allies Sold Short on New Fighters” as a DID guest article, decrying America’s refusal to export the F-22 to loyal allies like Australia as insulting and strategically short-sighted.

It’s significant that Jensen is a Liberal Party MP, since the previous Liberal Party government had consistently promoted the F-35A over the F-22A as Australia’s future fighter. While in opposition, current Labor Party Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon also expressed a preference for the F-22, and a desire to remove US export controls on the aircraft.

Feb 8/09: Specs. Aviation Week reports that a number of the F-22’s performance parameters are above specifications. Desired radar signature from certain critical angles is -40 dBsm, it can supercruise at Mach 1.78 rather than Mach 1.5, has better acceleration, can operate from about 65,000 feet using afterburner, and its APG-77 AESA radar has 5% better range than originally specified.

See also John Young’s Nov 20/08 transcript, below, for some contrasting but less specific comments.

Above spec.

Jan 20/09: Politics. President-elect Barack Obama receives letters from 200 members of Congress, urging him to continue building F-22s. The letters from the Senate (44: 25 Republican, 19 Democrat) and House (194, led by Phil Gingrey [R-GA], David Scott [D-GA], Kay Granger [R-TX], and Norman Dicks [D-WA]) also claims that his “certification” is needed by March 1/09. Otherwise, a progressive set of shut-downs in the manufacturing supply chain may begin, as final long lead-time item orders for various aircraft components are filled.

The letter cites military arguments involving advanced jet fighter projects underway abroad, and the global proliferation of advanced SA-10/20 anti-aircraft missiles, but its main focus is economic. The figure given is more than 25,000 Americans working for more than 1,000 companies in high-tech and manufacturing jobs. Stated economic multiplier effects deliver $12 billion annually once all monies paid are spent several times throughout that economy; statistically, models predict that another 70,000 local jobs would be indirectly dependent on the F-22 program. House letter text | AOL Political Machine, incl. Senate letter | Defense News.

Jan 19/09: To PACOM. A flight of 14 F-22As deployed from their home base at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska arrive at Andersen AFB in Guam for a 3-month forward deployment. A second set of 12 F-22As arrives in Kadena, Japan from Langley AFB in Virginia.

One of the things the USAF will be paying attention to is the effect that the change from Alaska’s winter to Guam’s tropical climate will have on the aircraft. This difference seems trivial, but it has a variety of implications. The Raptor’s stealth characteristics, for instance, are partly dependent on very smooth fits of its component parts. USAF re: Guam arrival | USAF re: deployment in general | Gannet’s Air Force Times | The Virginian-Pilot.

2008

Readiness data. BACN. Exports?

F-15E and F-22A
(click to view full)

Dec 16/08: The USAF announces that in January 2009, 12 Raptors will deploy to Kadena Air Base, Japan, from Langley Air Force Base, VA, and another 12 will deploy to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, from Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK. The deployments will last for approximately 3 months.

Dec 9/08: Multi-year order? Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, says that he has talked to USAF chief of staff, Gen. Norton Schwartz about buying “60 or so” more F-22As beyond the 183 now on order, which would bring the total to 243. He adds that “I am concerned that it is such an expensive system,” but added that systems like the F-35 often run into delays, and “it’s very important we have capability to bridge to that system with respect to the broad range of capabilities for the country.” Reuters.

Based on existing patterns, 60 F-22As would represent another 3-year, multi-year contract, stretching from 2010-2012. Some analysts believe this will be combined with an F-22EX push to address pressure from Australia, Israel, and Japan, and lift F-22 production numbers in order to bring down the price.

The F-35A’s initial operational date in USAF service is scheduled to be 2013, but the JSF testing program was recently pushed back 6 months, and reports indicate that the phase may be headed for financial shortfalls. With the structural viability of its F-15 Eagle fleet also a question mark, the option of keeping the F-22 production line open has support. One wild card is continuing Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, whose look ahead for the Pentagon sees the USA de-emphasizing fighters as a class, in favor of longer-range options like the “2018 bomber.”

Nov 20/08: Readiness & Upgrades. John Young, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for acquisition technology and logistics, speaks to the Defense Writer’s Group. Full DWG Transcript [PDF] | Partial transcript at The DEW Line. Key excerpts:

“The recent mission capable data for FY2008 on F-22s had a mission capable rate somewhere in the 62 percent range. I think that’s troubling. Follow-on operation tests in 2007 raised operational suitability issues and noted that the airplane still does not meet most of its KPPs. It meets some, but not all… The trend in those operational tests… is actually negative.

The maintenance man hours per flying hour have increased through those tests. The last one was a substantial increase… the Air Force had planned and expected to have kind of a two-tiered structure where some of the earlier jets were not fully capable jets, not to the block 35 or increment 3.2 configuration which provides important capabilities… But the cost of that is $6.3 billion of R&D. This is in a platform we’ve already developed. We’re going to spend six billion more of R&D to engineer the 3.2 upgrade for the software and the changes in the jet, and then about $2 billion to modify on the jets. That’s $8 billion more, and $8 billion I think needs to be spent in order to make sure the 183 airplanes we have will be highly capable fighters. Those discussions need to be had before I think you talk about buying more jets.”

Nov 19/08: Politics. The House Armed Services Air/Land subcommittee is not satisfied with the Pentagon’s response re: unfreezing F-22 funds, and holds hearings on the matter. The bottom line? The Pentagon is able to do whatever it wants, because the bill used the term “not more than,” instead of simply mandating that the full amount be spent on long-lead parts. While that was the bill’s clear intent, the normal GAO process that could force the Defense Department to obey Congress would take too long, given the coming end of the current term of government. Since the officials in question are also likely to see their terms end with the incoming administration, a damaged relationship with Congress doesn’t really mean anything to them at this point. Gannett’s Air Force Times | Aviation Week.

See also Nov 26/08 contracts.

Nov 10-18/08: Politics. Congress appropriated at least $140 million to the Pentagon to buy long-lead items for 20 F-22s, a move that would extend the production line’s life. Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England is believed to angry at the USAF’s success in getting that funding approved, despite Pentagon plans to end production. Whatever the motive, the funds were not being spent.

In an early November 2008 letter, 4 key House members pressed Gates to obligate the entire $140 million that Congress appropriated. Bipartisan signatories included House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton [D-MO] and ranking member Duncan Hunter [R-CA], Armed Services Air and Land Forces subcommittee Chairman Neil Abercrombie [D-HI] and ranking minority member Jim Saxton [R-NJ].

In response, the Office of the Secretary of Defense put out a release that unfroze funds, but allocated only $50 million for 4 fighters, adding that they would request additional money to buy the 4 fighters in the FY 2009 war-supplemental request. In January 2009, said Mr. Young, the next administration can decide to release additional advanced procurement funds, up to the Congressional $140 million ceiling. Office of the Secretary of Defense release via Washington Post | USAF | Aviation Week | Fort Worth Star-Telegram | Gannett Air Force Times | The Hill | TMC.net | Washington Post | Fort Worth Star-Telegram op-ed.

Nov 10/08: Israel. Flight International reports that sticker shock over the proposed $200 million per plane price of F-35As, and a need for rapid delivery, may push Israel to renew its F-22EX request with the new Obama administration.

“This aircraft can be delivered in two years if the deal is approved [DID: 2011, vs. 2012-14 for F-35s], and that is very important for the security of Israel,” comments one Israeli source.”

Read “Israel Requesting F-22EX Fighters” for more.

Oct 27/08: Pilot retention issue. StrategyPage reports:

“Despite signing bonuses of up to $125,000, the U.S. Air Force was unable to get many pilots to sign on for another five years (after they hit their eighth year of service, usually the mandatory service for someone to become a pilot). The bonus program did enable the air force to get 68 percent of pilots to extend their service, but the percentage that did so varied according to aircraft type. At the low end, only 43 percent of F-22 pilots stayed in. At the high end, it was 81 percent for rescue helicopter and F-15E pilots. The other signup percentages were, transport 71 percent, F-15C 68 percent, A-10 53 percent and F-16 51 percent… the air force is still trying to figure out why so few F-22 pilots, and so many F-15E and rescue helicopter pilots, want to stay.”

One possible explanation involves promotion. The USAF is now headed by a career rotary wing/special operations transport pilot, rather than the fighter pilots that had come to dominate top positions. If F-22 pilots believe they will not receive “before the zone” promotions just for being F-22 pilots, the criteria shift toward combat time and service. Which F-22 pilots will not receive, either. F-22s are optimized for precision strikes on difficult strategic targets, and wars with peer-class competitors. To date, the Secretary of Defense has elected not to deploy F-22s to counterinsurgency theaters like Iraq or Afghanistan, and that’s not likely to change.

Oct 10/08: Japan. Flight International’s “Eurofighter gets serious about Japan’s F-X contest” discusses political developments in Japan, where the Eurofighter Typhoon appears to be gaining ground as a possibility.

Flight International’s sources indicate that Japan will make one more push in 2009, after the American elections. If that fails, it is likely to abandon efforts to secure the F-22, and move to buy other options. See DID’s “F-22 Raptors to Japan” for more.

Sept 4/08: Alternative fuel. An F-22 based at Edwards AFB performs an aerial refueling using a synthetic 50/50 mix of JP-8 jet fuel and a natural gas-based fuel. The test was the culmination of Edwards test points in certifying the F-22’s use of the fuel.

It is the first time an Air Force aircraft has refueled in mid-air using an alternative jet engine fuel. USAF.

May 20/08: Hawaii. DTI’s Ares reports on the Hawaiian Air National Guard’s transformation to become the first Air National Guard commanded F-22 unit. The first F-22 simulator is scheduled to arrive in 2008, the first pilots start training in 2009, and they get their first F-22A Block 30 aircraft and a repair facility that can handle stealth fighters in 2010. Hawaii’s 15 F-15Cs will go to Nellis AFB, where they will serve as the aggressor unit for Nellis’ F-22As.

Despite the relative cost of the F-22s, the Pacific’s importance to the USAF is illustrated by the fact that Hawaii was slated to receive from 18-24 F-22s as replacements, all of which will have full ground attack capabilities. Personnel will also increase from 1.2 pilots per aircraft (18) to as much as 1.75 pilots per aircraft (up to 42), with a mix of about 25% active duty USAF pilots and 75% US ANG.

May 13/08: Make mine BACN! If you’re a stealth fighter, opening radio communication can be a bad idea – see our Aug 4/06 entry for details and coverage. At the same time, the F-22A’s tremendous information gathering capabilities have a lot to offer other American fighters.

The US military’s Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2008 (JEFX-08) just finished testing one option: the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) Intra-Flight Data Link subsystem (BIS). In JEFX-08, BACN-BIS received and translated selected F-22 sensor data into the standard tactical data link format and distributed the data to F-15s, F-16s and to ground-based operations centers at Nellis Air Force Base, NV and Langley Air Force Base, VA. BIS did not require modifications to either hardware or software in the F-22 aircraft, and did not compromise any of the F-22’s stealth characteristics. NGC release | DID: Bringing Home the BACN to Front-Line Forces.

May 7/08: Politics. Reuters reports that the US House Armed Services Committee’s Air & Land Forces subcommittee has recommended an additional $523 million as a down payment on long-lead items required for 20 more F-22A fighters in FY 2010. See “C-17A, F-22A May Get Reprieves from Congress.”

April 9/08: Seagulls 1, Raptors 0. F-22 airfields are being bombed, and planes are being damaged. The attackers? Gulls dropping clams onto the runways to break them, whereupon the shells get sucked into the Raptor’s $10.2 million jet engines. Langley AFB in Virginia is trying to defend them. USAF story.

Feb 18/08: Australia. Australia’s new Labor Party government formally announces a major Air Combat Capability Review. The case for and against buying F-22 Raptors, based on regional air power trends until 2045, is one of the explicit items in the ACCR’s terms of reference. See “Australia Unveils Comprehensive Airpower Review” for full details.

Feb 14/08: Radar SAR test. Northrop Grumman announces that tests aboard a company BAC 1-11 test aircraft have successfully demonstrated the AN/APG-77v1 radar’s ability to generate high-resolution, in-flight synthetic aperture radar (SAR) ground maps and moving target tracking. The test flights are the first phase of a planned multi-year contract with Boeing to add SAR capability to the existing fleet of F-22As, and incorporate them into new production aircraft. “F-22As to Add SAR/GTMI Capabilities” explains why this matters to the Raptor’s offensive and defensive capabilities.

February 2008: F-15 age-out. The US Air Force Association’s Washington Watch reports that the recent grounding of the USA’s entire F-15A-D Eagle fleet is sparking questions in Congress re: the viability of the Eagle force. The ripples are being felt by the F-22 program:

“On Dec. 12, 28 Senators and 68 members of the House of Representatives wrote to Pentagon chief Robert M. Gates, urging him to keep buying F-22s, at least through the end of the 2009 Quadrennial Defense Review. They said that, in light of the F-15 groundings and reports indicating that “significantly more than 220” Raptors are needed to fulfill national strategy, ending F-22 production now would be, at best, “ill advised.”… In late December, Pentagon Comptroller Tina W. Jonas directed USAF to shift $497 million marked for F-22 shutdown costs to fix up the old F-15s instead. The move effectively set the stage for continued F-22 production.

…Replacing [the F-15A-D Eagles] with F-22s – above and beyond the 183 Raptors now planned – would require buying at least 20 a year to be minimally efficient. At that rate, it would take nine extra years of production to replace the F-15 fleet fully. Raise the rate, and replacement time would decrease. At 30 per year, the F-15s could be wholly replaced in six years. However, USAF is also struggling to fund the F-35 fighter. It needs to build 110 per year to replace the F-16 in a timely manner, but can only afford 48 per year in its budget…”

Jan 20-27/08: F-22, Pro and Con. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram publishes pro and con articles re: the F-22 program. On the anti F-22 side are F-16 designer Pierre Spey, John Stevenson, and Winslow Wheeler of the left-wing Center for Defense Information: “The F-22: expensive, irrelevant and counterproductive.” The Star-Telegram story appears to be incomplete, so here’s a similar op-ed from the trio on Defense Tech. Their 3 key points regarding the F-22 program deal with force structure, pilot training, and actual unit costs, which they believe to be $180 – $215 million.

On the pro F-22 side, deputy editorial page director J.R. Labbe writes “F-22 is still what the U.S. needs.” See also Oct 30/07 entry re: USAF studies, and February 2008 entry re: the US F-15 fleet, for backward and forward extensions of this ongoing debate.

2007

Lots 7 to 9. Flying costs. FOT&E. Full Operational Capability.

Ice Braker
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Dec 12/07: F-22 FOC.. The USAF’s 1st Fighter Wing’s 27th Fighter Sqn at Langley AFB, VA, have been training since their F-22s were certified for Initial Operational Capability on Dec 15/05. IOC made them capable of emergency combat operations and limited operations like exercises and homeland defense. Now Gen. John D.W. Corley, the commander of Air Combat Command, has officially certified that the F-22 Raptors at Langley AFB have reached Full Operational Capability. This makes them available for combat deployments of any kind, around the world. USAF release.

Full Operational Capability

Nov 29/07: Ice, ice baby. A lot goes into fully fielding an aircraft. November 2007 tests at Eiselson AFB, Alaska focused on the F-22’s braking and anti-skid system, which is unique to the aircraft. In addition to looking at wheel slip like a car’s anti-lock brakes, the F-22’s system also accounts for deceleration through its pinpoint GPS/INS navigation system, in order to improve control on any surface.

Operating – and stopping – on snow, ice fog, and similar surfaces is mandatory for any USAF jet. The tests started with basic ground maneuvering on an icy surface before progressed to high-speed braking tests and eventually, both real and aborted take-off and landings under “low runway condition reading” conditions. Fortunately, the Alaska weather obliged and the team was able to finish all mandatory test points within the first 5 days of the 3-week test period. They went on to gather more data and updated the F-22’s landing charts, flight manuals, and cold-weather maintenance procedures. USAF story.

Oct 30/07: Politics. The Lexington Institute releases “Policymakers Suppress Expert Findings on Future Fighter.” The key excerpt:

“The world’s pre-eminent repository of air power expertise [DID: he means the USAF] says it needs 381. Is there some other authoritative source of insight into the right number? It turns out there are three such sources, because three separate studies on the subject were commissioned during the quadrennial review — including one requested by Mr. England himself from the same outfit that provided an earlier plan for streamlining naval aviation. So what do the studies say? The Pentagon won’t tell us… And here’s why… each study concluded that 183 F-22s isn’t enough. They all found a requirement for more, with the analysis requested by Mr. England recommending a number somewhere in the 250-aircraft range…”

Oct 29/07: Active in Alaska. The 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base activates the 525th Fighter Squadron during a ceremony at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. The second active-duty F-22 Raptor squadron had been based in Bitburg, Germany, and was formally activated nearly 3 months after the new F-22s officially landed on base. Lt. Col. Chuck Corcoran assumed command of the squadron with its initial cadre of 5 pilots and 4 support staff. USAF release.

Sept 28/07: Testing – GBU-39 SDB. The USAF announces that the F-22 Raptor Combined Test Force staff has conducted the first airborne separation of a small diameter bomb from the internal weapons bay of an F-22, to ensure the SDB would have a clean separation when released. Testing confirmed expectations. The tests are part of the F-22A’s Increment 3.1 upgrade.

Sept 26/07: Lockheed Martin announces that the US Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) has designated the F-22A as “effective, suitable and mission capable,” following a second increment of Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation (FOT&E II). capabilities evaluated during the operational test included the areas of mission generation, mission support, and enhancements to air-to-air and air-to-ground employment capabilities. AFOTEC Commander Maj. Gen. Steve Sargeant:

“This second FOT&E was a significant milestone in terms of validating the F-22A’s combat capability to conduct Offensive Counter Air-Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (OCA-DEAD) We are confident we have provided Air Combat Command and senior Air Force leaders with an accurate and complete picture of the Raptor’s impressive operational capabilities. AFOTEC also highlighted where additional resources can be focused to further mature and sustain this fifth generation fighter.”

“Effective and Suitable”

Aug 29/07: Air Force officials receive the 100th F-22 Raptor from Lockheed Martin. The milestone aircraft (USAF serial number 05-0100) will be assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. USAF release.

#100

Aug 13-17/07: F-117 to F-22. More than 70 49th Fighter Wing operators and maintainers gathered at the 1st Fighter Wing in at Langley Air Force Base, VA to hand off 25 years of stealth knowledge, as well as stealth integration tactics. This training is the third and final combined training between the F-117 and the F-22. Previous combined events were held at Tyndall AFB, Fla., and Nellis AFB, Nev., each with a different focus. Holloman AFB, NM will be receiving the F-22, and transitioning from the F-1117 Nighthawk. Lt. Col. Todd Flesch, the 8th Fighter Squadron commander, said that:

“This is the first time we will really be able to talk full capabilities of both jets at an operational level … The F-117 mission is going away. It’s being handed off and we need to make sure what we’ve learned is passed on correctly. In the Air Force, when one plane takes over another, we tend to reinvent the wheel. This time, it’s a total hand-over of knowledge.”

USAF: “Holloman Airmen hand stealth knowledge to F-22 community”

Aug 8/07: PACOM. Ceremonies are held at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska to mark the formal beginning of operations for the F-22 Raptor in the Pacific region, where the 90th Fighter Squadron is deployed. The Pacific Alaska Range Complex’s 67,000 square miles of space to train in played a role in this basing decision. USAF report | Lockheed Martin release. NOTE: Lockheed Martin changed its web back end and URLs recently, but did not include a redirect feature, thus breaking all previous links to its site.

Raptors first visited Alaska in June 2006 when the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB, VA deployed to participate in Northern Edge, a large-scale, force-on-force exercise. Lockheed Martin states that Raptor pilots flew 97% of their scheduled missions, and achieved an 80-to-1 kill ratio against their Red Air opponents. See June 9-16/06 entry for more.

AMRAAMs on AVEL

July 2/07: Multi-Year buy OK. Air Force officials announce authorization from Congress to pursue multi-year agreements for Lots 7, 8 and 9. The multi-year contract approach has been controversial, with competing claims as to whether it will save money or not. Contracts with Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney are expected to follow later this summer [DID: and did, see July 31/07 contract entries]. USAF: “Materiel Command on track to deliver more F-22s.”

May 18/07: Air shows. The USAF is beginning to exhibit the F-22A at air shows. An Air Force Association Magazine article “Raptor Puts on the Ritz” describes some of the maneuvers, including the “tail slide” that is also executed by SU-30s as a way of breaking doppler radar locks.

May 10/07: PACOM. The 27th Fighter Squadron leaves Japan and begins their return to Langley Air Force Base, VA. In addition to sharpening their understanding of foreign deployment requirements, the unit also flew over 600 sorties against pilots from various US services, and the Japanese Air Self Defense Force (which is interested in buying an export version). The squadron also “conducted almost 30 tours and briefings for visiting dignitaries” during their 3 month deployment. USAF report.

April 27/07: South Korea. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency: “Seoul eyes advanced jets beyond F-15K” contends that the issue of F-22 exports to Japan will be under discussion during the imminent summit between U.S. President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this week. The decision will be watched closely by South Korea, which also wants 5th generation fighter jets for its 3rd phase F-X purchase. An excerpt:

“China is modernizing its air force at a rapid pace,” said Dennis Wilder, senior director for East Asian Affairs at the White House National Security Council. “And so we are very positively disposed to talking to the Japanese about future-generation fighter aircraft.”

DID’s coverage of South Korea’s F-X program looks at some of the obstacles in the way of granting South Korea similar treatment. See esp. its April 27/07 update.

April 20/07: Israel. Flight International reports that Israel has approached the USA about acquiring Lockheed Martin F-22s, as concern mounts about new threats to the IAF’s regional air superiority from proposed sales of advanced US weapons to the Gulf states, and Israeli assessments of a growing threat from Iran. Sources say that the issue was raised during a recent one-day trip by US defense secretary Robert Gates to Israel.

April 2/07: GAO Report – fatigue issues. The US Government Accountability Office releases #GAO-07-415 – ‘Tactical Aircraft: DOD Needs a Joint and Integrated Investment Strategy’, which describes the Pentagon’s current fighter modernization plans as “unexecutable.” The F-22 is discussed in many places, but this excerpt has immediate relevance:

“The Air Force is working with the contractor to fix structural deficiencies on the F-22A. Fatigue testing identified cracks in the aircraft near the horizontal section tail of the aircraft. The Air Force is planning modifications to strengthen the structure to get the 8,000-hour service life. The Air Force estimates the costs to modify 72 F-22As will be approximately $124 million. These modifications will not be fully implemented until 2010.”

March 26/07: APG-77v1 certified. Northrop Grumman Corporation announces radar flight-test certification for the next-generation variant of the F-22’s active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, the AN/APG-77v1. It will be installed beginning with Lot 5 production that will finish by the end of March 2007. It supposedly improves search and targeting modes, though exact details were not discussed. The flight tests were conducted as part of an overall flight-test certification of the Raptor by the Combined Test Force team at Edwards Air Force Base from Jan. 18 – March 7, 2007; it included AIM-9 and AIM-120 missile launches, and JDAM bomb drops. The flight-test certification is one of the prerequisites for the aircraft to begin the Operational Utility Evaluation (OUE) phase, after which Raptors with the new radar are considered available for combat.

March 20/07: Air shows. Pratt & Whitney announces that the USAF has selected the F-22 Raptor for their East Coast Demonstration Team beginning in April 2007 at Langley Air Force Base, VA. This marks the end of more than 20 years of showmanship by the F100-PW-100 powered F-15 Eagle East Demonstration Team, which performed for more than a million spectators annually at air shows and demonstrations.

The East Coast Demonstration air show season runs from April through mid-November 2007. The F119-powered F-22 Raptor will perform multiple flyby passes that will include a series of high and low speed climbing and turning maneuvers during its first season.

March 13/07: UID. Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne toured Pratt & Whitney’s East Hartford and Middletown operations to recognize their implementation of the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Unique Identification (UID) marking initiative. Pratt & Whitney began the UID marking program in January 2005, with data tracking on nearly 200 F119 engine parts, and is working toward UID marking on all of its military engine products. Steve Finger, Pratt & Whitney president, is quoted as saying that “We have experienced numerous measurable benefits as a result of implementing UID technology…”

See “UPC Body Publishes New Supply Chain Standards” for more information concerning the DoD-wide UID initiative. Government defense suppliers must deliver UID-compliant hardware by 2010.

March 7/07: Flying cost. In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee Air & Land Forces Subcommittee, Congressional Research Service defense specialist Christopher Bolkcom says, inter alia [PDF]:

“The military services generally would prefer to invest in new aircraft rather than modernize older aircraft. They often argue that new aircraft will be cheaper to operate and maintain than the aircraft they will replace. Frequently, this has not proven to be the case. Newer aircraft are often more complex than those they replace, and cost more to operate. The estimated flying hour cost of the F-22, for example, is $22,284.00. The estimated flying hour cost of the F-15C/D it will replace is $14,139/$13,524.”

The F-22 had been sold as being cheaper to maintain than its F-15 predecessor, just as the F-15 was sold relative to the F-4. Neither of those claims turned out to be true. This consistent trend is an important explanation for shrinking fleet numbers, even as budgets rise.

Flying costs

February 2007: Testing – SDB-I. The 411th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB begins formal integration testing of the F-22A Raptor and the GBU-39/B Small-Diameter Bomb. See USAF Link article.

Feb 20/07: Australia. Controversy continues in Australia regarding the F-35, and has spread to include the 24 F-18 E/F Super Hornets the government is moving to buy as a stopgap until the F-35A arrives.

Feb 17-18/07: PACOM. Kadena Air Force Base (AFB), Japan received 10 F-22A Raptors in the aircraft’s first overseas deployment. The F-22As are assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB, VA, and are under the command of Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver. The aircraft started their deployment with a stop at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, but a software issue affecting the aircraft’s navigation system was discovered on February 11th, causing the aircraft to return to Hickam. The issue was corrected and the aircraft continued on to Kadena.

The 27th FS deployed more than 250 Airmen to Kadena for the 90-120 day deployment, which is part of a regularly-scheduled U.S. Pacific Command rotational assignment of aircraft to the Pacific. See USAF release.

Feb 11/07: Glitched out. The F-22A’s first foreign deployment to Kadena Air Force Base (AFB), Japan runs into a serious problem. The aircraft started their deployment with a stop at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, but a software issue affecting the aircraft’s navigation system was discovered on February 11th, forcing the aircraft to return to Hickam without navigation or communications.

The planes were very fortunate that KC-10 aerial tankers were flying with them.

Software shootdown

Jan 17/07: Multi-Year deal. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne tells Inside the Air Force that “We promised the Congress a savings of about $225 million,” in the FY 2007-2009 multi-year procurement (MYP) of 60 aircraft, and “we think that is very achievable and we continue to think that is very achievable… Every program has its ups and downs, but I do believe that the $225 million is achievable, and I think we can demonstrate it.”

The multi-year buy was resurrected by Sen. Saxby Chambliss [R-GA] as an amendment despite opposition from fellow Republicans Warner [R-AK] and McCain [R-AZ], but the case for it was based largely on a business case analysis conducted by the Institute for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, VA. Their now-departed CEO’s shareholdings in F-22 subcontractor EDO have cast a shadow over those findings, however, and the final FY 2007 defense bill required a new business case analysis as a condition of the MYP’s continuation.

Jan 12/07: Collier Trophy. 2006 Collier Trophy Win for F-22 Raptor aircraft team. The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) is the oldest national aviation organization in the United States, and is dedicated to the advancement of the art, sport and science of aviation in the U.S. The Collier Trophy was established in 1911, and is granted each year “for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America… during the preceding year.” Lockheed release.

F-22A: Colonial Flag
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Jan 16/07: F-22 at Red Flag. “Colonial Flag” the first of three Red Flags this year, and the F-22 Raptor is participating for the first time. The USAF says that more than 200 aircraft and about 5,200 military members from the United States, United Kingdom and Australia are taking part over a pair of 2-week periods.

Other combat aircraft platforms at colonial Flag included B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighters, B-1 Lancer heavy bombers, F-16 Falcons, F-15E Strike Eagles, Royal Air Force GR-4 Tornado strike aircraft, Australian F-111 Aardvark strike aircraft, and the AH-64 Apache Army helicopter. The F-22’s role was primarily air-to-air fighter escort, but it also demonstrated air-to-ground capabilities since Red Flag exercises include ground-based air-defense systems. See the USAF’s “F-22 Raptors make mark at Red Flag” for details. Fence Check Magazine adds that:

“February’s Red Flag 2007-2 at Nellis Air Force Base may prove to be the only true “Stealth Flag” involving all three US stealth aircraft… In a tour de force Red Flag debut, the 1st Fighter Wing’s 94th FS cleared the skies of “Red Force” fighters with only one purported loss during the entire two-week exercise. The Langley AFB, Virginia based squadron’s exceptional success surprised even the most experience Raptor pilots.”

Jan 10/07: PACOM. Air Force officials are scheduled to deploy a squadron of F-22 Raptors to Kadena Air Base, Japan, as part of U.S. Pacific Command’s Theater Security Package in the Western Pacific in early 2007. See USAF article.

2006

Multi-year buy. Unit cost.

Side-bay door open
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Nov 13/06: Politics. Aviation Week’s Aerospace Daily & Defense Report publishes “Rumsfeld’s Ouster, Dems’ Arrival Could Bring TACAIR Changes.” There are a number of predictions that the changes will involve more F-22As, followed by fewer F-35s and more F/A-18 Super Hornets.

Nov 1/06: Australia. AVM Criss: Does Groupthink Power Australia’s JSF? Follow-on to DID’s updated Oct 2/06 article. Retired Australian Air Vice Marshal Peter Criss pens a guest article, and discusses both the JSF decision and what he contends is a larger problem of groupthink within Australia’s DoD.

Oct 20/06: Maintenance pros & cons. Aviation Week has a report covering the F-22’s maintenance history to date. The short version: Integrating all the systems through the avionics supercomputer brain offers plusses in self-diagnostics, preventative maintenance, fewer spare parts required, and fewer repair roles.

On the other hand, avionics is 70% of the maintenance workload, and even false alarm failures can affect several systems. Some systems like the F119 engines have been better than expected, while other systems like pumps have been problematic. Read the full article.

Oct 19/06: New radar tricks. DID’s article “Elec Tricks II: $9.7M for Further Research” is a follow-on to our December 2005 piece that cites the potential to use the F-22A’s AN/APG-77 AESA radar as a secure, high-bandwidth communications relay. It seems the concept is being taken seriously, and given additional funding.

Oct 2/06: Australia. Recently-retired Australian Air Vice Marshal Peter Criss has publicly broken ranks with Australia’s DoD, and advocates buying the F-22A Raptor for Australia instead of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. DID has the coverage – including a very in-depth submission to a Parliamentary Committee that supports Criss’ view and explains some of the thinking behind it, and submissions from the Australian government and Parliament.

Note that Australia’s planned buy of early-production F-35A aircraft could result in costs of over $100 million each, considerably narrowing the gap with the F-22 whose recently quoted price per aircraft could be as low as $130 million.

Sept 27/06: Multi-year buy. House and Senate defense appropriators have tentatively approved multi-year procurement of the F-22A, “realigning” $210 million in additional funds from the base budget line to the advance procurement line and bringing the total budget for advance procurement to $687.4 billion. The move would fund 20 fighters each year through FY 2006, 2007, and 2008; but it must remain in the final FY 2007 budget in order to become official. A move to consider foreign sales of the F-22, however, was rejected. See full Aviation Week article.

Aug 8/06: Industrial. Boeing Starts Production of Aft Fuselage for 100th F-22 Raptor. A corporate release that normally wouldn’t draw DID’s interest – but they describe a couple of the manufacturing improvements implemented during the program.

Aug 4/06: Training for stealth. Learning to handle a new and stealthy aircraft like the F-22 to its full potential isn’t just a job for its pilots. Tyndall AFB in Florida is the first base to develop integration tactics for ground and air command and F-22s, and is using the new capabilities to train all new F-22 pilot and air battle manager students.

One change is a greater emphasis on stealth-friendly mission protocols: the goal is for an F-22 pilot to leave his home base, locate, cue in on and destroy all targets, receive the locations of all possible threats, receive landing instructions and come home safely without being seen or heard, on radar or via more obvious radio intercepts. This USAF Link article covers some of the efforts along those lines, including the use of Link 16 and other relatively ‘silent’ encrypted data channels for text messaging, situation updates, etc.

July 26/06: Multi-year buy. In testimony to the Senate, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne said the USAF has met 5/6 legislative requirements for proceeding with multi-year funding on the F-22 aircraft – the last being full funding authorization from Congress, which he intends to meet in the FY 2008 program objective memorandum. The 6 requirements under Title 10 U.S. Code, Section 2306B are: (1) promotes national security, (2) the number of aircraft required is stable, (3) the aircraft design is stable, (4) the contract will result in substantial savings, (5) the cost estimates for the contract and cost avoidance are realistic, and (6) able to provide stable funding throughout the contract period.

July 25/06: Multi-year buy. The July 25, 2006 Congressional Budget Office testimony to the Senate regarding the proposed multi-year buy of F-22s is lukewarm at best. The short version? The percentage is small relative other aircraft programs, funding for the 60 aircraft involved is not set, any cancellation costs aren’t covered, and savings are uncertain.

June 23/06: Multi-year buy & retrofits. An Air Force Link article notes that the USAF and manufacturers are finalizing F-22 design issues. Those issues include changes to the canopy actuator, the air recharge system, the nose gear retraction system, the forward boom heat treatment, and several structural retrofits. The total cost to make these repairs to the existing fleet of Raptors comes to about $105 million, and these issues will be corrected in the production line for lots 6 to 9 (each lot = 20-25 aircraft).

The USAF is also lobbying for a multi-year procurement buy for the 60 aircraft in Lots 7, 8 and 9 of the F-22A. The last jet in that series would be delivered around 2011, and the USAF estimates that bulk buys would allow savings of up to $225 million. See USAF Link article. The Project On Government Oversight disputes the savings, and the US Congress is reportedly very lukewarm on the idea so far.

June 23/06: The same USAF Link article cited above contains a quote from Maj. Gen. Richard B.H. Lewis, US Air Force executive officer for the F-22 program, which gives some precise program figures:

“By the time all 183 jets have been purchased, around $28 billion will have been spent on research and development. An additional $34 billion will have been spent on actually procuring the aircraft. That’s about $62 billion for the total program cost. Divided out, that’s comes to about $338 million per aircraft.

But the reality is, if the Air Force wanted to buy just one more jet, it would cost the taxpayer less than half that amount. The current cost for a single copy of an F-22 stands at about $137 million. And that number has dropped by 23 percent since Lot 3 procurement, General Lewis said.

“The cost of the airplane is going down,” he said. “And the next 100 aircraft, if I am allowed to buy another 100 aircraft … the average fly-away cost would be $116 million per airplane.””

Cost per jet

June 9-16/06: Exercise Northern Edge. Exercise Northern Edge in Alaska, which includes Army troops, Navy ships, and Marines in addition to the Air Force. Participating fighters on the “Red” side included front-line F-15s, F-16s, and Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. In one Northern Edge engagement, USAF and its sister services put more than 40 fighters in the air at once, as well as E-2C Hawkeye and E-3 AWACS aircraft. Red Air units were allowed to regenerate and return to the fight after being killed, but lost forces on the F-22’s “Blue” side could not. In the largest single engagement, F-22-led forces claimed 83 enemies to one loss, after facing down an opposing force that had generated or regenerated 103 adversary fighters.

The final air-to-air tally for the F-22’s “Blue” team was a favorable 241-2 kill ratio – and the 2 lost aircraft were F-15Cs. “They [the Red Air adversaries] couldn’t see us,” said Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver. This was reportedly true even when the opponents were assisted by AWACS. Close-in, where radar-guided missiles are just one option among many, the Raptor was equally formidable. Col. Thomas Bergeson, the 1st Operations Group commander said that he and a captain engaged 6 F-16s at close range, but it was “no problem.” Even when all of their missiles were gone, the Raptors remained in the fight, flying as stealthy forward air controllers and guiding their colleagues to enemies hiding in their AWACS’ blind spots, behind mountains and such.” When the AIM-120D AMRAAM missile enters wider service, F-22s will also have the option of actively guiding missiles fired by other aircraft.

The F-22s also dropped 26 inert 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions, responding to close air support requests from ground troops, with 26 hits. Col. Tolliver had a sensible take: “We’re not an A-10; we’re not an F-16. We don’t do close support like that, but we do carry two 1,000-pound JDAMs, and we can support that ground troop, and that’s … what we proved.” USAF release | AFA article.

June 12/06: Testing – JDAM. The F-22 Combined Test Force team of The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, and the US Air Force successfully tested the F-22’s precision strike capabilities at White Sands Missile Range, NM. The F-22 flew at a speed of Mach 1.5 at 50,000 feet, released a 1,000 pound GPS-guided JDAM from a range of 24 nautical miles to destroy a ground target. The drop tested the Raptor’s Launch Acceptability Region (LAR) supersonic algorithm, developed by a Boeing collaboration of F-22, Phantom Works and JDAM engineers. It defines the area in the sky from which the pilot can release a weapon to successfully attack the desired target, factoring in in navigation, weather, target and weapon information. See Boeing release.

May 10/06: Titanium. Titanium prices have been cited as potential future cost issues for the F-35 and F-22 fighter programs, but a 1973 US law called the Berry Amendment has the effect of restricting supply and raising prices. On May 10, the Aerospace Industry Association reported that they’ve reached agreement in principle with senior leaders of the Defense Department on changes to the Berry Amendment.

April 29/06: Politics. Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee chair Rep. Curt Weldon [R-PA] criticized the USAF’s new F-22A buying strategy, and his subcommittee proposes a different funding approach for the F-22A. Read the full Inside Defense article for all the maneuvering involved, which surely rivals most dogfights for intricacy.

Feb 20/06: F-22 Raptors to Japan? Inside The Air Force (ITAF) reports that momentum is building within the Air Force to sell the ultra-advanced F-22A Raptor abroad to trusted U.S. allies, as a way of plussing up numbers and production. The Japanese are lobbying, and some military personnel think it’s a good idea (updated May 2007).

January 10/05: Force shift? US Plans to Retire B-52s, C-21s, F-117 & U-2 for more F-22s. The move was designed to add $1 billion to the F-22A Raptor program in order to keep the production line running. As long as it is running, then future contingencies and needs leave the USAF with the option of ordering more.

The F-117 was retired, but the U-2s turned out to have no effective replacement. As of 2012, the full fleet is still serving the USAF.

2005 (Partial)

 

F-22A over Ft. Monroe
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Dec 15/05: Elec Tricks: Turning AESA Radars Into Broadband Comlinks. The F-22’s large AESA radar may have an important capability that it’s builders hadn’t suspected. If so, the Raptor’s ability to securely share information with other AESA-equipped planes like the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and some F-15s could rise by several orders of magnitude.

Nov 15/05: In its annual Selected Acquisition Reports (SARs) submitted to the Congress for FY 2005 (ended Sept. 30, 2005), the US Defense Department had no slippages or cost increases to report for the F/A-22, just normal milestone reporting. Its SAR was submitted to rebaseline because it progressed from a Development to a Production Estimate, following the April 2005 approval of Full Rate Production (Milestone III) for the F-22A.

SAR

Oct 24/05: Supersonic SIGINT: Will F-35, F-22 Also Play EW Role? The F-22’s abilities in this area had been kept under wraps, but it’s coming out as a result of budget lobbying. The F-22 may have electronic warfare capabilities out of the box that rival dedicated aircraft like the EA-6B Prowler, and eavesdropping and scanning capabilities that rival 707 airliner-based aircraft like the RC-135 Rivet Joint.

Oct 6/05: Titanium. Boeing is trying to get out ahead of the titanium supply issue. This issue matters to the F-22, which uses a lot of titanium.

October 2005: Air Force Magazine Online (October 2005) – England Launches New Fighter Review. Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England’s upcoming new air power review, which may provide further cuts in the F/A-22 and F-35 programs after all is said and done (in the end, the numbers remained stable).

F-22 Raptor: Contracts & Production

F-22 Cutaway

The F-22A Raptor was built at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facilities in Palmdale, CA; Meridian, MS; Marietta, GA; and Fort Worth, TX, as well as Boeing’s plant in Seattle, WA. The Raptor program also included 1,000 nationwide suppliers and subcontractors in 42 states. Final assembly and initial flight testing of the Raptor took place at Lockheed’s Marietta, GA plant facilities.

Unless otherwise specified, the Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH issues all contracts listed here, and Lockheed Martin Corp. in Fort Worth, TX (near Dallas) is the recipient.

FY 2015

AIM-9X integration work.

Combat debut

Oct 27/14: Support. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Fort Worth, TX receives a $486.5 million contract modification, exercising a 3rd option year for F-22 sustainment. $1 million in FY 2014 USAF RDT&E budgets are committed immediately.

Work will be performed at Fort Worth, TX, and is expected to be complete by Dec 31/15. The USAF Life Cycle Management Center at Hill AFB, UT manages the contract (FA8611-08-C-2897 PO 0566).

Oct 24/14: 3.2B: AIM-9X. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Fort Worth, TX receives a maximum $33.4 million unfinalized contract for AIM-9X Configurable Rail Launcher (CRL) modification to the F-22. They’ll provide upgrade to 220 AIM-9 CRLs with AIM-9X capability. $5.8 million is committed immediately, using FY 2014 USAF aircraft budgets.

The ability to fire AIM-9X missiles is part of Increment 3.2B upgrades, and limited testing has begin (q.v. Events, July 30/12) but a fielded capability isn’t expected until at least 2017. The lack of a corresponding helmet-mounted display is a concern for Raptor pilots (q.v. Events, Jan 31/13).

Work will be performed at Fort Worth, TX, and is expected to be completed by Feb 28/17. The USAF Life Cycle Management Center at Hill AFB, UT manages the contract (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0559).

FY 2014

Talon HATE and 5-to-4 for comms.

F-22 Simulator
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Sept 16/14: Talon HATE. Boeing Advanced Network & Space Systems, Phantom Works has completed the final design review for the USAF’s Talon HATE pod program, which is designed to enable existing fighters to share information with F-22s over stealth-friendly secure datalinks. The core of this effort integrates the same IFDL datalink used on F-22As with MIDS-JTRS, a Link-16 box whose new software-defined electronics allow it to use different waveforms concurrently. Fighters equipped with the Talon HATE pod can bridge the gap between the F-22A and everyone else, serving as a distribution node over more universal modes like Link-16. As a bonus, pod-equipped fighters also get IRST long-range infrared to find targets – a method that bypasses radar stealth. This is especially useful against low-flying cruise missiles.

Note that unarmed platforms like the BACN UAVs and business jets can already handle datalink bridging, but you wouldn’t take them into enemy airspace. Hence the fighter pod approach. Tactically, Talon HATE allows the F-22 to act as a “bird dog” forward observer of sorts, transmitting the position of enemy aircraft and key ground systems to pod-equipped legacy fighters, who share the data with the rest of the force. To the extent that legacy fighters employ new missiles with full 2-way datalinks and compatibility with F-22 retargeting, the F-22s could even serve as terminal guidance. The idea isn’t entirely new, and was demonstrated during the Northern Edge 2006 exercise when F-22s were used to find opponents whose positioning behind obstacles made them invisible to standard AWACS (q.v. Key Events, June 9-16/06). What’s new is the ability to do this without giving away the F-22’s position: Talon HATE is an initial effort, and may be followed by a “5-to-4” program.

F-15C air superiority fighters are Talon HATE’s initial platform, but MIDS-JTRS is being deployed on the US Navy’s multi-role F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, as is expected to spread to other fighters as a standard. Boeing is scheduled to deliver several Talon HATE systems to operational F-15C squadrons in 2015. Sources: Boeing, “Boeing Completes Design Review for U.S. Air Force’s Talon HATE Program”.

Sept 16/14: Engines. United Technologies subsidiary Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, CT receives a $7 million contract modification for a rotable F119 PW-100 engine parts pool. All funds are committed immediately, using FY 2014 USAF O&M budgets.

Work will be performed at East Hartford, CT, and is expected to be complete by Dec 31/14. USAF Life Cycle Management Center in Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract (FA8611-08-C-2896, PO 0125).

Sept 12/14: Engines. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, CT has received a $7,627,698 contract modification for F-22 sustainment, including the purchase of an additional 112 Rotor 5s for the F119 engines. All funds are committed immediately, using FY 2014 USAF O&M budgets.

Work will be performed at East Hartford, CT, and is expected to be complete by Dec 17/17. The USAF Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract (FA8611-08-C-2896 P00127)

June 18/14: 5-to-4. The USAF is planning an RFP by March 2015, for a “5th to 4th” system that would allow F-22s to communicate with F-35s and other fighters, in ways that they hope won’t give away their position. What they still don’t have, are specifications. Boeing, Northrop Grumman (Jetpack Link-16 translator) and Lockheed/L-3 (Chameleon waveform/ Missouri project) are expected to bid.

“Underscoring the need for a quick program is the fact that communications are a limiting factor to using F-22s operationally. They were considered for use in the Libya campaign in 2011, but planners were stymied by an inability to deliver data collected by the F-22s back to other forces, according to one industry source.”

They’re reportedly considering a Multi-Domain Adaptable Processing System (MAPS) that will fit on older “teen series” fighters, similar to the “Talon HATE” IRST + MIDS/IFDL datalink pods slated for trials on F-15Cs by the middle of 2015. The catch is that this approach depends on having non-stealthy translator aircraft within range of the stealth jets, in an era when advanced air defense systems have ranges of 100 miles or more, and enemies are developing advanced stealth fighters. Sounds risky for the translators. Sources: Aviation Week, “5th-To-4th Gen Fighter Comms Competition Eyed In Fiscal 2015”.

Dec 23/13: Support. A $108.2 million cost-plus-fixed-price contract modification for F-22 calendar year 2014 depot throughput and touch-labor sustainment. $36.3 million in FY 2014 O&M funding budgets are committed immediately.

Work will be performed at Fort Worth, TX, and is expected to be complete by Dec 31/14. USAF Life Cycle Management Center/WWUKH at Hill AFB, UT, is the contracting activity (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0501).

Dec 20/13: FASTeR. A maximum $562 million, unfinalized contract modification will incorporate 9 months of FASTeR support in 2014. $157.3 million in FY 2014 RDT&E, Air National Guard, and O&M funding is committed immediately.

Under FASTeR, Lockheed Martin provides all sustaining engineering, field service, modifications, heavy maintenance, supply chain management, technical data maintenance, and reliability and maintainability upgrades for the F-22 Raptor. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, TX, and is expected to be complete by Sept 30/14. The USAF Life Cycle Management Center/WWUK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0212, contract change proposal 0362).

Dec 20/13: Engines. UTC subsidiary Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, CT receives an maximum $231.5 million unfinalized contract modification for calendar year sustainment of their F119-PW-100 thrust-vectoring turbofans. $106.9 million in FY 2014 O&M funds are committed immediately.

Work will be performed at East Hartford, CT; Edwards AFB, CA; Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; Hill AFB, UT; Holloman AFB, N.M.; Langley AFB, VA; Nellis AFB, NV, Sheppard AFB, TX; Tinker AFB, OK; and Tyndall AFB, FL, and is expected to be complete by Dec 31/14. The USAF Life Cycle Management Center/WWUK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract (FA8611-08-C-2896, PO 0116).

Nov 7/13: Training. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Fort Worth, TX receives a $19.8 million option to retrofit fielded mission training centers with “out the window visual systems upgrade” (i.e. the surrounding screens in the simulator) and night vision goggles capability. This will include F-22 training systems at Sheppard Air Force Base (AFB), TX; Tyndall AFB, FL; Langley AFB, VA; Hickam AFB, Hawaii, and Elmendorf AFB, AK. All funds are committed immediately.

Work will be performed at St. Louis, MO, with an expected completion date of Dec 31/16. The USAF Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0050).

FY 2013

Major upgrade contract; 5to4 aims to improve fighter communication; Sustainment; structural retrofit.

F-22 air show
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Sept 3/13: Engines. United Technologies’ Pratt & Whitney division in East Hartford, CT receives an $18.4 million contract modification for 5,434 more F119-PW-100 low pressure turbine blades. The total cumulative face value of this contract is now $1.848 billion, but engine production has stopped (q.v. Jan 17/13, in Events). All funds are committed immediately.

Work will be performed at East Hartford, CT, and is expected to be complete by Dec 31/14. The USAF’s Life Cycle Management Center/WWUK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract (FA8611-08-C-2896, PO 0110).

Feb 20/13: FREDI An maximum $6.9 billion indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for F-22 modernization. Lockheed Martin has confirmed that this is the Follow-on Raptor Enhancement, Development and Integration (FREDI) contract. Program officials later tell the GAO that about $6.2 billion will continue work on defined modernization efforts, with $700 million available for unexpected costs or undefined needs. An updated cost estimate that reflects all modernization costs through the life of the aircraft won’t be done until late in 2014.

The previous REDI contract reached a $7.4 billion maximum (vid. Nov 18-22/11 entry). It fully funded Increment 3.2A modernization, and has funded all of Increment 3.2B to date, which includes all of the design portion and unique hardware development requirements.

FREDI will complete software development for Increment 3.2B upgrades, and then complete systems integration, developmental testing and operational testing needs until 2023. Note that $6.9 billion is far less than FREDI’s $16 billion maximum (vid. Jan 26/11 entry).

Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; San Diego, CA; Nashua, NH; and Wayne, NJ. Work is expected to be complete by Feb 20/23. This award is a result of a sole source acquisition by AFLCMC/WWUK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (FA8611-13-D-2850). See also GAO-14-425, “Cost and Schedule Transparency Is Improved, Further Visibility into Reliability Efforts Is Needed”.

FREDI Modernization

Feb 13/13: 5 to 4. FBO.gov:

“AFLCMC located at Hanscom, AFB, MA, requests information from industry to identify qualified, experienced, and interested sources for procurement of communications gateway products that will digitally connect and exchange data between 5th Generation Fighters (e.g., F-22 and F-35) and 4th Generation Fighters (e.g., F-15, F-16, F-18) with the potential to connect to additional platforms (e.g., Command and Control (C2) units; Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) units; bomber aircraft; and national assets).”

The BACN E-11A jet and EQ-4B UAV already do this, but there are places you wouldn’t send them. 5to4 aims to field a TRL 6+ system that allows the fighters themselves to digitally connect, connecting existing Link 16 platforms with F-22s via the Intra-Flight Data Link (IFDL), and eventually to F-35s via the Multifunctional Advanced Data Link (MADL).

Dec 18/12: FASTeR. A $613.3 million contract modification for the continued sustainment support of the F-22 part of the follow-on agile sustainment to the Raptor (FASTeR) program. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, TX until the end of the fiscal year, on Sept. 30, 2013 (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0165).

Dec 18/12: Support. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, CT received an $85.3 million contract modification for F119 Engine Sustainment at East Hartford, CT; Edwards Air Force Base, CA; Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; Hill AFB, UT; Holloman AFB, NM; Langley AFB, VA; Nellis AFB, NV; Sheppard AFB, TX; Tinker AFB, OK and Tyndall AFB, FL. Work will run until Dec 31/13 (FA8611-08-C-2896, PO 0100).

Oct 23/12: SRP-II, etc. A $133.7 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for F-22 modifications and heavy maintenance sustainment, depot throughput and installations, signature analysis system reduction, contractor field teams, structural retrofit plan (SRP-II) and modernization and common configuration work.

Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, UT, and Palmdale, CA until Dec 31/13 (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0153).

Oct 16/12: Lockheed Martin Corp. in Fort Worth, TX receives a $22.4 million cost plus fixed fee contract for F-22 modifications and heavy maintenance sustainment, depot throughput and installations, signature analysis system reduction, contractor field teams, structural retrofit plan and modernization and common configuration work.

Work will be performed at Hill AFB, UT and Palmdale, CA, and is expected to be complete by Dec 31/13 (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0153).

FY 2012

REDI contract raised by $1.4 billion; Oxygen issues getting backup fix; Reliability and Maintainability Maturation Program.

F-22A and KC-135
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Sept 26/12: FASTeR. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Fort Worth, TX receives a $10.4 million contract modification to support the F-22 program until Dec 31/12.

Work will take place in Marietta, GA; Fort Worth, TX; Seattle, WA; Edwards AFB, CA Elmendorf AFB, AK; , Hickam AFB, Hawaii, Holloman AFB, NM, Langley AFB, VA; Nellis AFB, NV; Sheppard AFB, TX; Tinker AFB, OK; and Tyndall AFB, FL. The AFLCMC/WWUK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH ,manages the contract (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 00158).

Aug 28/12: RAMMP. A $12 million contract modification for additional development work and feasibility assessments under the F-22’s RAMMP (Reliability and Maintainability Maturation Program). Work will be performed in Marietta, GA, and will be complete by Dec 3/12 (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0150)

June 5/12: Oxygen backup. Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, TX received a $19.2 million (face value) cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for automatic backup oxygen supply in the F-22’s Life Support System. The contract includes 40 retrofit kits, plus non-recurring engineering, and 10 spares. Work will be performed in Marietta, GA, and is scheduled to be complete by April 30/13. The ASC/WWUK at Wright Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0145).

This won’t solve the F-22’s ongoing “hypoxia” problem, but it will provide an automatic safety backup if the F-22’s Environmental Control System (ECS) system shuts down under certain maneuvers, turning the main oxygen supply off. This is a known defect (vid. Aug 13-17/12 events entry), and the USAF’s “solution” of using a manual system that many pilots couldn’t even activate while sitting motionless ended up killing at least 1 pilot in a 2010 Alaska crash.

In May 2012 (vid. May 15/12 events entry), US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta halted long-distance F-22A combat air patrols in Alaska until Elmendorf AFB’s Raptors had this automatic backup oxygen system installed. Retrofitting the fleet will start in December 2012, and finish in 2014. See also ABC News | AP.

July 17/12: Infrastructure. Cutting Edge Concrete Services Inc. in Oro Grande, CA receives an $11.7 million firm-fixed-price contract to build a 15,000-square-yard parking apron for the F-22 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, with an estimated completion date of July 31/13. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 5 bids received by the US Army Corps of Engineers in Fort Shafter, HI (W9128A-12-C-0007).

June 18/12: Infrastructure. Creative Times, Inc. in Ogden, UT received a $9.6 million firm-fixed-price contract to build a 2-story F-22 system support facility at Hill AFB, UT, with an estimated completion date of Dec 3/13. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 13 bids received by the US Army Corps of Engineering in Sacramento, CA (W91238-12-C-0014).

March 29/12: Fleet support. A $664.4 million cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification, paying for CY 2012’s Raptor fleet support services. Work will be performed in Marietta, GA; Fort Worth, TX; Palmdale, CA; and Seattle, WA, and will run until Dec 31/12 (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0119).

Adding 2012 aircraft and engine support together totals $886.4 million for 185 operational planes, or about $4.8 million per year per fighter.

Jan 20/12: O2 Know… Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, TX receives a $7 million firm-fixed-price contract for installation of a commercial sensor and associated hardware to measure the oxygen concentration and pressure within the oxygen system. The contract is the F-22’s contract, and the result will be a real time logging and display of O2 concentration, and a warning if oxygen partial pressure drops below a threshold value. Data is always good, of course, and this may help shed light on the F-22’s operational problems – but what this says is that the USAF still isn’t exactly sure what’s going on.

Work will be performed in Marietta, GA, and is expected to be complete by Aug 31/12. The ASC/WWUK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract (FA8611-08-C-2897 PO 0109).

Dec 22/11: Support. United Technologies subsidiary Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, CT received a $202 million cost-plus-incentive fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for CY 2012 sustainment of the Raptor fleet’s F119-PW-100 engines.

Work will be performed in East Hartford, CT, and is expected to be complete by Dec 31/12. The F-22 Program Office at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract (FA8611-08-C-2896, PO 0075).

Nov 18-22/11: REDI. Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, TX receives a multi-year, maximum “$7.4 billion” indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for F-22A upgrades. Work will include upgrades to existing systems, and new systems to improve performance and widen the plane’s capabilities. It’s actually just a move to raise the 2002 Raptor Enhancement Development and Integration (REDI) contract’s ceiling value by $1.4 billion to this new number, as the contract moves toward expiry at the end of 2012. Flight International reports that the USAF is preparing a $16 billion REDI II contract. Meanwhile:

“The [$1.4 billion in] extra money was necessary to pay Lockheed to change the F-22’s advanced tactical data link, accelerate the production line shutdown by four years, launch two structural upgrade programmes and fund unexpected costs of upgrading F-22s with reliability and maintainability improvements.”

One firm was solicited, and one firm submitted a proposal to the HQ Aeronautical Systems Center’s Fighter Bomber Directorate at Wright Patterson AFB, OH (F33657-02-D-0009). See also Dayton Business Journal | Reuters.

More REDI upgrades

Oct 19/11: Smarter. AFRL’s clever cost-saver. The US Air Force Research Lab’s Propulsion Directorate has developed a $35 vibration damper to prevent cracks in the F119 engine’s inlet case – a spoked, ring-like device that helps control the air going into the engine. Their fix is expected to save the USAF about $40 million, by preventing cracks. Those cracks force repair attempts, which sometimes break the $362,000 inlet case.

AFRL’s dollar-coin sized orange snubber looks like an exotic pencil eraser, and 7 of them fit in the gap opposite where the J-seal is welded to the inlet case. Each F-22 has 2 engines, so outfitting a plane costs $490. They were designed to last for half the life of the engine, but because they’re so cheap, they’ll be ordered in bulk, and new ones will be installed whenever the engine is pulled out. USAF.

Oct 17/11: SMART. A $7.2 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification for the F-22 SMART (Structural Maintenance and Repair Team) program. See March 2/10 entry for more context (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0093).

FY 2011

Array of maintenance contracts; Mission Planning Environment improvements.

Pacific flight
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Sept 26/11: Support. A $24.4 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification for engineering and depot partnering associated with F-22 non-destructive inspections, hypoxia root cause analysis, titanium crack growth, site activation, slider seals, and radar cross-section turntable (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0098).

Sept 21/11: Support. A $7.7 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification for F-22 software maintenance based on root cause analysis. This may well refer to hypoxia-like pilot issues. Work will be performed at Marietta, GA (FA-8611-08-C-2897, PO 0099).

Sept 13/11: MPE. Boeing announces an F-22 mission planning systems contract worth up to $24 million, if all options are exercised. It was awarded under the USAF’s June 2010 Mission Planning Enterprise Contract-II. Boeing will continue development and integration of the existing F-22 Mission Planning Environment (MPE), which gives F-22 crews a full range of mission information, from preflight data reports to postflight debriefing materials.

Aug 31/11: United Technologies subsidiary Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, CT receives an $11.1 million firm-fixed-price contract modification to finalize the buy at 39 F-119-PW-100 priority initial spare engines. That’s up from earlier plans: vid. Nov 11/10, Sept 29/10 entries. Based on published announcements, the final total would be $424.6 million.

The ASC/WWUK at Wright Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract (FA8611-08-C-2896, PO 0060).

July 6/11: IMIS. Sources sought for the Raptor’s Integrated Maintenance Information System (IMIS) Oracle/Solaris platform and associated hardware. Expected contract award in July 2013. This function has so far fulfilled under the current F-22 sustainment contract (FA8611-08-C-2897) but a path to cost savings is sought. FBO (FA8211-11-R-2000).

June 20/11: Infrastructure. Leebcor Services, LLC in Williamsburg, VA wins a $6.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of a paint spray hangar bay addition to an existing low observable/composite repair hangar.

Work will be performed at Langley Air Force Base, VA, with an estimated completion date of Dec 15/12. The contract didn’t explicitly make the connection, but F-22s fly from Langley, and the F-22A’s stealth is a combination of shape, tapings made of special materials to cover key seams, and special paints that interfere with full radar reflection. Bids were solicited through the Internet, with 12 bids received by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Norfolk, VA (W91236-11-C-0040).

May 17/11: RAMMP. A $49.5 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification for retrofit installations, including retrofits associated with the Reliability and Maintainability Maturation Program (RAMMP), and Structural Retrofit Program Phase II (q.v. March 2/10 entry), for aircraft scheduled to be inducted during the Q2-Q3 of CY 2011 at the Palmdale Depot facility, as well as contractor support for depot throughput at both the Ogden and Palmdale depot facilities.

Work will be performed at Marietta, GA; Fort Worth, TX; and Seattle, WA. $9.8 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/11 (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0071).

Feb 10/11: FASTeR. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Fort Worth, TX receives a $726.6 million contract modification for calendar year 2011 sustainment of the F-22 fleet. At this time, $388 million has been obligated by the ASC/WWUK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.

Follow-On Agile Sustainment for the Raptor (FASTeR) is a Performance-Based Logistics contract providing sustaining the F-22A fleet at all operational bases, including training systems, customer support, integrated support planning, supply chain management, aircraft modifications and heavy maintenance, sustained engineering, support products and systems engineering. Based on earlier releases (vid. Aug 20/10), the value of this contract set has just jumped to around $1.4 billion for 2008-2011 (FA8611-08-C-2897; P00061). See also Lockheed Martin release.

Jan 26/11: Do the FREDI. Sources sought on FBO.gov for F-22 Follow-on Raptor Enhancement, Development and Integration (FREDI) indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract, with an estimated maximum amount of $16 billion.

Jan 11/11: Sub-contractors. Matrix Composites in Rockledge, FL ships its last critical F-22A structure. Matrix was one of only 4 companies qualified worldwide to produce specific components related to the aircraft’s fuselage and critical airframe components, and had been manufacturing Raptor components since 2005, with a notable pickup at the end of October 2006.

More than 20 trained aerospace technicians were employed on the project, specializing in the use of close-tolerance resin transfer molding (RTM). Despite the end of F-22A work, Matrix anticipates significant growth over the next 3 years, including some F-35 opportunities they’re pursuing.

Nov 11/10: Engines. Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, CT received a $100.7 million contract modification for 8 F119 engines. It increases an unfinalized contract for priority initial spare F119 engines to 33 total (q.v. Sept 29/10).

All funds have been committed by the ASC/WWUK at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH (FA8611-08-C-2896; P00044).

Oct 25/10: RAMMP. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Fort Worth, TX receives a $15.2 million contract modification covering installation of the F-22 reliability and maintainability maturation program’s engineering change proposals on fielded fighters. At this time, all funds have been committed by the ASC/WWUK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (FA8611-08-C-2897; P00060).

See also entries for Sept 23/10, March 2/10.

FY 2010

Last 4 ordered; RAMPP; FASTeR; SRP II.

F-22A on Ice
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Sept 29/10: Engines. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, CT receives a not-to-exceed $33.1 million contract modification to buy 3 priority initial spare F-119-PW-100 engines, bringing the totals to $312.8 million for 25 engines. At this time, all funds have been committed by the ASC/WWUK at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH (FA8611-08-C-2896; P00041).

Sept 24/10: Engines. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, CT receives a not-to-exceed $279.7 million contract modification to buy 22 priority initial spare F-119-PW-100 engines. At this time, all funds have been committed by the ASC/WWUK at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH (FA8611-08-C-2896; P00040).

Sept 23/10: RAMMP. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Fort Worth, TX receives a $12 million contract modification for development of the F-22 reliability and maintainability maturation program. This change will increase the ceiling cost for “over and above work” beyond regular efforts, and buy wet weather repairs for actuator interface module components. At this time, all funds have been committed (FA8611-08-C-2897; P00057).

Sept 1/10: Spares. A $15.6 million contract modification for 20 spare integrated F-22A forebodies. All funds have been committed (FA8611-06-C-2899; P00102).

Aug 31/10: Support. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, CT receives a $9.1 million contract modification finalizing calendar year 2010 sustainment, combined test force operations, and support for the F-22A’s F119-PW-100 engines. “At this time, $90,157,719 has been obligated.” (FA8611-08-C-2896; PO0030).

Aug 20/10: FASTeR. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Fort Worth, TX receives a $111.4 million contract modification to provide “sustainment” (spares and support) for the F-22 program in calendar year 2010. “At this time, $241,645,563 has been obligated” by the ASC/WWUK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages this contract (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0049).

Actually, Lockheed Martin’s release places the total value of the Follow-On Agile Sustainment for the Raptor (FASTeR) contract at $709 million, including the initial 2008 contract and 2009 extension.

FASTeR is a Performance-Based Logistics contract providing sustaining the F-22A fleet at all 7 operational bases for the 2010 calendar year, including training systems, customer support, integrated support planning, supply chain management, aircraft modifications and heavy maintenance, sustained engineering, support products and systems engineering.

July 6/10: Support. A not-to-exceed $23 million contract modification for continued funding of F-22 sustainment services and activities, including items over-and-above the base contract. At this time, $17.4 million has been committed by the 478th AESG/SYK at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH (FA8611-08-C-2897, P00050).

March 2/10: RAMMP/ SRP-II. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Fort Worth, TX received a $568.5 million contract, incrementally funding an unfinalized Dec 15/09 contract for the F-22’s Structural Retrofit Program II and Reliability and Maintainability Maturation Program during calendar year 2010. At this time, $411.2 million has been committed by the 478 AESG/SYK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (FA8611-08-C-2897, P00040).

Mr. Glenn Miller, F-22 Program Office advisor for the 478th Aeronautical Systems Group, later offered these explanations:

“The structures Retrofit Program (SRP) II is phase II of a 2-part structural retrofit program designed to correct structural concerns discovered during the F-22 Full Scale Fatigue Test (FSFT) conducted in 2005. The process… is a routine structural integrity process performed on all modern Air Force platforms to proactively detect and repair damage… SRP I was designed to correct structural deficiencies with life short falls less than 2000 flight hours while SRP II was designed to correct structural deficiencies with life short falls between 2000 and 8000 flight hours. The SRP II program is scheduled to complete in 2015.

The Reliability and Maintainability Maturation Program (RAMMP) [aims] to drive continuous improvement in weapon system reliability and maintainability… metrics [include]… Availability… Maintenance Man Hours per Flight Hour [MMH]… Mean Time Between Maintenance (MTBM)… Return on Investment. The scope of RAMMP includes: development, retrofit, and the earliest possible production cut-in of the change. In summary, RAMMP projects must be affordable, technically viable, and provide a high return on investment.”

Feb 25/10: Infrastructure. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Albuquerque, NM issues solicitation #W912PP-10-B-0032, an Invitation for Bid (IFB) open only to Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. The project is a 1,347 square meter munitions maintenance facility for the F-22 weapons systems at the Munitions Storage Area on Holloman AFB, NM. This project will provide 6 munitions maintenance bays to support the F-22 Raptor, and a small administrative area for meetings, office, break, locker, toilet, training and support areas. This building is being constructed as a permanent facility with a life expectancy exceeding 25 years.

NAICS code is 236210/SIC 1541, with a size standard of $33.5 million, and a magnitude of construction estimate between $1-5 million. Bonding will be required for this acquisition, and bidders must be registered with Central Contractor Registration in order to receive a contract. Plans will be issued on or about March 15/10 with bids due on or about April 15/10.

Dec 24/09: Engines. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, CT received a $95.4 million modified contract for 8 F119-PW-100 installed engines under Lot 10 production. They will equip the last 4 F-22As ordered. At this time, $25 million has been committed (FA8611-09-C-2901).

Dec 11/09: Support. A $550.4 million contract “which will provide for the F-22 weapons system during the CY2010.” This appears to be a fleet sustainment contract. At this time, $312.1 million has been committed (FA8611-08-C-2897, PO 0036).

Dec 11/09: Support. United Technologies Corp. in East Hartford, CT receives a $148 million contract which will provide “CY20 sustainment of the F119-PW-100 engines.” Presumably, the Pentagon means “CY 2010.” At this time, $59.9 million has been committed (FA8611-08-C-2896, P00020).

Nov 26/09: Flares. Kilgore Flares Co. in Toone, TN, a subsidiary of UK-based Chemring Group, received an indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity contract, with a potential value of $54 million, to supply MJU-39 and MJU-40 infrared (IR) decoy flares for the F-22 aircraft. The flares are designed to defeat air-to-air IR guided missiles. The contract extends over a 4-year period; the 1st delivery order of $24 million, for delivery in 2010 and 2011, has been placed by the US Air Force. The 784 CBSG/PK at Hill Air Force Base, UT manages the contract (FA8213-10-D-0012).

Oct 29/09: Last 4. Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, TX receives a $474.2 million contract for full production of 4 Lot X F-22A aircraft, alternate mission equipment, production engineering support and work in process through Aug 11/09 for 16 shipsets of raw material aircraft fuselage titanium. The 478 AESG/PK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages the contract (FA8611-09-C-2900, P00007).

FY 2009

Lot 10 lead-in.

Production line

2009 orders are being conducted under a multi-year buy. See July 31/07 for key entries.

Sept 29/09: Support. Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, TX receives an $11 million contract to provide F-22 field team support at various bases. At this time the entire amount has been committed by the 573th AESS/SYK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (FA8611-08-C-2897, P00033).

Sept 14/09: Engines. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt & Whitney of East Hartford, CT received a $6 million contract to provide nozzle modules for F119 Combined Test Force Engines. At this time the entire amount has been committed by the 478th AESG/PK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (FA8611-08-C-2896,P00010).

Sept 9/09: Training. Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, TX received a $77.7 million contract modification for procurement of multi-year F-22 pilot training devices in 4 simulated cockpit configurations (FA8611-06-C-2899).

April 2/09: The Watterson/Davis JV in Anchorage, Alaska received a $38.6 million firm-fixed-price contract to design and build the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserve F-22 squadron operations/aircraft maintenance unit’s 6-bay hangar facility, (PROJ: ELM297/292) at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. The estimated completion date is March 24/11.

The U.S. Army Engineer District, Alaska at Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK solicited 8 bids, received 4, and will manage this contract (W911KB-07-D-0013).

Dec 16/08: Support. The USAF exercising a $784.1 million option with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, TX, for pre-priced calendar year 2009 F-22 Weapon System Sustainment. Work will be performed in Marietta, GA.

Dec 16/08: SPaRE. The USAF is exercising a $285 million option for 2009 sustainment of the Raptor’s F119-PW-100 Engines with United Technologies subsidiary Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Group in East Hartford, CT. The Support Program for the Raptor Engine (SPaRE) includes spare parts, labor support, fleet management and technical support. Pratt & Whitney.

Dec 4/08: Infrastructure. A $29.1 million modification to a cost plus award fee contract, to incorporate CCP 0184 re: F-22 Depot Activation Equipment for fiscal years 2007 and 2008. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated (FA8611-08-C-2897, #P00006).

Nov 26/08: Lot 10 lead-in. An estimated $180 million not-to-exceed contract, providing for long-lead time materials and assemblies to cover 4 Lot X F-22A aircraft, with an option for an advance buy on behalf of 16 additional Lot X F-22As. At this time, $49 million has been committed (FA8611-09-C-2900).

Nov 26/08: Engines. A $7 million not-to-exceed, firm-fixed price contract to United Technologies subsidiary Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, CT. The contract will buy long-lead time materials for 8 Lot X F119-PW-100 engines, which would equip 4 F-22A fighters. At this time, $1 million has been committed (FA8611-09-C-2901).

See Nov 10-19/08 entries in the “Events: 2008” section for further background regarding this partial-compliance move by the Pentagon.

FY 2008

Contractor infrastructure.

Fill ‘er up!
(click to view full)

2008 orders are being conducted under a multi-year buy. See July 31/07 for key entries.

July 31/08: Sub-contractors. EDO Corp. Defense Systems, of North Amityville, NY received a firm-fixed-price contract not to exceed $18.2 million for 139 of their BRU-46 and 220 of their BRU-47 Bomb Release Units.

Both designs are fielded as bomb racks for the F-15E Strike Eagle. The F-22A’s standard ground attack weapons will be up to 8 of the derivative GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, a 250 pound, GPS-guided glide bomb weapon designed to penetrate hardened structures. On the F-22, the BRU-47 is reportedly used to carry external fuel tanks.

At this time $9.1 million has been obligated. 542nd Combat Sustainment Wing, Contracting Division, 782nd CBSG/GBKAA, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8520-08-C-0013).

April 25/08: Testing. Lockheed Martin Corp. of Orlando, FL received a modified contract for $5.5 million, in exchange for 20 Common Organizational Level Testers (COLT) and accessory kits under F/A-22 Option 5. At this time, all funds have been committed (FA8626-04-C-2060 P00029).

April 23/08: Sub-contractors. Northrop Grumman announces multiple contracts for the F-22A’s communications, navigation and identification (CNI) systems. Lockheed Martin has awarded them contracts worth $252 million since Jan 1/08, covering F-22 Production Lots 7-9, spares, and CNI modernization efforts.

Northrop Grumman’s integrated CNI system uses software-defined radios and provides 14 critical functions, including advanced multichannel/multiband voice and data links, flight navigation and friend-or-foe identification to F-22 pilots. Northrop Grumman’s F-22 CNI production, integration and test and modernization activities take place at Northrop Grumman facilities in San Diego, CA, and are supported by approximately 70 suppliers in 22 states. NGC release.

April 22/08: Engines. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Group of East Hartford, CT received a modified contract for $6.9 million. The firm will refurbish 3 F-22 Raptor F119 Test Engines (FA8611-05-C-2851).

April 15/08: Infrastructure. Bristol Environmental & Engineering Services Corp. in Anchorage, AK won a $5 million firm-fixed price contract to design and build Elmendorf Air Force Base’s F-22 infrastructure Phase II, and F-22 taxiway, taxi lanes, and arm/de-arm sites. Work is expected by be complete on Oct 30/09. Web bids were solicited on Nov 8/07, and 3 bids were received by the U.S. Army Engineer District, Alaska (W911KB-08-C-0007).

April 14/08: Infrastructure. Native-owned business Chugach Government Services, Inc. in Anchorage, AK won a $14.1 million firm-fixed price contract for construction of the F-22 jet inspection and maintenance facility at Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK. Work is expected to be completed on Sept 28/09. Web bids were solicited on Nov 17/07, and 3 bids were received by the U.S. Army Engineer District, Alaska (W911KB-08-C-0009).

Feb 20/08: Support. A contract modification for $182.6 million for “sustainment of the F-22 Weapon System during Calendar Year’s 2008 and 2009. At this time $258,763,747 has been obligated” (FA8611-08-C-2897).

Feb 20/08: Support. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt and Whitney of East Hartford, CT received an undefinitized contract modification for $101.2 million to provide CY 2008 support for the F-22 Raptor’s F119 Engines. Each aircraft carries 2 F119 engines with thrust-vectoring capabilities. “At this time $129,834,373 has been obligated” (FA8611-08-C-2896).

Dec 13/07: Support. An undefinitized contract for $512.1 million, to provide sustainment & support of the F-22 fleet during the calendar year 2008. “At this time [$384.1] million has been obligated” (FA8611-05-C-2850 P00076).

Dec 13/07: Support. A firm fixed price contract for $9.1 million; at this time $5 million has been obligated. The US Defense Department adds, helpfully: “This effort supports F-22 aircraft.” One would hope so (FA8611-06-C-2899 – P00023).

Dec 13/07: SPaRE. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Group of East Hartford, CT received an undefinitized contract of $114.7 million for F119-PW-117-PW-100 engines, and calendar year 2008 sustainment (the part that isn’t finalized yet). At this time $86 million has been obligated (FA8611-05-C-2851).

This support program for the Raptor engine (SPaRE) involves activation of Holloman Air Force Base (AFB) in Alamogordo, New Mexico, and sustainment for fielded engines in 2008, with an option to support activation of Hickam AFB in Honolulu, Hawaii, and sustainment services in 2009. Sustainment activities include spare parts and labor support, fleet management and technical support of the F119 engine.

Dec 12/07: Infrastructure. BAE Systems opens a new 30,000-square-foot facility in its South Nashua, New Hampshire campus for production work on the F-22A Raptor and F-35 Lightning II electronic warfare suites, which provide threat warning and jamming. About 60 suppliers from New Hampshire provide products and services to support the programs, and the site will support more than 1,400 of BAE Systems’ 4,500 New Hampshire employees who contribute to the F-22 and F-35 programs.

In BAE’s release, Nashua VP Operations Mike Dow says that the new facility is “capable of assembling and testing complex microwave products and performing assembly, integration, and acceptance testing at significantly reduced cost and cycle times.”

Oct 16/07: Training. Boeing announces a $46 million contract from Lockheed Martin to integrate the F-22A the U.S. Air Force Distributed Mission Operations (DMO) training network, which will enable Raptor pilots to train with other aircrews flying different simulated aircraft at locations throughout the world. Once the contract is complete, Raptor pilots on the East Coast would be able to train with AWACS crews in the Midwest and F-15 pilots in Europe, as part of a joint synthetic battlespace made up of a combination of live, virtual, and programmed-in elements.

The contract allows for the design and test of new software and systems for the F-22 Full Mission Trainer (FMT), and the Boeing team will incorporate the enhanced FMTs into an F-22 Mission Training Center (MTC) that is scheduled to begin operations in 2009. The Boeing release adds that Lockheed Martin’s Marietta, GA facility recently delivered Raptor no. 103 to the Air Force. See “F-22s to Become Part of Joint Simulated Training.”

FY 2007

Contract for 24 aircraft.

F-22, bays open
(click to view full)

July 31/07: A firm-fixed-price, firm-fixed-price w/economic price adjustment and cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification for $5.05 billion for the F-22 multi-year aircraft advance buy. This is an Economic Ordering Quantity and Full Rate Production contract for 60 aircraft: Lots 7, 8 and 9. At this time, $332.5 million has been obligated. Work will be complete June 2012. (FA8611-06-C-2899/no modification number at this time).

Lockheed Martin’s release states that this order is on top of $2.3 billion used to buy long lead- time parts and maintain continuous manufacturing flow, bringing the total cost to $7.35 billion. The release says that the multi-year contract is estimated to save approximately $400 million compared to a corresponding annual procurement program, which equates to a savings of $6.85 million per aircraft. To date, 105 Raptors have completed final assembly at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, GA, and 99 have been delivered to the USAF.

July 31/07: United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt & Whitney received a $1.28 billion fixed-price with economic price adjustment and firm-fixed-price contract modification from the United States Air Force to deliver F119 engines for the F-22 Raptor in a multi-year contract spanning 2008, 2009 and 2010. The number of engines was not specified, but the USAF plans to order 60 aircraft during this time, which means at least 120 engines plus spares.

At this time, $367.6 million has been obligated. Solicitations began April 2006, negotiations were completed in July 2007, and work will be complete February 2011 (FA8811-06-C-2900/No modification number at this time). P&W release – which came out a day before the DefenseLINK announcement. A contract of this magnitude also attracts dignitaries.

Multi-year buy: 60 more

April 10/07: An $11 million firm-fixed-price contract modification. “This contract action will definitize Lot 8 Advanced Buy through 12 October 2007, in support of the F-22 program.” At this time, all funds have been obligated and work will be complete December 2011 (FA8611-06-C-2899, PO 0015).

April 10/07: Sub-contractors. GKN Aerospace announces 2 new contracts, with a combined value of just under $15 million, raising the value of GKN’s work per aircraft to over $5 million. Overall, GKN supplies high performance metallic and composite assemblies for the aircraft wing, body and engine, plus the complete advanced cockpit canopy system.

The first contract covers the Inlet Lip Assembly that surrounds the engine intake. It is made up of multiple hand lay-up and resin transfer molded composite details which are assembled into extremely tight tolerance requirements. GKN Aerospace will manufacture and assemble this part for 50% of the aircraft in lots 5 – 9, with deliveries from 2007-2009.

The second contract covers the chine edge, the co-cured composite structural cover over the area where the cockpit and fuselage transition into the wing. That contract covers aircraft Lots 6-9 on a sole-source basis, with deliveries commencing by the end of 2007 and continuing to 2009.

Work on both contracts will take place alongside the F-22A stabilator manufacture and assembly (see Nov 22/06), at GKN Aerospace’s St Louis, MO plant.

April 2/07: Engines. United Technologies Corp. in East Hartford, CT received a $107.6 million fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for “12 install and 1 spare F-119-PW-117-PW-100 engines.” Hard to say what that means, as the designation seems to be off and may also be referring to engines that power other aircraft. At this time, $96.8 million have been obligated. Work will be complete July 2008 (FA8626-07-C-2076).

March 30/07: Support. United Technologies Corp. in East Hartford, CT received an $116.2 million cost-plus-fixed fee, firm-fixed-price, and cost-plus-award fee contract modification to provide F-119 engine Lot 6 for CY 2007 sustainment. At this time, $80.7 million have been obligated. Negotiations were complete March 2007, and work will be complete December 2007 (FA8611-05-C-2851, PO 0015).

March 9/07: PALS. A $248.4 million cost-plus-award fee & cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification finalizes Performance-Based Agile Logistics Support (PALS) contract line items 0207, 0216, and 0217. Work will be complete December 2009 (FA8611-05-C-2850, PO 0030)

March 9/07: Engines. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, CT received a $27.2 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, finalizing the purchase of F119 engine Lot 7 long lead items. At this time, $13.6 million has been obligated, and work will be complete September 2007 (FA8611-06-C-2900, PO 0002).

Feb 27/07: Support. A $107.3 million cost-plus-award fee and cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification, extending the contractor’s current authorization to provide F-22 sustainment from Jan 31, 2007 – Feb. 28, 2007 to April 30, 2007. At this time, $80.4 million have been obligated. Work will be complete December 2009 (FA8611-05-C-2850, PO 0041).

Feb 27/07: Support. United Technologies subsidiary Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Group in East Hartford, CT received a $49.6 million cost-plus fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price and cost-plus award-fee contract for F119-PW-119 Engine Lot 6, calendar year 2007 sustainment. At this time, $24.8 million has been obligated, and work will be complete June 2007 (FA8611-05-C-2851).

Feb 26/07: Engines. United Technologies subsidiary Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Group in East Hartford, CT received a $45 million firm-fixed-price contract modification. It covers “F-119 Engine Multi-Year Economic Order Quantity Effort, Undefinitized Contract Action (UCA)” – in other words, they’re ordering key parts and materials in advance, in order to bulk up the order and drive prices for each item down. The F-22A’s current multi-year contract framework lets them do more of this, instead of just ordering year by year. All funds are already obligated, and work will be complete January 2010 (FA8611-06-C-2900, PO 004).

Feb 5/07: Engines. United Technologies subsidiary Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Group in East Hartford, CT received a $18.8 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for 2 Lot 6 F119-PW-100 engines for F-22 replacement test aircraft. This work will be complete January 2008. (F33657-05-C-2851, PO 0014)

Jan 8/07: Multi-Year lead-in. A $255 million firm fixed price contract modification “for an F-22 multiyear economic order quantity procurement.” To date all funds have been obligated, and work will be complete December 2011 (FA8611-06-C-2899/No Modification number at this time).

Dec 29/06: Engines. United Technologies subsidiary Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Group in East Hartford, CT received a $27.2 million firm fixed price contract modification. This provides for long lead undefinitized buys in preparation for F119-PW-100 Engine Lot 7. To date, $13.6 million has been obligated. Work will be complete September 2007 (FA8611-06-C-2900)

Dec 27/06: PALS. A $204.8 million cost-plus-award fee and cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification, authorizing Lockheed to provide F-22 Performance Based Agile Logistics Support (PALS), from January 1, 2007 through February 28, 2007. At this time $153.6 million have been obligated. Work will be complete December 2009 (FA8611-05-C-2850, PO 0042)

Dec 27/06: Support. United Technologies Corp. in East Hartford, CT received a $12.1 million cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification for F119-PW-100 Engines Support to Combined Test Force (CTF) Infrastructure at Edwards Air Force Base, CA. At this time $4.2 million have been obligated. Work will be complete July 2007 (F33657-05-C-2851, PO 0012).

Dec 21/06: Titanium. A $379.6 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for the remaining Lot 8 Advanced Buy Requirements and for Lot 9 Advanced Procurement for Titanium in support of the F-22A Lot 9 aircraft. This is one of the major advance purchases as part of the ongoing multi-year buy – see Sept 27/06 entry in “Program and Events” for more. Work will be complete December 2011 (FA8611-06-C-2899, PO 0009).

Dec 21/06: Engines. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, CT received a $50 million firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification. This action provides for Lot 6 F119-PW-100 Engines (46) for the F-22, and associated Field Support and Training (FS & T) for calendar year 2006. Work will be complete January 2008 (FA8611-05-C-2851/PZ0008).

Dec 5/06: Landing gear. A $9 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for the upgrade of the F-22 engineering, manufacturing, and development landing gear trainer to an “aircraft 4041 configuration” (the designation for the first operational F-22A Raptor), to be consistent with other training devices delivered to Sheppard Air Force Base. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began August 2005, negotiations were complete September 2006, and work will be complete by October 2008 (FA8611-04-C-2851, PO 0060).

Nov 22/06: Sub-contractors. GKN Aerospace announces a $50 million contract to be the sole source provider of the complete horizontal stabilator for the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. This brings the total value of GKN Aerospace work on the F-22 to $4.9 million per ship set.

This contract covers lots 7-9 of the aircraft program. and requires fabrication of advanced composite assemblies, machining of complex titanium parts, and full assembly of the complete stabilator for delivery to Lockheed Martin in Marietta, GA. Work will take place at the GKN Aerospace plant in St Louis, MO, with deliveries commencing in the fourth quarter of 2007 and continuing until the end of 2010.

Nov 21/06: A $1.05 billion firm-fixed-price contract modification for 24 F-22A aircraft: 23 service aircraft and 1 replacement test aircraft (TL 24). This action supports the F-22 Lot 6 Full Production contract, and the Pentagon oddly notes that “$1,466,447,970 have been obligated.”

Work will be complete February 2010 (FA8611-05-C-2850). Note that this doesn’t represent the aircrafts’ full cost, just the parts that haven’t been covered by long-lead procurement, and by the separate buys of “government furnished equipment” like engines, etc.

Lot VI: 24 more

Nov 20/06: Sub-contractors. GKN Aerospace has won a $50 million contract from Lockheed Martin to be the sole source provider of complete horizontal stabilators (i.e. fully-moving horizontal tail fins) for Lot 7-9 F-22A Raptors, with delivery from Q4 2007-2010. This brings the total value of GKN Aerospace work on the F-22 to $4.9 million per aircraft. This contract is the culmination point of several capabilities and processes, all placed under one roof – see full DID coverage.

Nov 15/06: Flares. Kilgore Flares Co. LLC in Toone, TN received an $18.5 million firm-fixed-price contract to procure replenishment spares for the F-22 aircraft. The products purchased are flares, specifically MJU-39, MJU-40 and BBU-59 designed to defeat air-to-air guided missiles. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began February 2006, negotiations were complete October 2006, and work will be complete June 2008. The Headquarters Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill Air Force Base, UT issued the contract (FA8213-0-C-undefined).

Nov 1/06: Lot 7 lead-in. A $1.23 billion firm-fixed-price contract modification supporting the F-22 Lot 7 Long Lead Procurement. This is technically a “funding modification to the ongoing undefinitized contract action,” but it’s part of the multi-year 2007-2009 production contract for 60 F-22As that was recently agreed upon. At this time, $403.2 million have been obligated, and work will be complete October 2009 (FA8611-06-C-2899, PO 0007).

FY 2006

Lot 6, 7.

F-22A Raptor, ready
(click to view full)

Sept 29/06: Support. United Technologies Corp. in East Hartford, CT received a $6 million cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification for the Lot 4 F119 engines Life Cycle Reduction Program. Work will be complete August 2009 (F33657-03-C-2011). See the presentation “Cost Reduction Task Force Key to Raptor Affordability” [PDF, 8.6 MB] for more context.

Sept 27/06: Lot 6 lead-in. A $98.9 million firm-fixed-price contract modification. This undefinitized contract action increase is not-to-exceed, F-22A Lot 6 long-lead procurement and funding through Oct. 31, 2006. At this time, $74.1 million has been obligated. Work will be complete February 2010 (FA8611-05-C-2850, PO 003).

Sept 27/06: A $17.9 million firm-fixed-price contract modification provides for production support systems in support of F-22A Lot 6 production; all funds have already been obligated. Work will be complete February 2010 (FA8611-05-C-2850, PO 0029)

Sept 21/06: Engines. United Technologies Corp. in Hartford, CT received a $455.1 million firm-fixed-price & cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification covering Lot 6 production of 48 F119 engines, plus calendar year 2006 field support and training. Solicitations began July 2005, negotiations were complete September 2006, and work will be complete December 2006. The Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH issued the contract (FA8611-05-C-2851/ P00010).

Sept 5/06: Sub-contractors. Defense Systems in North Amityville, NY received a $10 million firm-fixed-price contract for “bomb rack units in support of F-22 aircraft.” Half of the funds have already been committed, and work will be complete in January 2009. The Headquarters 542d Combat Sustainment Wing at Robins Air Force Base, GA issued the contract (FA8520-06-C-0015).

Aug 16/06: PALS. A $119.9 million firm-fixed price and cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification. This undefinitized contract action increases the current undefinitized contract action amount in order to extend the period of performance for Performance Based Agile Logistics Support (PALS). PALS for F-22A Lot 6 Contract Line Item Numbers will extend until September 30, 2006. At this time, $89.9 million has been committed (FA8611-05-C-2850)

Aug 8/06: Titanium. A $19.6 million firm-fixed-price undefinitzed action contract for advance procurement of titanium in support of F-22A Lot 8 aircraft, with full funds committed. Work will be complete in October 2009, which is when Lot 8 production is scheduled (FA8611-06-C-2899).

As noted above, the F-22 makes heavy use of titanium in order to give it the lightness, strength, and temperature resistance required. Someone obviously thinks the price is about to rise – and given increased global demand, they’re hardly alone.

July 12/06: Engines. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, CT received a $16.5 million firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification. This undefinitized contract action for Lot 6 production F119 engines covers long lead items and field support, and a training period of performance extension. Solicitations began July 2005, negotiations were complete in July 2006, and work will be complete by December 2006 (FA8611-05-C-2851, PO 0007).

July 5/06: We’re just going to quote this one. It’s a firm-fixed-price contract modification to Lockheed Martin, for $552.7 million. Negotiations were complete in June 2006, and work will be complete February 2010:

“This undefinitized contract action extension period of performance is through Sept. 30, 2006, for F-22A lot 6, long-lead activities and increase not-to exceed.” …The public affairs point of contact is Capt. Everdeen, (937) 255-1256… (FA8611-05-C-2850).

We’ve been inquiring with Capt. Everdeen for a translation of exactly what’s going on here for over a week now, and have received no response from the F-22 Program Office. Even they probably can’t understand language like this.

July 5/06: Support. A $99 million firm-fixed-price contract modification. This undefinitized contract action is for F-22 lot 6 program support/annual sustaining period I through Sept. 30, 2006. Negotiations were complete in June 2006, and work will be complete by September 2006 (F33657-97-C-0031).

June 15/06: Lot 7 lead-in. A $187.1 million firm-fixed-price contract modification to provide for an extension to the advance buy period of performance from June 2006 through September 2006, and increases the outlay amount. This action supports F-22A Lot 7 production. Work will be performed at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Marietta, GA (33%) and Fort Worth, TX (35%); and Boeing Information and Space Defense Systems, Aircraft and Missile Systems group in Seattle, WA (32%). Work will be complete in October 2009 (FA8611-06-C-2899, PO 0005)

May 19/06: Engines. United Technologies Corp. in East Hartford, CT received a $5 million firm-fixed-price contract to cover advance procurement items for 40 Pratt & Whitney F119 engines. This work will be complete December 2006 (FA8611-06-C-2900).

May 15/06: PALS. A $62 million firm-fixed-price & cost-plus fixed-fee contract modification that increases the current undefinitized contract for Lot 6, F-22 aircraft performance based agile logistics support (PALS) activities. Specifically, this modification funds PALS 3010 activities through June 2006, plus authorized work to begin on 3600 funded support equipment development activities. Additionally, this modification increases the obligation amount for the Lot 6 PALS effort to 75% – $137.3 million has been obligated at this time. Work will be complete December 2006 (FA8611-05-C-2850, PO 0015).

May 3/05: 1 more. A $143.1 million firm-fixed price contract modification, which is an undefinitized contract action for F-22 Lot 6 replacement test aircraft. This work will be complete February 2010 (FA8611-05-C-2850, PO 0014).

April 24/06: Support. A $103 million firm-fixed price & cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification to increase fund production long lead diminished manufacturing sources activities and performance-based agile logistics support of 3400 funded activities through June 30/06. The location of performance is Lockheed Martin Corp., in Marietta, GA(33%), Fort Worth, TX (34%); and Boeing in Seattle, WA (33%). Work will be complete December 2006 (FA8611-05-C-2850, PO 0012)

March 13/06: Support. A $383.5 million modification to increase Lot 6 F-22 production long lead activities, (including target price curve and diminishing manufacturing sources); and long-lead performance-based agile logistics support activities; and the aircraft structural integrity program. Work will be complete December 2006 (FA8611-05-C-2850, PO 0009).

PW F119 engine:
vectored thrust
(click to view full)

Feb 28/06: Support. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Group in East Hartford, CT received a $153.5 modification that will support the F119 Engine’s Lot 6, Long Lead Items and Field Support and Training period of performance extension. Solicitations began July 2005, negotiations are expected to be complete May 2006, and work will be complete December 2006 (FA8611-05-C-2851).

Feb 15/06: PALS. A $144.3 million cost-plus fixed-fee contract modification. This undefinitized contract action provides for F-22A Lot 6 Weapon System Support as a Capability Performance-Based Agile Logistics Support (PALS). Negotiations were complete in January 2006, and work will be complete by May 2006 (FA8611-05-C-2850, PO 0010).

Jan 25/06: Support. United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Group in East Hartford, CT received a $56.7 million firm-fixed-price and cost-plus fixed-fee contract modification. This undefinitized contractual action will “support the F119 Engine Lot 6,” and work will be complete by March 2006. Hard to say if they’re buying components, or help (FA8611-05-C-2851, PO 0003).

Jan 11/06: PALS. A $191.1 million not-to-exceed firm-fixed-price contract modification. This action provides long lead activities and Performance Based Agile Logistics Support (PALS) for F-22 Lot 6 aircraft and associated equipment. Negotiations were completed in December 2005, and work will be complete in February 2006 (FA8611-05-C-2850, PO 0008). As one might guess from the dates, a large chunk of the work had been done already, which is why $95.4 million was already obligated.

Jan 11/06: Support. A $116.5 million firm-fixed-price fee contract modification provides for F-22 Lot 6 Program Support/ Annual Sustaining (PSAS) for period I, i.e. through June 2006. Negotiations were completed in December 2005 (F33657-97-C-0031, PO 0070). As a point of reference, the FY 2005 Lot 5 PSAS contract mentioned in DID’s November 17, 2005 article was a $160 million firm-fixed-price/ cost-plus fixed-fee contract modification that definitized FY 2005 production support/ annual sustainment associated with the F-22 Lot 5 batch.

Dec 23/05: long-lead buy. An $18 million, undefinitized, firm-fixed-price contract modification. It covers Long Lead Effort for Replacement Test Aircraft (RTA) for the F-22A program, and work will be complete by February 2006 (FA8611-05-C-2850).

Nov 10/05: Lot 6 lead-ins. A $39.9 million firm-fixed-price contract modification to support F/A-22 Lot 6 production. This action provides for advanced procurement for 24 Lot 6 aircraft and associated equipment. Work will be performed ar Lockheed Martin Corp. in Marietta, GA and Fort Worth, TX, and Boeing in Seattle, WA. At this time, the full amount has been obligated, and work will be complete November 2005. Negotiations were complete October 2005 (FA8611-05-C-2850/ P00006)

Nov 9/05: A $2.99 billion firm fixed price contract modification to definitize the F/A-22 Lot 5 production acquisition for 24 aircraft. The location of performance is Lockheed Martin Corporation, Marietta, GA. At this time, $1.98 billion has been obligated.

This work will be complete November 2007. Solicitations began July 2004 and negotiations were complete November 2005. The Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH issued the contract. (FA8611-04-C-2851). Note that this doesn’t represent the aircrafts’ full cost, just the parts that haven’t been covered by long-lead procurement, and by the separate buys of “government furnished equipment” like engines, etc.

Lot V: 24 more

Nov 9/05: Support. A $160 million firm-fixed-price/ cost-plus fixed-fee contract modification to definitize the undefinitized action for calendar year 2005 production support and annual sustainment activity. This effort supports the F/A-22 Lot 5 production aircraft. The location of performance is Lockheed Martin Corporation, Marietta, Ga. Solicitations began July 2004, negotiations were complete November 2005, and work will be complete by December 2005 (F33657-97-C-0031). Both November 9 awards were covered in this DID article, as was this engine-related award…

Nov 7/05: Support. United Technologies Corp. in East Hartford, CT received a $17.3 million firm-fixe-price and cost plus fixed fee contract modification to provide for contractual action for F119 engine, FY 2006-2007 to support the combined test force infrastructure at Edwards Air Force Base, CA. Solicitations began December 2003, negotiations were complete June 2005, and work will be complete December 2006 (FA8611-04-C-2852).

FY 2005 and Earlier (Incomplete)

F/A-22 Raptor landing
(click to view full)

Sept 30/05: Support. A $17.7 firm-fixed price contract modification to support the F/A-22 Lot 5 Support System. The location of performance is Lockheed Martin in Marietta, GA. Total funds have been obligated, and work will be complete by November 2007. Negotiations were complete October 2005 (FA8611-04-C-2851/ P00026)

Before this, the most significant contract is…

March 12/03: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Fort Worth, TX received a $6 billion indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract modification to provide for development of system upgrades to existing requirements, incorporate new requirements, add capability and enhance performance in the F/A-22 Weapon System. Funds will be obligated as individual delivery orders are issued. The Air Force can issue delivery orders totaling up to the maximum amount indicated above, though actual requirements may necessitate less than this amount.

Locations of performance are: Lockheed Martin Corp. in Fort Worth, TX; Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems in Marietta, GA; and Boeing ISS Aircraft and Missile Systems in Seattle, WA. Solicitation began in March 2002, negotiations were complete in March 2003, and work will be complete by June 2013. The Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH (F33657-02-D-0009).

F-22 upgrade contract

Additional Readings & Sources Background: The F-22

• DID – F-22 Raptor: Capabilities and Controversies. In-depth coverage looks at both sides.

• USAF Fact Sheets – F-22 Raptor.

• Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.

• Air Force Technology – F-22A Raptor Advanced Tactical Fighter Aircraft, USA

• US Air Force Link – F-22A mini-site. Includes articles, photos, background information. Good idea, but ended in 2008.

• UTC Pratt & Whitney – F119 Engine. Vectored-thrust jet engine.

• Global Security – F-22 Avionics

• DID (Feb 7/06) – EDO’s AVEL Missile Ejection System: Extending the Raptor’s Claws. Covers the development of an important F-22 sub-system, which was a success by any project measure. Despite AVEL’s performance, Pierre Sprey et. al. make a plausible argument that the split-second nature of air combat may make even the seconds of opening and launch time created by the stealth-enhancing weapons bays a problem.

• DID (Dec 15/05) – Elec Tricks: Turning AESA Radars Into Broadband Comlinks. The F-22’s large AESA radar may have an important capability that it’s builders hadn’t suspected. If so, the Raptor’s ability to securely share information with other AESA-equipped planes like the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and some F-15s could rise by several orders of magnitude.

Background: Official Reports

• US GAO (May 15/14, #GAO-14-425) – F-22 Modernization: Cost and Schedule Transparency Is Improved, Further Visibility into Reliability Efforts Is Needed.

• US Government Accountability Office (May 2/12, #GAO-12-447) – F-22A Modernization Program Faces Cost, Technical, and Sustainment Risks.

• US Government Accountability Office (Dec 16/10, #GAO-11-171R) – Defense Management: DOD Needs to Monitor and Assess Corrective Actions Resulting from Its Corrosion Study of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. It’s actually about the F-22’s corrosion problems, for the most part.

• US Congressional Research Service (July 16/09) – Air Force F-22 Fighter Program: Background and Issues for Congress. Includes discussion of foreign sales, upgrade plans.

• RAND Pacific View 2008 briefing – Air Combat: Past, Present & Future. This analysis uses a hypothetical “F-22s over Taiwan” scenario and historical data to look at the core assumptions underlying the USA’s fighter doctrine of “stealth + beyond visual range engagement” as the keys to victory. It concluded that numbers still mattered, and that the “Lanchester Square” principle still applied. It is reported that one of its key analysts was fired in retaliation for its conclusions, once they became public.

• US Government Accountability Office releases (April 2/07, #GAO-07-415) – ‘Tactical Aircraft: DOD Needs a Joint and Integrated Investment Strategy’. Includes a number of details re: the F-22A program, including the issue of cracking near the tail.

• RAND Project Air Force (2005) – The Challenges of Developing New Weapon Systems: Lessons Learned from the F/A-22 and F/A-18E/F

• United States Government Accountability Office (March 3/05, #GAO-05-390T) – Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives: Status of the F/A-22 and JSF Acquisition Programs and Implications for Tactical Aircraft Modernization. “Significant changes in the F/A-22 program have severely weakened its original business case…”

Background: F-22 Program

• DID Spotlight – F-22 Raptors to Japan? The Japanese, Australia, Israel, and South Korea all lobbied at one time or another for an “F-22EX”. Exports were prohibited right to the end of the program, and Japan ended up buying F-35As.

• USAF Maxwell AFB Air & Space Power Journal (Nov-Dec 2012) – The F-22 Acquisition Program: Consequences for the US Air Force’s Fighter Fleet. By Lt. Col. Christopher J. Niemi, USA. “First, given the clear need to recapitalize its fleet, why did the Air Force acquire just 25 percent of the F-22s originally planned? Second, could it have realized a better result by making alternative decisions during F-22 development?”

• DID Spotlight (to 2010) – The Australian Debate: Abandon F-35, Buy F-22s?. The opposition Labor party favored a request for F-22s over the previous government’s purchase of 24 F/A-18F Block II Super Hornets, and question the proposed timing and numbers for the proposed F-35. In the end, the USA refused to sell F-22s to anyone, and Australia bought the F-35A. DID compiles the various arguments and briefings over time, pro and con, from the politicians, DoD, civilian defense experts, the media, et. al.

• Aviation Week (Feb 8/09) – F-22 Design Shows More Than Expected [dead link]. Summary: Desired radar signature from certain critical angles is -40 dBsm., supercruise at Mach 1.78 rather than Mach 1.5, better acceleration, operation from about 65,000 feet using afterburner, 5% greater range from its APG-77 AESA radar.

• DID (Oct 24/06) – Supersonic SIGINT: Will F-35, F-22 Also Play EW Role? The F-22’s abilities in this area had been kept under wraps, but emerged as a result of budget lobbying. The F-22 may have latent electronic warfare capabilities out of the box that rival dedicated aircraft like the EA-6B Prowler, and strong eavesdropping and scanning capabilities.

• Aviation Week (Oct 20/06) – F-22 Maintainers Focus More On Avionics, Less On Engines [dead link]. Good history to date of F-22 maintenance benefits and issues, notes avionics as 70% of the non-stealth maintenance workload.

• DID (Dec 6/05) – $96.7M for Theory of Constraints & 6-Sigma Support in US Naval Aviation. What is Theory of Constraints, and why is it so powerful? DID explains, and notes the method’s use as part of the F-22 Raptor program, via Critical Chain project management.

• DID (Oct 18/05) – RAND PAF: Lessons Learned from the F/A-22 and F/A-18 Super Hornet Programs.

• MIT Lean Aerospace Initiative (March 23/05) – Cost Reduction Task Force Key to Raptor Affordability [HTML Google cache | PDF format, 8.6 MB]

• US Air War College, Maxwell AFB (June 2003, Paper #30) – The Air Superiority Fighter and Defense Transformation: Why DOD Requirements Demand the F/A-22 Raptor

• Air University School Of Advanced Airpower Studies, Maxwell AFB (June 2000) – U.S. Military Aircraft For Sale: Crafting an F-22 Export Policy [PDF format]. Excellent discussion of the F-22’s capabilities, as well as potential export issues and the considerations that will influence US policymakers.

• Crosstalk Journal of Defense Software Engineering, via WayBack (May 2000) – F-22 Software Risk Reduction. The plane’s software is fundamentally based on the VAX system; the article explains why, and notes the modernization challenge ahead.

• Northrop-Grumman Analysis Center (April 2000) – Analogues of Stealth [PDF]. This paper briefly explores antisubmarine warfare, examines the development and fielding of low-observable “stealth” aircraft and emerging countermeasures, and suggests analogues between past experience with stealthy platforms and countermeasures in the sea and the future of stealthy platforms in the air.

• Australian Aviation (1999) – Deedle, Deedle, Deedle, BANG! The Paradigm Shift in Air Superiority. Discusses the evolution of missiles, how this has affected aircraft design, and the significance of the F-22’s capabilities against aerial and ground targets.

• Lockheed Martin Code One Magazine (April 1998) – F-22 Design Evolution. This wasn’t even the end of that evolution, merely the end of the first stage that eliminated the Northrop / General Dynamics’ F-23 Black Widow. The YF-23 was faster and stealthier than the YF-22, but less maneuverable. The Navy reportedly thought it was also less amenable to modification for carrier use, though the NATF program was canceled shortly thereafter in 1991.

• YouTube – Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II. Very good documentary about the competing YF-23.

News & Views

• DID – Aging F-15s: Ripples Hitting the F-22, F-35 Programs. The unexpected, months-long grounding of the USA’s F-15 A-D Eagle fleet triggered some rethinks, and delayed the planned end of F-22 production.

• Air Power Australia (Feb 15/10) – Assessing the Sukhoi PAK-FA. Russia’s 5th-generation plane. “While the failure to account for the imminent arrival of this design in United States TACAIR force structure planning qualifies the PAK-FA as a “known capability surprise”, the important advances in PAK-FA aerodynamic, kinematic and low observables design also qualify it as a “surprising capability surprise”.

• Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, via WayBack (July 31/09) – What Happened to the F-22? “…successful defense programs require three pillars: “the service that wants and will advocate for the program, a contractor for whom the program is major business, and members of Congress”…”

• The Moderate Voice, via WayBack (Sept 26/09) – The Demise of the F-22 Raptor: The Story Behind the Story. Includes an excerpt from Fred Kaplan’s Sept 19/09 Newsweek article, as well as a number of other relevant links.

• Heritage Foundation, via WayBack (July 13/09) – Congress Should Support the Development of an Allied Variant of the F-22A

• Heritage Foundation, via WayBack (July 13/09) – US Air Force Fifth-Generation Fighter: The F-22A Raptor Requirements Retreat

• Air Force Association (July 13/09) – The F-22, A Bagel and a Smear“.

• Sen Orrin Hatch [R-UT] (July 9/09) – Issues & Legislation: F-22 Raptor. Includes F-22 Assertions and Facts [PDF], and a formal Air Force Rebuttal [PDF] to the Washington Post’s article.

• Washingtion Post (July 7/09) – Premier U.S. Fighter Jet Has Major Shortcomings. It alleges failure to meet key performance parameters, spiraling maintenance and operations costs, and failures of the plane’s stealth coatings in conditions like rain.

http://hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=IssuePositions.View&IssuePosition_id=989152b7-5f5f-45c4-9c04-caf70407a581

• Defense Review, via WayBack (May 29/09) – F-22 Raptor Program Cancellation: Will we learn from it? Can the USA re-learn how to field new aircraft designs in 5 years, from concept to combat?

• The Atlantic, via WayBack (March 2009) – Mark Bowden’s The Last Ace.

• Air Force Association Magazine, via WayBack (January 2009) – The John Young View. Discusses the F-22 in particular, and other programs as well. Also relates to the Nov 20/08 DWG transcript.

• US DoD (Nov 26/08) – John Young DWG transcript: EPX, CSAR-X, F-22. John Young, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for acquisition technology and logistics, speaks to the Defense Writer’s Group. Full DWG Transcript [PDF] | Partial transcript at The DEW Line.

• Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Jan 27/08) – The F-22: expensive, irrelevant and counterproductive [dead link]. Here’s a similar op-ed from the trio on Defense Tech: Fighter Mafia Alumns on the Defense Budget.

• Fort Worth Star-Telegram op/ed (Jan 27/08) – F-22 is still what the U.S. needs [dead link].

• Lexington Institute (Oct 30/07) – Policymakers Suppress Expert Findings on Future Fighter. The think-tank charges that this is so because all 3 studies found a need for more than 183 F-22s.

• February 2007 Exercise Red (Colonial) Flag results (Feb 21/07) – USAF: Raptors wield ‘unfair’ advantage at Red Flag

• US AFA, Air Force Magazine, via WayBack (February 2007) – The Raptor in the Real World. Talks about Exercise Northern Edge, among other topics.

• DID (Aug 21/06) – David Axe’s F-22 Series: Raptor, or Turkey? He talks to a number of people involved with the program during this 4-part series, while looking at the associated controversies involving the aircraft.

• DID (Aug 7/06) – GKN Buys Stellex to Position Itself in Titanium. The article explains titanium’s importance to new civil and military aircraft. Titanium prices are a major component of the F-22’s costs.

• USAF (Aug 4/06) – Tyndall spearheads F-22 fighter tactics integration. It’s a bit different when you fly a stealth fighter; the rest of the force has to work with you in ways that don’t blow your cover.

• USAF (June 23/06) – F-22 excels at establishing air dominance. Includes Northern Edge 2006 exercise takeaways, and the $134 million flyaway cost figure for additional F-22s.

• The Virginian-Pilot, via WayBack (June 13/06) – Air Force jet funding on the line with Senate vote. Looks at the F-22’s funding profile, and also offers a god back-and-forth between the performance points made in Pierre Sprey & James Stevenson’s CDI briefing (see Apr 19/05 entry) and F-22A pilot Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver.

• USAF (June 16/06) Exercise highlights Raptor synergy, joint capabilities. Exercise Northern Edge 2006.

• DID (Jan 12/06) – US Plans to Retire B-52s, C-21s, F-117 & U-2 for more F-22s.

• Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University (April 19/05) – The F-22 Raptor is said to be invisible…until it isn’t. Covers the CDI event that featured Pierre Sprey’s and Jim Stevenson’s presentations re: the F-22. The file sizes of their Power Point presentations precludes making them available via DID, unless their size can be reduced or they are hosted at CDI (which they presently are not). See also their accompanying F-22 fact sheet.

Americas

AeroVironment is being tapped to keep the US Southern Command’s Raven RQ-11Bs operational. The awarded single-award contract is priced at $13 million and covers a number of recurring requirements for spares, ancillary equipment and training. The Raven is backpackable, can be launched by hand and is quietly powered by an electric-engine. Its lithium-ion batteries can accelerate it to speeds of up to 60 mph for 60 to 90 minutes. The UAV includes a color electro-optical camera, or an infrared camera for night operations. The Raven system can be flown manually or autonomously through set way-points. Work will be performed in Southcom’s area of responsibility, this includes Central America, South America and the Caribbean nations. The contract will run through September 2023.

The Colombian Navy is adding two Airbus Dauphin helicopters to its fleet. The second-hand aircraft are expected to be delivered in December. The 4.5t class helicopter will be embarked on the Colombian Navy’s 20 de Julio-class offshore patrol vessels. Powered by two powerful Arriel 2C turboshaft engines, the AS365 N3 features a forward looking infrared (FLIR), radar, search lights, hailer, hoist, and stretchers. The helicopter’s specially designed cockpit and and a four-axis autopilot optimise the platform for SAR operations in high altitudes and extreme climatic conditions.

Middle East & Africa

Boeing is being contracted to support the training of future Qatar Emiri Air Force pilots. The company will provide Qatar with F-15QA aircrew and maintenance courseware at a cost of $30 million. This includes syllabi, a student tracking system and the overall program management needed to train the country’s future F-15QA pilots. Production of the new F-15s started in August and will run through to at least 2022. Qatar ordered a total of 36 fighter jets at a cost of $12 billion. Work will be performed at Boeing’s location in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed Dec. 28, 2020.

The Lebanese Armed Forces will receive six light attack helicopters from MD Helicopters. This is the third delivery order issued against a 5-year $1.4 billion light scout attack helicopter IDIQ contract. The Lebanese MD-530Gs will be equipped with FN Herstal Weapons Management System and the DillonAero Mission Configurable Armament System (MCAS) and other systems and weapons found on the Cayuse Warriors which will be delivered to the Kenyan Air Force. The Lebanese Warriors, however will also have a ballistically tolerant crashworthy fuel system, a Wescam laser designator, and Thales’s Scorpion helmet-mounted cueing system. The light-attack helicopter will be able to engage enemy targets with BAE’s 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) rocket. The MD-530Gs will also feature the Harris Falcon III RF-7850A-MR multi-channel airborne networking radios with advanced encryption standards (AES). Deliveries are scheduled for completion by fall 2020.

Europe

Britain’s defense minister confirms that the government is looking into the purchase of a fleet of Wedgetail E-7 AWACS aircraft. In a recent interview, Gavin Williamson said that following an initial market analysis and a series of discussions, the Ministry of Defence can now conclude “that the potential procurement of the E-7 represents the best value for money option for the UK against need”. The UK is also currently in talks with Australia regarding a potential cooperation and collaboration on the Wedgetail program. Australia already operates a fleet of Wedgetails, and a small number of British Royal Air Force personnel have been training on the aircraft since mid-year. Williamson did not specify the timeframe, quantity and cost of the planned procurement, nevertheless it is likely that up to six E-7s will replace the ageing E-3Ds. The program will likely cost more than $2.6 billion, putting more pressure on an already exhausted British defense budget.

France delivers ground-based surveillance radars and short range anti-aircraft missile systems to Georgia. Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said during a conference held on October 1st, that the country’s airspace would now be “more protected and effectively controlled”. Georgia signed two contracts for the delivery of the Mistral air-defense system and the Ground Master 400/200 series back in 2015. The purchases are totalling at $90 million. MBDA’s Mistral Atlas system is a twin-launcher for the Mistral air-defense system. It has been designed to provide greater mobility, flexibility, high fire-power and autonomy and can be installed on many high mobility vehicles or used in a pedestal version. The Ground Master 400 belongs to Thales’ fully digital 3D air-defense radar family. The system fits into a standard ISO 20 container and is especially good in tracking high maneuvering targets at low elevation. Georgia is part of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program and is one of the few members of the alliance that spends 2% of its GDP on defense.

Asia-Pacific

Australia’s Defense Minister and the French Naval Group are seeking to calm the waters after media reports suggested the impending collapse of a major defense contract between the Australian government and the shipbuilder. The Commonwealth Government announced in the Defence White Paper 2016 that it would double the size of the current fleet of Collins submarines and procure 12 Future Submarines at a cost of more than $36 billion. Key requirements are, a similar range and endurance than the Collins-class, a superior stealth and sensor performance, an upgraded version of the AN/BYG-1 combat system and Mk 48 Mod 7 heavyweight torpedo. The first submarine is slatted to enter service in the early 2030s with construction of the last submarine in the 2050s with sustainment continuing until the 2080s. An ABC report suggested that the planned acquisition of 12 diesel-electric submarines may be cancelled if the strategic partnering agreement is not signed before next year’s election.

Today’s Video

Watch: Russia airs video of S-300 being unloaded in Syria

E-7A Wedgetail
over New South Wales
(click to view full)

The island continent of Australia faces a number of unique security challenges that stem from its geography. The continent may be separated from its neighbors by large expanses of ocean, but it also resides within a potential arc of instability, and has a number of important offshore resource sites to protect. Full awareness of what is going on around them, and the ability to push that awareness well offshore, are critical security requirements.

“Project Wedgetail” had 3 finalists, and the winner was a new variant of Boeing’s 737-700, fitted with an MESA (multirole electronically scanned array) radar from Northrop Grumman. That radar exchanges the traditional AWACS rotating dome for the E-7A’s “top hat” stationary antenna. That design, and the project as a whole, have run into severe turbulence, creating problems for Boeing earnings, the ADF, and other export orders for the type. DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This one covers contracts, events, and key milestones within Australia’s E-7A program, from inception to the current day.

Project Wedgetail: Program and Participants The Competition

E-7A Cutaway
(click to view full)

In 1997 Australia’s AIR 5077 Project aimed to field a next generation aircraft that could monitor the airspace and even the waters around Australia. They named their AWACS project “Wedgetail,” in honor of their native eagle.

Rather than picking the larger E-767, as the Japanese had done, they wanted to be able to buy a larger number of smaller and less expensive aircraft within their allotted budget. A set of small Initial Design Activity contracts were issued to 3 shortlisted firms in 1997, followed by bid submissions in early 1999 and selection of a preferred bidder.

MESA radar

In 2000, a Boeing/Northrop Grumman team beat 2 competing offers.

Raytheon’s offer involved the Israeli Elta Phalcon stationary active-array radar, mounted on an Airbus A310 widebody airframe. The Phalcon system is currently mounted on Israel and Singapore’s Gulfstream G550 jets, Chilean 707s, and India’s Russian-built IL-76s.

Lockheed Martin’s offer involved C-130J-30s fitted with rotating radomes derived from the E-2C Hawkeye carrier-launched AWACS. The C-130J-30 is used by the ADF as a transport aircraft, and the E-2C is in wide use by the USA, Egypt, France, Mexico, Singapore, and Taiwan.

Boeing’s 737-700 offered Australia a very successful, in-production commercial aircraft that could maintain consistent high-subsonic speeds. That gave it a coverage advantage over the C-130J, but not the A310. Its accompanying Northrop Grumman MESA radar was seen as the newest technology choice, however, which could deliver the best performance if it lived up to its claims. That seems to have given the 737 an edge over Raytheon’s Airbus offer – but it also led to a lot of problems with a developmental radar that wasn’t truly ready.

Program & Industrial Team

KC-135 & E-7
(click to view full)

The initial contract wasn’t signed until December 2000, and the price quoted at the time was A$ 3 billion. DoD releases issued after Australia exercised 2 of its options for additional planes have used a figure of A$ 3.45 billion. ANAO’s 2012-13 report places the figure at A$ 3.83 billion, including factors like monetary inflation and currency exchange.

The real turbulence began in 2006, when a project that was held up as a model of acquisition reform, and reported as on time and on budget, suddenly “found” itself way behind schedule and over cost. This has led to widespread unhappiness in Australia.

The first 2 E-7A aircraft were supposed to be delivered in November 2006, and enter service in 2007. Full Operational Capability was originally scheduled for December 2008. Bottom line? Australia’s E-7As will be about 5 years behind schedule. Initial aircraft were delivered without key electronics, and began limited service and training over Australia at the end of 2009. The 1st aircraft in a ‘final’ configuration, which would still fall short in high-end war fighting scenarios, eventually arrived in May 2012. Initial Operational Capability and final acceptance actually began in November 2012, and Final Operational Capability isn’t expected until June 2015.

Boeing was also unhappy, as the A$ 3.45 billion contracts were structured in a way that shifted risk to the contractor. That has forced the firm to take hundreds of millions of dollars in write-offs. A 1999 Boeing release set out team responsibilities:

• Boeing (737-700, systems integrator)
  
• Boeing Australia (systems engineering and airplane modification support, product support, ground support segments)
  
• Northrop Grumman (MESA 360-degree steerable beam radar).
  
• BAE Australia (ESM signal detection, electronic warfare self-protection subsystem, operational mission simulator and mission support segment, AEW&C support facility)
  
• Qantas Airlines (maintenance support)

Contracts & Key Events 2018

October 4/18: UK purchase? Britain’s defense minister confirms that the government is looking into the purchase of a fleet of Wedgetail E-7 AWACS aircraft. In a recent interview, Gavin Williamson said that following an initial market analysis and a series of discussions, the Ministry of Defence can now conclude “that the potential procurement of the E-7 represents the best value for money option for the UK against need”. The UK is also currently in talks with Australia regarding a potential cooperation and collaboration on the Wedgetail program. Australia already operates a fleet of Wedgetails, and a small number of British Royal Air Force personnel have been training on the aircraft since mid-year. Williamson did not specify the timeframe, quantity and cost of the planned procurement, nevertheless it is likely that up to six E-7s will replace the ageing E-3Ds. The program will likely cost more than $2.6 billion, putting more pressure on an already exhausted British defense budget.

2017

July 7/17: Australia has contracted Boeing to carry out upgrades to the early-warning and control capabilities of its fleet of E-7A Wedgetail aircraft. Valued at $442.4 million, the aircraft will be fitted with new sensors as well as tactical data links, and communication and encryption systems. The project will be completed by mid-2022. Wedgetail aircraft are configured Boeing 737-700, with the addition of advanced Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar and 10 mission crew consoles. Australia currently has the aircraft deployed to the Middle East region as part of its contribution to the fight against the Islamic State.

2015

Feb 25/15: Real-world results.An RAAF officer spoke to media about the two real-world taskings the Wedgetail pulled: the marshaling of disparate aircraft in the search for Malaysia Airlines MH370 and in recent operations against ISIS. Wing Commander Paul Carpenter said the reliability rate was 90 percent or higher. He also said that since the platform is based on the Boeing 737, when it operated away from Australia, it benefited from high availability of the 737 support chain.

2014

Support contract gets 5-year extension.

Flares test
(click to view full)

March 17/14: Support. A 5-year, A$ 901 million support contract extension (q.v. July 29/13) to Boeing Defence Australia will help No.2 Sqn in Williamtown with program management, supply-chain management, engineering, and maintenance services until at least 2019. Deeper E-7A aircraft maintenance support and training services will also continue under this deal, but only to 2016. Australia’s DoD intends to open them up to competition after that, and Boeing will have to win again to keep that work.

The extension features 48% Australian content: A$ 433 million is being spent in Australia, including A$ 275 million in Newcastle, A$ 80 million Brisbane and Ipswich and $78 million in Adelaide.

The contract’s scope covers all 6 E-7A Wedgetail aircraft, a full flight simulator, an operational mission simulator, a software development and test laboratory, and maintenance facilities. The contract could be extended via annual extensions based on performance metrics, and Boeing’s key contract partners remain BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman. Sources: DoD, “Minister applauds $901 million Wedgetail sustainment contract” | Boeing Australia, “Boeing Signs Contract to Continue Support for Australia’s Wedgetail Program”.

2011 – 2013

All E-7s delivered, planes are flying in exercises; IOC reached, but not Full Operational Capability; Changes in Boeing’s relationship with Australia’s DMO; Boeing Australia takes over support; ANAO report.

COPE NORTH 2012
(click to view full)

Dec 17/13: ANAO Report. Australia’s National Audit Office releases their 2012-13 Major Projects Report. AIR 5077 Phase 3 Wedgetail is one of the projects whose completion has slipped the most in the last year, adding a 20 month delay to make Final Operational Capability 78 months (6.5 years) late, in June 2015. That helped contribute to an A$ 91.4 million underspend in the past year. The program has spent A$ 3,452.5 million of A$ 3,843.7 budgeted, but it also has been adversely affected by inflation (A$ 1,111.1 million) and exchange variation (A$ 108.8 million) over that period. While Wedgetail was removed from the Projects of Concern list at Materiel Release 3 / Initial Operational Capability in November 2012:

“The performance shortfalls and technical difficulties are adversely affecting the transition into operational service and sustainment…. due to problems with sub?system integration, hardware availability, radar and electronic support measures maturity and aircraft modification.”

Final acceptance of the Mission Support Segment, Operational Mission Simulator, and Airborne Early Warning and Control Support Facility took place in December 2012, but Final Materiel Release has been delayed until December 2014, when Boeing is scheduled to finish remediation work.

Ongoing work with Boeing and Northrop Grumman has helped change minds at Australia’s DMO, and they now believe that they will fix almost all of the performance shortfalls through the settlement with Boeing. Radar performance in the clear has been “substantially remediated,” performance in clutter expected to see “substantial improvement” by December 2013, and a number of shortfalls in Electronic Support Measures (ESM), Electronic Warfare Self Protection (EWSP), communications datalinks/ data forwarding, and residual integrated system performance are getting better. Work also continues on system stability.

July 29/13: Support. Boeing Defence Australia Australian industry receives A$ 140 million to take on the E-7A Wedgetail support contract from Boeing USA (q.v. Jan 19/10). They’ll provide engineering, maintenance, spare parts and training support to Number 2 Squadron at RAAF Williamtown NSW, until the contract ends in 2015. Australian DMO | Australian DoD | Boeing.

Support passes to Boeing Australia

Dec 19/12: ANAO Report. The ANAO releases their 2010-2011 Major Projects Report. With respect to the E-7 program, ANAO says that successive software builds delivered to Australia’s fleet have improved integrated system performance. Unfortunately, other issues remain:

“….a radar remediation program was established. This program includes a radar collaborative research and development program. A contract for the collaborative program was signed on 21 June 2010. The program has been very successful and consequently the period of performance has been extended to the end of 2012. Radar performance in the clear has been recovered to very close to specification and substantial improvement in performance in clutter is anticipated by mid 2013. Further technical challenges in the development of the Communications, ESM, Electronic Warfare Self Protection (EWSP) and ground support systems are still being encountered…”

Dec 12/12: No concern. The Australian government officially removes the Wedgetail program from DoD’s “Projects of Concern” list. Australia DoD.

Off “Projects of Concern” list

Nov 19/12: IOC. Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announces that the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Wedgetail aircraft has achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC). For Australia, IOC is the minimum standard required to operate the fleet, including the readiness of a platform’s support infrastructure. Since 2011, the E-7A fleet has participated in Exercise Bersama Lima in Malaysia, Exercise Cope North Guam, Exercise Bersama Shield, the Red Flag multinational meet in Alaska, and most recently Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012.

The announcement also marks final acceptance. ANAO attributes the delays in aircraft final acceptance to delays in completing the large volume of formal documentation required. Australia’s DoD has no word on when to expect Full Operational Capability. Australia DoD.

May 31/12: Final delivery. The Australian government announces that Boeing has delivered the 6th and final E-7A Wedgetail aircraft, which is now based with the rest of No. 2 Squadron at RAAFB Williamtown.

This is the very 1st E-7 delivered to Australia in ‘final’ configuration. There has, as yet, been no announcement regarding acceptance of the “final” configuration Wedgetail. In response to queries, Australia’s DoD said that Initial Operating Capability is expected by the end of 2012, adding that “Boeing plans to offer all six aircraft for final acceptance in the third quarter of 2012.”

Deliveries end

May 10/12: Exercise. Australia completes Exercise Bersama Shield 2012 with Malaysia, which included RAAF E-7A Wedgetail, AP-3C Orion, B300 King Air and F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, along with the frigate HMAS Ballarat and submarine HMAS Collins.

Feb 14/12: Exercise. Australia deploys 6 of its F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters, and 1 E-7A Wedgetail plane, and 3000 RAAF personnel to Guam for exercise COPE NORTH 2012. They will join the USAF’s B-52 bombers, F-15Cs, F-16s, F-16CJs and KC-135, and Japan’s F-15Js, F-2s and E-2Cs. More than 1,000 military personnel from around the world are expected to participate.

It’s the Wedgetail’s 2nd foreign deployment, but the plane is still operating in the very limited initial configuration.

Dec 20/11: ANAO Major Projects Report. The report lists the aircraft’s current schedule, and adds that:

“The Wedgetail test aircraft participated in the Canadian exercise, Trident Fury, during May 2011. The flights showed varying success, with some radar fixes flown showing excellent results. However, there were still issues with system stability, consistency and repeatability which undermined overall mission system utility. Electronic Support Measures (ESM) remains the most significant concern and schedule risk. Reliability, maintainability and supportability are the key ESM issues that have been highlighted during recent testing. The resolution of these ESM issues will be a primary driver of Final Acceptance.”

ESM systems are used to detect radar and other emitters, and backtrack them to their location. The report also says that “some radar deficiencies will remain at final delivery.”

December 2011: E-7 Increment 2. Upgrades are done on all 4 initial E-7A aircraft, bringing them to the 2nd increment of their initial configuration. Source: ANAO.

Nov 1/11: Exercise. An E-7A Wedgetail participates in the type’s 1st foreign deployment, at the Bersama Lima 2011 exercises with Malaysia. The RAAF shares the RAAFB Butterworth base in Malaysia with the RMAF, as part of a regional defense accord.

An Australian E-7A had participated in RIMPAC 2010, but Australia’s DoD confirms that the Hawaiian exercise was conducted by Boeing crew and maintainers, as part of the development program. Australia DoD.

July 2011: Manage Different. The Australian DMO’s bulletin magazine [PDF] covers the changed relationship between the DMO and Boeing, within the Wedgetail project. In early 2010, DMO/RRAF staff worked separately from Boeing, with security doors preventing access. DMO Flight Lieutenant (FLTLT) Rebecca Sharp:

“It was a real case of us versus them and these attitudes were deep seated,” she said. “The DMO staff felt as if the contractor was just in it for the money while the Boeing staff felt as though they were being used.”

Changes began amidst the program’s difficulties, beginning with co-locating in the same building, followed by joint mapping of business processes and value streams (Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Supply Chain, HR/Training), and the application of LEAN business principles. The contract itself has reversed to outsource all Systems Project Office functions to Boeing, unless the fixed-fee contract explicitly says that they belong to the DMO or RAAF.

These changes have led to others. A co-located finance team shares project financial data for the 1st time in the DMO’s history. A common AEWCSPO Storyboard displays metrics related to cost, downtime, and capabilities. A Joint Integration Group (JIG) of representatives from Boeing, DMO, and the RAAF, meets on a weekly basis to share problems, ideas and issues. The JIG can also make operational decisions, instead of directing everything up to management level and creating endless delays. Similar groups exist higher up the food chain, but the JIG allows them to focus on strategy and future planning. The DMO says that these measures are saving money as well as time, while creating fundamental changes in the parties’ relationships.

Jan 28/11: Boeing losses. Flight International reports that Boeing’s Q4 and year-end 2010 earnings statement includes a new charge against earnings for its E-7A program, valued at $136 million. It covers “additional software development and testing required for acceptance of the Wedgetail aircraft” as well as “resolution of issues associated with the test program” for the Turkish air force’s similar “Peace Eagle” 737 AEW&C program.

It’s not clear whether these revelations mean more delays in store. Boeing release [PDF] | Conference Call | Flight International.

2009 – 2010

5-year support contract; FAA certification; Interoperability proven with ScanEagle UAVs; Still lots of issues, and Australia’s initial acceptance of 2 E-7s is conditional.

(click to view full)

May 5/10: Acceptance. The first 2 Wedgetail aircraft are formally accepted by Minister for Defence Material and Science Greg Combet, during a ceremony at RAAF Base Williamtown in Newcastle, Australia. The RAAF will now work with Boeing to train personnel in operating the aircraft over the next 12 months. Combet acknowledges that the program will remain on Australia’s “projects of concern” list, noting performance shortcomings in his speech:

“In particular, I look forward to the delivery of the Electronic Support Measures and Electronic Warfare Self Protection Subsystems and improvements in both radar performance and integrated system performance over time… the MESA radar will be subject to a collaborative research and development program to examine potential improvements. This could provide real improvements in the radar and develop the radar expertise of Australian industry. As part of this, the Government is pleased to see the work being done to provide CEA Technologies, an innovative Australian Radar company, with opportunities to play a major role in supporting the Radar Subsystem in service.”

See: Australian DoD | Transcript of acceptance speech | The Australian | Sydney Morning Herald.

Acceptance – with reservations

Feb 2/10: Support. Thales Australia announces a 5-year agreement with Boeing Defence Australia to provide through-life maintenance and engineering support for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Wedgetail program’s Operational Flight Trainer (OFT). Price was not disclosed.

Developed by Thales in Australia and the UK, the Wedgetail OFT offers flight performance, air-to-air refuelling, flight deck and pilot tactical training capabilities. It’s customized to reflect unique characteristics of the Wedgetail AEW&C system, including controls for the communication, aerial refueling, and Electronic Warfare Self Protection systems. This OFT will be the sole Wedgetail pilot training device for the RAAF. The OFT was awarded the highest level of Australian flight simulator accreditation in June 2008, and allows the RAAF to graduate Wedgetail pilots with 100% of their type conversion training completed on the simulator. The term is called ‘zero flight time pilot training’, which is actually something of a misnomer because they will have a number of flying hours in other aircraft first.

Jan 19/10: Support. Boeing signs a 5-year, USD $600 million (A$ 800 million) In-Service Support contract from Australia’s Defence Materiel Organisation, for Project Wedgetail’s 6 aircraft. Under the performance-based logistics (PBL) contract, Boeing will provide acquisition, program management, integration and engineering services, with specified rewards for meeting or exceeding contract benchmarks.

Boeing Defence Australia will support the program with engineering, maintenance and training services and supply chain management. Subcontractor Northrop Grumman will support the aircrafts’ Multirole Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar. Boeing claims that the contract is expected to create more than 100 jobs in Newcastle, Australia, while providing continued and new employment for more than 100 personnel in Queensland, Australia. Boeing release | Australian DoD ceremony transcript and release.

5-year support contract

Airworthiness test
(click to view full)

Dec 14/09: Testing. As part of planned tests for Australia’s Project Vigilare NC3S (Network Centric Command and Control System) the system completes its first data transmission with an RAAF Wedgetail aircraft. The Vigilare system installed at the RAAF’s Northern Regional Operations Centre in Northern Territory, Australia, successfully sent Link 16 transmissions to an airborne Wedgetail aircraft performing training missions over Australia’s east coast. Other platforms planned for this network include Australia’s F/A-18 Hornets, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, its future P-8A Poseidon sea control aircraft, and its future Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers.

Developed by Boeing Defence Australia, Project Vigilare NC3S will combine data from land, sea, air and space platforms, sensors and data links, in order to help the ADF provide tactical and strategic surveillance across wide geographic regions, and perform battlespace-management operations as needed. Boeing release.

Nov 26/09: Delivery. Delivery of the first 2 Wedgetail aircraft to RAAFB Williamstown, in Australia, follows a commercial settlement with Boeing. As a result of this agreement, Boeing is making these 2 aircraft available to the RAAF for familiarization training, while it continues to work on the program. Australian Aviation writes that:

“The initial delivery denotes that the aircraft have been provided by Boeing to the RAAF for training purposes, but will not be formally handed over to their new owner until March 2010. Despite wearing their ADF serial numbers – A30-001 and A30-004 – the aircraft will remain on Boeing’s books and the US civil register until that time, and Boeing must provide a pilot in command and a flight test engineer on all RAAF training flights until the official handover.”

The aircraft also lack key electronics, but can be used along with the Williamstown AEW&C Support Centre’s Wedgetail Operational Flight Trainer, Operational Mission Simulator, and Mission Support System, in order to allow the RAAF to begin familiarization training for flight, mission and maintenance crews. Australian DoD | Boeing | The Australian | Newcastle Herald | News Australia | Australian Aviation | Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Nov 9/09: Testing. Boeing confirms that it successfully completed tests of the Counter Measures Dispenser System (CMDS) for Project Wedgetail in September and October 2009. Tests were held off the Washington coast and over Puget Sound, over 19 flights that dispensed more than 500 units of chaff and flares.

Testing of BAE Systems’ CMDS system is just one step toward verification of the Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft’s overall Electronic Warfare Self-Protection (EWSP) capability, which will include LAIRCM defensive systems as well as chaff. See also Aviation Week.

Nov 6/09: Update. Australian Defence Magazine reports that late December 2009, Wedgetail aircraft will begin service over Australia in a training and domestic surveillance role. They will be limited to those uses, because the first 2 E-7As will not have operational electronic counter-measures systems that would allow their use in conflict zones. A total of 5 aircraft have received the basic Wedgetail conversion at this time, and the other 4 fully-equipped aircraft (plus 2 initial deliveries, for 6 total) are expected by the end of 2010. The report adds that:

“One of the final approval tests with the aircraft is expected in Seattle in early November [2009] when ECM tests firing flare and chaff are completed… We understand negotiations about the status and capability of the Wedgetail aircraft, and particularly the performance of their Northrop Grumman MESA radar have been underway for some time between Boeing, Northrop Grumman and the Defence Department.”

July 13/09: Radar issues. The Sydney Morning Herald quotes Air Vice Marshal Chris Deeble, who says that the first 2 Wedgetails are on target for delivery by Nov 30/09, and are now ready to be used for training and initial operations. He also says, however, that ironing out key issues with the plane’s radar could take a couple more years, and the report details those issues:

“The key remaining radar problems relate to its clutter performance – the ability to detect targets such as low-flying aircraft against a ground or water backdrop in certain circumstances – side lobes – extraneous radar signals which could create false images – and stability, where some combinations of operator commands cause mission computers to halt temporarily or even lock up.”

Boeing is scheduled to deliver 4 Wedgetails in full configuration between March and September 2010, after which the first 2 aircraft will also be upgraded to full specification. Depending on how quickly the radar and software issues sort themselves out, further upgrades may become necessary.

May 19/09: Testing. The Australian reports that the Wedgetail project has performed well in a series of tests and technical reviews:

“Senior defence and industry sources say the Wedgetail, a modified Boeing 737-700 aircraft with a specially developed phased array radar, performed well in flight tests over the Northern Territory a fortnight ago.

Ten days ago, a Wedgetail aircraft flying out of Canberra with senior defence officials on board also performed satisfactorily, with its radar detecting RAAF F/A-18 fighters from Williamtown air base, near Newcastle.

The aerial trials of the high-tech airborne air defence system followed a lengthy series of laboratory tests earlier this year on the performance of the Wedgetail’s radar by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory.

The Lincoln Laboratory assessment found there were no fundamental performance problems with the state-of-the art phased array radar that would place the Wedgetail project in jeopardy.”

May 19/09: Certification. The RAAF’s Wedgetail aircraft receive US FAA supplemental type certification. The certification is supplemental because it’s an amendment to the existing civil certification for the 737-700IGW (increased gross weight). International certifications are required in order to fly in civil airspace. The Australian | Aviation Week.

FAA certification

March 16/09: Testing. Boeing’s two-fer. Australia’s Project JP129 failure has created an opening for Boeing’s ScanEagle UAV, but its flagship “Wedgetail” E-7A AWACS faces questions. Boeing responded by linking 2 birds with one datalink: a live demonstration in which a not-yet-delivered Wedgetail aircraft flying over Washington State, USA, controlled and received sensor data from 3 ScanEagle UAVs.

The 3 ScanEagles were launched from Boeing’s Boardman Test Facility in eastern Oregon, approximately 120 miles/ 190 km away from the airborne Wedgetail. Using the company’s UAS battle-management software, airborne operators issued NATO-standard sensor and air-vehicle commands via a UHF satellite communication link and ground-station relay. Operators tasked the UAVs with area search, reconnaissance, point surveillance and targeting, while the UAVs sent back real-time video imagery of ground targets.

Boeing will conduct a follow-on demonstration for the Australian government in early May 2009 at RAAF Base Williamtown in New South Wales. A Wedgetail will take control of ScanEagles operated by Boeing Defence Australia personnel at Woomera Test Facility in South Australia, approximately 1,080 miles/ 1,730 km from Williamtown.

Feb 27/09: Training. Australia’s Project Wedgetail AEW&C program accepts an operational flight trainer (OFT) from Boeing, as the first segment of the Wedgetail program to be delivered to Australia. The simulator was installed at the Wedgetail AEW&C Support Center at RAAF base Williamtown.

The motion-based flight simulator was designed, built and installed by Thales, and managed under a subcontract by Boeing Defence Australia. The OFT is customized to account for the Australian aircrafts’ unique characteristics, including controls for the communication, aerial-refueling and Electronic Warfare Self Protection systems. Prior to delivery, the OFT passed a series of certification tests and was awarded the highest “zero flight time status” accreditation, allowing experienced pilots to train using an accredited simulator instead of an actual aircraft.

RAAF pilots have used the OFT since October 2007, in order to familiarize themselves with the Wedgetail AEW&C flight deck and to develop training scenarios. It will now be used for full pilot training. Boeing.

Feb 25/09: Update. Aviation Week reports comments by that Wedgetail project manager Air Vice Marshal Chris Deeble to an Australian parliamentary committee. While the initial jet is scheduled for delivery in November 2009 with limited performance, Australia expects the other 5 jets to be delivered to the full specification:

“We have made no concessions to Boeing… Neither have they sought any concessions to a reduction in the performance.” But he adds that not all program risks have been mitigated.”

Feb 13/09: Testing. The Australian publishes a follow-on story, which covers the MIT Lincoln Lab’s testing of the E-7A’s MESA radar:

“The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory is undertaking the review, assisted by a small team from Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation… Senior defence sources say the problems with the radar go beyond simple target identification and software integration issues to the basic performance and geometry of the system, which sits on top of the 737’s fuselage.

The Lincoln Laboratory assessment is due to be completed by the end of March and will be followed by flight testing over northern Australia in May… Subject to further tests later this year, Boeing expects to deliver an initial 737 aircraft to the RAAF for training tasks in November with the first two planes achieving full capability by March next year.”

Jan 21-28/09: Testing. Boeing conducts successful functional airworthiness flights of 2 Project Wedgetail 737-700s from Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base Amberley.

The flight followed major aircraft modifications performed by Boeing Defence Australia at Amberley, including the installation and checkout of an advanced Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) antenna, ventral fins and mission system equipment.

The two aircraft will be painted with RAAF markings over the next few weeks. Boeing will finish installing mission system equipment on both aircraft, and conduct a series of ground checkouts later in 2009. Boeing release.

Jan 7-10/09: Testing. Boeing and the USAF conduct the first aerial refuelings involving a 737-based aircraft, as part of Project Wedgetail. The fights were conducted at Edwards AFB in California, and involved a USAF KC-10 tanker on Dec 7/08 and a USAF KC-135 on Dec 10/08. Boeing release.

2007 – 2008

Multiple delays announced, as Boeing begins taking substantial write-offs.

Wedgetai over Sydney
(click to view full)

Nov 20/08: Delays. Announcements are made that the Wedgetail Project will have its delivery date pushed back yet again, with the first aircraft not expected until late 2009, initial operating capability waiting until 2011, and full operating capability waiting until 2012. Even those dates are not firm, however, as they depend on Boeing’s ability to solve major technical issues.

The Australian quotes Australia’s Defence Procurement Secretary Greg Combet, who said the project was on the government’s “Projects of Concern” watchlist but that there were no plans to cancel it:

“Just last week there was a summit held in Canberra where we discussed how we are going to move things forward. I am pleased to say progress was made in those discussions but there is much more work to be done yet. This probably the project that keeps me awake the most at night.”

Meanwhile, Australia’s Courier News reports that:

“Senior military officers have admitted the prime contractor, US giant Boeing, and its sub-contractors have no idea how to fix the main problem – an unworkable radar system… Air Vice-Marshal Deeble qualified his [2011-2012] timetable by saying it depended on solving the technical issues with the MESA radar built by US firm Northrop Grumman… In a desperate bid for answers, the Defence Materiel Organisation has contracted the world-leading independent radar house MIT Lincoln Lab to investigate. “That will be important for us to understand the baseline performance and any path forward for remediation of any shortfall of the radar,” Air Vice-Marshal Deeble told the Senate.”

Sources. The Age: Nov 20 report || The Australian: Nov 21 report | Nov 24 report || Courier-Mail.

Jan 22/08: Testing. The first Wedgetail aircraft modified by Boeing Australia Ltd (aircraft #3 in the program) takes off on a successful functional check flight to verify the airworthiness of the aircraft’s systems and structures. Boeing Australia release | Boeing release with photo.

June 6/07: Testing. Boeing begins flight testing under Project Wedgetail. During an initial 4-hour flight from Boeing Field in Seattle, WA, the crew conducted a series of functional tests as part of a program to measure the mission system’s impact on the aircraft’s power generation capability and environmental controls, such as the liquid and air cooling systems. Boeing release | Gizmag.

March 20/07: Testing. Boeing announces that communications, navigation, mission computing, radar and electronic warfare self protection subsystems has been completed aboard a 737 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft for Australia’s Project Wedgetail. Functional checkout of the AEW&C system with the aircraft is scheduled for the end of April 2007, and FAA certification and qualification testing are scheduled for summer 2007. Boeing’s release promises delivery of the first 2 Wedgetail aircraft in March 2009, and the remaining 4 aircraft by mid-2009.

Boeing conducted tests aboard the aircraft and at its System Integration Lab in Kent, WA, using a variety of simulations. “The tests demonstrated that the systems worked separately and together, and that they were compatible with the aircraft,” said Ross Dessert, Boeing Wedgetail program manager at the time.

Feb 2/07: Delays. The Australian reports that the Wedgetail early-warning aircraft project has been delayed again, pushing back the expected acceptance date to 2009 and contributing to another $US 274 million fourth quarter write-off by Boeing. Initial operation capability is now expected in 2010. The report adds that:

“Most importantly, it has had problems getting the revolutionary phased array radar — a Northrop Grumman system forming the centrepiece of the new planes — to work properly. The problems have already resulted in a $US496 million write-off in Boeing’s second-quarter results last year and prompted a comprehensive review of the program… But it says it has worked with suppliers to move significant resources to the program and is now confident it can meet its revised timetable as well as the RAAF’s operational requirements.”

2005 – 2006

Sudden flip from “everything’s great and on schedule” to “we’re going to be delayed, and we don’t know how badly.”

E-7A Wedgetail
(click to view full)

June 29/06: Delays. Australia’s Minister for Defence Dr. Brendan Nelson, announces that the Wedgetail project has fallen behind schedule:

“During our talks, Boeing CEO Jim Albaugh confirmed the Wedgetail project has slipped behind schedule. Until recently, Boeing was advising that this project had been running well and achieving significant success for one of such complexity… The extent of the delay will be determined by intense project reviews over the next two months… The contract between the ADF and Boeing does include a provision for liquidated damages. The government is reserving its contractual rights in this regard.”

June 29/06: Boeing tells its investors that it will recognize charges related to delays on the Project Wedgetail and the similar Turkish “Peace Eagle” project, when it announces second-quarter 2006 results July 26.

“Boeing expects to record a charge of between $300 million and $500 million pre-tax due to delays related to its Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) program for Australia and Turkey… Delivery of the first two Wedgetail aircraft and that effort’s flight test schedule have been delayed up to 18 months because of development and integration issues with certain hardware and software components. Boeing now plans to deliver all six Wedgetail aircraft by the end of 2008 and is developing the Peace Eagle schedule with its Turkish customer.”

March 09/06: Testing. Boeing and Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems have completed ground testing of the Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar aboard a 737 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft for Australia’s Project Wedgetail, clearing it for flight testing at full power. Boeing also integrated the radar and Identification Friend or Foe system, allowing for simultaneous operation and more efficient targeting and data collection. Jack Delange, 737 AEW&C integration and test manager:

“The testing demonstrated the radar would not interfere with the aircraft’s avionics and engines and is compatible with the mission system hardware and software.”

Boeing’s release adds that: “Australia has purchased six 737 AEW&C aircraft. The first two will be delivered for initial operational capability in July 2007. The remaining aircraft are scheduled to be delivered by 2008.”

Jan 16/06: Testing. Australia’s DoD announces that a Wedgetail aircraft has successfully conducted a ‘world first’ 360 degree scanning with a fixed airborne phased array radar.

Defence Minister Robert Hill says the airborne test of the radar, carried out by the combined Boeing and Defence Materiel Organisation AEW&C project team based in the USA, lasted more than 3 hours and operated trouble-free.

Jan 16/06: First delivery of a 737-700 aircraft to Boeing Australia for modifications, as it arrives at RAAF Amberley. Australian DoD | Space Mart.

Sept 01/05: Boeing announces the first in-flight test of the Northrop Grumman MESA radar aboard a 737 airborne early warning and control aircraft for Australia’s Project Wedgetail. The 6-hour flight test over Washington state followed 3 weeks of ground testing of the radar in Victorville, CA. The ground testing verified the compatibility of the radar with other aircraft systems while operating and scanning through 360 degrees.

The firm is still promising delivery of the first 2 aircraft in 2006. Jack DeLange, 737 AEW&C integration and test manager:

“The mission was flawless… All of the first radar flight test objectives were achieved.”

July 05/05: Testing. Boeing announces successful completion of the air performance and flight handling test program for Australia’s first Wedgetail 737 aircraft.

March 17/05: Boeing and BAE Systems Australia Limited, today signed a world teaming agreement to capture similar business with their 737 AEW&C platform. Boeing release.

March 15/05: A Boeing 737 Wedgetail aircraft lands in Canberra, Australia, as part of Boeing’s participation in the Australian International Airshow at Avalon in Victoria. In the DoD release, Senator Hill says

“In the four years since project signature, it is still on schedule and on budget.”

2003 – 2004

Order for 2 more; Program HQ opened.

E-7A Wedgetail
over New South Wales
(click to view full)

Nov 23/04: Boeing announces installation of the MESA radar assembly on a 2nd 737-700 for Australia’s Project Wedgetail. The Northrop Grumman-built MESA antenna is 35.5 feet long and weighs more than 3 tons.

June 3/04: Australia formally commits to the purchase of 2 additional Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft in a special signing ceremony at the Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley. DoD release:

“The $3.4 billion AEW&C project, which is on budget and ahead of schedule, will equip the RAAF with a fleet of six Wedgetail aircraft and provide a state-of-the-art air and maritime surveillance capability. Four of the six aircraft will be modified in Australia. The first of these is scheduled to arrive at RAAF Amberley late next year, with the final Wedgetail due for completion in early 2008.

Australian industry involvement in Project Wedgetail is already worth more than $A 400 million. Completion of the four aircraft in Australia will increase that Australian industry involvement by $80 million. Strategic industry development activity worth an additional $99 million has also been included with the purchase of the extra two aircraft. “The Wedgetail project will create around 170 new jobs in South East Queensland – most based at Amberley,” Senator Hill said.”

May 21/04: Australia’s DoD announces the first flight of the Royal Australian Air Force’s new “Wedgetail” Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, at Boeing Field in Seattle in the United States.

May 12/04: Boeing announces that Australia has exercised options to purchase 2 of its 3 optional Project Wedgetail aircraft, raising its total order to 6 fully-equipped planes. The options are valued at approximately $180 million, as the original contract had included 6 AEW&C systems. Boeing’s release adds that:

“Delivery of the first two 737 AEW&C aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force is scheduled for 2006. The other four aircraft will be delivered by 2008.”

1st flight;
2 more E-7As =
6 TL.

March 5/04: Infrastructure. Australia’s DoD:

“Defence Minister Robert Hill today opened the new headquarters for Australia’s $3.27 billion Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Wedgetail aircraft. The headquarters at Williamtown near Newcastle is also the official new home of Air Force’s re-formed No 2 Squadron, who will fly the AEW&C Wedgetail when it becomes operational.”

The current DoD schedule has the first Wedgetail flight in Seattle in May 2004, and the first 2 aircraft being officially handed over to the RAAF in November 2006. Sen. Hill:

“The headquarters is the first tangible delivery for the project, which has been leading the way for reform in Defence Materiel Organisation projects… In the three years since project signature, it is still ahead of schedule and on budget.

The opening of the headquarters today also marks the beginning of long-term relationship with the Hunter region. It is the first stage of a $149 million redevelopment of the RAAF base, which includes hangars and parking areas for the AEW&C Wedgetail and improvements to the runways and taxiways. The construction program has created about 255 jobs on the base and more indirect jobs related to the prefabrication, supply and distribution of material for the project in the region.”

Nov 03/03: Testing. Australian DoD and Boeing announcements re: successful installation and testing of the power distribution system on the first 737-AEW&C platform, ahead of schedule. The first airworthiness flight of the aircraft is scheduled for spring 2004. Defence Minister Robert Hill:

“Australia’s new AEW&C aircraft remain under budget and on track to entering into service in 2007, providing us with a key air and maritime surveillance capability.”

Oct 21/03: Boeing installs the Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array antenna on the first 737-700 for Project Wedgetail.

May 19/03: Component CDR. The Australian DoD announces a successful critical design review (CDR) for BAE Systems Australia’s Electronic Warfare Self Protection and Electronic Support Measures Subsystems.

2001 – 2002

Project reviews for key technologies that are still in development.

Manufacturing line
(click to view full)

Nov 8/02: “Defence Minister Robert Hill today welcomed the completion of the first Radar and Identification Friend or Foe antenna for Australia’s new Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft.” DoD release.

Oct 31/02: Boeing photo release:

“The first Australian Wedgetail aircraft was rolled out Oct. 31 during a ceremony at the Boeing plant in Renton, Wash. The 737-700 will be transformed into a platform for an Airborne Early Warning & Control System, or AEW&C. Modifications to the aircraft begin in 2003. Project Wedgetail is named after Australia’s native eagle.”

See also the Australian DoD Nov 1/02 release, which adds that:

“Defence Minister Robert Hill today saw the first airframe for Australia’s new [A$] 3.45 billion airborne early warning and control aircraft fleet – fresh off the production line at Boeing’s Military Flight Centre in Seattle, United States… With the first air frame ready for modification we expect our first Wedgetail aircraft to fly before the end of the year – around six months ahead of schedule – with the first two aircraft of the fleet expected to be in service in 2007,” Senator Hill said.”

Rollout

July 12/02: Component PDR. Boeing announces a successful preliminary design review for Project Wedgetail’s airborne mission system. The review was conducted on schedule — one year after the start of the System Acquisition contract. It includes a general review of the airborne mission system design against the requirements established by the Commonwealth of Australia. It shows how the radar, communications, mission computing , electronic warfare self protection, navigation, and aircraft subsystems integrate together.

Group Capt. Lindsay Ward, leader of the Australian Defence Resident Project team:

“The airborne mission segment is the most complex and highly integrated single element in the overall AEW&C System we are buying from Boeing. The review therefore represented the culmination of a huge amount of work… Under our partnering approach with the contractor team headed by Boeing, the program has a solid track record of facing up to and resolving issues so that we can keep forging ahead while still meeting required capability outcomes. This review was no exception.”

Boeing’s release adds that it expects to deliver the first two aircraft to the Commonwealth of Australia in 2006.

April 23/02: Component CDR. Boeing announces a successful critical design review (CDR) for Project Wedgetail’s MESA radar and identification friend or foe subsystems.

“The review was completed on schedule and confirmed that the detailed design developed by Boeing S&C teammate Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems is producible, supportable, maintainable and will yield the required performance characteristics… Boeing and Northrop Grumman also examined the interfaces between the design elements of the radar and between the radar subsystem and the other aircraft and mission system elements to make sure the radar/identification, friend or foe (IFF) subsystem will function properly within the entire airborne mission system.”

Nov 26/01: Component PDR. Boeing announces a successful preliminary design review (PDR) for the mission computing subsystem hardware in Project Wedgetail. It included a review of the hardware elements of the mission computing subsystem against the requirements assigned to that hardware. BAE Systems, New York is the Boeing subcontractor providing the mission computing hardware.

The hardware includes the mission computers, the mission system operator consoles and a tactical display in the cockpit. The mission computing subsystem processes and integrates basic data provided by various mission system sensors; analyzes and presents it to the operators as an integrated situation display of the battlespace environment; and provides them with controls of the sensors and communications suite.

Sept 19/01: Component PDR. Boeing announces a successful preliminary design review (PDR) of the radar and identification friend or foe (IFF) systems for Australia’s Project Wedgetail, on schedule and within budget.

The PDR includes a general review of the radar/IFF design against the Wedgetail radar subsystem requirements established by the Commonwealth of Australia. It is the first major design milestone in the development of this system.

2000 and Earlier

From approval, to initial competition, to the initial award for 4 Boeing jets.

MESA radar assembly
(click to view full)

Dec 20/2000: Boeing signs a contract with the Commonwealth of Australia for the development and acquisition of Project Wedgetail. The contract is worth A$ 3 billion according to the DoD release (about $2.04 billion). Defence Minister Moore:

“The AEW&C system is a strategically important capability that will make a major contribution to Australia’s air combat capability, significantly multiplying the combat power of the upgraded F/A-18 fleet. The system will improve command and control, and the capacity for air defence of surface ships. It also will enhance Australia’s strike capability.

“Importantly it will also provide support to Coastwatch activities, as it will be capable of covering four million square kilometres during a single 10 hour mission – that’s the equivalent of Darwin to Perth and back again.”

The contract involves 4 of its 737-700 systems, 6 AEW&C systems, and an option for up to 3 more aircraft at set prices. Initial training and support will also be part of the packagem and the in-service date for the first 2 aircraft is set for 2007. Note that in-service dates usually come some months after the delivery date, due to testing etc. Australian DoD | Boeing release.

Team Boeing wins Wedgetail contract

Aug 21/2000: Delays. Australia’s Minister for Defence John Moore announces that the Federal Government had decided to defer consideration of the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) project to establish whether it fits into the balance of the ADF’s required capabilities in the context of the forthcoming Defence White Paper.

That White Paper is released on Dec 6/2000. It will be out of date in less than a year.

July 21/99: Boeing picked. Boeing announces that its team has been selected as the preferred tenderer for Australia’s Project Wedgetail.

Jan 27/99: A Boeing-led team, including Northrop Grumman, British Aerospace Australia and Boeing Australia Limited, submits its response to a Request for Tender for Australia’s Project Wedgetail. It details the team’s solution to meet the AEW&C requirements of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), including 7 of its 737 AEW&C systems, plus ground support segments for flight and mission crew training, mission support and system modification support.

“Source selection is expected by mid-1999… Australia’s AEW&C acquisition strategy that began a year ago with an Initial Design Activity (IDA) contract. During that period, the Boeing team and Australia worked together to develop an approved functional requirements baseline and then developed detailed subsystem design requirements.”

Boeing’s release also sets out team responsibilities:

• Boeing (737-700, systems integrator)
  
• Boeing Australia (systems engineering and airplane modification support, product support, ground support segments)
  
• Northrop Grumman (MESA 360-degree steerable beam radar).
  
• BAE Australia (ESM signal detection, electronic warfare self-protect subsystem, operational mission simulator and mission support segment, AEW&C support facility)
  
• Qantas Airlines (maintenance support)

Dec 3/97: Australia’s DoD awards 3 Initial Design Activity contracts by the Australian Defence Force for the Project Wedgetail airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) system. The contracts are valued at A$ 8.5 million (about $6.5 million) each:

• Boeing is offering Northrop Grumman’s MESA active-array radar atop its 737-700 jet.

• Raytheon Systems Company is offering the Israeli Elta Phalcon radar mounted on an Airbus A310 widebody airframe.

• Lockheed Martin is offering a mechanically steered UHF radar from Northrop Grumman that was derived from the E-2C Hawkeye, mounted on a C-130J-30 Hercules airframe.

Boeing’s release states that:

“Managing Director of Boeing Australia Limited, David Gray, said that the contract is worth $6.5 million and during the next year, Boeing will work “closely with the ADF on developing a design solution that meet its AEW&C requirements.”… A production contract is expected to be awarded in 1999 and the Royal Australian Air Force plans to enter the AEW&C capability into service in 2002.”

Wedgetail initial design contracts

Dec 2/97: Australian Minister for Defence Ian McLachlan announces government approval for acquisition of an AEW&C capability. The announcement was included in the Minister’s statement on Australia’s new strategic policy.

Australia approves AEW&C program

Feb 19/97: Boeing announces that it is offering its Next-Generation 737-700 aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force as an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system platform. Australia has named the project “Wedgetail” in honor of its native eagle.

Oct 14/96: Australia’s Minister for Defence, Mr. Ian McLachlan announces the short-list of potential prime contractors: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon E-Systems are selected after evaluation of responses to a world-wide Invitation to Register Interest in the AEW&C Project.

“Although two of the companies, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, have recently announced an intention to team for this project, both have asked to be considered separately until their teaming arrangements have been finalised.”

IRI produces shortlist

Additional Readings The Aircraft

• RAAF – E-7A Wedgetail.

• Australian Defence Materiel Organization – Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft – AIR 5077 Phase 3

• Boeing – 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C)

• Northrop Grumman – Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) Surveillance Radar

News & Views

• Flight International (Jan 26/10) – Airborne early warning redefined by 737, MESA and perseverance

• C4ISR Magazine (May 4/07) – Radar down under: Australia grapples with the Wedgetail AEW&C program [dead link]. Good discussion of the physical and integration challenges.

• Air Power Australia (June 1999) – Wedgetail – Australia’s “Pocket AWACS”. Discusses the pros and cons of the 3 designs that competed under AIR 5077. Does not offer a conclusion.

Americas

Boeing is being contracted to maintain and rebuild stockpiles of US and UK submarine launched ballistic missiles. The awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract is valued at at $26.6 million and provides for all necessary work needed to support the navigation subsystem of the Trident II (D5) missile. Trident II D-5 is the sixth generation member of the US Navy’s Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program. The missile is a three-stage, solid propellant, inertially guided FBM with a range of more than 4,000 nautical miles. The navigation subsystem of the Trident II D5 has been redesigned to achieve accuracy and maintain an extended fix interval. Inertial navigation is achieved with with an electrostatically-supported gyro navigator and with a navigation sonar system that measures velocity. Another addition is a GPS unit and a digital interface with the FBBM weapon system. Work will be performed at Boeing facilities in Huntington Beach, California and Heath, Ohio; with an expected completion date of September 30, 2020.

The US Navy is ordering more production services for its Air and Missile Defense Radar from Raytheon. The awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee modification covers a number of engineering services and associated costs needed to support the low-rate initial production of the AN/SPY-6 at cost of $22.7 million. The new AMDR is being developed to fulfill integrated Air and Missile Defense requirements for multiple ship classes. The AMDR-S radar will provide wide-area volume search, tracking, Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) discrimination, and missile communications; while the AMDR-X will provide horizon search, precision tracing, missile communications, and final illumination guidance to targets. It will equip various types of vessels such as DDG-51s in Flight III configuration and Gerald F. Ford-class aircraft carriers. Work will be performed at Raytheon’s Marlborough facility and is expected to be completed by November 2018.

Lockheed Martin is being tapped to provide the Navy with more electronic-warfare suites. The company will deliver a number of AN/BLQ-10 kits and spares to the service at a cost of $9.6 million. The AN/BLQ-10 external link submarine EW system, provides automatic detection, classification, localization, and identification of potentially hostile radar and communications signals at sea. The BLQ-10 is used by attack submarines to aid in self-protection, situation awareness, and intelligence-gathering for battle group support. Battle group dissemination of the information gathered from these signals will be provided via the ship’s combat control system and communications equipment. Work will bet performed in Syracuse, New York and in Manassas, Virginia. Production under this contract is expected to be completed by October 2020.

Middle East & Africa

The Kenyan Defence Force is purchasing several light-attack helicopters for its air-wing. The contract signed between the Kenyan government and MD Helicopters on September 27th covers the delivery of six helicopters. This is the second delivery order issued against its 5-year, $1.4 billion light scout attack helicopter IDIQ contract. The MD 530F Cayuse Warriors will replace the Kenyan Army’s existing MD 500 platforms. The Kenyan Warriors will be equipped with a FN Herstal Weapons Management System; the DillonAero Mission Configurable Armament System (MCAS); the DillonAero fixed-forward sighting system. Its crew will be protected with a 62 mm ballistic armor protection and will be able to engage enemy targets with a 12.7 mm machine gun and 70mm rockets. The helicopter’s communication system includes the Harris RF-7850A and the Rockwell Collins HF-9000D radios. Kenya had requested the $235 million purchase of 12 MD530Fs in May 2017. MD notes on its website that initial deliveries will take place in April 2019, with all aircraft delivered prior to the August 2019 contract completion date. Once delivered, the Cayuse Warriors will likely be used in AMISOM’s counter-insurgency campaign against al-Shabaab.

Europe

The Netherlands will receive several air-to-ground missiles as part of a US Foreign Military Sale. Lockheed Martin is being awarded with a $637.8 million contract that sees for the procurement of a variety of Hellfire II missiles. Hellfire II missiles come in several variants. They include the M variant which is designed for the Navy, the N variant equipped with a thermobaric warhead, the multi-purpose R variant, and the P variant designed to be launched from high flying UAVs. Work will be performed at Lockheed’s Orlando facility and is scheduled for completion by September 2021. This contract also includes a FMS to the government of Japan.

Four companies are currently in the run for Bulgaria’s fighter acquisition tender. Bulgaria’s request for proposals sees for the delivery of eight jets at a cost of $1 billion. Lockheed Martin and Boeing are proposing the delivery of their F-16s and F-18s, whereas Saab and Italy are offering new Gripens and second-hand Eurofighters respectively. Deputy Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov confirmed that two separate committees will have to evaluate the proposals in due time, however declined to give an clear indication on when the winner will be announced. “Our desire is to do it fast. I do not know the contents of the offers, but the committee examining them will have the right to make inquiries with the respective countries,” he added.

Asia-Pacific

The government of Taiwan is set to receive modification kits for its Patriot system as part of a US FMS. The $35 million firm-fixed-price domestic and FMS contract sees for the delivery of Sweep 9 modification kits to the US Army and the Republic of China Army. Those Sweep 9 kits include upgrades for the Antenna Support Group (ASG), Radar Weapon Control Interface Unit (RWCIU), and the Search Track Channel (STC). Taiwan currently fields the Patriot’s PAC-3 variant. Work will be performed at Raytheon’s facility in Andover, Massachusetts and will run through September 2022.

The Australian government starts to look for new light-attack helicopters for its special forces. A recently issued RFI calls for a commercial or military off-the-shelf platform that can operate in dense urban environments. The helicopters must be capable of being equipped with simple, proven, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) equipment and weapons systems; and must capable of being rapidly deployed by air transport in a C-17 Globemaster II. The RFI does not specify how many helicopters will be procured, but suggests that deliveries should start by 2023. Likely contenders will be the Boeing AH-6 Little Bird, or the Airbus Helicopters H125m.

Today’s Video

Watch: CH-53E Helicopter Inflight Refueling While Hauling A Hummer