Current Events in the Americas

U.S. sub may have toured Canadian Arctic zone 'We don't have any idea what's going on up there': expert Chris Wattie, National Post Published: Monday, December 19, 2005 A U.S. nuclear submarine cruised through the Arctic Ocean last month -- probably passing through Canadian territorial waters -- but the federal government is refusing to say whether it gave permission for the voyage. However, experts say it is highly unlikely Canada was even notified of the USS Charlotte's northern tour, which included a Nov. 10 stop at the North Pole, because it has no way of tracking what goes on beneath the Arctic ice. And that could threaten Canada's claim to hundr…

One of These Mean Little Ships Could Be the Navys New Frigate (War is Boring blog)

From Aviation Week Split-Buy USAF Tanker Concept Gaining Favor Jan 29, 2009 By Amy Butler As the Pentagon attempts to craft a way forward to replace the KC-135 aerial refueling fleet, the option of a split buy of two models is back and gaining attention on Capitol Hill, according to officials close to the tanker program. The idea is sure to be a topic of discussion as the chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa. ), travels this week to Alabama, where Northrop Grumman and EADS were proposing to assemble their tanker design. Murtha is expected to visit Boeing’s Washington state facility in the coming weeks as well. …

McCaffrey: Military ‘in peril’ By Sean D. Naylor - Staff writer Posted : Wednesday Mar 28, 2007 9:21:33 EDT The Iraq war has left the U.S. military “in a position of strategic peril,” retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey has warned in the wake of a recent trip to Iraq. “The majority of the Iraqi population [sunni and Shia] support armed attacks on American forces” while “U.S. domestic support for the war in Iraq has evaporated and will not return,” McCaffrey writes in a memo to colleagues at the U.S. Military Academy, where he is an adjunct professor of international affairs. He says the United States and its allies must focus on a strategy aimed at a politi…

25,000-ton cruiser under consideration Analysis of alternatives sees nuclear BMD vessel By Christopher P. Cavas - Staff writer Posted : Monday Jul 23, 2007 19:01:31 EDT Under pressure from the Navy to develop a new cruiser based on the DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class hull form, and from Congress to incorporate nuclear power, a group of analysts working on the next big surface combatant may recommend two different ships to form the CG(X) program. One ship would be a 14,000-ton derivative of the DDG 1000, an “escort cruiser,” to protect aircraft carrier strike groups. The vessel would keep the tumblehome hull of the DDG 1000 and its gas turbine power plant. The oth…

From Aviation Week's ARES Blog: A Real Win For Rafale Posted by Robert Wall at 9/8/2009 1:57 AM CDT There will be some that say Brazil only is buying the 36 Dassault Rafale strike fighters because of France’s agreement to help develop and maybe buy ten KC-390 airlifters, or transfer extensive nuclear submarine technology, or whatever other reasons, but reality is that, for once, the French sales team orchestrated the campaign rather flawlessly. It is, without doubt, a huge win for Rafale. Not only is Brazil the first export customer for Rafale, it is a sizeable order and it came in a real competition. Libya and the United Arab Emirates – other countries that …

Successful Test of an AIM-9X Missile by a Raytheon-Led Team Demonstrates Potential for Low Cost Solution in Littoral Joint Battlespace Monday February 6, 10:10 am ET Yahoo TEWKSBURY, Mass., Feb. 6, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- A Raytheon-led team successfully launched an AIM-9X from a stationary, vertical platform last November. The missile successfully locked on after launch and hit its target in a test of its potential launch from a submarine. The test was conducted for the Naval Sea Systems Command at the U.S. Army's McGregor Test Range in New Mexico Nov. 19, 2005. A successful test firing matures the technology that will provide the Navy with a new capability when …

From Flight International DATE: 23/12/08 SOURCE: Flightglobal.com US Navy mulls slashing F-35C orders next year By Stephen Trimble The US Navy has disclosed it may cut as many as three out of four carrier variant aircraft from next year's batch of orders for Lockheed Martin F-35s. Any cuts would reduce the overall number of F-35s ordered in the fourth lot of low rate initial production (LRIP-4) from 32 to as low as 29. The US Air Force and the US Marine Corps still intend to buy 13 F-35As and 15 F-35Bs, respectively, according to an acquisition notice posted yesterday. But the first batch of F-35Cs purchased during the LRIP phase could vary from …

This thread idea is initially to compare the both controversial LCS designs with other alternative designs, in service, future or projected. Basically the parameters of comparation are those of cost, size, weapons (also in relation to size), crew size (and consequent fatigue levels), speeds and ranges, but extensive to all the other parameters, as sensors. The thread is also extensive to other conceptual alternatives, as replacement for another type of conventional warships, as FFG or FFL, or ever the replacement by another tactical or strategical concept, as UAV, manned air power, swarms of low technollogy boats or hired pirates.

From Jane's Briefing: Russia deepens relationship with Brazil By Guy Anderson 17 May 2010 Russia and Brazil are reported to be discussing the sale of an unspecified number of air defence systems to the Latin American state: a deal that says much about Moscow's current strategy in international defence markets and the potential for Western firms to find themselves competing head to head with Russia to a greater degree than in previous years. Russian state information service RIA Novosti reported on 14 May that the sale of systems – potentially Tor platforms although this has yet to be agreed – was under discussion, together with a series of other accords rela…

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2016/05/06/New-US-Navy-testing-of-Norwegian-missile/6411462559383/

From Jane's [excerpt]

ATK and Lockheed Martin to Develop Conventional Ballistic Missile for U.S. Navy Tuesday July 12, 8:30 am ET Global Strike Builds on ATK/Lockheed Martin Strategic Deterrence Partnership Yahoo.com MINNEAPOLIS, July 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK - News) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT - News) have been awarded a $9.2 million contract by the U.S. Navy's Strategic Systems Program (SSP) office to demonstrate and validate solid rocket motor technologies suitable for a Submarine Launched Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (SLIRBM). SLIRBM is a conventional missile concept that builds on the heritage the two companies share in U.S. Navy st…

From Flight Global DATE:25/06/09 SOURCE:Flight International Obama threatens vetoes on F-22, F136 decisions By Stephen Trimble The Obama administration has threatened to veto legislation that would extend production of the Lockheed Martin F-22 and continue funding the General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 alternate engine at the expense of the Lockheed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The White House threat, delivered to Congress on 24 June, strikes back at a vote last week by the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) that re-inserted funding for both programmes in the fiscal year 2010 defence authorisation bill, and draws a clear line in the sand against "earmarks" …

Experts Question US Navy's Decision To Swap Out DDG 1000's Secondary Gun (DefenseNews)

Find it here. I have heard grumblings of this the past few weeks. October 06, 2006 Mine commands merge By Christopher P. Cavas Times staff The Navy’s new Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command (NMAWC) was created Oct. 1, merging the former Mine Warfare Command (MINEWARCOM) in Corpus Christi, Texas, with the San Diego-based Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Command. The move — controversial among many mine warfare professionals — merges the mine community’s staff and research elements with similar work being done in the ASW area. Along with the staff, the ships at the Corpus Christi base — slated for closure in 2009 — will move to San Dieg…

From DefenseNews Posted 12/21/06 15:10 New Submarine To Be Delivered to U.S. Navy Early By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS General Dynamics Electric Boat is expected to deliver the new submarine Hawaii to the U.S. Navy on Dec. 22, several weeks ahead of schedule. The Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine earlier had been scheduled for a March 31, 2007 delivery, but shipbuilders Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Newport News worked to speed up delivery in order to hold down construction costs, shipyard officials have said. Capt. Dave Johnson, the Navy’s Virginia-class program manager, confirmed the expected new delivery date. The Hawaii ran a series of builder…

The Navy’s stealth destroyers to get new weapons and a new mission: killing ships (DefenseNews)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286521,00.html He sure does talk a big game.

From Flight International DATE:11/05/07 SOURCE:Flight International Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter recovers from in-flight power failure By Craig Hoyle Lockheed Martin has launched a planned software modification to its lone F-35 test asset, after suffering an unexpected power failure during the aircraft’s 19th and most recent test flight on 3 May. “We had some very unusual electrical transient through the airplane,” says Joint Strike Fighter programme executive officer US Air Force Brig Gen Charles Davis. “All the electrics dropped offline and came back after a few milliseconds.” Lockheed confirms: “The test pilot observed a partial fai…