Current Events in the Americas

From Defense Aerospace First AARGM Developmental Live Firing Successfully Demonstrates Precision Long Range Time Critical Strike Capability (Source: ATK Alliant Techsystems; issued June 7, 2007) MINNEAPOLIS --- Alliant Techsystems, the U.S. Navy team of PMA-242, the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division -- China Lake, and the Italian Air Force recently conducted the first Developmental Test (DT) firing of an Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) from an F/A-18 aircraft on the China Lake test ranges on 25 May 2007. The test firing confirmed the effective integration of AARGM with the F/A-18 aircraft and the continued progress of fielding a long-…

From DefenseNews Posted 08/29/07 19:54 First LCS Mission Package Ready For Delivery By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS A significant milestone in the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program is set to take place in mid-September with delivery of the first mission module package. Although the module — configured for mine warfare — still lacks a ship to go aboard, Navy officials noted the various systems that make up the module are useable even without the LCS. “We do not necessarily need an LCS to deploy these systems,” Jim Thomsen, Program Executive Officer for Mine and Littoral Warfare at Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), said Aug. 29 at a press briefing at the …

From Defense Aerospace Boeing Delivers First Production EA-18G Growler to U.S. Navy (Source: Boeing Co.; issued Sept. 25, 2007) ST. LOUIS --- The Boeing Company yesterday delivered the first production EA-18G Growler to the U.S. Navy ahead of schedule and within budget. "The Growler team put together a program plan that...has remained on cost and schedule, while meeting or exceeding all performance parameters. I don't get to say that very often about our programs," said The Hon. Delores Etter, assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, during the delivery ceremony at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems facilities in St. Louis. …

From Defense Aerospace First British Pilot to Finish Raptor Training (Source: US Air Force; issued July 18, 2006) TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --- The first British pilot to complete F-22 Raptor training graduated this week at Tyndall Air Force Base. Flight Lt. Dan Robinson, from the Royal Air Force, is assigned to Langley Air Force Base, Va. He has completed two months of training with the 43rd Fighter Squadron as part of an exchange program. In return, an American fighter pilot will be trained and fly side-by-side with the Royal Air Force on the new EF-2000 Eurofighter Typhoon. For the coalition, the benefit of the exchange program is the implementa…

From Defense Aerospace Northrop Grumman Celebrates Ceremonial Steel Cut and Facilities Grand Opening for CVN 21 Aircraft Carrier Program (Source: Northrop Grumman Corp.; issued Aug. 11, 2005) NEWPORT NEWS, Va. --- Northrop Grumman Corporation has reached its first construction milestone in the life of the new-generation aircraft carrier, CVN 21. The company cut one of the first pieces of steel, a 15-ton plate for a side shell unit of CVN 78, the first ship of the CVN 21 program. Design work on the CVN 21 is underway at Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector, with the full construction contract anticipated in 2007. Advance construction began in 2005 to allow…

DefenseNews.com December 21, 2005 First U.S. Navy SSGN Sub Completes Trials By Christopher P. Cavas The first of the U.S. Navy’s ballistic missile submarines to be converted so it can launch cruise missiles and carry teams of special operations forces completed its sea trials Dec. 19, the Navy said in a statement released Dec. 21. The USS Ohio is one of four former SSBN submarines to undergo the SSGN conversion. The ships — the largest submarines ever built for the United States — have traded in their Trident ballistic missiles for Tomahawk cruise missiles. Twenty-two of the submarine’s 24 missile tubes have been converted to each carry seven Tomahaw…

From Defense Aerospace First Aurora with Modernized Sensor - Sharpest Eyes in the Sky (Source: Canadian Department of National Defence; issued July 12, 2005) GREENWOOD, NS --- The first CP-140 Aurora modernized with new electro-optics and infrared sensors has rejoined the fleet at 14 Wing Greenwood after successful integration of this leading edge surveillance technology. The Air Force formally accepted the modified aircraft from contractor Lockheed Martin Canada upon completion of a rigorous joint testing program with the company and Air Force members. “This state-of-the-art technology builds on the new defence policy's pledge for increased maritime …

From Defense Aerospace US Military Squadron VMM-263 Ready to Write Next Chapter in Osprey Program (Source: US Marine Corps; issued March 7, 2006) MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. --- The future of Marine Corps aviation took a large step forward as hundreds of Marines, Sailors, Airmen, Soldiers and family members gathered to watch a ceremony in which the first operational MV-22 Osprey squadron was activated here March 3. “Commissioning (Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-263) is a historic day for the ‘Thunder Chickens,’ for our Corps and for our nation,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Moore, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing commanding general. “We have introduced a …

From Navy Times Fleet scrambles to meet BMD ship demand By Christopher P. Cavas - Staff writer Posted : Monday Jan 4, 2010 8:17:17 EST No sooner did the Aegis ballistic missile defense system become operational in 2008 than combatant commanders started asking for BMD-equipped ships to begin patrolling their areas. U.S. Central Command needed a “shooter” in the northern Persian Gulf. European Command wanted one in the eastern Mediterranean. Pacific Command already had Aegis ships with limited BMD capabilities on guard around Japan for a potential launch from North Korea. The demand for BMD ships is expected to increase, driven in part by rising concerns a…

From Defense Aerospace [excerpt]

Forbes Calls for Extending Super Hornet Production (USNI News)

DoD: Forces still ready for other conflicts By William H. McMichael - Staff writer Posted : Friday Apr 6, 2007 6:19:48 EDT U.S. forces have “enormous power and capacity” despite the demands of the war in Iraq and could defeat any potential enemy, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs said Thursday. “There’s zero doubt about the outcome,” Marine Gen. Peter Pace said at a Pentagon news conference with Defense Secretary Robert Gates. “It would simply take us longer than we would like.” Pace acknowledged that the war’s demands, with units spending a year or less back home before being redeployed, mean that troops get “well-trained” for the war but do not get train…

Forces to get rid of navy's supply ships Esquimalt-based vessels unable to refuel at sea for 2 years; Patrol planes also ditched in cost-cutting David Pugliese, CanWest News Service Published: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 Victoria Times The Canadian Forces plans to get rid of its two refuelling and supply ships, one of which is based at CFB Esquimalt, a move that will leave the navy unable to refuel vessels at sea for at least two years until replacements are built. The recommendation is part of a military plan to pare down its ships, surveillance aircraft and helicopters to help pay for new equipment in the future. The cuts include six Aurora maritime patro…

A United State Navy Captain and former Astronaut - How PATHETIC. Please delete if you feel it has no place here at HG. Former astronaut aims for insanity defense By Travis Reed - The Associated Press Posted : Tuesday Aug 28, 2007 16:06:14 EDT ORLANDO, Fla. — Former astronaut Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak is pursuing a temporary insanity defense on charges that she assaulted and tried to kidnap a romantic rival, according to a court document released Tuesday. Nowak suffered from major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, insomnia and “brief psychotic disorder with marked stressors,” defense attorney Donald Lykkebak wrote. He said the already-petite woman…

From Defense Aerospace Northrop Grumman-built Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) Completes Third-ever 'Super' Sea Trial (Source: Northrop Grumman; issued June 27, 2005) PASCAGOULA, Miss. --- Northrop Grumman Corporation's Aegis guided missile destroyer Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) successfully conducted the third-ever “super trial” last week in the Gulf of Mexico, a significant milestone that proves the ship is ready for delivery to the U.S. Navy as scheduled in August. The super trial concept, developed by industry and Navy leadership as a cost savings measure, combines three separate sea trial voyages into one extended exercise. The savings realized in conducting…

From Navy Times Navy: Forrestal to be scrapped or sunk By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer Posted : Friday Jun 26, 2009 12:08:05 EDT The famous aircraft carrier Forrestal will be cut up for scrap or sunk as an artificial reef, the Navy has determined. “Right now, the two disposal options being considered are partial dismantling and recycling or full dismantling and recycling,” said Katie Roberts, a spokeswoman at Naval Sea System Command. A partial dismantling would result in the hulk of the ship sunk as an artificial reef, as the carrier Oriskany was in 2006. Forrestal, named for former Navy Secretary James Forrestal, was the site of a horrific fire Jul…

Four JASSM Test Failures Cast Doubt On Program's Future The U.S. Air Force's Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) proved ineffective during four recent flight tests, which were conducted as the Pentagon weighs whether to terminate the new stealthy cruise missile program due to cost increases. During the tests, which took place Apr. 30 - May 1, three of the cruise missiles impacted "well outside the target area," at distances greater than 100-200 feet, according to a preliminary Air Force report on the mishaps. These missiles failed to cause damage to the intended targets. Developers attribute the misses to a GPS "dropout problem" that affected the missile…

From http://www.defensenews.com/article/20120926/DEFREG02/309260005/U-S-Navy-4-Missile-Cruisers-Remain-Service?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE [excerpt]

French pitch new warships for next Canadian navy vessels (CBC News)

From DefenseNews 'We Thought We Had It Licked' LPD-17 Woes Vex U.S. Navy, Northrop By christopher p. cavas Published: 25 January 2010 A fresh set of problems with the long-troubled LPD 17 San Antonio-class amphibious ships has sidelined two of the vessels, led the U.S. Navy and its largest shipbuilder into a passionate game of finger-pointing, and raised questions about Northrop Grumman's ability to deliver quality work and the Navy's ability to carry out proper shipyard oversight. The larger issues are coming from two core problems discovered aboard the LPD 17s, five of which are in service with four still to come. Of more immediate importance is a pro…