Current Events in the Americas

Following up from the recent report regarding the Zumwalt (DDG-1000) program's curtailment at two hulls ... From Navy Times New DDG-51s could get tweaks, upgrades By Philip Ewing - Staff writer Posted : Monday Aug 4, 2008 6:39:19 EDT Even though the Navy will resume building Arleigh Burke-class destroyers because the ships are cheaper and the costs are predictable, the eight new Burkes could get new refinements that set them apart from earlier siblings, according to a congressional report. According to written testimony submitted Thursday to the House Seapower Subcommittee by Navy shipbuilding expert Ron O’Rourke, the Navy has several options to improve …

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_speedy_warship Buddha

From http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/us-navy-to-add-sensor-fusion-to-super-hornet-fleet-376973/ [excerpt] CV32: Seems like with each passing day, the potential advantages offered by the F-35 are being eroded by features being added to the existing fleet of F-15, F-16, F/A-18, etc.

From Ares Airborne Laser Shoots Down Scud-Like Target Posted by Robert Wall at 2/12/2010 5:32 AM CST At times it seemed like the day might never come, but the Airborne Laser now has destroyed a boosting ballistic missile in what may be one of the biggest breakthroughs for laser weapons to date. The highly modified Boeing 747-400, designated YAL-1A, performed the feet at 8:44 p.m. pacific time at the Point Mugu naval air warfare center sea range off California, shooting down a liquid-fueled, Scud-like target. The Missile Defense Agency says the intercept sequence took place within 2 minutes of the target being fired. ABL has been years in the making an…

From http://defense.aol.com/2012/09/26/eye-on-speed-navy-minesweepers-take-cues-from-nascar/ [excerpt]

Inside a B-2 in attack mission: http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a25070/to-libya-and-back-inside-obamas-last-strike-against-isis/?src=nl&mag=pop&list=nl_pnl_news&date=020917

From Flight International DATE:14/06/07 SOURCE:Flightglobal.com Team of C-27J Spartan wins JCA contest By Craig Hoyle Alenia Aeronautica's C-27J Spartan tactical transport programme received a massive boost yesterday, with the type's selection to meet a combined US Air Force and US Army requirement for a new fleet of Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA). Led by L-3 Integrated Systems and also comprising Alenia North America and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, the C-27J team was announced as the winner of a deal to supply an initial 78 aircraft worth $2 billion under the JCA programme. The JCA programme currently envisages the production of 70 aircraft for …

From Flight International JSF team rejects dedicated EA-35 By Graham Warwick USMC looks at 'plug-and-play' electronic alternatives The US Marine Corps is looking to raise the electronic attack capability of its Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, but will not build a dedicated "EA-35" jamming version, says deputy commandant for aviation Lt Gen John Castellaw. Just last year, the JSF team was studying an EA-35 variant, but Castellaw now says: "We are moving away from dedicated platforms. We get a designed-in [electronic attack] capability with the AESA [active electronically scanned array radar], and there are other opportunities we will be pursuing."…

From Defense Aerospace Joint Common Missile: Why Argue With Success? (Source: The Lexington Institute; issued Feb. 21, 2007) By Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D. Here's a fantasy. Imagine three military services agreed on the need for a versatile air-to-ground missile that could precisely destroy a wide range of elusive targets -- everything from camouflaged armored vehicles to terrorist speedboats. Imagine they found a low-cost design that could do those things day or night, good weather or bad, even when enemies were trying to jam the missile. Imagine the services selected a company that developed the missile on time and on cost, meeting all of its performance object…

The fundamental controversy remains, of course, but some details in this article of design changes being made ... From DefenseNews [excerpt]

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

From Navy Times [excerpt]

Okay, more accident than the dramatic title indicates. Trawler strikes navy ship sending 6 to B.C. hospital (CBC News) Winnipeg is in the middle of the FELEX upgrade.

Conclude the Littoral Combat Ship Now (Real Clear Defense)

3D interactive tour of the destroyer USS Zumwalt here

From Flight Global DATE: 12/05/09 SOURCE: Flightglobal.com Boeing: Airborne Laser test aims to defy 'stunt' and 'one-shot wonder' labels By Stephen Trimble A Boeing official says the YAL-1 Airborne Laser (ABL) will seek to pre-empt critics of the programme's first shootdown test scheduled later this year by choosing a deliberately difficult engagement scenario. Both the first shoot-down attempt and a follow-on test will engage targets simulating the design and trajectory of short range ballistic missile (SRBM), Boeing Michael Rinn told reporters attending a week-long media tour. To engage a relatively low-altitude SRBM, the 747-400F-based ABL's megaw…

From DefenseTech [excerpt]

FY 2013 Program Acquisition Costs by Weapon System (PDF)

From Navy Times December 14, 2006 Attack sub Rickover to be inactivated today By William H. McMichael Staff writer Crew members of the Los Angeles-class submarine Hyman G. Rickover prepare to tie up Oct. 11 at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., after the boat’s final deployment. Rickover will be inactivated today. — MCSN Kelvin Edwards / Navy NORFOLK NAVAL STATION, Va. — The 22-year-old attack submarine Hyman G. Rickover will be inactivated Thursday during a ceremony at its home port of Norfolk Naval Station, the Atlantic Fleet Submarine Force announced. The ship’s sponsor and widow of the late Adm. Rickover, retired Cmdr. Eleonore Rickover, will attend the 1 …

From Aviation Week Pentagon Revives Standoff Missile May 2, 2008 Bettina H. Chavanne The Pentagon certified a critical need for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) program May 2, following the program's breach of Nunn-McCurdy acquisition law. John Young, Pentagon acquisition chief, certified a restructured JASSM program in four categories, affirming that the program is essential to national security; there are no alternatives to the program that would provide "equal or greater military capability" for less money; new estimates for procurement are "reasonable" and the management structure for JASSM acquisition is "adequate" to manage and control…