Raw Intel

Americas The Israeli-made Iron Dome missile interception system has been deployed in Guam. The equipment first arrived on the island by ship on October 19. The deployment has been dubbed Operation Iron Island. Atlantic Diving Supply won a $25 million contract modification for temporary aircraft maintenance structures (TAMS). The modification provides for the purchase of Phase II of the TAMS project which was separately priced and competed under the basic deal. Work will take place at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. Estimated completion date is November 24, 2023. Middle East & Africa Turkey is preparing to start the mass production of lightweight, medium class and heavy…

I'm not sure what percentage you can assign to greed, what to wishful thinking, and what to outright corruption, but the last four decades the West has not just sold companies, manufacturing, and economic leverage to the Chinese Communist Authorities - but at critical nodes through the world's critical choke points we've sold and leased to them unique land and resources they now control. How can smart nations try to recover from such a strategic mistake? Well, Australia is trying to figure that out. Details over at USNIBlog. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/…

Americas The first two of eight C-130Js for the Kentucky Air National Guard arrived at Louisville on November 6. The 123rd Airlift Wing will phase out the C-130H in September to make way for the latest variant of the Hercules. The C-130J Super Hercules is the latest version in the Air Force arsenal. It comes with modern instrumentation, more efficient engines and a stretched fuselage for additional payload capacity. The Pentagon is in a rush to buy GPS chips from GlobalFoundries. The reason for this is, that the plant that fabricates them will soon stop producing those components, Bloomberg reports. An initial $885 million in orders would be placed by December 15 and the…

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $10.9 million contract for Advanced Raptor Enhancement & Sustainment (ARES) for the F-22 Program Office. This contract vehicle provides support for the necessary supplies and services to sustain and modernize the F-22 Raptor, including modernization hardware kit procurement and services such as upgrades, enhancements and fixes, as well as performance-based logistics services. The F-22A Raptor is an advanced tactical fighter aircraft. Lockheed Martin received a $7 billion five-year contract to maintain the USAF fleet of F-22 Raptor stealth fighters, in December 2019. Work under the new deal will take place in Texas. Estimated completion d…

The only logical question for us is, "What are we going to do about it?" On Sunday, H.I. Sutton and Sam LaGrone over at USNINews brought a few visuals that should grab your attention; The Chinese military has built targets in the shape of an American aircraft carrier and other U.S. warships in the Taklamakan desert as part of a new target range complex, according to photos provided to USNI News by satellite imagery company Maxar. The full-scale outline of a U.S. carrier and at least two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are part of the target range that has been built in the Ruoqiang region in central China. The site is near a former target range China used to test early v…

Americas Llamas Plastics won a $14.2 million deal for V-22 windscreens. The V-22 Osprey is a joint-service, medium-lift, multimission tilt-rotor aircraft. The aircraft operates as a helicopter when taking off and landing vertically. The nacelles rotate 90° forward once airborne, converting the aircraft into a turboprop aircraft. Work will take place in California. Estimated completion date is October 28, 2026. Raytheon won a $48.2 million contract modification to exercise options for DDG 1000 class engineering support, material and other direct costs in support of the engineering efforts. Developed under the DD(X) destroyer program, the Zumwalt class destroyer (DDG 1000)…

In what history will show was a failed effort, for almost two decades, the most advanced military and police forces in the West tried to build a security force for the people of Afghanistan, an effort that took off with great urgency towards the end of the first decade of the conflict. A cornerstone of that effort was NATO Training Mission–Afghanistan (NTM-A). Our guests Sunday from 5-6pm Eastern to discuss this effort and what lessons it holds for the future will be Dr. Martin Loicano and Dr. Craig C. “C. C.” Felker. Using extensive research and two combined years in Afghanistan, they've documented the 2009-2010 effort in their book, No Moment of Victory: the NATO Train…

There is no such thing as a "normal watch," especially on Nov. 22, 1975 onboard the USS BELKNAP (CG-26); We were on plane guard. They put us on a plane guard because their TACAN was down. We had been making this same maneuver to port eight or nine times a day – from the start of the turn to completion was 3600 yards. This time we made a turn to starboard. I’ve read the investigation report, so even though I was down in the fire room, I’ve since come to know what happened up on the bridge. With the lights of the carrier looking the same, there was confusion, and miscommunication, and we made a right-hand turn this time, and the arc was half of what it had been for the last…

Americas Mint Turbines won an $11.4 million deal for the T-53 depot-level engine maintenance, which provides for maintenance, repair and overhaul repairs of the T-53 engine. The T53 powered the Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey) and AH-1 HueyCobra helicoptersWork will take place in Oklahoma. Expected completion date is November 30, 2031. The US Air Force’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters are testing WC-130J aircraft – designed to provide data vital to tropical cyclone forecasting – equipped with new satellite communications capabilities. Hurricane Hunters are stationed at Keesler Air Force Base. As one of their WC-130J Super Hercules powers through a hurric…

Americas The USAF Research Laboratory (AFRL) awarded General Atomics $18 million to design and develop an unmanned Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) aircraft. AFRL is developing an open architecture concept Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) to achieve its goals of rapid time-to-market and low acquisition cost, while extending and enhancing the sensing volume of manned platforms. Sentry View Systems won a $63 million deal for the Minuteman III Remote Visual Assessment Contractor Logistical Support 2.0. The LGM-30 Minuteman III, built by Boeing, is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It is a long-range, solid-fuel, three-stage ICBM with the capability to car…

This month when you say "tender" I am not thinking about a tender Turkey. I am not thinking about tender mercies. Nope. If we are really concerned about winning the next great Pacific war ... we need to grow up and get ready. Details over at USNIBlog. Tell me where I'm wrong. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=bQxRG1Fxo3I:eAmgwEpvilw:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=bQxRG1Fxo3I:eAmgwEpvilw:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=bQxRG1Fxo3I:eAmgwEpvilw:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f…

Americas Boeing won a $13.6 million contract modification, which exercises an option to perform 24 modifications in support of the Increment Three Block One retrofit as well as the procurement, manufacture and assembly of 25 additional retrofit kits supporting engineering change five for existing P8-A Poseidon aircraft. The P-8A Poseidon is the US Navy’s maritime patrol aircraft. It is capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations, and is also successful at search and rescue. Work will take place in Washington. Expected completion date is in December 2023. An annual air exercise between South Korea and the United States kicked off secretly on November 1. The ex…

I think this is going to be tender week ... as my post tomorrow will be on the same topic. I want you to think about 2012. Yes, it was nine years ago. Obama was running for re-election against Mitt Romney. The #1 song of that year was "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra. ISIS, in its present name, did not yet exist for another year. It also was the last time... The submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) completed a weapons handling exercise involving the transfer of a MK-48 inert training shape to a submarine, Oct. 22. This was the first expeditionary reload Frank Cable has conducted outside of Guam since 2012. OK. Here is a question I hope some…

In an incredibly important ... and silly drama over the last couple of years, some otherwise smart people in objectively important positions invested significant amounts of personal and professional capital trying to make an argument that the US Army - our land component, is the primary service ... here. No. Unless you want to get in to another land war in Asia from the Pacific approaches ... no. However, we have friends who share our concerns with the People's Republic of China who, in addition to having four times the USA's population, have significant land borders and territorial issues with the PRC. In a larger war, they may find themselves allied with us, and there a…

Americas General Electric won a $1.6 billion deal including all options for the F-15EX Lots 2+ propulsion system procurement. This contract provides for 29 F110-GE-129 engines (installs and spares) for the F-15EX fleet. The contract also provides seven option lots for a most probable quantity of 329 total engines if all options are exercised. The F-15EX is a ready-now replacement for the F-15C that includes best-in-class payload, range and speed. Work will take place in Ohio and Texas. Estimated completion date is June 30, 2031. Lockheed Martin won a $30.5 million modification, which exercises options to provide operation and maintenance support of F-35 Joint Strike Figh…

Americas Northrop Grumman Aerospace won a $298.2 million contract modification to repair common unmanned aircraft system components for the US Air Force. The deal provides for repair services for “common items” for both the RQ-4B and MQ-4C Triton. It will support reparable National Stock Numbers (NSNs) which encompass the Air Vehicle, multiple sensor packages, Mission Control Element, and Launch and Recovery Element. In addition, this effort includes support engineering services covered under the engineering delegation authority for NSNs transferred to and under the management of the 407 Supply Chain Management Squadron. Work will take place in California, Utah, Virginia,…

Most everyone knows that the Korean War, though mostly a South Korean and American affair, was a UN action. Students of the war know that many nations contributed forces to the fight, with the United Kingdom and Turkey known by most. Just a bit more than half a decade after liberation from a crushing Imperial Japanese occupation, the Philippines joined the fight as well. They didn't hide in the rear either. The below won't be a surprise to people who served in the US Navy. We, more than most, know the quality per pound of the people we served with of Philippine extraction. Take a moment to acknowledge an underknown battle and the heroism of an unappreciated fighting nat…

Americas The US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) recently completed exercise New Horizon, the first at-sea evolution for its new unmanned task force. During the two-day training exercise, Task Force 59 integrated and evaluated new MANTAS T-12 unmanned surface vessels (USV) that operated alongside manned US patrol craft and Bahrain Defense Force maritime assets. BAE Systems won a five-year Systems Engineering and Integration Support Services contract to continue supporting the US Navy Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) office. The contract, worth up to $478 million, was awarded in September 2021. Middle East & Africa Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and SixAI wi…

Take a moment to think about all the news concerning the fragility of our maritime supply chain nodes. One good byproduct of this crisis is that the critical importance of merchant ships and maritime infrastructure to our national economy has come under the spotlight. For those who have spent their professional lives feeling like some Cassandra screaming in to a void of national disinterest – the opportunity to educate people while you have their attention is a once in a generation moment. In the US, in addition to the US Merchant Marine Academy, we have some states that have their own state merchant marine academies. It would be logical that the last year would have ins…

Do we have a problem in the profession or army of being loose with the truth? Where is the line between clever word games and lying? Who do we owe truth to, and who should we deceive? From the Army to our Navy, I'm pondering a bit on the topic over at USNIBlog. Come ponder with me. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=duAW8YSBLso:Q0JJbXrg9ZA:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=duAW8YSBLso:Q0JJbXrg9ZA:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=duAW8YSBLso:Q0JJbXrg9ZA:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.c…