Raw Intel

As I snarkly said over on twitter, if the adults are back in charge, would they please act like it. First of all, just look at the Marshall Islands located east of Guam, west of Hawaii, and south of Wake Island. During WWII, Americans lost 611 men, suffered 2,341 wounded, and 260 missing and killed over over 11,000 Japanese while capturing 358 to secure these islands. An independent nation with some unique security and immigration agreements with the United States, one shouldn’t have to over-emphasize the strategic importance. However … For decades, the tiny Marshall Islands has been a stalwart American ally … But that loyalty is being tested amid a dispute with Washin…

Americas According to Bloomberg News, a Pentagon testing report dated September 28 for the VH-92A Marine One helicopter says the helicopter is not effective for “contingency operation mission,” which means the rotor craft cannot be used during an emergency. For administrative missions, the helicopter is still operational effective, the internal memo said. The Canadian government informed Boeing that its Super Hornet does not meet the country’s requirements for the fighter competition to replace the F/A-18 legacy Hornet. Three anonymous sources said that the American aerospace company was informed of the decision on November 24. Middle East & Africa NATO’s Operation …

Not one of our Primary Mission Areas. We will never be asked to do that. If we did that, it would take away from the job that we think in most important. There are more important things we will have to do. That is a distraction. Our platform isn't optimized for that. We think other platforms can do that better. My boss won't let us talk about that.You hear lots of that sometimes. Nonetheless, warfare asks a lot of people and machines. You often have to do the mission that is most needed, not the one that you like doing, the one your peacetime theorizing told you would be important - or the one that you are told you are supposed to push. No, in the end - everything you do…

As I like to do on Thanksgiving, I would like to thank one specific blessing; the US Navy's Culinary Specialists, Mess Cranks, and everyone who makes the extra effort to put together such an important feast for our Sailors on such an important national holiday. We love you guys ... and maybe we don't say it enough - but even if we do, we'll say it again today. 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=jzvfEIu-aQY:I4fY5tL1bFw:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=jzvfEIu-aQY:I4fY5tL1bFw:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.…

Americas Huntington Ingalls won an $18 million contract modification for the advance planning requirements to support the refueling complex overhaul of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) is the eighth Nimitz class aircraft carrier in service with the United States Navy. She was launched on September 7, 1996 by Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, and commissioned on July 25, 1998. Work will take place in Virginia. Estimated completion is in November 2022. Sikorsky won a $31.2 million modification, which exercises an option to provide non-recurring engineering to include, investigation, systems engineering support, risk analys…

After yesterday's post, you might thing this is ice week ... and maybe it is. Have you pondered lately the state of Russian, American, and ... yes ... Chinese icebreakers? Of course you have ... so you'll want to run over to USNIBlog and ponder what bubbled up in the last month. 'Tis the season, dontchaknow. 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=QF3ncHb-4i0:xksX97DejdE:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=QF3ncHb-4i0:xksX97DejdE:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=QF3ncHb-4i0:xksX97DejdE:V_sGLiPBp…

Americas Rolls-Royce won a $23.3 million deal, which provides for the depot repair of T56-A-427A engines installed on E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft for the Navy. The Allison T56 is a single shaft, modular design military turboprop with a 14-stage axial flow compressor driven by a four-stage turbine. The E-2D is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft. Work will take place in Texas, Canada and Indiana. Estimated completion date is in November 2022. The MQ-25 has been undergoing ground testing at Naval Station Norfolk as the unmanned aircraft prepares to embark on board an aircraft carrier next month. The MQ-25 Stingray introduces unmanned aerial refueling and intelligence, surv…

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $114.6 million modification to exercise an option for AEGIS Combat System Engineering Agent efforts for the design, development, integration, test and delivery of Advanced Capability Build 20. The Aegis Combat System is the Navy’s most modern surface combat system. It was designed as a complete system: the missile launching element, the computer programs, the radar and the displays are fully integrated to work together. This makes the Aegis system the first fully integrated combat system built to defend against advanced air and surface threats. The word “aegis” comes to use from classical mythology. Aegis is the name of the shield of the sk…

That is, of course, a subject question. However, there are objective facts that stand independent of that subjectivity.Where you are in time and place is important. In the area of national security, disconnects and discontinuities in time and place caused by a desire for reality to be what we want it to be consume the finite resources of time, money, and focus from actions to address what reality actual is. Denial fed by delusional distractions, as it were. Take a moment to back up a bit and think about the top national security concerns of 2021. What do they signal to you as the most important parts of the United States’ national security infrastructure needs to inve…

Over the weekend, I hope this slide got your attention. As an old Operational Planner who just can’t quit the game, it got mine. The U.S. has shared intelligence including maps with European allies that shows a buildup of Russian troops and artillery to prepare for a rapid, large-scale push into Ukraine from multiple locations if President Vladimir Putin decided to invade, according to people familiar with the conversations. That intelligence has been conveyed to some NATO members over the past week to back up U.S. concerns about Putin’s possible intentions and an increasingly frantic diplomatic effort to deter him from any incursion, with European leaders engaging dir…

Americas Sikorsky Aircraft won a $21.2 million contract modification, which increases scope and provides aircraft maintenance in support of the CH-53K data transfer unit and defensive electronic countermeasure system replacement phase three flight test. The CH-53K will replace the CH-53E, and its job with the Marines will include moving heavy equipment and supplies from ship-to-shore in support of amphibious assault and subsequent operations ashore, as well as lifting troops. Work will take place in Maryland, Florida and Virginia. Estimated completion is in June 2022. Lockheed Martin won a $584.8, which adds scope to provide system integration engineering for the develop…

Americas General Atomics Aeronautical Systems won a $103.2 million deal for the production of Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft systems, satellite airborne data terminals, and government furnished equipment maintenance. The MQ-1C Gray Eagle is an extended range / multipurpose (ER/MP) unmanned aircraft system developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the US Army. It has an endurance of 25 hours, speeds up to167 KTAS, can operate up to 29,000 feet, and carries 1,075 lb (488 kg) of internal and external payload. Raytheon won a $63.1 million modification, which exercises options to procure 19 AN/APG-79(V)4 radar systems and associated software in support of radar retr…

If you are even remotely connected to the US Navy, you have directly or indirectly been impacted by the "Fat Leonard" scandal. A husbanding agent who used every tool in a very old book - greed, sex, power, influence, and envy - managed to have have naval officers and high ranking law enforcement officers become party to his drive for wealth and influence. One of the best places to find the details of the scandal and to hear from Leonard Glenn Frances himself, is in "The Fat Leonard Podcast." Our guest today will be the podcast's creator, Tom Wright, the coauthor of Billion Dollar Whale and the cofounder of Project Brazen, a journalism-focused production studio. Tom work…

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w7RCTtz6GZo/VTosMd1sraI/AAAAAAAAJio/81yRbuPXaXg/s1600/SumnerRenderLaffey.jpg So, how was your command tour? Think you accomplished a lot? Benchmarks? Yes, we have benchmarks. Made a commander on November 1, he was the commanding officer of USS Laffey during the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. The ship was struck by an 8-inch shell, which did not explode. Laffey broke up an attack by German E-boats on June 12 and bombarded Cherbourg on June 25. Becton was awarded a second Silver Star for his actions in June. Transferred back to the Pacific Theater, he received his third Silver Star for his handling of Laffey in support of the landing of the…

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $19 million contract modification, that adds scope to provide delivery and installation of a multispectral database and delivery of crypto ignition keys in support of F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter in support of the Air Force and the government of the Republic of Korea. Work will take place in Wisconsin and. Texas. Estimated completion will be in September 2023. The US Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $15.9 million contract modification, which exercises an option to procure seven retrofit advanced radar processor systems for the E-2D aircraft. The E-2D Hawkeye features a state-of-the-art radar with a two-generation leap in capability …

1. Make the metrics. 2. Adjust the metrics. 3. Make the metrics look good. Those who have served on staffs in large bureaucracies know these three steps. To get there, on any subject, you first have to get good data sets – otherwise garbage in, garbage out. Looking desperately to avoid investing time and resources to investigate their epic failure as a primary player in our national humiliation in Afghanistan, the State Department seems to want to update their data. The State Department, as part of an agency-wide modernization effort, is focused on using its vast inventory to further its diplomatic mission. The State Department’s Enterprise Data Strategy, released in Sep…

People who have both friends and enemies on the political left and the political right are, for me at least, some of the most interesting in the public arena. They are either doing something very right, or doing a lot very wrong - maybe both. What they usually are not are hyper-political random partisan talking point generators. One of those people is LTG H.R. McMaster, USA (Ret.). At the end of September, he showed up at a conference with a blow torch in one hand and a pair of pliers in the other. I have a few pull quotes and links to the full video from the 4th Great Power Competition Conference over at USNIBlog. Come by and give it a read and listen. http://feeds.fee…

Americas Bell Boeing won a $72 million contract modification, which exercises options to procure 15 Nacelle improvements kits, rotatable pool components and interim spares. The modification also provides for the installation of eight kits in conjunction with conversion area harness, electrical wiring interconnect system assessments, sustaining engineering, and over and above requirements for the CV-22 fleet aircraft. Work will take place in Texas and Pennsylvania. Estimated completion is in June 2025. A successful Rapid Dragon test flight was concluded on November 6, according the US Air Force Research Laboratory. Conducted at White Sands Missile Range, a MC-130J airdrop…

Americas Sikorsky won an $8 million deal, which exercises an option to provide for the production and delivery of CH-53K tooling and supplier rate tooling, as well as management through final acceptance, ensuring the program can meet aircraft production rate, based on lead-time and production ramp rates. The CH-53K Super Stallion is a heavy-lift helicopter that can be fielded from amphibious assault ships for the transportation of personnel and equipment. It will also be used to carry external cargo loads. The aircraft can be operated from austere and remote forward operating bases. The PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) units worked with the US Army’s Integrated Ai…

Americas According to Breaking Defense, General Atomics flew a new drone that is heavily based on the MQ-1C this summer. The new unmanned air vehicle or UAV can carry up to 16 Hellfire missiles and requires less than 800 ft of runway to operate. An anonymous source told Breaking Defense that the company is eyeing the Army’s Future Command and Special Operations Command as potential customers. However, General Atomics spokesman C. Mark Brinkley declined to comment on this story to Breaking Defense. Huntington Ingalls won a $20 million cost modification for shipbuilding supplier industrial base efforts in support of the DDG 51 class destroyer program. The multimission wars…