Raw Intel

Here and on Midrats over the years we've discussed the embarrassingly dangerous maladministration of the US merchant fleet, but we're not alone. We are putting a lot of emphasis on our growing partnership in security with Australia. How are things down under? Australia faces a “national emergency” unless it re-establishes a sovereign commercial shipping fleet to ensure critical goods flow during times of war and economic sanctions. The war in Ukraine, alongside Canberra’s geopolitical tensions with Beijing, has highlighted the vulnerability of Australia’s security and economy given its supply chain is almost completely reliant on ships registered to other countries. The …

Want to take a break from the Second Russo-Ukrainian War? Good, so do I. As we (well at least I) impatiently wait for the USS Constellation (FFG 62) and her sisters to start displacing water, it is interesting to see the design decisions other nations have made to meet their frigate requirements. As our new FFG will be the USN version of the French and Italian FREMM, it is natural to compare it to other European designs, but what about our friends in the Pacific? What are the South Koreans building? Let's take a quick side-by-side look at their Daegu-class frigate presently under serial production. Of course, different nations have different requirements, and you can s…

Americas Foster Miller won a $10.7 million contract modification to exercise Option Year One for production, engineering support and post production support of the MK 2 Man Transportable Robotic System (MTRS) series systems and Talon systems. The services under this contract cover the production of systems, depot level repair parts, initial spares kits, consumables, repair parts and approved accessories. Engineering support services such as configuration management, engineering enhancements, reviews, reporting and shipping are also included. The MTRS MK2 provides a man-transportable capability to remotely perform reconnaissance. Estimated completion will be by March 2026.…

Americas Northrop Grumman won a $17.3 million deal for depot level repair. This follow-on contract includes: maintenance, modifications, repairs, alteration, upgrades of systems and spares for the AN/AQS-24 Sonar Detecting Set (all variants), Common Post Mission Analysis and Intermediate Level Test Equipment to support the Navy for the currently deployed airborne mine countermeasures legacy systems. The AQS-24A is a helicopter towed airborne Sonar mine countermeasure detection system equipped with a side scan sonar to detect and classify underwater mines. Work will take place in Maryland. Expected completion is in October 2026. The UH-60V variant has been inducted into …

As navalists are wont to do, first think I do when looking at the latest developments in Ukraine, I look to the Black Sea coast. In the run-up to the war, a lot of attention was given to the naval buildup on the area by the Russian Navy, especially with the bulk of their remaining amphibious warships. Besides a minor operation in the Sea of Azov early on, there has been little seen of them, much less a vaunted amphibious assault around Odessa. There are many tactical level details we just don’t know about at this date, so as we look to the sea, today we’ll keep this to the big pixels, specifically the fundamentals we already knew but may have forgotten to one degree or a…

Americas The Lockheed LC-130 is a ski-equipped aircraft that supports US missions in the Arctic and Antarctic. The aircraft requires rocket-assisted-takeoff (RATO) rockets for take-off when carrying heavy loads over snow or ice. However, the LC-130 was upgraded with T56-8-15A 3.5 engines that negate the need for RATO rockets. FLIR Systems won a $19.3 million deal for maintenance and overhaul of the UH-60 turret. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is March 16, 2027. Middle East & Africa Sikorsky won a $52.5 million contract…

Your town isn't a small town at a bit over 34,000, but everyone knows each other more or less. It isn't so big that you are disconnected from your neighbors. You are always one degree away from having a connection to anyone. Maybe 2. Any American from New England would feel comfortable here. The weather is not that different, really - perhaps even a few degrees warmer. Trip Advisor does not give your off the beaten path home (even though you are a stop on the railroad line to Odessa) a big write up, but you have nice restaurants and pubs. You have shockingly beautiful parks. Again, you are poor, but you were, at least before the Russian Army came, a tidy and proud town i…

So, we have this great new Australia-United Kingdom-United States alliance in the Pacific. We are supposed to be the big power here - to instill confidence in the face of a growing China. What signal does this ship send? Context here: Welcome to our close friends from @USNavy to Brisbane for a routine logistics visit. The Men & Women of #USSFrankCable will also work alongside #YourADF to provide vital support to Australian communities as part of #OpFloodAssist. Thank you and Bravo Zulu !🇦🇺🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/3h1wxAaWUi — Chief of Navy Australia (@CN_Australia) March 17, 2022 There is no excuse here. This speaks for itself. I'm embarrassed for myself, my Navy, my n…

Americas The US Air Force is proceeding to install the AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS) on several F-16s for flight testing. Northrop Grumman was selected last year to deploy a new electronic warfare suite for the F-16. The new contract, awarded on Mar. 10, will allow the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD), Developmental Test/Operational Test (DT/OT), and Operational Assessment (OA) phases to be carried out in early 2023. The US Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) and Boeing recently completed a critical design review for the Protected Tactical SATCOM Prototype (PTS-P). PTS-P features an on-board processor of the US military…

Americas The 40th Flight Test Squadron had the rare opportunity to fly five different types of aircraft assigned to the unit all together for one time on January 31. The F-15EX, F-15C, F-15E, F-16, and A-10 were all at Eglin Air Force Base for testing of upgraded systems. The formation represented for the first and last time, all five fighters in the 96th Test Wing inventory. Speaking at a Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event on March 14, the US Pacific Air Forces commander said new weapon systems such as the F-15EX are required in order to prepare for Indo-Pacific conflict. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach said the aging F-15C, now based in Japan, needs to be replaced wi…

For obvious reasons, the navalists amongst us (guilty) have an ear out for Odessa. Not only is it the last significant port on the Black Sea under the control of Ukraine, it has a history from the dawn of time as the key to any conflict in this area. The Russians must take it during this campaign. As such, this got my attention today; The Ukrainian military is reporting Russian warships in the Black Sea are shelling villages near the coast close to the nearby port city of Odesa. These attacks specifically targeted the settlements of Lebedivka, Sanzheika, Zatoka, and Bilenke, according to a Wednesday Facebook post from Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces. These vi…

Americas The US Navy took delivery of the newest Virginia-class fast-attack submarine Montana (SSN 794) on Monday. Montana (SSN 794) completed sea trials last month. It is the third of the 10-ship group of Virginia-class submarines known as Block IV. Virginia-class submarines displace 7,835 tons, with a hull length of 377 feet and a diameter of 34 feet. They are capable of speeds in excess of 25 knots and can dive to a depth greater than 800 feet, while carrying Mark 48 advanced capability torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles. Overhaul Support Services LLC won two contracts in support of the CH-47 Chinook. swashplates. A $15.8 million deal ist to overhaul aft control s…

As a former recidivist staff weenie, one thing that I keep thinking about when it comes to watching the performance of the Russians in Ukraine is the clearly deficient staff work. I've touched on it a bit here, over on Midrats and my visit to Bill Roggio's podcast, so regulars here are familiar with my take; this is a textbook case of the real world impact of a dysfunctional staff culture. No staff can do their job without clear and well thought out Commander's Intent and higher Direction and Guidance, but more importantly, the staff needs to be able to produce an honest Estimate of the Situation and Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace. These cannot be allow…

The longer this war goes on, the more dangerous it is not just for Putin's hold on power, but for the hope the conflict can be contained. For those keeping an eye on the big picture, the question is how this effects China. Located on the other side of the Eurasian landmass, China is looking west to see not just how they can work this to their advantage, but also how they can maneuver themselves so that Russia's adventures do not derail China's plans and priorities. She is on cusp of greatness and she knows it. She has been given a small taste of primacy and she wants all of it. The Russo-Ukrainian War will either be a catalyst for an accelerated grasp on global power for …

Americas Northrop Grumman won a $17 million modification, which adds scope to provide for the production, delivery, and installation of Link 16 Crypto-Modernization/Hybrid Beyond Line of Sight capabilities on 15 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is the newest variant of the E-2 aircraft platform. It features a state-of-the-art radar with a two-generation leap in capability and upgraded aircraft systems that will improve supportability and increase readiness. Work will take place in Florida, Virginia, Illinois, California and New York. Estimated completion date is May 2023. The US Air Force, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps will have an a…

Americas Bell Boeing won a $24.3 million contract modification, which increases scope to provide additional MV-22 Common Configuration Readiness and Modernization in-service and over and above repair support. The V-22 Osprey is a joint-service, medium-lift, multimission tilt-rotor aircraft developed by Boeing and Bell Helicopters. Boeing is responsible for the fuselage, landing gear, avionics, electrical and hydraulic systems, performance and flying qualities. Work will take place in Pennsylvania and Texas. Estimated completion will be in June 2023. General Dynamics won a $12.3 million contract modification for Abrams systems technical support. The M1 Abrams is a third g…

With the Russo-Ukrainian War in its 3rd week, everyone is starting to see a new normal emerging in Europe, our alliances, and global posture. What are the assumptions time has left behind, what concepts are playing out well, and what surprises at sea and ashore have been a surprise? What will the next phase look like? This Sunday from 5-6pm Eastern EagleOne and Sal are bringing back the melee format with an eye on Ukraine. Open topic, open phones, green range ... bearings free. Join us live if you can, but it not, you can get the show later by subscribing to the podcast. If you use iTunes, you can add Midrats to your podcast list simply by clicking the iTunes button at t…

Late. Everything is late. Just a little more time. All that was needed was a little more time. A few more bits of kits. A few better leaders up the chain, but mostly, just more time. The war drums could be heard, but people waited too long to accept what the sound was. Once it was accepted, all the right things were done, just not soon enough. Just a little more time. Just a bit. Then it came. A message. A pause. Then reports. Then you realize, time no longer matters. You have what you have. You will fight for your island with what you and your Sailors and Marines have. Nothing more. Promises and hopes are for fools in war. You do what you can with what you have and let …

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Bill Roggio as a guest on his podcast over at FDD, "Generation Jihad." Listeners to Midrats will recognize Bill as a regular guest there over the years, usually on the topics of international terrorism and Afghanistan, but we've turned the table around this time not only as host/guest, but topic. Bill and I spent the hour discussing the war in Ukraine in a very broad manner. Give it a listen. I hope you enjoy the podcast as much as I did being Bill's guest. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogs…

Americas Austal won a $12.3 million contract modification to exercise an option for littoral combat ship (LCS) industrial post-delivery availability support for USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32). The USS Santa Barbara is the US Navy’s 16th Independence littoral combat ship (LCS) variant. The LCS programme will see the construction of the vessels in the Freedom-class and the Independence-class variants. Work will take place in Alabama and Massachusetts. Expected completion will be by December 2022. A joint exercise between the air forces of Pakistan and the United States was concluded recently. F-16s from Shaw Air Force Base participate in the exercise which started on February …