Raw Intel

Our Navy would be such a more powerful force if we had kept with the mindset of the Aegis and Standard Missile evolution. Bit by bit, step by step, increment by increment, baseline by baseline, we got a stronger, more effective Navy. A few hiccups like in any long running program ... but the success is undeniable. The latest example; In a first-of-its-kind test, the United States has successfully used a small ship-fired missile to intercept a target Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), according to the Missile Defense Agency. The successful test shows the U.S. military now has another missile defense system capable of defending against North Korean ICBM’s…

As regulars here know, from the start of the blog - and a decade earlier IRL - one of my core stands is that we are long past the need for having large formation of maneuver forces based overseas in now rich and ready allies. Besides unit rotations, occasional exercises to practice surge, and combined training and logistics facilities, everyone needs to come home. As a maritime and aerospace power, we need to be home based, but postured for forward deployment of land forces to support allies and interests. We are a mercantile republic, not an empire. It has been a lonely vigil, and I know many of the respected and wise members of the Front Porch disagree with me, but …

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…

Americas Boeing won a $128.8 million contract for the F-15 Mission Training Center (MTC) simulation services to support the Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces and Air Force in Europe locations. The contractor will provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, transportation, tools, materials, supervision and other items to perform all MTC services. These services will provide simulation capability to train F-15 pilots and system operators in high-fidelity training devices. Work will take place in Missouri, Japan, Idaho, Nevada, the UK and North Carolina. Estimated completion will be in December 31, 2021. The US Air Force’s multi-intelligence reconfigurable pod – Agile…

One of the most dangerous yet commonly held beliefs about a future conflict with China is that we could somehow hold China back by convincing them we could defeat them in 72-hrs. Another is that, for some reason, the US Army should have a role - somehow - in significant numbers. That would imply action on mainland Asia. Even though WWII has mostly faded out of living memory, the Korean War is still inside that fading line. One would think - especially with all the belated focus of the last few years - we would have a greater understanding of the Chinese military history and tradition that, at least to them, goes back thousands of years. Many will make comments about t…

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $13.3 million deal, which provides for engineering, development and production of Operational Test Program Sets (OTPS) to support AN/APY-9 Radar Avionics Line Replaceable Modules (LRMs). These OTPSs will provide support for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye program and will be used at the depot level to provide test and repair capabilities for the LRMs. Work will take place in New York. Expected completion date will be in September 2025. Raytheon won a $422.6 million modification to previously awarded contract N00024-22-C-5500 to exercise options for hardware production of the AN/SPY-6(V) Family of Radars. Work will take place in Massachusetts, Cal…

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…

Last week, you may have noticed this little jewel come across your scan; China is working with the tiny Pacific island state of Kiribati to explore the feasibility of improving an airstrip on one of its remote islands, China’s foreign ministry said late Friday. Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing Kiribati lawmakers, that China has drawn up plans to upgrade an airstrip and bridge on the tiny island of Kanton (also spelled Canton), a coral atoll strategically located midway between Asia and the Americas. This is just part of a pattern of China using a combination of economic promise to the poor, a little graft to grease the skids, and you have all sorts of acces…

Americas J.I. Gascia Construction won a $7.6 million task order under a multiple award construction contract for a design-build KC-46A mission planning center at Travis Air Force Base, California.The work to be performed will provide a facility to support KC-46A mission planning. The contract contains four options, which requires the contractor to repair sewer line, construct the window infill, perform hazardous material remediation, and construct physical security upgrades at the mechanical yard. The KC-46A is a wide-body, multi-mission aircraft capable of transporting fuel, cargo, passengers, and patients. Work will take place in California. Expected completion will be …

Americas General Dynamics Electric Boat won an $11.5 million contract modification to support the Virginia Class Common Weapon Launcher (CWL) technology insertion advanced processor build efforts for all variants. The Virginia Class submarine is the Navy’s latest fast-attack submarine and is capable of targeting, controlling, and launching MK 48 torpedoes and Tomahawk land-attack missiles (TLAMs). Work will take place in Connecticut. Estimated completion will be by September 20, 2022. The US Navy awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $22.2 million deal for additional labor hours for smart start maintenance, repair, and modernization efforts in support of the USS Hartf…

Americas The US Navy announced, that it has finished a test of its first littoral combat ship-based unmanned mine detection system. The Unmanned Influence Sweep System designed for the LCS has a mine countermeasures unmanned surface vehicle, or MCM USV, and a towed minesweeping payload to sweep magnetic or acoustic mines, the Program Executive Office for Unmanned and Small Combatants. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has departed from Norfolk Naval Station to Newport News Shipyard for planned maintenance. According to a statement, the six-month maintenance period, called a Planned Incremental Availability, which includes modernization, maintenance …

Americas L3Harris Technologies won a $45.9 million deal, which provides engineering maintenance and repair support services for Advanced Self-Protection Jammer AN/ALQ-165, Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures AN/ALQ-214, and aircraft self-protection optimization software in support of F/A-18 series aircraft for the Navy and Foreign Military Sales customers. The AN/ALQ-214 is the next-generation radio frequency (RF) integrated countermeasure system. The legacy (V)3 version is currently deployed on the US Navy’s F/A-18E/F aircraft to provide self-protection. Work will take place in Clifton, New Jersey. Estimated completion will be in February 2026. Sikorsky won …

I guess this is submarine week at CDR Salamander, because right after the Wednesday post, the Anglosphere decided to wake everyone up; Joint Leaders Statement on AUKUS SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 STATEMENTS AND RELEASES As leaders of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, guided by our enduring ideals and shared commitment to the international rules-based order, we resolve to deepen diplomatic, security, and defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, including by working with partners, to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. As part of this effort, we are announcing the creation of an enhanced trilateral security partnership called “AUKUS” — Austra…

It has been a bit more than four years ago that navalists were in their second month of excitement about the prospects for a larger Navy with the incoming Trump Administration. As most did not expect him to win in 2016, few of us paid any more than passing attention that he picked up on work already done under Obama’s SECNAV Mabus to mark “350-355” as the number needed given the realities of the evolving global security situation – specifically China’s not so peaceful rise. Not fully appreciated at the time, partisanship and incomplete information led many to not give credit to the Obama team for their work prior to the election. Likewise, in a few years the larger f…

Americas Northrop Grumman Systems won a $185.7 million deal for the A-10 Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP) Legacy VII. This contract provides for sustaining engineering services of A-10 aircraft. The A-10 Thunderbolt is also known as the Warthog, the ‘flying gun’ and the Tankbuster. The aircraft was used extensively during Operation Desert Storm, in support of Nato operations in response to the Kosovo crisis, in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Work will take place in Clearfield, Utah. Expected completion date is December 13, 2030. Boeing won a $79.6 million deal for F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability S…

Americas Northrop Grumman has revealed its concept for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) LongShot program to develop an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of employing multiple air-to-air weapons. The company released a conceptual rendering of its proposed design on 10 February, two days after it was awarded a contract alongside General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) and Lockheed Martin for the first phase of its LongShot program. “The LongShot program enables us to combine our digital engineering skillset with our extensive knowledge in advanced technology weapons, autonomous systems, and strike platforms to increase weapon range and …

They are ugly, boring, quiet, sedentary, misunderstood, ignored, disrespected ... yet in crisis - surprises & terrifies everyone. They are also something we need to be ready to use immediately if we are serious about confronting China. I'm pondering things that go bump in the night over at USNIBlog. Come by and ponder with me for a bit. 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=Qs8UOVkwgLs:tEqoTjxpyvk:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=Qs8UOVkwgLs:tEqoTjxpyvk:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAF…

Americas South-east Welding & Manufacturing won a $1.2 billion deal for complex repair, maintenance and modernization requirements of non-nuclear Navy Surface Combatant (CG, DDG, and AMPHIB) class ships homeported in or visiting San Diego, California, homeport. These efforts consist of Chief of Naval Operations-scheduled docking and non-docking; continuous maintenance; and emergent maintenance availabilities of Surface Combatant class ships to be performed in the San Diego, California, port. Delivery orders will be competitively awarded under these contracts, which are to be performed in San Diego, California. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the cont…

There are some DivThu that simply write themselves … and there are some Thursdays that I simply don’t know what to post because there is so much … often from the same place. This DivThu let’s turn our attention to USNA. Some of you may think I’m going to get involved with the 1/C MIDN who got a bit over his skis on twitter, but RedState covered it in great detail. Read it all here - but focus on the comments and actions of uniformed leadership and the interplay of football. It speaks loudly how much USNA has brought inside its lifelines all the worst aspects of civilian universities from the warping effects of alumni sports fetishes to fear of the Woke Red Guards. I’m…

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.…