HG S2 (Intel Bot)

Americas Raytheon Intelligence and Space won a $34.2 million order by the US Navy, which of the ethernet expansion devices and the platform data server in support of integration of the MV-22 Helmet Mounted Display/Degraded Visual Environment program aboard V-22, and establish a baseline for a common software interface for integration of future capabilities on all V-22 platforms. Work will take place in Indiana and California. Estimated completion will be in July 2027. Lockheed Martin rolled out the first F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft this week from its Greenville, South Carolina, production line. The fighter completed final assembly, checkout, and painting at Greenville on November 21 and is expected to undergo flight trials at Edwards Air Force Base, California, early next year. The F-16 Viper is one of 16 the company is building for Bahrain as part of a $1.1 billion deal inked in 2018. Middle East & Africa The Emirati Air Force led its biannual training exercise advanced tactical leadership course (ATLC) attended by the air forces of seven other nations at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. The multinational air warfare training was held to increase the collective proficiency of participating countries in joint mission planning and tactical leadership. Europe The Royal Navy has chosen the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) to replace the Harpoon anti-ship missile for its warships. To be operational in less than 13 months, the missile from Norway will be fitted eleven Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers. Babcock and BAE will be integrating the missile with support from Norway. The Bulgarian government is poised to sign an agreement with Sweden and France to lease their second-hand fighter aircraft amid delays in the delivery of American F-16s. Sofia needs an immediate replacement for its aging fleet of MiG-29s, which are expected to be unserviceable by late 2023 due to maintenance issues. Talks about leasing French and Swedish jets started when Bulgaria sent a letter of request to seven countries (including the US) to temporarily lease their used fighter jets. Asia-Pacific The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) will dispatch two F-15J fighters to Clark Air Base, Philippines on November 27. Along with 60 personnel, the jets will be there till Dec. 11 for join training with the Philippine Air Force (PAF). Today’s Video WATCH: V-22 Osprey: More than Meets the Eye View the full article

...and a special thanks to everyone at sea who puts in that extra effort to bring a proper Thanksgiving meal to their Shipmates. View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $47.3 million contract modification, which exercises an option to procure Ancillary Mission Equipment in support of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lot 17 production aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales customers, and non-US Department of Defense participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in December 2025. F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter (JSF) is a stealthy, supersonic multirole fighter developed by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and programme partners from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) and US allies. Work will take place in Texas. Estimated completion will be in December 2025. The US Navy’s air-launched torpedo has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) after completing rigorous trials. The development was announced by American defense firm Boeing, which manufactures the anti-submarine weapon. Middle East & Africa Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., a leader in the Israeli military and commercial homeland defense and aerospace markets, issues its consolidated financial statements for the nine and three months ended September 30, 2022. This period has turned out to be the most profitable one in the company’s history. Europe NATO’s Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) and the E-3A fleet have completed the first phase of their air-to-air refueling certification process. The campaign is led by the Royal Netherlands Air Force Test Organisation. Test pilots from the US Air Force is supporting the E-3A fleet for the testing portion. The UK recently delivered Brimstone-2 missiles to Ukraine, The Telegraph reported, citing RAF delivery footage. The missile is an upgrade on the Brimstone-1 — supplied to the country in April/May — with more than twice the range. The laser-guided missile can be fired from land vehicles, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Asia-Pacific The US Air Force’s 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron has commenced MQ-9 operations from Kanoya Air Base, Japan on November 21. The unmanned aircraft will be used for surveillance and reconnaissance duties in the East China Sea and other surrounding waters until November next year. An estimated 150 to 200 US military personnel will be stationed in Kanoya to provide operational support. Today’s Video WATCH: Inside the $270 Million Nato’s Flying Control Tower | E-3A AWACS View the full article

By Capt. P.T. Deutermann USN (Ret.) St. Martins Press (2022) Reviewed by Capt. C. Herbert Gilliland, USN (Ret.) In his latest novel, P. T. Deutermann continues his successful mining of World War II themes. This time we follow the spectacular fortunes of USS Holland, a destroyer escort sent from convoy duty in the North Atlantic to an uncertain assignment in the western Pacific. In Deutermann’s braided narrative, alternate chapters are told by ship’s CO, Mariano deTomasi, and his XO, Ephraim Edmond “Eeep” Enright. This structure allows each to observe and comment on the other while working well as a team despite great differences in background and makeup. Lieutenant Commander deTomasi, though born in the US and a Naval Academy product, is by heritage and temperament pure Sicilian. Perceived disrespect by a senior officer will make him boil, and memories of seeing the crew of his first ship butchered at Pearl Harbor gives him a very personal passion for vengeance. He controls it, but “I want [the Japanese] all dead.” Enright’s PhD and brilliance in electrical engineering kept him a valuable civilian until, urged by his father’s grief at the loss of Enright’s older brother in combat in the Pacific, he insists upon active service. With his calmer logic, Eeep plays a Starbuck to his captain’s Ahab. His technical inventiveness is also important to the ship’s success. They confront differences between the Pacific and the Atlantic theatres of war. The icy North Atlantic contrasts with the sweaty southern Pacific. But in terms of naval operations and combat, the major difference is in sheer size: the Pacific is thousands of square miles bigger, and the fleets involve hundreds or even thousands of ships sweeping across that area. When deTomasi indicates he feels neglected, the briefing officer tells him the upcoming operation will involve “eight hundred ships. …Don’t feel picked on, Captain, you’re just going to have to get used to the scale of what’s happening here in the Pacific.” Half the size of a full destroyer, arriving months late and with no convoy to protect, Holland is initially greeted more as a nuisance than anything else. In the context of the huge fleet actions sweeping the Pacific, a lone DE can be easily overlooked. Still, Holland’s designation includes the word destroyer. Learning the Japanese are thought to have set up a picket line of submarines to give warning of the direction of an American task force. deTomasi gets Holland placed where he and his ship may be able to do what they do best—hunt submarines. One of the Deutermann’s strengths here is how smoothly he incorporates essential details of anti-submarine warfare, as practiced at the time, into the action narrative. In the process of following Holland’s mission, the reader absorbs in passing such elements as the difference between depth charges and hedgehogs, the need to measure water temperature, and the tactical values of active versus passive sonar. Any reader with only a little prior knowledge will feel comfortably expert as he turns the pages. Having practiced multi-ship ASW with the British in the Atlantic, deTomasi brings that innovation to the Pacific as well. Another important U.S. Navy development at that time was the Combat Information Center (CIC), and Deutermann shows its importance throughout the novel, for ASW as well as other applications. As in earlier work, Deutermann reminds readers that war is brutal and messy. A discussion of what happens inside when a submarine is destroyed reminds us that those are human beings inside, but Holland’s photographer gags while recording the “evidence”—distorted human remains– of a successful sinking. Simply being at sea has dangers of its own, and after all, what is a good sea story without some rough weather? Between confrontations with Japanese submarines, Holland has to survive a typhoon with sixty-foot waves and winds that rip the anemometer right off its mount. Readers are treated to the full spectacle and fear that such a storm can provide, including coming into the “surreal seascape of the eye itself,” with the “boiling black clouds” of the opposite wall ahead. The rough sublimity of the storm has a counterpart or balancing moment of positive awe later, when Holland encounters Task Force 58. In Deutermann’s beautifully crafted passage, the formation of carriers, battleships, cruisers heavy and light, and lesser ships sweeps past the little DE at twenty-five knots. If some readers might find Holland too successful against Japanese submarines to permit that willing suspension of disbelief upon which fiction depends, an author’s note at the end explains that The Last Paladin is inspired by the true story of USS England (DE-635). What he has produced is not a fictionalization of that story, but rather a different story whose plausibility relies upon the historical reality. If deTomasi and Enright had been real, is the implicit claim, their story might have been as well. Once Holland has resolved deTomasi’s vendetta against Japan as embodied in its submarines, Deutermann makes it the target of a vengeful Japanese command. The result is a spectacular final shootout wrapped in a global framework. By the time we close the book, we have been treated not only to a violent short course in ASW, but also a good deal of surface and air action as well. Faithful Deutermann readers will not be disappointed; nor, I think will new ones. Captain Gilliland is a professor emeritus form the U.S. Naval Academy. P. T. DEUTERMANN is the author of many previous novels including Pacific Glory, which won the W. Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction. Deutermann spent twenty-six years in military and government service, as a captain in the Navy and in the Joint Chiefs of Staff as an arms-control specialist. He lives with his wife in North Carolina. The Last Paladin. By P.T. Deutermann (Manhattan, New York: 2022) The post The Last Paladin first appeared on Naval Historical Foundation. View the full article

By Capt. P.T. Deutermann USN (Ret.) St. Martins Press (2022) Reviewed by Capt. C. Herbert Gilliland, USN (Ret.) In his latest novel, P. T. Deutermann continues his successful mining of World War II themes. This time we follow the spectacular fortunes of USS Holland, a destroyer escort sent from convoy duty in the North Atlantic to an uncertain assignment in the western Pacific. In Deutermann’s braided narrative, alternate chapters are told by ship’s CO, Mariano deTomasi, and his XO, Ephraim Edmond “Eeep” Enright. This structure allows each to observe and comment on the other while working well as a team despite great differences in background and makeup. Lieutenant Commander deTomasi, though born in the US and a Naval Academy product, is by heritage and temperament pure Sicilian. Perceived disrespect by a senior officer will make him boil, and memories of seeing the crew of his first ship butchered at Pearl Harbor gives him a very personal passion for vengeance. He controls it, but “I want [the Japanese] all dead.” Enright’s PhD and brilliance in electrical engineering kept him a valuable civilian until, urged by his father’s grief at the loss of Enright’s older brother in combat in the Pacific, he insists upon active service. With his calmer logic, Eeep plays a Starbuck to his captain’s Ahab. His technical inventiveness is also important to the ship’s success. They confront differences between the Pacific and the Atlantic theatres of war. The icy North Atlantic contrasts with the sweaty southern Pacific. But in terms of naval operations and combat, the major difference is in sheer size: the Pacific is thousands of square miles bigger, and the fleets involve hundreds or even thousands of ships sweeping across that area. When deTomasi indicates he feels neglected, the briefing officer tells him the upcoming operation will involve “eight hundred ships. …Don’t feel picked on, Captain, you’re just going to have to get used to the scale of what’s happening here in the Pacific.” Half the size of a full destroyer, arriving months late and with no convoy to protect, Holland is initially greeted more as a nuisance than anything else. In the context of the huge fleet actions sweeping the Pacific, a lone DE can be easily overlooked. Still, Holland’s designation includes the word destroyer. Learning the Japanese are thought to have set up a picket line of submarines to give warning of the direction of an American task force. deTomasi gets Holland placed where he and his ship may be able to do what they do best—hunt submarines. One of the Deutermann’s strengths here is how smoothly he incorporates essential details of anti-submarine warfare, as practiced at the time, into the action narrative. In the process of following Holland’s mission, the reader absorbs in passing such elements as the difference between depth charges and hedgehogs, the need to measure water temperature, and the tactical values of active versus passive sonar. Any reader with only a little prior knowledge will feel comfortably expert as he turns the pages. Having practiced multi-ship ASW with the British in the Atlantic, deTomasi brings that innovation to the Pacific as well. Another important U.S. Navy development at that time was the Combat Information Center (CIC), and Deutermann shows its importance throughout the novel, for ASW as well as other applications. As in earlier work, Deutermann reminds readers that war is brutal and messy. A discussion of what happens inside when a submarine is destroyed reminds us that those are human beings inside, but Holland’s photographer gags while recording the “evidence”—distorted human remains– of a successful sinking. Simply being at sea has dangers of its own, and after all, what is a good sea story without some rough weather? Between confrontations with Japanese submarines, Holland has to survive a typhoon with sixty-foot waves and winds that rip the anemometer right off its mount. Readers are treated to the full spectacle and fear that such a storm can provide, including coming into the “surreal seascape of the eye itself,” with the “boiling black clouds” of the opposite wall ahead. The rough sublimity of the storm has a counterpart or balancing moment of positive awe later, when Holland encounters Task Force 58. In Deutermann’s beautifully crafted passage, the formation of carriers, battleships, cruisers heavy and light, and lesser ships sweeps past the little DE at twenty-five knots. If some readers might find Holland too successful against Japanese submarines to permit that willing suspension of disbelief upon which fiction depends, an author’s note at the end explains that The Last Paladin is inspired by the true story of USS England (DE-635). What he has produced is not a fictionalization of that story, but rather a different story whose plausibility relies upon the historical reality. If deTomasi and Enright had been real, is the implicit claim, their story might have been as well. Once Holland has resolved deTomasi’s vendetta against Japan as embodied in its submarines, Deutermann makes it the target of a vengeful Japanese command. The result is a spectacular final shootout wrapped in a global framework. By the time we close the book, we have been treated not only to a violent short course in ASW, but also a good deal of surface and air action as well. Faithful Deutermann readers will not be disappointed; nor, I think will new ones. Captain Gilliland is a professor emeritus form the U.S. Naval Academy. P. T. DEUTERMANN is the author of many previous novels including Pacific Glory, which won the W. Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction. Deutermann spent twenty-six years in military and government service, as a captain in the Navy and in the Joint Chiefs of Staff as an arms-control specialist. He lives with his wife in North Carolina. The Last Paladin. By P.T. Deutermann (Manhattan, New York: 2022) The post The Last Paladin first appeared on Naval Historical Foundation. View the full article

We need more and more clear and direct talk like this from senior uniformed leaders throughout NATO; In a remarkable speech in Prague today, the Czech Republic’s most senior army leader demanded, as an “absolute necessity.” that the service embarks on its “biggest rearmament” ever. Major General Karel Řehka, chief of the General Staff of the Czech Republic Army, told delegates at the Command Assembly convened to announce the army’s strategic and procurement plans for 2023 that “serious challenges await us,” as he reflected on the “crisis” in Ukraine. “The biggest rearmament of the army in the country’s history is no longer just a wish, but an absolute necessity,” Řehka said. Russia’s actions have left the Czech Army with many urgent tasks that can no longer be postponed, he said, before unveiling a five point plan covering long-term priorities. The Czechs are an interesting bunch. In my travels in Central Europe earlier this year, I spent a few days in Prague and most of the other capitals of the nations of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Nowhere were there more Ukrainian flags than in Prague. Since the start of the war they backed up this vibe with substantial and ongoing military support. As in most things, you have to look for steadfastness, follow through and ... follow the money. With a population of only a little more than 10-million souls, less than Belgium, there is only so much the Czechs can do, but they can pull their fair share of the effort. Sadly, the last two decades of disinterest has left the once mighty Czech defense industry flat footed. She has good company in the alliance, as we've discussed before. She has a lot of work to do not just to support herself, much less have spare capacity to continue to support the Ukrainian defense against Russian aggression. Look at the quote above again and see the path the Czechs have to go just to get to the 2% floor. All should applaud the effort, but also have an understanding of the limitations here and from other NATO members who coasted through the previous decade. View the full article

Americas Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has authenticated the keel of the US Navy’s Virginia class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800). The Arkansas is the 27th fast-attack submarine of its class, being constructed as part of the navy program with General Dynamics Electric Boat. The Virginia class fleet will eventually replace the aging Los Angeles-class submarines first commissioned in 1976. The ceremony was sponsored by members of the Little Rock Nine, the first African-American students to attend the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, during desegregation in the US. Northrop Grumman Systems won a $99.4 million deal by the Air Force Life Cycle for Active Electronically Scanned Array radars of Air Force F-16 aircraft. This modification is for the exercise of options including 42 production radars, one initial spare kit, and two readiness spare kits. Work will take place in Maryland. Expected completion date is July 31, 2025. Middle East & Africa Advanced Technology Systems won a $8.7 million contract modification for the Egypt Mobile Surveillance Sensor Security System Follow-on Support case expansion project. This contract provides for the acquisition of mission-critical spares, an additional training course, and continued repair and return activities to support continued Contractor Logistics Support. Work will take place in Egypt. Expected completion date is December 31, 2023. Europe The UK Defense and Security Accelerator (DASA) has started market exploration of innovative solutions for uncrewed anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The initiative is part of the UK Ministry of Defence Project CHARYBDIS under the Royal Navy’s Spearhead Program. Under the effort, DASA experts will identify, prototype, evaluate, and provide systems to classify, track, and report underwater vessels and submarines. Finland’s Ministry of Defense has announced it will exercise a $137 million contract option to purchase additional K9 155mm self-propelled anti-tank howitzers for the Finnish Army. The option was approved by Finnish Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen and the country’s Finance Committee on November 17. Asia-Pacific South Korea recently conducted an interception test of its Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (L-SAM). The missile defense system successfully intercepted an incoming missile target during the test, which followed a flight test in February, Yonhap News Agency wrote, citing military officials. Today’s Video WATCH: Finland To Buy 48 pieces of the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers View the full article

One of the more difficult things for me to work through is a certain intolerance at my core that is easily triggered, and I have to make a conscious effort to not be petty, mean, and flinty towards people an institutions who put it in my face. To be more specific, I have a very short fuse when people act shocked today when something happens that they have been warned about - and even suffered from - in the past that they could have avoided repeating in the future if they took basic and clear steps to learn their lesson. Let's go back to 2011, almost a dozen years ago; Less than a month into the Libyan conflict, NATO is running short of precision bombs, highlighting the limitations of Britain, France and other European countries in sustaining even a relatively small military action over an extended period of time, according to senior NATO and U.S. officials. The shortage of European munitions, along with the limited number of aircraft available, has raised doubts among some officials about whether the United States can continue to avoid returning to the air campaign if Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi hangs on to power for several more months. ... The six countries conducting the air attacks, led by Britain and France, were unsuccessful at a meeting this week in Berlin in persuading more alliance members to join them. NATO officials said that their operational tempo has not decreased since the United States relinquished command of the Libya operation and withdrew its strike aircraft at the beginning of April. More planes, they said, would not necessarily result immediately in more strike missions. But, they said, the current bombing rate by the participating nations is not sustainable. “The reason we need more capability isn’t because we aren’t hitting what we see — it’s so that we can sustain the ability to do so. One problem is flight time, the other is munitions,” ... Libya “has not been a very big war. If [the Europeans] would run out of these munitions this early in such a small operation, you have to wonder what kind of war they were planning on fighting,” said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a defense think tank. “Maybe they were just planning on using their air force for air shows.” Despite U.S. badgering, European allies have been slow in some cases to modify their planes and other weapons systems so they can accommodate U.S. bombs. Retooling these fighter jets so that they are compatible with U.S. systems requires money, and all European militaries have faced significant cuts in recent years. And so here we are, at the end of 2022; Top defense officials in Europe say arms shortages among Ukraine’s Western allies are forcing difficult conversations about how to balance support for Ukraine with concerns Russia may target them next. NATO members that have sent billions of dollars worth of weapons and equipment are discussing what stockpile levels they need to meet their obligations under the mutual defense treaty. Decisions facing them now could have consequences for their their own security and for Ukraine, in its fight to repel Russia’s nine-month-old invasion. The strain on stockpiles is “across the board,” and particularly sharp for ammunition, he said. In the years before some countries donated to Ukraine, they maintained stockpiles at half capacity or less because they saw little risk or couldn’t afford more, and took a “just-in-time, just-enough,” approach to the defense industry. “So the urgency now is seen and understood, I think in most of the nations,” Bauer said. Really? Now they'll get it? It’s an acute challenge for some of NATO’s smallest members, like the Netherlands, which even before its donation of more than $800 million’s worth of aid to Ukraine, was straining to meet its NATO obligations. Gen. Onno Eichelsheim, chief of defense of the Netherlands, said Dutch stocks were “not that high” when the Netherlands opted to send Ukraine 155mm howitzer ammunition and air defense missiles. “We started with stocks that were not completely filled, that were not completely ready, did not have all the materiel to support what we needed for NATO,” Eichelsheim said. “It means that I immediately have to get stocks filled up by getting contracts with industry, which we started, luckily, a year ago.” The Dutch government and other European allies have been having discussions with industry about their long-term procurement plans to incentivize production increases ― and how to prioritize deliveries based on which country needs a weapon most. One aim is to build Europe’s defense industry and not depend too much on the U.S. This isn't an industry problem, this is a people problem. In Europe and North America we continue to promote people, priorities, and budgets for the wrong reasons. We have incentives and disincentives that reward myopic behavior and promote people who don't really understand what their job actually is. This is not a new problem. It has existed throughout human written history. In peace, we like people and policies that seem easy (and inexpensive) and really hope that we don't have to be prepared for the worse, because that is sad to think about. No, we need to be comfortable and look peaceful so people (we for some reason value) will say nice things about us and our priorities. Of course, reality always regresses to the mean. War is a constant in our species. Always has been. Always will be. The question, as always, is which society will gain when the next war comes? Will it be a society that a Westerner would call "progressive," "liberal," or based on "individual liberty," or will it be some autocratic force who will bring another period of darkness - the boot smashing the face etc. Those who know their history, and what is needed to keep the global order from regression in to barbarity, need to speak up more. They need to support each other more. They need not be cowed. Care not what names you are called. Be not bothered the invitations you do not receive. They need to be open in their argument - clear in their purpose. Once again, we have a small war (in 2011) warning us about a critical vulnerability. We now have a medium war (in 2022) yelling a little louder about this critical vulnerability. History is trying to warn us, again, about what can undermine the Western project when the next big war comes. There is no honorable or logical argument for shallow magazines, but the argument for deeper magazines will not win on its own. It needs advocated, it needs argument, it needs funding. There also needs for a fair bit of "calling out" those who ignored warnings for so long. Fear and shame are great motivators - we should not be shy about using them. View the full article

Americas The US Navy awarded Adams Communication and Engineering Technology with a $37.4 million deal, which provides for non-recurring and recurring efforts required to fabricate, assemble, and support prototyping, system integration, and installation of depot modifications associated with engineering changes to H-53 aircraft for the Navy, Marine Corps and Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will take place in California, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Arizona, Japan, Korea and Bahrain. Expected completion will be in November 2027. Raytheon won a $23.4 million deal for the procurement of AEGIS Modernization kits for Navy guided-missile destroyers and allied nations. 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. Work will take place in Massachusetts and Virginia. Estimated completion will be by March 2026. Middle East & Africa Turkey announced on Sunday it had carried out air strikes against the bases of outlawed Kurdish militants across northern Syria and Iraq, which it said were being used to launch “terrorist” attacks on Turkish soil. The overnight raids in northern and northeastern Syria killed at least 31 people, said the British-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. They were mainly against positions held by Syrian Kurdish forces. Europe France and Germany on Friday hailed the conclusion of a deal to build a new European fighter jet after months of disagreements between two companies involved — Airbus and Dassault Aviation. Launched by France and Germany in 2017 and since joined by Spain, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) aims to have a next-generation jet in service by 2040, along with integrated drone fleets. The Royal Norwegian Air Force has selected the Lockheed Martin TPY-4 as its new early warning radar. Norway becomes the first export customer of the radar, joining the US Air Force which has selected the TPY-4 for the Three Dimensional Expeditionary Long Range Radar program in March. Asia-Pacific Asahi news in Japan reports that Tokyo will finalize an agreement with Italy and United Kingdom to develop its next fighter. The report says Avio Aero from Italy will be involved in researching for a new engine for the F-X fighter together with Mitsubishi and Rolls-Royce. Today’s Video WATCH: THAAD: FCAS / SCAF : The Future European Jet ? View the full article

OK, not really sure what to call this ... and I don't think the Portuguese do either. It is a scientific ship, which will be a kind of base on the high seas, equipped with scientific laboratories, accommodation for 90 people permanently and another 100 if necessary, for example in a situation of emergency evacuation, ramps for boarding and disembarking of vehicles, heliport, runways for aerial drones, a stall for submarine drones and speedboats, various cranes In its candidacy for the PRR, the Navy stressed that "this ship, idealized under a new concept of operation, has no military requirements and is not armed. Its main functions are environmental monitoring, in particular in the fight against maritime pollution, the supervision of fisheries, the preservation of resources, the development of knowledge and research in the hydrographic and scientific field". According to this text, "all its drones do not have weapons and the sensors used serve to monitor, monitor and control maritime spaces under national jurisdiction". The ship, it was stressed, "will also serve for the eventual transport and evacuation of citizens in case of need. With the concept of double use, and being a technologically innovative and disruptive ship, it will allow you to test technological solutions in the robotic area, contributing to the development of national technology". The counter-admiral said that this project represents a "stimulus for the entire community linked to the sea, industry and academia", with "very interesting challenges and tremendous opportunities". And he stressed that it is intended to "involve the national industry as much as possible", reinforcing that "we should not, as a country, waste this opportunity". In relation to this, criticism emerged from some of those present, already in the question and answer phase. "The Navy did not know how to promote this project to society, academia and industry," lamented one of the actors, who did not identify himself, presenting himself as someone with business links to the sector. This seems like a bit of an Offshore Patrol Vessel, a little bit of an Expeditionary Support Base, a funky T-AGOS or ... if squint a bit, butch her up, and will allow myself to say such a thing - a reimagining of the Littoral Combat Ship? Yes, yes, yes ... I see that she is not armed and there's not a lot of information available. Well, that can be fixed if so needed. I have ideas ... but I like to think you can weaponize anything ... but what I'd like to do is spend a few drinks with a marine architect and the ship's blueprints to see what "white space" there would be to play with in this design. Heck, I'll start ... MIW mothership? Pocket destroyer tender? Repair and salvage ship? Forward VLS re-arming ship? Whatever she is, I have to give a nod to the Portuguese Navy. They have my interest...though...I wonder how that thing rides on a bad North Atlantic winter day... Once again we have a very small nation - 10.3 million souls, about 3% of the US population and 6% of our defense budget - coming up with some rather innovative ideas. Also note this timeline; According to this official, the forecast is that, "by the end of the month" (November), "the proposal will be delivered" and that "by the end of the year the contract will be signed". According to the calendar shown at this meeting, the construction of this platform is expected to take place between 2023 and 2025, delivered at the end of 2025, with 2026 being the "year of guarantees". Huh. h/t DPW. View the full article

What do you need tp know to make sure you have all the right talking points around the Thanksgiving table? If someone brings up the Navy, China, Ukraine, inflation, or supply chain issues - well, we know Midrats regulars are already up to speed - but now's your opportunity to make sure all your talking points are up to date! No guests, no set agenda, just open phones, open minds, and open chat room for those who are with us live Sunday from 5-6pm Eastern. Don't be stuck talking about twitter or Taylor Swift this Thanksgiving! 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 the main showpage - or you can just click here. You can find us on almost all your most popular podcast aggregators as well. View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $97 million modification by the US Army for the PAC-3 Missile Field Surveillance Program and missile post-production activities. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 19, 2023. The US Army tapped General Dynamics with a §146.7 million deal for flat-bottom hull Stryker vehicles. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of November 30, 2024. Middle East & Africa Israel and the United States blamed Iran Wednesday after what they said was a drone strike against a tanker operated by an Israeli-owned firm carrying gas oil off the coast of Oman. The Pacific Zircon was “hit by a projectile approximately 150 miles off the coast of Oman” on Tuesday, Singapore-based firm Eastern Pacific Shipping which operates the vessel said in a statement, adding that there were no reports of casualties or any leakage of the cargo. The Israeli Navy, the Israel Ministry of Defense, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems completed an advanced interception test of the C-Dome Naval Iron Dome System. The C-Dome is an advanced configuration of the Iron Dome aerial defense system and is operated from the Missile Ship (INS) ‘Oz’ from the Sa’ar 6 ‘Magen’ Class Corvette. As part of the interception test, the system was installed on the INS ‘Oz’ corvette, the second of four advanced missile corvettes received by the Israeli Navy in the last two years. Operationalizing the system constitutes a significant milestone in enhancing the capabilities of the corvettes. Europe State-owned Czech aviation firm LOM PRAHA has tapped manufacturer AERO Vodochy to deliver four new L-39NG advanced military trainer aircraft to the country’s air force. The contract, which includes an option for four more jets, also covers the delivery of special and high-altitude equipment, survival equipment, flight planning and analysis systems, and a ground training system. Asia-Pacific The South Korean government will receive eight electromagnetic wave detectors for the US missile shield base in the southeastern county of Seongju, a defense ministry official said. Five detectors will be installed near the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) base to monitor “potentially hazardous electromagnetic waves of THAAD’s X-band radar around the clock.” The equipment is slated for delivery in April 2023. Today’s Video WATCH: THAAD: America’s Super Shield against Ballistic Missiles View the full article

Wednesday, December 7th @ 1:00 PM EST at the Museum Education Center of the National Museum of the United States Navy, Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374 Special Meeting of the Membership – Register Here The post Special Meeting of the Membership first appeared on Naval Historical Foundation. View the full article

Wednesday, December 7th @ 1:00 PM EST at the Museum Education Center of the National Museum of the United States Navy, Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374 Special Meeting of the Membership – Register Here The post Special Meeting of the Membership first appeared on Naval Historical Foundation. View the full article

It can take awhile sometimes, but at last Master Chief Slabinski is recognized appropriately. During the early morning on March 4, 2002, then-Senior Chief Slabinski led a SEAL reconnaissance team to the top of the 10,000-foot, snow-covered Takur Ghar mountain in Afghanistan. The team’s insertion helicopter was attacked by an enemy rocket-propelled grenade attack, causing Petty Officer Neil Roberts to fall out of the aircraft and onto the enemy-infested mountaintop, and the helicopter to crash-land in the valley below, according to the Navy. “Fully aware of the risks, a numerically superior and well-entrenched enemy force, and approaching daylight, without hesitation Senior Chief Slabinski made the selfless and heroic decision to lead the remainder of his element on an immediate and daring rescue back to the mountaintop,” according to a Navy statement. Slabinski’s team was able to successfully reach the top of Takur Ghar, where the Navy states that Slabinski, “without regard for his own life, charged directly toward the enemy strongpoint. He and a teammate fearlessly assaulted and cleared one enemy bunker at close range. The enemy then unleashed a murderous hail of machine gun fire from a second hardened position 20 meters away. Senior Chief Slabinski exposed himself to enemy fire on three sides, then moved forward to silence the second position. With bullets piercing his clothing, he repeatedly charged into deadly fire to personally engage the enemy bunker with direct rifle fire, hand grenades and a grenade launcher on the surrounding enemy positions.” With mounting casualties and diminished ammunition, Slabinski led his team away from enemy fire to a more defensible position. He was able to direct close air support on the enemy positions, request reinforcements and direct medical care of his wounded teammates, according to the Navy. For 14 hours, Slabinski led his team across tough terrain, called in fires on enemy positions on surrounding ridges and continued to engage the enemy. At one point, Slabinski even carried a seriously wounded teammate through waist-deep snow to reach a more defensible position until the team could be extracted. Slabinski, who retired from the Navy in June 2014 after more than 25 years of service, will be only the 12th living service member awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery displayed in Afghanistan, according to a Navy statement. Slabinski’s Medal of Honor is an upgrade of the Navy Cross he previously was awarded for his actions. He is set to receive the medal during a White House ceremony scheduled for May 24. To ensure service members were appropriately recognized for valor, former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter directed all service branches to review all Service Cross and Silver Star recommendations for actions since September 11, 2001. First posted May 2015.View the full article

There are occasions where even the most rah-rah supporters of all things DOD need to pause and wonder, “Are we really getting our best where they need to be?” At the very top of the list of dysfunctions in the American officer corps is the culture of happy-talk. From FITREPS to Decision Briefings, the layer on top of layer of not telling hard truths bleeds over into areas that are not just irritating, but dangerous. Regulars here are familiar with our almost two-decades long series “The Long Game” but for the new folks lets pull out one of the defining reason the series even exists; for reasons of economic greed, political expediency, historical ignorance, and even national self-loathing, The Smartest People in the Room™ have for decades downplayed the challenge from the People’s Republic of China and have left the USA flatfooted as she reaches regional parity. At its worst in the 1990s when we helped them with their aerospace, through the Bush malaise, to the Obama peaceful rise - it wasn’t until the Trump Administration that we saw any realistic appreciation of what the PRC was. With the Biden Administration there is a mixed bag towards the PRC, but surprisingly remains clear-eyed towards the threat than regressing to the Obama years, however … speaking of the Trump Administration; the man the Trump Administration placed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Milley, USA, continues to prove that he has spent too much time studying “White Rage” and not enough time … well … understanding the world. This is the guy who oversaw the greatest national humiliation since the fall of Saigon with the negotiated retreat from Afghanistan and the disgraceful fall of Kabul. The advice coming from The Pentagon prior to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan was equally worthy of resignation. And yet, he persists in a job – one he remains serially unsuited for. Here is another data-point you can put down as one of the most historically, statistically, and strategically inept statements by a head of a military in … well … pick a moment. As reported by Lucas Tomlinson, BEHOLD! Gen. Milley: “China is not going to be a better military than the United States military is, but they're going to try. But they're not going to get there. We will be number one five years from now, 10 years from now, and 50 years from now.” — Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) November 16, 2022 One should not be shocked being that his Pentagon has insisted for years that the PRC was a “pacing threat” when they were a gaining or surpassing threat. Equally clear is a lack of humility or historical perspective. There is a bit of a whiff of MacArthur’s misreading of China back in 1950/1 and could bring equally bad consequences. Such talk as Milley’s must be bluntly confronted. If the PRC is not a threat, then why spend money on more of a Navy? Why on more of an Air Force? Just do more of the same and we’ll be OK? See how this works? It is a recipe for sleepwalking into strategic failure. “…but the Chairman does not see China as a threat as you do…” – you can hear it now. At the inflection point at the start of greatest threat of a new conflict with China, our uniformed leadership seems hellbent to ensure that we are not prepared, and the PRC is emboldened. Pray for peace. View the full article

Americas General Atomics won a $46.9 million contract modification by the US Navy, which exercises an option to provide spares necessary for the successful operational capability of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Unmanned Aircraft System Expeditionary Medium Altitude Long Endurance MQ-9A Block 5 Reaper air vehicles, ground control stations, and ancillary equipment. Work will take place in California, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Virginia, Ohio, Arkansas, Florida and South Carolina. The US Navy awarded Sikorsky a $14.1 million modification, which exercises an option to provide non-recurring engineering, supplies and support necessary for the low rate initial production Lot 1 deployable configuration updates for the CH-53K heavy lift replacement aircraft for the Navy. Work will take place in Florida. Expected completion is in December 2023. Middle East & Africa Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems has received a $72-million contract to supply an undisclosed international customer with Hermes 900 unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Under the two-year agreement, Elbit will deliver Hermes 900 drones equipped with the company’s electro-optical system, including a wide area persistent surveillance system, multi-spectral electro-optical payload, satellite communication, and signal intelligence payloads. Europe The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Switzerland of PATRIOT Advanced Capability (PAC) 3 Missile Segment Enhanced (MSE) missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $700 million. The proposed sale of the PAC-3 MSE missiles will enhance the capability of Switzerland’s PATRIOT missile defense system. The proposed sale supports Switzerland’s goal of improving national and territorial defense as well as interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces. Switzerland will use the PATRIOT system and missiles to defend its territorial integrity and for regional stability. The prime contractor will be Lockheed-Martin, Dallas, Texas. French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that an offer to cooperate with Australia on submarines still stood, after a bitter row over a cancelled contract last year threatened to torpedo relations. Macron was left furious when Australia’s previous prime minister Scott Morrison abruptly tore up a contract for France to build a dozen diesel-powered submarines and announced a deal to buy US or British nuclear-powered subs. Asia-Pacific The New Zealand government has enhanced its defense commitments to Ukraine, boosting military equipment funding and extending training for Ukrainian warfighters. Prime Minister Jacina Ardern on Monday announced an undisclosed amount of additional military support to improve Ukraine’s self defense nine months into Russia’s invasion. Today’s Video WATCH: Elbit Systems / HERMES 900 – Next Gen Multi-Role MALE UAS View the full article

Before the Russo-Ukrainian War kicked off in February, on the Top-5 lists of any navalist worth their salt was the Arctic. If you are an Atlanticist/NATO type, it was in your Top-3. Sea lanes/SLOC, resource access, resource protection, environmental protection and monitoring, and just good old sound military planning kept the Arctic on everyone’s mind. The fact that especially in the USA there was no small bit of “out of sight out of mind” neglect, specifically with our icebreaking capabilities, brought as much concern. The non-Arctic nation of China deciding she wanted to be a player only made it even more important that policy makers wake up. When you look at the playing board in the Arctic, the nations who have square-footage in the game are the USA, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Canada, and Russia. You can even throw in the island nation of the United Kingdom as she is the dominate North Atlantic power outside the USA and any problem north of her can get existential real fast. Note the outlier in this list? Yes, Russia. As we find ourselves in the fall of 2022, we have an opportunity here that may not come again for a long time. It is right in front of us. It won’t take much effort; we just need to step up and take advantage of it. Yes, I said “advantage.” The NATO nations of USA/GBR/ICL/DNK/NOR/CAN have to tap into their opportunistic brain stem and make up for lost time. Russia is on her back foot in Ukraine. For the foreseeable future, her efforts, money and resources that may have been headed to the Arctic will be diverted towards the Black Sea instead. We dropped the ball so far this century in the Arctic – now is the time, with just a little effort – to make up for that oversight; As Russia's invasion of Ukraine ends a post-Cold War era of low tension and cooperation, such events highlight how hard it is for states to monitor their own waters – particularly in the Arctic, an ocean one and a half times the size of the United States, where satellites are crucial to allow real-time detection and monitoring of activity. Over recent years, NATO allies and Russia have scaled up military exercises in the region; Chinese and Russian warships conducted a joint exercise in the Bering Sea in September. Norway raised its military alert level in October. But the West trails Russia in military presence. Since 2005, Russia has reopened tens of Arctic Soviet-era military bases, modernised its navy, and developed new hypersonic missiles designed to evade U.S. sensors and defences. Four Arctic experts say it would take the West at least 10 years to catch up with Russia's military in the region, if it chose to do so. "The Arctic is currently a dark area on the map," said Ketil Olsen, formerly Norway's military representative in NATO and the European Union, who heads Andoeya Space, a Norwegian state-controlled company that tests new military and surveillance technologies and launches research rockets. "It's so vast and with few civilian surveillance resources." The chief of the U.S. Northern Command, General Glen VanHerck, told a Senate hearing in March the United States needed better Arctic "domain awareness" to detect and address Russian and Chinese capabilities to launch advanced missiles and destroy communications infrastructure. In a Pentagon strategy document released in October, the United States committed to improving early warning and surveillance systems in the Arctic, but the pace of the planned modernisation is unclear. ... The waters between Greenland, Iceland and the UK - known as the GIUK Gap - are the only way Russia's northern-based ships can reach the Atlantic. The shortest path by air to North America for Russian missiles or bombers would be over the North Pole. For the NATO allies, the GIUK Gap is crucial for links across the North Atlantic. There are oil and gas fields too: Norway is now Europe's largest gas supplier. If Sweden and Finland join the Alliance, seven out of eight Arctic countries will be members. Also at risk today are communications cables and satellite systems including the global positioning system (GPS) linking both civilian and military users, Andrew Lewis, former commander of NATO's Joint Task Force in Norfolk, Virginia, told Reuters. In July, President Vladimir Putin launched a new naval strategy pledging to protect Arctic waters "by all means." ... More answers may come in a stand-alone Arctic strategy document the Pentagon is expected to publish next March, a U.S. military official said, in what would be the first update since 2019. It would come as the Pentagon tries to better define what capabilities are needed for American warfighters at dangerously low temperatures. "When it's dark all the time in the winter and it's 50- to 60-below-zero or even more, it is just brutal," the official told Reuters. We need to act in our individual and collective interest. There is a rare opportunity here for our policy makers. Yes, they are busy, but they need to find the spare capacity to invest some effort that will accrue huge benefits. As mentioned in the article, with Sweden and Finland joining NATO, there will be even more reasons to get our act together in the high north. We don't need to wait for a March 2023 document. Our NATO allies especially don't. No time is better than the present. Now. As usual, our friend Jerry Hendrix was ahead of the curve. If you need a modern perspective on the importance of the GIUK Gap mentioned in the pull quote, Jerry co-authored a report five years ago that remains one of the best resources on the topic out there. Read it now.View the full article

Americas Sikorsky won a $98.9 million deal for UH-60M Black Hawk aircraft. UH-60 Black Hawk is a multi-mission helicopter developed by Sikorsky that has been operational in the US Army since 1978. The export version of the UH-60 Black Hawk is designated as S-70A. Work will take place in Connecticut. Estimated completion date is June 30, 2027. The US Navy is seeking proposals to build a low-cost unmanned vessel capable of towing and launching many unmanned vessels into contested environments. A design and construction contract could be awarded by mid-2026, with expected vessel delivery beginning within two years. Middle East & Africa The Israeli government is asking local defense manufacturers to design and produce longer-range, more stealthy armed drones for use against Iran. Defense sources told Breaking Defense that the new unmanned systems would provide the country with more attack options in the event of a conflict with its arch-foe. Europe Sweden will deliver new military aid worth $287 million to Ukraine. “It’s a bigger military support package than all eight previous packages combined,” Kristersson told a news conference. “It’s the single largest we’ve done, and we follow exactly the Ukrainian priority list of what they themselves think they need just now,” the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at a press conference. Kristersson also noted the government was closely following developments concerning the explosion in Poland near the Ukrainian border on Tuesday and that more information was needed to gain a clearer picture of what happened. On Tuesday an explosion in the eastern part of Poland, close to the Ukrainian boarder, led to an emergency meeting of the NATO ambassadors. It is still unclear wether the explosion came from Russian missile. NARO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg however said on Wednesday that the explosion was most likely caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile. The armaments group Rheinmetall has set itself higher financial targets for the medium term because of the armament in many NATO countries. In 2025, the Düsseldorf group wants to achieve sales of between 10 and 11 billion euros, as it announced on Wednesday at an investor event in Vienna. The operating profit margin, which Rheinmetall uses to measure its profitability, is expected to increase to around 13 percent. Rheinmetall AG will soon dispatch main battle tanks and other military hardware to Slovakia, a move that will allow the country to transfer equipment to Ukraine as NATO continues to support Kyiv in its fight against Russian forces. The German defense company said Wednesday that it would be sending 15 Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and ammunition to Slovakia as well as a service package including training and spare parts. The first vehicle is expected to be shipped in December and the company aims to complete deliveries by the end of 2023. The vehicles that Rheinmetall will be providing were formerly in the inventories of various states, the company said. Asia-Pacific Taiwan has introduced its new single-rotor drone for surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The unmanned system was unveiled by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCIST) during a demonstration conducted on Tuesday. According to local media outlets, the drone features a larger payload capacity than other unmanned aerial vehicles in Taiwan’s arsenal. Today’s Video WATCH: US intelligence believes Ukraine fired missile that landed in Poland View the full article

Americas BAE Systems Land & Armaments won a $32 million contract modification, for M2A4 and M7A4 Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of August 23, 2023. M2A4 is designed to provide protected transport of soldiers and direct fires to support dismounted infantry, disrupt or destroy enemy military forces, and control land areas. The Bradley Engineering Change Proposal (ECP), termed M2/M7A4, includes changes intended to restore ground clearance, suspension reliability, and lost mobility, and to improve situational awareness. The M2/M7A4 maintains the survivability enhancement features found on legacy vehicles, to include the Bradley Urban Survivability Kits, Bradley Reactive Armor Tiles, and Add-on Armor Kit that the Army developed and fielded based on lessons learned during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Huntington Ingalls Industries won a $36 million modification for work previously authorized and completed, related to the various warfare system installations and testing necessary to support the completed construction for USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is the lead ship of her class of. The Gerald R. Ford class is a class of nuclear powered aircraft carriers. Work is already completed and took place in Virginia. Middle East & Africa Spain has once again extended the deployment period of a Patriot air defense missile unit in Turkey. This time, the soldiers and their equipment will remain till June 2023. Deployed in Adana, the Spanish Patriot unit has been stationed there since 2015. Taking over from the Netherlands, which arrived in January 2013 to protect Turkey from possible attacks by Syria. Iran unveiled the longer-range Sayyad 4B surface-to-air missile for its Bavar-373 air defense system earlier this month. The latest in the Sayyad series of solid-fuel missiles struck a target at 300 kilometers (186.41 miles) in an October test, an increase of 100 kilometers (62 miles) over earlier versions, state-backed Tasnim News reported. Europe Germany and Spain are planning to train thousands of Ukrainian troops under an EU program to help bolster Kyiv’s fightback against Russia, officials said Tuesday. Their assistance adds to announcements already given by other EU countries that they will train Ukrainian soldiers on their territories. Asia-Pacific South Korea has embarked on a new $38-million project to upgrade its K-9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers. The country’s Agency for Defense Development will reportedly invest in a super long-range cannon to double the shooting range of the weapon system. The upgrade comes amid rising demand for increased shooting range due to increased artillery threat from North Korea and the rising capabilities of rival products. Today’s Video WATCH: Iran’s New Air Defense Missile – Sayyad 4B View the full article

"The German Problem" when it comes to their reliance on Russia over the last few decades for their energy needs - a huge strategic error of the first order - has been a regular topic since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War. In fits and starts, each passing month makes it harder for the Germans to not change in at least the medium term and hopefully will have a lasting effect on the German view of Russia for at least a few generations. I am a believer that eventually things will regress to the mean, and for centuries Russia has not been anything but ... Russia - so humility in the face of history may help the Germans in this regard. How many times must the Germans be reminded that their fantasies in the East are just that; fantasies. This has been true since the The Ottonian Dynasty over a thousand years ago ... we have a dataset. However, there remains a growing problem with Germany's desire to find some way to make some money off the main global threat to the West, the People's Republic of China. One of Europe's largest ports, Hamburg has excelled at trade since the Middle Ages. Back then, the city clubbed together with other ports along and beyond the Baltic coast to form the Hanseatic League, which dominated commerce for centuries. Now the city's port is joining forces with a Chinese shipping giant. The state-owned China Ocean Shipping Co., known as COSCO, is about to buy a stake in a container terminal. China has been Germany's largest trading partner for much of the past decade. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pushed the COSCO deal through his cabinet last week, despite opposition from six key ministers. It does not matter that a plurality of the German political elite don't want to accept it - but Germany must be a strong advocate for strength and unity in the West. Her government cannot just act like a national Chamber of Commerce, she must value Western ideals and security needs more than her balance sheet. Why invest so much in making nice with Moscow and Beijing while at the same time seeming to make extra efforts to slow-roll investment in NATO defense and irritate friends in London, Paris, Warsaw, and DC? Not all of the German elite institutions and leaders feel that way. I worked with many Germans in and out of uniform who were frustrated they could not do what they need to do as a 21st Century leading medium power - but they are not the dominate voice, at least not yet. Some are coming out of the shadows and placing markers that are there for people to see. It gives hope. This time their security services seem to be signaling to Germany's frustrated friends that, regardless of what the politicians do or do not do - that they are not to blame and they know what time it is. That is the optimist's take...and I try to be an optimist when it comes to the Germans. So much potential...but so frustrating. That is my bias, so keep that in mind. I'm self-aware, but ... oh, well. As I always seem to want more from the Germans in the national security arena than the Germans who hold the levers to power want to provide, perhaps I am trying too hard to find an intellectual structure a 21st Century German leadership could build on to make what Germany should be - a full and responsible alliance partner and cornerstone to the foundation of Western society. The stronger the collective West and her auxiliaries are, they can help guide the larger international order in a positive and constructive direction. It is a direction Germans - and all Westerners - should be proud of promoting. There are no better alternatives out there - even for those non-Western nations who don't want it. We in the West may disagree with 20% of what that order should be, but 80% we should be aligned with. We need to leverage that. We can't do it without a responsible Germany. A large part of that is blunting and pushing back on the regressive vision from Moscow and Beijing. Germany is not ready right now to be that cornerstone I would like her to be, but I know there is a core waiting for the time to be ripe. At such I enjoyed this article coming from ... well ... the Bundestag's press office; The annual meeting with the presidents of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) took place on Monday for the sixth time. BND President Bruno Kahl called the war of aggression against Ukraine a "watershed," which, however, "didn't really" come as a surprise. What happened was what his agency had warned about for years, that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains willing to use force to achieve his goals and that those goals have not changed. "Unfortunately" it has been common in public discourse over the past few decades to ignore threats and dismiss warnings from the security authorities as scaremongering. The BND's reporting on Putin's tendency to violence was always "rather unreserved", however: "The tendency of politicians and the public to trust in a positive turn is simply there." ... For the time being, the Kremlin is not interested in a negotiated solution. The war will therefore certainly continue next year. Kahl acknowledged that if conventional warfare continued to fail, Putin might be tempted to use “sub-strategic” nuclear weapons to force Ukraine to the negotiating table and impose a dictated peace. However, there is currently no evidence of this: "We do not see any preparations for the use of strategic or sub-strategic weapons at the moment. There is no need to panic.” In the long run, a significant threat is to be feared from an “autocratic China that is rising to become a global power,” Kahl warned. Business, society and politics in Germany have also been too trusting in this respect and have become “painfully dependent” on a power that “suddenly no longer seems well-disposed”. Together with the BfV, the BND has been trying for five years to raise awareness of the risks posed by China in business and science. A first success in 2019 was a skeptical statement by the Federation of German Industries (BDI) on economic ties with the Far Eastern superpower. But there is "a lot of trust and naivety in the scientific field" that is not appropriate. ... Like the BND President, Haldenwang also made it clear that in the long run the far greater threat to German security and German interests would come from China: "Russia is the storm, China is climate change." Read it all. Yes, you will have to sift through some boilerplate German bureaucratic belly button picking ... but that is just pro-forma. I like what I pulled above - there is some sound thinking here that hopefully will grow in influence. View the full article

Following is an address delivered by Claude Berube, PhD in which he was asked to address the issue of readiness for war at the Annual Congress of the Naval Order of the United States. I asked him to make it available here. Claude, over to you! Thank you, John, for your kind introduction and to my fellow companions of the Naval Order of the United States for having invited me to speak at this annual congress. The views I express today are my own and not those of the Navy or any other organization with which I am affiliated. When John Shanahan and others invited to address you, they asked me to talk about the navy of yesterday and of today with regard to readiness and discuss themes in some of my recent articles. To be frank, I was stumped. How do you condense our two centuries of history and apply it to today in about 30 minutes? In the end, I realized that I needed to frame this as a former hockey player because where I grew up, there were two houses of worship – the Catholic churches and the hockey rinks. You see, I had this hockey coach. In the early pre-dawn practices, he’d yell at us to skate faster, hit harder, and pass more accurately. He’d yell at us when we didn’t pass to the right person during a game. He’d yell at me because I was sent to the penalty box - again. He didn’t yell because he didn’t like us. He loved the team. He was there for us. He wanted to improve our game. He wanted us to win. I want the Navy to win. And so, in that vein, ladies and gentlemen, I hope you will allow me to share a few thoughts on the question of readiness yesterday and today out of love – but without the yelling… Our robust navy is comprised of aviation, submarine, cyber, supply, and other elements, and I fully recognize that any evaluation is incomplete without a quantifiable or qualitative assessment of those elements and their capabilities. Nevertheless, I would like to simply focus on one element – the surface navy – because it provides a unique historical thread. And in the interest of the limits of our time today I appreciate your understanding why I am truncating this to its most basic elements. I would argue we’ve never been truly ready for war or other operations. We have done the job with what we have and what we would quickly build or assemble. To paraphrase a former secretary of defense, you go to war with the navy you have, not the navy you want. The need for a navy has been recognized for thousands of years. The Athenian Themistocles said that “he who controls the sea controls everything.” And you cannot control the sea without a sufficient navy. By the American Revolution, we had our own naval advocate in John Paul Jones who said, “in time of peace, it is necessary to prepare, and always be prepared for war by sea…without a respectable navy, alas America.” But how do you do that? We can go start at the American Revolution when an ad hoc navy was both constructed and procured, when merchant ships became privateers or, like the Bonhomme Richard converted to a warship. We had a continental navy, state navies, privateers, and an ally with the French navy, but coordination was always a challenge. Harassing British seaborne commerce largely fell to the privateers. During the war, 1,700 letters of marque were issued. In the last year of the war alone there were 450 privateers patrolling the Atlantic seeking British merchant ships as prizes. Privateers captured three times as many prizes as the Continental Navy. British shipping insurance, as a result, increased ten-fold to thirty percent of their cargo value. That made merchants take notice who shared their displeasure with their members of Parliament. Following the war, absent a navy, the young nation faced a new debate about a new Constitution. And in that debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, we find them just as passionate on whether to have a standing navy and the size of the navy as on any other subject. It is Alexander Hamilton in Federalist Paper 11 who argued for a standing navy – a navy of respectable weight including great ships of the line against maritime powers to place a check on them. In Federalist Paper 41, James Madison argued that the Atlantic states and towns would benefit from naval protection, “if they have hitherto been suffered to sleep quietly in their beds.” And, so, was born a clause in Article 1 Section 8 of the new United States Constitution that Congress must “provide and maintain a navy.” What remained to be determined, however, is what size to make an eventual navy. In the subsequent Quasi-War against France, we had our first frigates, but we needed more. Along came the subscription ships that were privately funded – the Essex, the Philadelphia, the George Washington, the Boston, and many others. So too were those privateers, also authorized under the Constitution. The Quasi-War showed the value of a navy and that our frigates could challenge equivalent European ships, but it was supplemented by the private sector. At the beginning of the War of 1812 the Navy only had some 17 ships. Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin argued America lay up the fleet in New York rather than risk them to the Royal Navy. There were no ships of the line even though naval officers a year before the war argued for a massive building program. Letters of marque were again issued to American privateers which captured approximately 1,200 British prizes. At the beginning of the Civil War, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles inherited a fleet of less than 100 ships, many of which were in disrepair or obsolete. By war’s end the US Navy had more than 600 ships, more than two-thirds of which had been merchant ships converted to wartime operations. The U.S. had three years to prepare before joining the first world war and when it did, it did so overwhelmingly with its merchant ships, its latest warships, and the ability to transport one million soldiers and Marines without a single loss. In 1941 the US Navy had 225 surface warships. By war’s end - only 1,370 days later - the arsenal of democracy had built another 600. On December 7, 1941, the navy had a fleet size of 790 ships. By the end of the war, we had a fleet size of 6,768. We built 2,700 Liberty ships at 18 shipyards, we built 66 Gleaves-class destroyers at 8 shipyards, and 175 Fletcher-class destroyers at 11 shipyards. We build nearly one hundred aircraft carriers and escort carriers. The US lost more than 1,500 merchant ships during the war, but by war’s end had 4,500 ships. What do these and other conflicts suggest? No, we were not ready in the number of ships we would need for each conflict. However, the United States had a robust merchant service from which to draw ships and sailors, it had shipyards to quickly build or repair ships if needed, and it had time to recover and respond to the initial phases of military operations. It drew heavily from a private sector industrial base. To our second question. Are we ready now? We do have a tremendously capable Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine. When we are at sea, we patrol, conduct humanitarian relief missions, etc. But are we ready? No, we are not ready materially or in the numbers needed to challenge the world’s largest navy in their backyard – that is China’s. The navy has suffered from the diversion of attention and resources to two lengthy-land wars. It has suffered from costly unforced errors in lives, ships and cost. Gone is a major $750 million ship like the Bonhomme Richard in whose strike group I deployed 17 years ago. Hundreds of millions in overhaul investment in the USS Miami, a submarine lost in a fire at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Hundreds of millions and two years in the shipyard for the USS Fitzgerald and USS McCain. A mine warfighting ship lost on a reef. We have lost ships before in our history due to accidents and storms, but we don’t have ships to spare now. We need everything. We have had three major shipbuilding programs in the past twenty years that have been a challenge. Littoral Combat Ships decommissioning in just a few years. And while Zumwalt and Ford have finally deployed, the time from their commissioning to their first deployments is well beyond the length of US participation in the Second World War. The atomic bomb project went from program establishment to bombs on target in 1,376 days. Defense news recently reported that the us navy has “spent more than four years repairing one of its amphibious ships, already spending more than $100 million above what was planned. The ship is still not ready to deploy.” The Navy, after $300 million just wants to decommission it. “Only 45% of the amphibious ship fleet is ready today compared to the navy’s 80 percent goal.” Has the US Navy had programs that didn’t go according to plan? Of course. Although Robert Fulton built the first steam powered warship in 1815, it would be more than two decades when the technology was reliable enough from the private sector to build dual-powered ships. In 1835, Congress debated naval funding and whether to build the 120-gun ship of the line USS Pennsylvania with 1,000 sailors (that was ten percent of the size of the navy in one ship) or a dozen small sloops. In the end, Pennsylvania was built largely because the congressman who represented the shipyard in Philadelphia where it was to be built was Chair of the Naval Affairs Committee. There was the ram ship USS Katahdin, commissioned in 1896 and decommissioned only a year later. To be ready and sufficiently sized is based on four elements: the executive branch, Congress, industry, and public support. All those elements feed into each other. When all come together, that’s when we see a rejuvenation of the maritime services. Diminish or remove any one of those out and the equation falls apart. At every period we increased the size and platform diversity, we had an executive branch that provided the vision and support. Even Andrew Jackson whom I wrote about in my latest book, had a recognizable maritime strategy. Others like the two Adams’, the two Roosevelts, Wilson, and Reagan understood the role of a navy and were its supporters. How do you quantify administration interest in the Navy? We can start with a simple criterion. Under the current administration, it took more than 200 days for a Secretary of the Navy to be confirmed – that’s a longer period from inauguration to confirmation than any other presidency. Second, every period has had a critical mass of supporters from the legislative branch which has the Constitutional authority and responsibility to provide and maintain a navy. Absent that critical mass of support, a Navy will not be built or built better. While watching a House Armed Services Committee hearing this year, I was struck by how a member of congress advocating for the navy was interrupted by the Chairman with this statement about China’s navy. “How capable are their ships? How many ships does China have deployed all around the world in any given moment? That’s a very low number from what I understand. And the capability of those ships are not as great either. So, we can all like FREAK ourselves out about all the trillions of dollars a year apparently, we have to spend on our defense budget. I think it would be helpful if we had a realistic understanding of our adversaries and where they’re at.” He dismissed the threat of China, and he dismissed the idea of building the navy up. I certainly respect the chairman and his role, but fundamentally disagree with his off-the-cuff assessment. China may have a low deployment rate focusing only on two regions, but it is not dissimilar to the US Navy’s rate of 15 percent in the 1980s especially when you consider it isn’t committing itself – yet – to all the regions of the world. We could do so because we had the numbers. Today our deployment rate is about 35 percent. The pace of China’s shipbuilding has meant that their ships have rarely needed to deploy more than a couple of times. Its growing fleet has allowed China to do more without degrading the material readiness of the ships. Conversely, the has struggled to maintain its ships, which are deploying at a higher rate and for longer periods. Capability comes from both technology and experience and China’s navy is gaining experience very quickly. In the past decade they’ve been sending squadrons – 42 of them -to the Horn of Africa every three or four months. They have gained experience close to their shores and ships from every one of their fleets is operating on the other side of the world in deploying to the Horn of Africa. They have vastly outbuilt us in the past 10 years. Yes, that red line is China’s shipbuilding versus the blue of the us navy. This graph represents all the major surface combatants in our fleet as of last year and their age from commissioning, so the top are the oldest ships in each fleet and the newest at the bottom. Eighty – that’s eight zero – of their surface fleet has been built in the past decade. By contrast only twenty percent of the US fleet is less than a decade old. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee in June, the Secretary of Defense said we “certainly have the most capable and dominant navy in the world and it will continue to be so going forward.” While the secretary’s sentiment is laudable, it is contrary to quantifiable trends. China isn’t a rising power – it has risen. I think we need to consider another historical example when we casually brush aside the threat of China’s navy. Commodore Matthew Perry visited Japan in 1854. That caused Japan to think about a navy of its own, not dissimilar to how China reacted 1996 to the Nimitz battle group transiting the Taiwan strait. In 1874, Japan launched an expedition to Taiwan. That decade their midshipmen began to study at the US Naval Academy. By 1895 their navy defeated China’s fleet in a war. In 1905, they defeated the entire Russian Eastern and Baltic fleets. For those reasons, I think the chairman’s remarks were either insufficiently informed or intentionally dismissive. We have incredible advocates in Congress like Elaine Luria [note: this speech was delivered before the 2022 election] and Mike Gallagher. But we need a legislative branch with advocates beyond that and beyond the shipbuilding districts. We are mired in petty partisan politics while China has a distinct advantage – they are forcibly unified and that has enabled them to build the world’s largest fleet. While we need to defend our democratic republic ideals, we need to find a way to unify. The third element - in nearly every one of our previous conflicts, we relied heavily on the capacity of our industrial base especially shipyards. How many do we have today? To give you the scope of what we face, one shipyard in China has more capacity than all of our shipyards combined. Our shipyard capacity is limited. A 2021 Congressional Budget Office report pointed out that the four submarine shipyards were facing significant delays in completing maintenance because of the amount of work necessary has increased and they are having trouble finding workers. This has affected operational readiness. Part of that industrial base is the size of the us merchant fleet because it was America’s maritime economy…. China has some 4,500 merchant ships; there are fewer than 80 in the US fleet. Why is this important? Because the maritime economy that built the nation in the 19th century meant shipyard jobs. It meant jobs across the nation which built systems on those ships. It meant that many families had someone who relied on the sea for it or on it. And that merchant fleet needed protection by the US Navy. That is why the public could understand the need for a navy – because it was self-interested in it. Self-interest and passion drives politics and public policy, not reason and data. But the American public has become estranged from the maritime economy that would have been familiar to our forebears. Earlier, I mentioned several wars but I saved one for the end. That is the war that really put the United States Navy on a global footing because it demonstrated the power of our industrial base, our ability to build modern ships, the vision of presidents, the support of congress, and an emotional support from the media and general public. That, of course, is the Spanish-American war. It is why I think it a particularly relevant war to discuss today because less than a decade before, the naval order of the United States was established by people who recognized we had a problem, who had a vision, and made the vision of a navy a reality. The year before the Naval Order was established, the US Navy was not among the world powers. The Spanish navy during the 1890s was a traditional power investing in traditional surface combatants. The young American navy was more diverse in its platforms, understanding the need for logistics ships, etc. The Spanish Minister of Marine, Segismundo Bermejo had assessed the situation like this: the Spanish navy was experienced and a global power; the US Navy was young and inexperienced. On February 15, 1898 – the day the Maine exploded - he wrote to Admiral Cervera that it was his intent to blockade the American coast. The day after Cervera wrote back that the ships of the Havana station were badly worn out and that the Spanish naval force compared to the United States was approximately one to three, therefore a blockade wasn’t possible. On April 22, three days after the declaration of war, Cervera wrote to Bermejo that “nothing can be expected of this expedition except the total destruction of the fleet or its hasty and demoralized return.” The Colon didn’t have its big guns. The 5.5 inch ammunition, with the exception of about 300 rounds, was bad. Two other ships had defective guns. They didn’t have a single torpedo. The Vizcaya could no longer steam. There was no plan, which he had much desired and suggested in vain. In short, he wrote, “it is a disaster already, and it is to be feared that it will be a more frightful one before long.” Privately, Cervera had been critical of the state of the Spanish navy before this because of its lack of money and frantically inefficient bureaucracy.” Regardless, Cervera did his duty and in July would face the American fleet off Santiago. In his last address to his squadron, Cervera said “the solemn moment of fighting has come. The sacred name of Spain and the glorious honor of her flag so demands…the enemy covets our old and glorious hulls. They have sent the whole power of their young navy against us so as to achieve this goal. Hoist the flag and surrender no ship. Sound the trumpet for the combat. May God receive our souls.” Every ship under his command was lost to the Americans. He and 39 of his officers were then held as prisoners of war at the US Naval Academy and treated as heroes by the American public. What of Spain’s Asiatic fleet that was defeated at Manila Bay? Admiral George Dewey would write in his autobiography, “the Spanish government attempted to make a scape-goat of poor Admiral Montojo, the victim of their own shortcomings and maladministration.” We would hope to rely on our allies in war and access to distant waters, but I think there’s another lesson from the Spanish-American war, a concern Admiral Dewey wrote about himself in his autobiography. His biggest concern after his victory at Manila Bay was that he’d face more Spanish. Specifically, a third squadron – a relief squadron – had gotten underway from Spain under Admiral Camara. He expected to resupply in Egypt. If Camara had that coal, Dewey wrote, there would be nothing that stopped him. But the coal was denied and Camara was forced to return to Spain. This isn’t unusual. Think about the start of the Iraq war when an entire infantry division was denied access through Turkey. Can we always rely on other nations great and small especially in a potential conflict with China when nations must act in their self-interest? A final point. Some may argue that China’s navy is only slightly larger than ours. But if war comes and it is anywhere near the South China Sea they will be able to bring to bear their entire fleet in a matter of days – by the end of the decade, the Congressional Research Service estimates they will have 425 ships. How many of our ships could we get in theater in days or weeks? 100? 150? That would be a one to three advantage, the same concern Cervera voiced about his proportion to the Americans. We have an incredibly capable force and equally impressive sailors. But we have to assess how unique, innovative technology in small numbers will do against a larger force. When I was a defense contractor in the 1990s, one of my senior colleagues was Bud Rundell, a B-17 bomber pilot shot down over Merzberg on his 13th mission. He told me of seeing a Me-262 during one mission, but there were too many bombers to counter that one innovative jet. What of German advances in tanks, submarines, or V-1 and V-2 rockets during the Second World War? How much did unique, advanced technology impact the result against an overwhelming Soviet and Allied force? To close out, I mentioned at the beginning of my talk that my town had two houses of worship – the hockey arenas and the Catholic churches. Fifteen years ago, I was in Ottawa sitting in a chapel - the Rideau Street Chapel. Coincidentally it belonged to the same religious order that founded a hospital in my town and where my family worked. As I sat in a pew, I observed the artistry of the fan-vaulted ceilings and listened to a chorus of forty voices. But the chapel was no longer on Rideau Street. It had been deconstructed and moved to the interior of the National Gallery of Canada where speakers played a recording of the chorus. That morning I read in the paper an article about communion hosts – the center piece of the Catholic mass – had found a resurgent popularity in Quebec as a common, secular snack. Unlike my childhood, the churches in Quebec that had a Catholic faith for three centuries was in steep decline, its churches empty, and its foundations were now viewed as artifacts. A similar feeling struck me a few years ago when I was in England visiting the Portsmouth naval museums, recognizing the glory years of the Royal Navy that ruled the seas, and yet the Royal Navy today had less than two dozen destroyers and frigates. It reminded me of an old Rudyard Kipling poem which lamented that “far called, our navies melt away.” Certainly, in my current professional capacity, I understand the value of museums like those mentioned and teaching our history to the public, but they can too easily be reminders of yesteryear rather than what is needed now and tomorrow. Our country may have grown beyond a symbiotic life with the sea to one of simple indifference, relegated to galleries and exhibits and artifacts. We as a nation and a navy are not ready because we have chosen not to be. What do we need to prepare for a potential conflict with China? We need executive vision and action. We need congressional interest, oversight and funding. We need a navy to build operational platforms. We need a much larger industrial base. We need a public that has a direct relationship to our maritime services that understands they have skin in this Great Game. We must become ready. But whether or not we are when the time comes, like Cervera, we will do our duty and go with courage regardless of the fate that awaits us. Is there hope? Certainly. I see it in an incredibly capable Secretary of the Navy. I see it with some outstanding admirals. I see it in the commitment and resiliency of our officers and sailors. And I see it every day in the creative and energetic midshipmen I teach at the Academy, the future of our naval services. Thank you. Claude Berube, PhD, is the author of “On Wide Seas: The US Navy in the Jacksonian Era” and several other books including his third novel, “The Philippine Pact” (2023). He has worked on Capitol Hill, in the defense industry, and the Office of Naval Intelligence. A Commander in the US Navy Reserve, he is currently assigned to a unit with Navy Warfare Development Center. Since 2005 he has taught in the Political Science and History Departments at the US Naval Academy. View the full article

Americas BAE Systems has finished a successful test of its APKWS laser-guidance kits, showcasing the weapon’s versatility and accuracy in engaging a broad set of targets. The rockets went “three on three against fortified targets,” firing direct shots and defeating well-armored targets such as a steel plate and an armored military vehicle. “We’re giving our customers more in-mission options for precision strikes against tougher targets,” BAE program manager Sam Kirsh said. The US Air Force has contracted Northrop Grumman to outfit two more E-11A Bombardier business jets with the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) system. The service already operates three such aircraft, facilitating “secure” data collection for a range of missions, including “airdrops, close air support operations, humanitarian assistance, and personnel recovery,” Northrop explained in a statement. Middle East & Africa The Royal Bahrain Air Force (RBAF) will receive its first Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jet fighters by the first half of 2024, according to a Breaking Defense report, citing an air force official. The delivery, part of a $1.1-billion contract signed in 2018, was originally scheduled to begin between mid-2022 and late 2023. Europe Elbit Systems has been awarded a follow-on contract worth $19.9 million to produce and deliver additional night vision goggles (NGVs) to the British Army. As part of the agreement, the company will supply the lightweight micro binocular XACT nv33 NVGs in a helmet-mounted configuration. Asia-Pacific South Korea’s National Assembly has added nearly $200 million to the defense budget proposal due to an increase in number of missile launches from North Korea. A total of $4.17 billion will now go towards the domestic “three-axis” defense system. The three are: Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR), the Kill Chain pre-emptive strike platform and the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system. Collins Aerospace will supply seven additional shipsets to the Chinese Harbin Aircraft Industries Corporation’s (HAIG) AC312 series helicopter fleet. The American firm’s delivery of its latest helicopter cockpit display system, communication, navigation, and surveillance equipment is expected to bolster the aircraft’s situational awareness and safety. Today’s Video WATCH: F-16 Fighter Jet Demo Next to Bahrain – Sakhir F1 Circuit View the full article

Hydras & Hellfires (click to view full) The versatile Hydra 70mm rocket family is primed for a new lease on life, thanks to widespread programs aimed at converting these ubiquitous rockets into cheap laser-guided precision weapons. Conversion benefits include cost, use on both helicopters and fighters, more precision weapons per platform, low collateral damage, and the activation of large weapon stockpiles that couldn’t be used under strict rules of engagement. Firms all over the world have grasped this opportunity, which explains why strong competition has emerged from all points of the compass. America’s “Advanced Precision-Kill Weapon System (APKWS)” is one of those efforts, but the road from obvious premise to working weapon has been slow. After numerous delays and false starts since its inception in 1996, an “APKWS-II” program finally entered System Design and Development (SDD) in 2006. In 2010, it entered low-rate production, and it was fielded to the front lines in 2012. That date will still put APKWS on the cutting edge of battlefield technology, as a leading player in a larger trend toward guided air-to-ground rockets. The USA’s APKWS Programs BAE/GD APKWS (click to view full) Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and BAE Systems were all battling for the APKWS program, which could pick up large US and international orders, and remain in production for a long time. BAE Systems’ team won in April 2006, but Lockheed Martin and Raytheon both proceeded with independent efforts to develop their own products. Meanwhile, the Army’s APKWS budget request was “zeroed” out in FY 2008. Fortunately for BAE and General Dynamics, the US Navy kept them in the game. In November 2008, they formally picked up the APKWS-II System Design & Development (SDD) contract, and kept it going. SDD finished in November 2009, and evaluations wrapped up in January 2010. APKWS-II was approved through Milestone C in April 2010, and initial production orders followed in July 2010. A February 2011 JCTD contract will add APKWS to fixed-wing fighters: the USMC’s AV-8B Harriers, and the USAF’s A-10C Thunderbolt close air support planes. By January 2012, the 1st fixed-wing test firing had added the AT-6C turboprop light attack plane to this list, and showed clear potential for broader fielding. The US military fielded APKWS in March 2012, beginning with US Marine Corps UH-1 utility and AH-1 attack helicopters. The 1st Full Rate Production order was placed at the end of July 2012. APKWS: Concept and Weapon APKWS (click to view full) The BAE and General Dynamics team offered an unusual approach to APKWS-II, in order to solve the problems inherent in launching several guided rockets at once. Instead of adding a guidance unit to the rocket’s nose, where it could be damaged or confused by the flames, corrosive soot, overpressure etc. created by nearby rocket firings, they opted for a mid-body guidance approach. BAE’s Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) uses fiber-optic connections to a set of optical sensors, distributed within the rocket’s pop-out fins. Since the fins are folded and sealed during firing, their seekers are protected. The technical challenge after that, is making sure that the pop-out fins don’t flex or vibrate a lot in flight. The use of distributed sensors can compensate for some movement, but too much movement would create accuracy problems for the DASALS optical bench. The entire guidance section screws in between the warhead section and the rocket motor section, and can be added in the field. Since the seeker is a semi-active laser, rather than a beam-rider, APKWS can be directed by laser sources beyond its launcher, so long as they have the correct laser modulation code. This is a standard approach for laser guided missiles, but some competitors still use beam-riding guidance. Thales’ low-end LMM missile, for instance, will begin as a beam rider. Most other competitors, however, will use semi-active laser or imaging infrared seekers. By 2019, APKWS will be able to use the new 13.7 pound M822 tri-mode penetrating/ blast/ incendiary warhead, which can punch through 40″ of reinforced concrete or 1″ of steel, while creating over 1,500 fragments and a 2,000F degree zirconium burn. Instead of just 1 AGM-65 Maverick per hardpoint, or 3 MBDA Brimstone missiles, certified aircraft would have 7 anti-armor weapons that can defeat many armored personnel carriers, and all lesser vehicles. Compatible Platforms F/A-18C fires Hydras (click to view full) APKWS has been qualified for use aboard USMC UH-1Y Venom utility and AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, and from Bell’s militarized 407GT scout helicopter. The next targets are the US Navy’s MH-60S utility helicopter (2014) and MH-60R anti-submarine & strike helicopter (2015), and the USMC’s AH-1Z attack helicopter (2015), using a digital LAU-61G/A 19-rocket pod. Successful tests have been conducted from an AH-64D Apache attack helicopter, and Australia has tested APKWS from its EC665 Tiger ARH scout/attack helicopter, while using Forges de Zeebrugge’s FZ90 rocket instead. No modifications were required, and that combination could also be in service by 2015. APKWS Fixed-Wing is actually a different rocket, because it has to survive and perform through the freezing temperatures of high-altitude flight, as well as the high turbulence produced by high speed aircraft. That means a cartridge activated device to force open the control canards during high speed launches, and a modified guidance control system for the rocket. On the fixed-wing front, successful APKWS-FW tests have been conducted from AT-6 turboprops, and from A-10C Thunderbolt II, AV-8B Harrier II, and F-16 jets. The US Navy plans to certify it aboard USMC F/A-18C/D Hornet fighters in 2017-2018. Why APKWS? Combat Advantages Click for video A 70mm rocket’s size and warhead are good enough for most military targets, offering both reduced collateral damage compared to larger missiles, and greater warhead flexibility. Precision rockets can carry infantry-killing flechettes, dispersed bomblets, small unitary warheads, and more. Adding thermobaric warheads creates a system that can kill personnel, destroy most armored personnel carriers and lighter vehicles; and even collapse buildings, if the Marines’ SMAW experiences in Fallujah are any indication. All without incurring the high-end price of full anti-armor missiles like the TOW RF, Hellfire, etc. Using 70mm rockets also benefits the platforms carrying them to the battlefield. Laser-guided rockets would expand the range of aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs carrying precision weapons, as well as increasing the number of precision weapons each platform carries. The future of warfare may even see small rocket pods mounted on some ground vehicles, if recent experiments with Boeing’s Humvee-mounted Avenger system are any indication. That would conserve valuable missile rounds by eliminating easy targets like UAVs, provide a second type of guidance threat against incoming helicopters and aircraft, and create the option of using the system in ground combat against infantry positions or vehicles. Each of those changes, individually, is a significant increase in combat power. All of those changes together would make US Army precision fires nearly ubiquitous on the battlefield, alongside weapons fired from UAVs, and guided ground-launched rockets, mortars, and artillery shells. When coupled with persistent surveillance concepts like Task Force ODIN, it nudges the Army and USAF toward a more equal footing of “federated airpower” in counterinsurgency fights. In full-scale battles like the 1991 Desert Storm, it can turn NATO’s long-standing “assault breaker” doctrine of tactical decapitation into routine procedure, as enemies showing leadership behaviors are quickly targeted from the air or ground, and eliminated. Beyond the USA, laser guided 70mm rockets open up a large market for counterinsurgency weapons. Many countries operate older fixed wing planes as their primary strike force, but haven’t been able to afford the expensive conversions and weapons that precision attack requires. With guided rockets, that goal is suddenly within reach. Rocket pods are a universal weapon option, almost all countries have existing stocks of unguided rockets, and targeting can even be done by troops on the ground. This setup can work with very basic aircraft integration, so the technical and cost requirements aren’t difficult. What’s difficult, is the training and coordination required to make close air support effective. Which may not stop eager customers. Contracts and Key Developments APKWS is designed as a screw-in insert to existing 70mm rockets, so it’s bought as mid-body “guidance sections.” BAE Systems Information and Electronics in Nashua, NH is the official prime contractor, though they’re partnered with General Dynamics. US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, MD manages the contracts. FY 2014 – 2022 Orders: USA, Jordan; Testing on AH-64D; US Navy begins program for MH-60R/S; Australia wants APKWS for EC665 Tiger and MH-60RS. APKWS numbers November 15/22: Tests BAE Systems has finished a successful test of its APKWS laser-guidance kits, showcasing the weapon’s versatility and accuracy in engaging a broad set of targets. The rockets went “three on three against fortified targets,” firing direct shots and defeating well-armored targets such as a steel plate and an armored military vehicle. “We’re giving our customers more in-mission options for precision strikes against tougher targets,” BAE program manager Sam Kirsh said. November 26/19: Saudi Arabia The US Army tapped Boeing with a $10.7 million Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia. The deal provides for the integration and retrofit of 23 AH-6i aircraft with DVR, equipment stowage, and APKWS II capabilities. One bid was solicited with one bid received. AH-6i can be used to conduct light, precision, anti-armor, close combat attacks. The rotorcraft can also support reconnaissance, and combat search and rescue missions. The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is a combat-proven, laser-guided 70mm rocket system designed and manufactured by BAE Systems in collaboration with the US Government. The weapon system is currently deployed by the US Military Forces. Work will take place in Mesa, Arizona with an estimated completion date of March 30, 2022. September 27/19: Full Rate Production BAE Systems won a $2.7 billion firm-fixed-price contract to procure the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II full rate production Lots 8-12. The deal procures WGU-59/B units to upgrade the current 2.75-inch rocket system to a semi-active laser guided precision weapon to support the US Navy, Army, Air Force, and Foreign Military Sales requirements to include the governments of Iraq, Lebanon, Netherlands, Jordan, Afghanistan, United Kingdom, Tunisia, Philippines and Australia. The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System is a combat-proven, laser-guided 70mm rocket system designed and manufactured by BAE Systems in collaboration with the US Government. The lethal weapon system can be launched from rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft and unmanned platforms to strike ground-, air- and sea-based targets, and also supports close air support operations. APKWS uses semi-active laser guidance technology to strike soft and lightly armored targets in confined areas, it has provided the US Marine Corps with a 93 percent hit rate. BAE Systems will perform work in Hudson, New Hampshire and Austin, Texas. Estimated completion will be in December 2025. May 9/19: Guidance Section Upgrade BAE Systems won a $10.9 million delivery order to upgrade the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) guidance section. APKWS is an add-on kit that turns a standard unguided 2.75-inch 70 millimeter rocket into a precision laser-guided munition to give warfighters a low-cost surgical strike capability. Typically the kit fits on the Hydra 70 fin-stabilized unguided air-to-ground rocket. The APKWS rocket is qualified on the AH-1W and UH-1Y helicopters, and is expected to be similarly qualified for use on several other rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft. The system is available to allied forces through Foreign Military Sales. The order asks BAE Systems to combine separate guidance sections for the APKWS II intended for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft into one hardware and software solution. The APKWS II uses semi-active laser-guidance for US military and allied military aircraft. BAE will perform work in New Hampshire and Texas and the scheduled completion date is in April 2021. March 20/19: Navy orders thousands The US Navy ordered thousands of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) kits from BAE Systems, the company stated in a press release. The APKWS guidance kits are the US government’s sole program of record for 2.75-inch laser-guided rockets. They are available in all four military branches as well as to allied nations through Foreign Military Sales. The APKWS kits transform standard 2.75-inch Hydra rockets into guided munitions that provide warfighters with a precision strike capability with limited collateral damage. The APKWS II uses the Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker technology. This system allows a laser seeker to be located in the leading edge of each of the forward control canards, working in unison as if they were a single seeker. The company announced, it will continue to deliver APKWS guidance kits ahead of schedule and accelerate production rate to meet growing demand. February 15/19: Lebanon The USA provided the Lebanese Army with a $16 million APKWS laser-guided rocket kit. The APKWS is a design conversion of Hydra 70 unguided rockets with a laser guidance kit to turn them into precision-guided munitions. The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System laser-guided rockets are a key component for the Lebanese Air Force’s new A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft. APKWS is about one-third the cost and one-third the weight of the current inventory of laser-guided weapons, has a lower yield more suitable for avoiding collateral damage, and takes one quarter of the time for ordnance personnel to load and unload. The A-29 Super Tucano is a turboprop light attack aircraft with weapons including precision-guided munitions. According to the US Embassy in Lebanon, the current delivery demonstrates the US government’s firm and steady commitment to support the Lebanon Army. June 29/18: More orders The Navy is ordering more fire power from BAE Systems. The company is being awarded a contract modification to a previous firm-fixed-price delivery order valued at $224,3 million. The modification provides for the production and delivery of an additional 10,185 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems II (APKWS II). The APKWS program has been devised to give the Hydra 70mm rocket family a new lease of life by converting these ubiquitous rockets into cheap laser-guided precision weapons. The procurement of the additional units will upgrade the current 2.75-inch rocket system to a semi-active laser-guided precision weapon in support of the Air Force, Army, and foreign military sales (FMS) customers. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($144,1 million), Army ($58,5 million); Navy ($17,1 million); and FMS ($4,4 million). Work will be performed in Hudson, New Hampshire (70 percent); and Austin, Texas (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2019. April 19/18: Super Hornet firing After being delivered to the Marine Corps’ F/A-18 Super Hornet squadrons in February, fighters from VMFA-115 fired the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) during recent training. The low-cost 2.75 rocket utilizes a laser guidance kit that gives it a precision-kill capability and allows the Super Hornet pilots to maintain a forward-firing, moving-target capability while increasing available ordnance per aircraft and provides a more efficient weapons match versus target sets currently seen in theater. Prior to the firing, the squadron’s crews completed ground training and in-flight training to ensure the weapon worked effectively. The F/A-18 is the second Navy fixed-wing platform to carry APKWS. It is also employed from the AV-8B as well as rotary-wing platforms including the UH-1Y, AH-1Z and MH-60S/R. The Navy and USMC have fired thousands of combined fixed- and rotary-wing shots and hundreds in combat scenarios. April 11/18: FMS Clearance Qatar has been cleared by the US State Department to proceed with the purchase of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) II to arm its AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. A Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) statement released Monday, said the foreign military sale (FMS) package contains requests for 5,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) II Guidance Sections, 5,000 MK66-4 2.75 inch rocket motors, 5,000 high explosive warheads for airborne 2.75 inch rockets, inert MK66-4 2.75 inch rocket motors, inert high explosive warhead for airborne 2.75 inch rockets. Also included are any spares, training and support associated with the program. Estimated total cost is set at $300 million with BAE tapped as the FMS’ principal contractor. According to the DSCA, the APKWS “will provide Qatar with a low-cost precision strike capability, decreasing collateral damage and expanding its options for counterterrorism operations.” March 6/18: Hornet-cleared! US Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet aircraft is ready to deploy the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) onboard, Jane’s reports. The reveal was made in a picture posted by NAVAIR to Twitter last week where the weapon was spotted loaded on the pylons of a Hornet assigned to VMFA-314. APKWS II is a precision-guided 2.75-inch rocket system that integrates a low-cost Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) guidance section with existing Hydra 70 rocket motors and either the Mk 152 or M282 warheads. Previously, the AV-8B was the only fast jet in the USMC cleared to operate the laser-guided weapon. June 14/17: BAE Systems will provide Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) upgrade kits to the US Navy. The $181 million deal is funded under a recently announced indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity contract and will allow BAE to keep up with increased demand for APKWS rockets instead of more expensive laser-guided munitions such as the Hellfire missile. The APKWS mid-body guidance kit transforms standard unguided Hydra 70 (2.75-inch) rockets into highly accurate precision munitions by easily screwing into place between the warhead and the motor. Export customers can purchase the technology through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. October 27/16: BAE has received a maximum value $600 million deal to provide Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guided munitions. Aimed at speeding the delivery of the rockets to the US military and its allies, the contract involves a three-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with an initial award of more than $130 million. Export customers of the APKWS include Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon. June 10/16: The USAF has acquired the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guided rockets for its A-10s and F-16s operating in Afghanistan and Iraq under an urgent field requirement. To fulfill the urgent need, the service will acquire its initial supply of rockets out of the current Navy inventory. The BAE-developed guidance kit was first tested on the AV-8B Harrier, F-16 and A-10 during flight demonstrations in May 2013, the company said. It is already widely used on Navy and Marine Corps helicopters such as the Bell AH-1Z Viper, and was acquired last year by the Army for the Boeing AH-64 Apache gunship. The addition of the kits will allow current “Hydra” rockets to act as a precision-guided munition capable of destroying soft targets like hostile boats, vehicles, and exposed enemy combatants instead of using more expensive guided bombs and missiles. April 1/16: The US Navy has delivered the first fixed-wing aircraft variant of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS), to be attached to AV-8B Harriers and operated by the Marine Attack Squadron (VMA). Initially integrated onto MH-60S, MH-60R, and AH-1Z helicopters, the new design just took seven months to be incorporated onto the Harrier. The new capability will quickly provide the AV-8B with a low-cost, low-collateral damage, high-precision weapon in support of combat operations. December 2/15: Jordan is the first nation to receive shipments of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS). 110 units of the system were requested by the Jordanian government back in 2014 and will be equipped on CN-235 gunships allowing for greater flexibility and precision engagement. The US has received 13 requests for the system to be sold and buyers will include Iraq, the Netherlands and Tunisia. Since the deployment of the system on the US Navy’s MH-60 Seahawk and Marine Corps UH/AH-1 light attack helicopters in 2007, APKWS has been fired more than 100 times, boasting a success rate of 94%. September 23/15: MBDA and BAE Systems have agreed to a marketing partnership for the latter’s advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS) in an aim to flag the system to European customers. MBDA will lead the marketing charge for the APKWS in Europe, with the system developed by BAE Systems’ US subsidiary. The system bolts onto unguided 70mm rockets to transform them into a low-cost laser-guided weapon, which has been integrated with several platforms in the US inventory, including the Cobra and Huey helicopters, Apache AH-64D and A-10. Nov 12/14: The US DSCA announces the Shi’ite government of Iraq’s official export request for up to 2,000 APKWS rockets, weapon and test support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, transportation, and other forms of US government and contractor support. The estimated cost is up to $97 million. Iraq’s most likely platform for these rockets is its IA-407 armed scout helicopters, which are qualified for 70mm rockets and can also carry Hellfire missiles. Its AC-208B Combat Caravan prop planes might need additional integration, but their current tiny load of just 2 Hellfire missiles has been an operational problem. Adding laser-guided rockets would greatly improve their combat effectiveness. The principal contractor will be BAE Systems in Nashua, NH. The proposed sale will involve multiple trips to Iraq involving U.S. government and contractor representatives for approximately 3 years for program management, program and technical reviews, training, maintenance support, and site surveys. Sources: US DSCA #14-35, “Iraq – Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS)”. DSCA request: Iraq (2,000) Nov 3/14: USMC Plan. The USMC’s Aviation Plan to 2030 deals with weapons as well. The AH-1Z attack helicopter will be added to the AH-1W in 2015, which will also see integration on the MH-60R naval ASW helicopter. So far, use in the field on AH-1W, MH-60S, and UH-1Y helicopters is going reasonably well: “APKWS II has been operationally successful, generating a direct hit rate of nearly 90% during contingency operations.” By 2019, APKWS will be able to use the 13.7 pound M822 tri-mode penetrating/ blast/ incendiary warhead. Instead of just 1 AGM-65 Maverick per hardpoint, the Hornet fleet will have 7 anti-armor weapons that can defeat many armored personnel carriers, and all lesser vehicles. Sources: USMC, Marine Aviation Plan 2015 [PDF]. Oct 13/14: Australia. APKWS is about to get its 2nd export customer, as Australia finishes testing APKWS-II aboard its EC665 Tiger ARH scout/attack helicopters. August 2014 trials at Woomera were conducted by Airbus subsidiary Australian Aerospace’s Operational Support Group, and saw APKWS go 7-for-7 in tests while mounted on a new 70mm rocket: Forges de Zeebrugge’s FZ90. BAE director of precision guidance solutions David Harrold touts the no-modifications use of APKWS on the FZ90 as a testament to the mid-body design’s versatility, but Australia has a 2nd reason to prefer APKWS. BAE’s system will be integrated on American MH-60R Seahawk naval helicopters, and Australia bought that type off the shelf as their future naval helicopter. Once the US Navy is done developing and testing its MH-60R upgrade, Australia can adopt it at very low cost. The tests pave the way for Australia to place an order, then field the laser-guided rockets on its Tiger and Seahawk helicopters beginning in 2015. Sources: BAE Systems, “Laser-Guided Rocket Successfully Demonstrates Precision Strike Capability for Australian Defence Forces”. Sept 30/14: MH-60. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Owego, NY receives $6.9 million for integration of APKWS Digital Rocket Launcher capabilities into MH-60R and MH-60S avionics software. $2.6 million in FY 2014 Navy RDT&E budgets is committed immediately. APKWS will give equipped MH-60S and MH-60R helicopters 7 guided weapons per hardpoint, instead of 4 Hellfires. The rockets don’t pack the same punch as a Hellfire against larger naval targets or main battle tanks, but against small boat swarms and most targets ashore, there are no degrees of dead. Work will be performed in Owego, NY (95%), and Patuxent River, MD (5%), and is expected to be complete in July 2016. Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD manages the contract (N00019-14-G-0019, DO 4007). AC-235 concept (click to view full) May 7/14: Jordan. Jordan has formally signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance via the US Navy for BAE’s APKWS-II laser-guided 70mm rocket, which will be deployed on the kingdom’s CN-235 light gunships. This marks the guided rocket’s 1st export sale. APKWS rockets give the gunships an intermediate option between the 30mm gun, and heavier AGM-114 Hellfire laser-guided missiles. A 70mm rocket is perfectly adequate for most counter-insurgency situations, is less expensive than a Hellfire, and can be carried in a pod that holds 7 guided rockets on the hardpoint instead of 2 Hellfires. Sources: BAE, “Kingdom of Jordan to Purchase BAE Systems’ Precision Rockets to Strengthen Military”. Jordan is 1st export sale March 28/14: FRP-3. A $37.4 million firm-fixed-price contract buys 1,372 APKWS-II WGU-59/B Guidance Sections, the Navy shipping and storage container; and supporting technical and program documentation. That makes 4,758 kits ordered so far. All funds are committed immediately, using FY14 USN & USMC ammunition budgets. Work will be performed in Nashua, NH (70%); and Austin, TX (30%), and is expected to be complete in September 2015. This contract was not competitively procured, pursuant to FAR 6.302-1 (N00019-14-C-0044). FRP-3 order Dec 18/13: MH-60R/S: H-60 Program Manager Capt. James Glass discusses programs to arm the MH-60S naval utility and MH-60R strike and ASW helicopters with APKWS rockets. The MH-60S is slated to integrate APKWS by March 2014, using a new 19-rocket LAU-61G/A launcher. and is about to begin test-firing the same M197 3-barrel 20mm gatling gun used on Cobra attack helicopters. The MH-60R is slated to integrate APKWS by March 2015, by which time the LAU-61G/A launcher should have full mixed-rocket capabilities. Sources, Military.com, “Navy Arms MH-60S Helicopter with Gatling Gun” | US Navy, “NSWC IHEODTD Supports Digital Rocket Launcher Early Operational Capability”. Oct 22/13: Testing. BAE announces that the US Army has finished 8 successful tests from an AH-64D Apache. Shots were fired at up to 150 knots, from as far as 5 kilometers from the target, at altitudes between 300 and 1,500 feets. This earns it an an Airworthiness Qualification, which allows existing AH-64D customers to order APKWS. BAE director of precision guidance solutions David Harrold had an interesting addendu,m, when he noted that “…the final shot from the Apache hit within inches of the laser spot – despite the rocket and warhead being visibly scorched from two adjacent firings”. No doubt that was part of BAE’s motivation for using mid-body guidance sensors, which are inherently protected from such effects. Sources: BAE, “Laser-Guided Rocket Successfully Qualified to Support Apache Crews”. FY 2011 – 2013 Fixed-wing, Apache tests. IOC; combat deployment. FRP-2. APKWS loading, AT-6C (click to view full) Sept 27/13: Testing. CENTCOM releases a Military Utility Assessment (MUA) confirming that the APKWS FW fixed-wing variant has met its performance targets in test shots from the USAF’s A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and F-16s, and the USMC’s AV-8B Harrier II V/STOL fighters. The rocket has also been tested from AT-6 turboprops, but that work took place under the Light Air Support program. APKWS FW is actually a different rocket, because it has to survive and perform through the freezing temperatures of high-altitude flight, as well as the high turbulence of high speed aircraft. That means a different guidance control system for the rocket, and a redesigned deployment mechanism for the 7-rocket pod. Sources: US NAVAIR, “Rocket safe for fixed wing aircraft, ends demonstration phase”. April 2/13: Testing. Eglin AFB announces successful tests of the APKWS laser-guided 70mm rocket from an A-10C, marking the 2nd test from a fixed-wing aircraft (a Beechcraft AT-6B was the 1st). For the final A-10C test sortie, 2 APKWS rockets were fired at a surface target at altitudes of 10,000 and 15,000 feet. The first rocket hit within inches, and the 15,000 foot shot hit within 2 meters despite a 70-knot headwind. The USAF used a US Navy rocket launcher, because the guidance section adds 18″ to the Hydra rocket. If the USAF continues to move forward with APKWS on the A-10C and F-16, they’ll buy the Navy’s modified launchers to replace their 7-rocket LAU-131s. The US Navy is preparing to qualify APKWS on the MQ-8C VTUAV, USMC AV-8B Harrier II V/STOL jets, and F/A-18 family fighters. Pentagon DVIDS. March 4/13: Bell 407 qualified. BAE Systems announces that APKWS is now qualified on Bell Helicopters 407GT, after a 7-shot test at Yuma, AZ. The Bell 407 joins that firm’s AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters, and Beechcraft’s AT-6B light attack turboprop, as qualified APKWS platforms. Northrop Grumman’s MQ-8B Fire Scout helicopter UAV is expected to follow shortly. BAE Precision Guidance Solutions director David Harrold says that the qualification “is significant because [the 407GT] is Bell Helicopter’s first commercially qualified, armed helicopter…” It’s also significant because the US Navy is about to introduce its MQ-8C UAV based on the 407, and Iraq has already fielded armed Bell 407s. The MQ-8C combines a Bell 407 airframe with Fire Scout electronics. Nov 27/12: FRP-2. A $41.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, exercising an option for 1,476 APKWS-II WGU-59/B Guidance Sections, shipping and storage containers, and support technical data. That makes 3,386 production kits ordered so far. Work will be performed in Nashua, NH (70%), and Austin, TX (30%), and is expected to be complete in September 2014. All contract funds are committed (N00019-12-C-0006). FRP-2 order July 31/12: FRP begins with FY 2012 order. A $28.1 million firm-fixed-price contract for 985 APKWS-II WGU-59/B guidance sections, Navy shipping and storage containers; and support technical data. That makes 1,910 production APKWS kits ordered so far. Work will be performed in Nashua, NH (70%), and Austin, TX (30%), and is expected to be complete in December 2013. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1 by US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-12-C-0006). A subsequent BAE release confirms that this is the beginning of Full Rate Production, and confirms that APKWS is available for foreign military sales.” Full-rate production & Export ready April 17/12: APKWS to Afghanistan. BAE announces that APKWS was cleared for fielding by Marine Corps HQ, and shipped to Afghanistan in March 2012. The cite over 100 firings since 2007, with a 94% success rate, and an average distance from the center of laser spot to the impact point of less than one meter. The rockets will initially be deployed on USMC AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. The Program’s Manager Navy Captain Brian Corey said that Initial Operating Capability (IOC) had been declared on March 27. The Navy is working to integrate the weapon on MQ-8 Fire Scouts by 2013. US NAVAIR | BAE Systems. IOC & combat deployment January 2012: 1st Fixed-Wing Shots. APKWS is fired from a HawkerBeechcraft AT-6C turboprop light attack plane at Eglin AFB, its 1st fixed-wing shots. BAE says they’re still working to upgrade APKWS so it can handle high-speed, high-g firings from fighter jets, per the Feb 10/11 JCTD contract. The AT-6C shots were step 1, and involved 2 rockets: an unguided round as a demonstration of safety and basic operation, followed by a guided shot from 3 miles that “successfully hit within inches of the center.” As an added demonstration, BAE Systems personnel added the APKWS mid-bodies and assembled the rockets on site. Time from beginning of assembly to flight and the successful shot was 3 hours. The shots will help both BAE and HawkerBeechcraft, whose setback in the 20-plane American LAS competition was mitigated by an initial sale of 6 “weapons capable” T-6C+ to Mexico. Mexico has used existing Pilatus trainers against domestic insurgencies before. The T-6C family’s proven ability to fire laser-guided rockets makes the new planes more valuable to Mexico, and to other potential customers. BAE | HawkerBeechcraft | Aviation Week. 1st fixed-wing shot Sept 9-13/11: New warhead. USMC UH-1Y helicopters successfully fire 6 APKWS-II rockets at targets 1.5km – 5 km away (3 miles maximum) on the range at China Lake, CA. The tests are part of APKWS’ low-rate initial production phase, and mark the 1st time that the new, safer Mk152 warhead has been fired from any air vehicle. New warhead APWKS-II fielding is still set for 2012. BAE Systems. Feb 10/11: Fighter JCTD. BAE Systems in Nashua, NH receives a $19.7 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for development of the fixed wing APKWS-II for deployment on USMC AV-8B Harriers and USAF/ANG A-10C aircraft, as a joint capability technology demonstration. American fast jets must currently rely on aging AGM-65 Maverick missiles for laser-guided strikes. An update and production relaunch is underway, but a full-size Maverick missile can be overkill. Using laser-guided 70mm rockets instead would sharply increase the number of laser precision strike weapons on board, using cheaper weapons. It’s not a perfect substitute, but it would be an excellent complement. Work will be performed in Nashua, NH, and is expected to be complete in May 2013. $7.5 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/11. This contract was not competitively procured, pursuant to FAR 6.302-1, by US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-11-C-0033). APKWS for fighters, too Jan 3/11: LRIP-2 order. BAE Systems Information and Electronics in Nashua, NH receives a $17.3 million firm-fixed-price contract for the 2nd Low Rate Initial Production Lot (LRIP-II) of 600 APKWS II guidance sections for the US Navy, including shipping and storage containers. Work will be performed in Nashua, N.H., and is expected to be completed in November 2012. US Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD manages the contract, which is presumably issued under N00019-10-C-0019. FY 2008 – 2010 SDD. Milestone C. APKWS concept (click to view full) July 30/10: LRIP-1 order. BAE Systems Information and Electronics in Nashua, NH receives a $15.3 million firm-fixed-price contract for the first Low Rate Initial Production Lot (LRIP-I) of 325 APKWS II guidance sections for the US Navy, including shipping and storage containers. The contract will also fund integration with the Marines’ new UH-1Y utility helicopter, technical and training manual updates, and support equipment and support test equipment. Work will be performed in Nashua, NH, and is expected to be complete in October 2012. This contract was not competitively procured by US NAVAIR, pursuant to FAR 6.302-1 (N00019-10-C-0019). BAE Systems. April 9/10: Milestone C, LRIP OKed. The US Navy has approved low-rate production of the APKWS after the weapons system passed its Milestone C. The USMC plans to initially deploy APKWS on its AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters. The Navy decision follows successful testing of the weapons system from the AH-1W helicopter in January (see Jan 11-18/10 entry). BAE Systems release Milestone C Jan 11-18/10 The USMC completes APKWS’ operational assessment, scoring 8 direct hits from AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters in live-warhead trials over 2 weeks. The final step in the APKWS development program is system qualification for the environments in which it might be employed, transported, and stored. That testing is expected to be finalized in time to allow the Navy to complete a production decision within the next 60 days, leading to low-rate initial production if the decision is positive. BAE Systems release. Jan 4/10: Fixed-Wing JCTD. US FedBizOpps announces, in solicitation #N00019-10-C-0028: “Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) intends to award a sole source contract to BAE Systems, Nashua, NH for the FY10-12 development of the Fixed Wing (FW) Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II for AV-8B and A-10 platforms to support a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD). It is anticipated that the resultant contract shall be Cost-Plus Incentive Fee type for the development of FW APKWS II weapons that show operational utility upon integration with AV-8B and A-10 platforms. Fifty (50) FW APKWS II plus FW APKWS II tests units (quantities TBD) including Navy Shipping and Storage Containers (NSSC) are to be delivered for technical demonstrations and operational assessments.” The AV-8B is a USMC aircraft, while A-10s are operated by US Air National Guard and some USAF units. Jan 4/10: In the combined synopsis/solicitation #N00421-10-T-0042, US FedBizOpps announces an RFQ on a firm fixed-price, sole-source basis with Summit Instruments, Inc., for APKWS-related electronics. Summit makes accelerometers and inertial measurement systems, which can be used to help precision weapons establish their position, just as a simpler set of accelerometer + software in an iPod Nano can tell you how far you’ve jogged today. CLIN 0001 – Quantity 5 each, Repackage 65210E to fit in 2.75″ diameter rocket body and add 2GB memory… Award is expected 04 Jan 2010. Nov 23-27/09: SDD done. During the final phase of SDD testing, 4 APKWS rockets fired from a U.S. Marine Corps AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter hit laser-designated moving and stationary targets under a variety of operational scenarios while the rockets were fired at varying altitudes and airspeeds. Each shot strikes well within the required distance from the laser spot. Navy and BAE Systems representatives confirm that APKWS has undertaken 28 guided flights over the last 7 years. The weapons are known to have hit their targets 22 times since September 2002, and most of those firings (12) have been from USMC AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters. In the latest test series, there have been no APKWS issues. The rockets are approaching Milestone C decision that approves a system’s performance, durability, safety, and successful integration with specified systems, and allows Low Rate Initial Production to begin. The US Navy will begin Operational Assessment of APKWS in January 2010, with 8 live fire events. In the next 12 to 14 months, the Navy expects to shoot approximately 90 weapons in combined developmental and operational testing, on the road to the program goal of Initial Operational Capability in 2011. BAE Systems. Nov 13/09: BAE Systems announces that APKWS has entered its final phase of testing, intended to confirm both production readiness and reliable accuracy. According to BAE, APKWS has hit its targets 18 times since September 2002 in ground and air-launched shots, including a recent firing from a USMC AH-1 attack helicopter against a stationary target. That test firing initiated a sequence of more than 20 firings that will comprise the program’s final test phase, to be completed by the end of 2009. BAE Systems and the Navy are preparing for Navy demonstration test flights and full government qualification testing, with a goal of production in 2010. APKWS from Cobra (click to view larger) Nov 4/08: BAE Systems announces that the APKWS contract has been transferred from the U.S. Army to the Department of the Navy. Development funding will also be used for testing and qualification of APKWS for use on the Marine Corps’ AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter, and BAE Systems’ Nashua facility plans to begin producing the rockets at the end of 2009. July 15/08: BAE Systems announces that the Department of the Navy will assume the $45.7 million APKWS development contract with BAE Systems to complete demonstrations of the system. The Navy is expected to assume that contract by end of August 2008, and the contractor team plans to begin APKWS production in 2009. April 9/08: Saved by the Navy. Congress approves the APKWS-II Reprogramming Request. In combination with the President’s Budget Request for FY09 (submitted to Congress the first week of February), the Reprogramming approval makes APKWS-II’s development phase a fully-funded program. This development represents a major breakthrough for the BAE/GD offering, which now looks as if it will survive long enough to reach the competitive market. Whether their APKWS-II can continue its success, and win volume orders against a growing set of rival systems from Lockheed Martin, ATK, Raytheon, et. al., remains to be seen at this point. As noted below, the US Navy is also funding a LOGIR program with Korean cooperation. It’s also a guided 70mm rocket, but it uses Imaging Infrared instead of laser seekers. That makes it especially effective against swarm attacks by enemies like small boats, as there’s no need for ongoing guidance. Saved by the Navy FY 2005 – 2007 BAE win. Emerging competitors. APKWS on target (click to view full) Sept 19/07: Testing. BAE Systems shoots 2 guided APKWS rockets from a U.S. Marine Corps Cobra helicopter at NAS China Lake, marking the weapon’s first flights from an aircraft. Following the launches, both APKWS rockets were guided by a laser designator to a ground target. The first rocket was guided to the target by a ground-based laser designator. The pilot guided the second rocket to the target using laser designation equipment onboard the helicopter. Both rockets struck the target board well within accuracy requirements established by the Army and Marine Corps. The flights, held in partnership with the U.S. Navy program office, were designed to confirm the APKWS rocket’s compatibility with the Cobra’s carriage and launch systems, and to demonstrate that APKWS can be launched from the platform without requiring aircraft integration or modifications. The tests also proved again the weapon’s ability to acquire, track, and hit a laser-designated target. BAE Systems North America release. BAE informs DID that the US Navy and USMC continue to pursue funding of APKWS-II within the FY 2008 appropriations process, with the goal of completing SDD and entering Milestone C in the second quarter of CY 2009. Meanwhile, development continues using FY 2007 funds. April 11/07: BAE Systems’ APKWS II successfully completes environmental tests. They verified protection from sand, dust, vibration, ice, and other environmental hazards likely to be found in combat situations. Locating the weapon’s Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) within the rocket’s mid-body, with wings and optics sealed within the guidance section, certainly helps. In addition, a fully assembled 35-pound rocket dropped directly on its nose from a height of 3 feet sustained no damage to the guidance section. BAE Systems release. March 19/07: Zeroed? BAE Systems informs DID that APKWS II funding has been zeroed out in the FY 2008 budget request, and they are putting the program on hold. Congressional reinstatement is always possible – but if it fails BAE may face an uphill battle getting its product to market, given the advance of competitors like Lockheed Martin’s DAGR and the US-Korean LOGIR. DAGR launch test (click to view full) March 7/07: Competitor – DAGR. Lockheed Martin may have lost, but it didn’t give up. While “Hellfire Jr.” is an apt description of the class as a whole, it’s especially apt in this case. The DAGR (70mm Direct Attack Guided Rocket, not to be confused with DAGR hand-held GPS locators) completed development with private company funding, leveraging existing Hellfire and Joint Common Missile technology to create semi-active guided rockets that offer a wider aiming cone and full Hellfire functionality. Indeed, they can be launched from any platform that currently supports the Hellfire missile, removing any requirements for additional training or infrastructure. The DAGR rocket was formally unveiled as complete and for sale on Sept 11/07, at Britain’s DESi defense exhibition, and remains a strong competitor in the USA and beyond. See “Guided Hydra Rockets: Program Halts & New Entries” for more information and updates re: competitive programs from Lockheed Martin, Korea, Raytheon, ATK, et. al. March 2/07: USN Competitor – LOGIR. Korea and the United States have agreed to cooperate in developing guided air-launched rockets, signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for “LOGIR” (Low-Cost Guided Imaging Rocket) development. The budget for this project is reportedly more than $60 million. See “Guided Hydra Rockets: Program Halts & New Entries” for more information and updates. BAE/GD APKWS (click to view larger) April 27/06: The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command (AMCOM) awards a 3-year, $45.7 million contract to BAE Systems in Nashua, NH for the system development and demonstration of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II. The contract includes priced options for qualification of the system and 2 years of Low Rate Initial Production that could begin as early as 2007. The total program, if all options are exercised, will be $96.1 million. Interestingly, BAE Systems uses a mid-body guidance approach. The guidance component is its Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS), which is also used in the Army’s Precision Guided Mortar Munitions Program. BAE Systems is partnered with General Dynamics (who makes the Hydra rockets) and Northrop Grumman, and is reported to be on track to provide the first production baseline units for evaluation prior to the Critical Design Review in July 2006. See also BAE North America release. DID’s focus article for the Hydra-70 rocket family goes into more detail re: the past history of the APKWS effort, including its cancellation and replacement by the APKWS II competition. BAE wins SDD Sept 29/05: BAE Systems announces [BAE North America release | different BAE Systems release] 2 successful flight tests at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. Their 70mm rockets scored direct hits on laser-designated stationary and moving targets. BAE also announced that it will bid on APKWS II as a prime contractor, along with Northrop Grumman Corp. and General Dynamics. They join other consortia already in the APKWS II competition, led by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Additional Readings Readers with corrections, comments, or information to contribute are encouraged to contact DID’s Founding Editor, Joe Katzman. We understand the industry – you will only be publicly recognized if you tell us that it’s OK to do so. BAE Systems – Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS). See also video page. BAE Systems – Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) DID Spotlight article – Guided Hydra Rockets: Program Halts & New Entries. Covers Lockheed Martin’s competing DAGR, which was formally unveiled as a complete, for-sale system on Sept 11/07, the US-Korean LOGIR program, and efforts from Canada, Israel, the UAE, France, and beyond. APKWS-II will have a lot of competitors. DID FOCUS article – Hydra-70 Rockets: From Cutbacks to the Future of Warfare. View the full article

Americas The X-37B has landed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility on November 12 after spending 908 days in space. Orbital Test Vehicle-6 (OTV-6) was installed with a service module-a ring for the first time and the module detached from the OTV before landing. An F-15C assigned to the 144th Fighter Wing was forced to make an emergency landing at Fresno Yosemite International Airport after the fighter started venting fuel in flight. The incident took place on the morning of November 10 and the fighter wing says the incident poses no hazard to the public. Middle East & Africa Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has unveiled a compact, lightweight electronic support measures system, deployable on a range of ground, sea, and air platforms. An unnamed customer has placed the first order for tens of the system, named TacSense, the Israeli defense technology firm revealed. The system’s small size allows discreet installation on ground-based military assets, while individual ground soldiers can carry the manpack version easily, even in challenging terrain. Europe Airbus A400M MSN4 has been retired at Bremen after flying for 12 years and more than 2,000 flight hours. During this period, the transport aircraft was instrumental in the development A400M program, participating in tests to develop new capabilities such as air-to-air refueling. It served as a tanker and a receiver. Lockheed Martin won an $11.5 million contract modification, which exercises an option to extend services to provide ongoing sustainment services and outcomes, to include supporting daily flight operations with the Freedom of Action specific capabilities required at various F-35 operating sites for the government of the United Kingdom. Work will take place in Fort Worth, Texas. Expected completion date will be in March 2023. Asia-Pacific India’s last Rafale fighter that is still in France will return home to India around December 15. It has been in France as a platform for developing India-specific enhancements. The Rafale is a 4.5-generation aircraft and has helped India regain its supremacy over Indian sub-constituent skies with long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles along with advanced radar and electronic warfare capabilities. Today’s Video WATCH: Meet The X-37B: NASA’s Most Extreme Aircraft View the full article