HG S2 (Intel Bot)

Everyone wants to talk about the DF-21D, the "Carrier Killer." I don't think we are talking enough about the DF-26. I'm pondering over at USNIBlog ... come by and puzzle your puzzler with me. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=zHbCsP1J31A:t-0nI_R18Wk:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=zHbCsP1J31A:t-0nI_R18Wk:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=zHbCsP1J31A:t-0nI_R18Wk:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=zHbCsP1J31A:t-0nI_R18Wk:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FAFV/~4/zHbCsP1J31AView the full article

One of the best things a military can do - it actually is a requirement - it to look at the most recent conflicts of other nations at a similar technological stage for hints at what does and does not work at war. Theories and exercises at peace can be dangerously misleading. Only by looking at what happens at war can you be prepared for when it is your turn. The most recent iteration of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is one such example. How could this inform Taiwan? Eric Chan over at The Diplomat looked at that angle; However, the first and most obvious lesson of the Armenia-Azerbaijan war is that through massed unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), it is possible for ground forces to cheaply replicate elements of a robust air force at a localized level. ... Azerbaijan used a significant number of “unmanned” AN-2 biplanes as decoys to locate Armenian air defense and artillery. These decoys were quite low-tech: the pilots simply aimed at the cheap biplanes at Armenian lines, strapped the controls with belts to maintain course, and bailed out. Paired with strike UAS, this proved to be an extremely cost-effective method of revealing and then targeting an enemy air defense. Those are just a couple of observations. Good stuff to ponder. Give it a read. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=88cTQJIbGgQ:LwJJU8RZiEo:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=88cTQJIbGgQ:LwJJU8RZiEo:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=88cTQJIbGgQ:LwJJU8RZiEo:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=88cTQJIbGgQ:LwJJU8RZiEo:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FAFV/~4/88cTQJIbGgQView the full article

Americas Northrop Grumman Systems won a $185.7 million deal for the A-10 Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP) Legacy VII. This contract provides for sustaining engineering services of A-10 aircraft. The A-10 Thunderbolt is also known as the Warthog, the ‘flying gun’ and the Tankbuster. The aircraft was used extensively during Operation Desert Storm, in support of Nato operations in response to the Kosovo crisis, in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Work will take place in Clearfield, Utah. Expected completion date is December 13, 2030. Boeing won a $79.6 million deal for F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System low rate initial production. The Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System provides the US Air Force F-15 fleet with advanced electronic warfare technology to maximize mission effectiveness and survivability. Developed by BAE Systems as a sub-contractor to Boeing, the EPAWSS is designed to sample the radio frequency (RF) spectrum, identify threats, prioritize, and allocate jamming resources against them, and will replace the 1980s-vintage Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite (TEWS) currently fitted to the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) about 220 F-15E Strike Eagles. It is also one of the systems earmarked for the service’s latest F-15EX Advanced Eagle, of which as many as 200 are slated for eventual procurement. Work will take place in San Antonio, Texas. Estimated completion date is December 13, 2026. Middle East & Africa Moscow has struck a deal with Khartoum to establish its first naval outpost on the continent. On December 8, the Russian government officially announced its agreement with Sudan to build a modern port and establish a navy base for at least 25 years. The new port, along with Russia’s base in the Syrian city of Tartus, will strengthen its military presence in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. The port in Sudan will be Russia’s first military base in Africa, providing a convenient docking station for Russian battleships for refuel and repair. Europe A plan to use sustainable sources for up to 50 percent of military aviation fuel was announced by British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace this week. The British Ministry of Defense on Saturday said it would look to algae, alcohol, household waste, wood and biomass as potential sources of fuel for the nation’s F-35 and Typhoon planes and Wildcat helicopters. Aviation fuel consumes nearly two-thirds of fuel used by the British military, the ministry said. New aviation fuel standards in effect since November call for a reduction in emissions and carbon footprints, and complement the British government’s goal of net zero emissions throughout the country by 2050. Safran’s 1,000-kg AASM precision guided munition has carried out two inert separation tests from a Rafale fighter. The tests were conducted at the French defense procurement agency DGA’s Cazaux flight test center in southwest France.This paves way for the first live firing tests to be conducted in 2021. The separation dynamics observed during the two firings were in line with simulations. These industrial validation tests were designed to check the correct sequencing of all components of the wing hardpoint and the weapon, as well as the wing deployment mechanism on the range extension kit. Asia-Pacific South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration has provisionally declared the Korea Aerospace Industries Light Armed Helicopter fit for combat. KAI announced in an 11 December statement that DAPA’s assessment, which came five years and six months after the launch of the LAH project, “lays the foundation” for mass production of the helicopter, development of which is due to be completed by late 2022. Today’s Video Watch: The Insane Engineering of the A-10 Warthog View the full article

Americas General Atomics won a $305.2 million deal for MQ-9 Reaper contractor logistics support. The deal provides for program management, contractor filed service representative support, depot repair, depot maintenance, sustaining engineering support, supply and logistics support, configuration management, tech data maintenance, software maintenance and inventory control point/warehouse support for the MQ-9. The Reaper is designed primarily to disable or destroy time-sensitive targets and has a secondary function as an intelligence-gathering platform. The service branch will obligate $65.4M at the time of award from its fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds. Work will take place in Poway, California. Estimated completion date is December 31, 2022. The US Navy’s 30-year shipbuilding plan calls for building 82 new ships by 2026 at a cost of $147 billion, a significant increase over previous plans. The “Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels“ calls for construction of three new attack submarines, four large unmanned surface vessels, designation of a second shipbuilder for frigates and retirement of most of the Navy’s current cruiser fleet. It also refers to development of light amphibious warships and next-generation logistics programs. These plans differ from previous Navy projections, which in part include an increase of 44 ships between Fiscal Years 2021 and 2026 at a cost of $102 billion. Middle East & Africa According to local reports Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), via Indian company HAL Hyderabad, will start manufacturing components for IAI subsidiary ELTA’s AESA radar in India.The type of radar in question is the ELTA ELM-2052. HAL will manufacture gallium arsenide-based modules using ToT for about 54 ELTA AESA radars, which were ordered for the ongoing Jaguar Darin-III aircraft upgrade program. Europe Lockheed Martin won a $43.6 million contract modification for the US as well as the United Kingdom to provide Strategic Weapon System Trident Fleet support, Trident II SSP Shipboard Integration (SSI) Increment 8, SSI Increment 16, Columbia class and UK Dreadnought class Navigation Subsystem development efforts. According to Lockheed Martin, the Trident II D5 is the latest generation of the US Navy’s submarine-launched fleet ballistic missiles, following the highly successful Polaris, Poseidon, and Trident I C4 programs. First deployed in 1990, the Trident II D5 missile is currently aboard OHIO-class and British VANGUARD-class submarines. Each Trident II missile has a range of 4,000 to 7,000 miles. The Navy started the D5 Life Extension Program in 2002 to replace obsolete components using as many commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts as possible to keep costs down and to enhance the missile’s capability. Work will take place in New York, California, Florida and Massachusetts. Expected completion date is November 30, 2023. Hungary has decided to replace the Soviet-era P-37, PRV-17 and ST-68U radars with the ELM-2084 radar made by Israel. The contract was signed with Rheinmetall Canada last week by Chief of the Staff Lt. Gen. Ferenc Korom. Deliveries will start from 2022. The number of radars to be purchased is unknown. ELTA’s ELM-2084 is a ground-based, mobile multi-mission radar with a 3D active electronically steered array. It is capable of detecting and tracking both aircraft and ballistic targets and providing fire control guidance for missile interception or artillery air defense. The IDF employs several variants of the radar as an air defense and artillery detection radar, and fire control radar for its air defense systems (Iron Dome and David’s Sling). Asia-Pacific The United States officially returned 12 former military bases to South Korea, but questions are being raised about environmental contamination, according to South Korean press reports. The two militaries agreed to the handover on Friday during a virtual meeting, but were unable to solve an impasse over costs of any cleanup on bases like Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul, Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo reported. Discussions ended after the two sides agreed to continue cost sharing negotiations. A South Korean government official who spoke to reporters Friday said 24 out-of-use bases returned in the past cost Seoul about $202 million in decontamination costs. Today’s Video Watch: MQ-9 Reaper: The Most Feared U.S. Air Force Drone in Action View the full article

Over the last few years, I have come to the firm opinion that both structurally and culturally, the US Navy is incapable of fixing itself. We have run out of time and are actually past time. To continue to work inside the same infrastructure, policies, laws, and personalities and expect a different result is insanity. We need relief from Congress. Yes, that Congress. We need a new law and mindset towards acquisition and program management in line with a Goldwater-Nichols replacement. The latest datapoint is the absolute state of our cruiser fleet. Like so many of the problems we have with the quality, quantity, and utility of the fleet we have today, this was all unavoidable. It was also very predictable. We are, in spades, enjoying the fruits of Transformationalism rounded up with a decorative acquisition system which seems to be intentionally designed to prevent the development of an effective fleet. We had a series of leaders who made wrong bet, and then doubled down or allowed themselves to be distracted by the political fashion of the moment instead – as it is always easier to seek the praise of those who sneer at you, than to work hard for those you lead. The latest chapter of “The Terrible 20s” can be seen in an under-examined part of the latest 30-yr shipbuilding plan … the decommissionings; In 2022: Six Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers will be placed in reserve: San Jacinto (CG 56), Hue City (CG 66), Anzio (CG 68) Vella Gulf (CG 72) and Port Royal (CG 73). ... In 2023: Two Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers will be placed in reserve: Bunker Hill (CG 52) and Mobile Bay (CG 53). ... In 2024: Two Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers will be placed in reserve: Antietam (CG 54) and Shiloh (CG 67). In 2026: One Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser will be placed in reserve: Chancellorsville (CG 62). While the budget will determine how much we will buy and how close we get to the goals of the 30-yr shipbuilding plan, the decommissioning schedule you can roughly count on. Time, wear and tear, and the issues of deferred maintenance will ensure that. If we can’t build more than we scrap, we are a degrading force. So, at a time when the Chinese Communists have a modern cruiser in serial production and even the Italians will cut steel on a slightly under-armed but still cruiser sized warship, why is the world’s premier Navy being left hoping the latest flight of DDG’s designed during the Cold War will carry the day? Simply – we have an ossified, adhesion filled pile of accretions that is our acquisition system. To compound the problem, we do not seem to have the right mindset when it comes to ship design. Just recall the disaster that was CG(X). If we were a properly functioning organization, we would already have Hull-1 ready for deployment, Hull-2 about to commission, and serial production for the next decade. We would also already have plans for the steel cut on the hull in 2025 of the first Flight II of the class, and already be briefing the follow-on CG class. Instead, in a period as long as two World Wars, we wait … while the Chinese Communist Navy moves from strength to strength, and allied navies with but a small fraction of our shipbuilding budget have modern ships with proven weapons in production. It has been over a decade since I warned of The Terrible 20s. Here we are. The cruiser crisis of the 2020s is just a small part of a complex problem we are involved with that has economic, political, and demographic factors that would be here regardless of the decisions at OPNAV. Our self-generated failures just compound the challenges. If anyone you associate with is a senior uniformed or civilian leader in our Navy or industry is panicked or surprised – note that. That just informs you that this person cannot see past the FY they are in. They are a danger to the people who work for them, the organizations they lead, and the nation and Navy they serve. This is not a wake call, this is a reckoning. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=O2AccTabbts:7mgwYN-eTAM:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=O2AccTabbts:7mgwYN-eTAM:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=O2AccTabbts:7mgwYN-eTAM:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=O2AccTabbts:7mgwYN-eTAM:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FAFV/~4/O2AccTabbtsView the full article

Americas Raytheon won a $38.8 million contract modification for the production of two Fire Control System MK 99 ship sets and the associated technical engineering services in support of the Aegis Combat System on DDG-51 class ships. The DDG 51 Class are the Arleigh Burke class destroyers in service with the US Navy. They are multi-mission warships with offensive and defensive capability in multi-threat air, surface, and subsurface environments. The USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), the first ship and namesake of the class, was commissioned on July 4, 1991. Since then 62 more ships have been commissioned. The MK-99 Fire Control System (FCS) is a major component of the AEGIS Combat System, a centralized, automated, command-and-control and weapons control system that was designed as a total weapon system, from detection to kill. It controls the loading and arming of the selected weapon, launches the weapon, and provides terminal guidance for AAW missiles. FCS controls the continuous wave illuminating radar, providing a very high probability of kill. Work will take place in Massachusetts, Virginia, Rhode Island and California. Estimated completion is in August 2024. Northrop Grumman won a $73.2 million delivery order for Remote Visual Assessment II production and deployment for the Minutemen III. This delivery order provides for modification to the Remote Visual Assessment program by adding six capabilities to procure, produce, remove, install, audit, test and document the equipment. The Minuteman III is a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile developed by Boeing to carry single or multiple nuclear warheads and serve a part in the US nuclear deterrence triad. Work will take place in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. Estimated completion date is July 31, 2023. Middle East & Africa Brazilian aircraft manufacturer had suffered a cyber attack on November 25. Although the company did not disclose what was stolen, those files were made available on a website hosted on the dark web. One of those files that was made available by the hackers was a 4.4MB file of the Nigerian A-29 program. The African state has an order for 12 A-29 light attack aircraft. The airplane maker said the attackers had “access to only a single environment,” and that the incident caused only a temporary impact on “some of its operations.” Europe British company BAE Systems received a $60 million contract to deliver additional advanced missile seekers for LRASM. The seeker comprises long-range sensors and targeting technology that help the stealthy missile find and engage protected maritime targets in challenging electromagnetic environments. According to the company, LRASM combines ‘extended range with increased survivability and lethality to deliver long-range precision strike capabilities’. Work on the LRASM sensor will be conducted at BAE Systems’ facilities in Wayne, New Jersey; Greenlawn, New York; and Nashua, New Hampshire. Asia-Pacific News reports from Japan said that Lockheed Martin has been chosen to assist Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) in the development of the F-X fighter. Officials say the American company will provide assistance in the avionics and weapons integration. It will also assist in improving the plane’s aerodynamics and stealth characteristics. The F-X fighter program will cost around $40 billion; and the new fighter will replace Japan’s aging fleet of F-2 fighters, which were also developed by MHI and Lockheed Martin two decades ago. Kyodo News reports that the Japanese Ministry of Defense has drop its request for $205 million in the budget next year for the modification of F-15 to carry the JASSM. The report says the modification is now in doubt as the development cost has soared by five times as electrical components required are in short supply and suppliers need to restart production lines to make them. Today’s Video Watch: F-X Future Fighter Jet – Japan’s Most Sophisticated Fighter To Deal With The Competition From China View the full article

LGM-30G Minuteman III (click to view full) For 50 years, land-based Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) have been part of the US primary strategic deterrence capability, the nuclear-armed triad that also includes submarine-launched ballistic missiles and long range heavy bombers. Although the main target for the US deterrent – the Soviet Union – imploded in 1991, other threats – such as nuclear-armed rogue states and non-state actors – have emerged. To address these new threats, the US Air Force undertook a major ICBM modernization program. To carry out this program, the USAF awarded a 15-year ICBM Prime Integration Contract (F42610-98-C-0001) in 1997 to a team led by Northrop Grumman. Since then, the team, which includes Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and ATK, has been carrying out a major modernization of the ICBM system to ensure its readiness. ICBM Prime Minuteman III launch The ICBM Prime Integration Contract covers modernization of thousands of missile propulsion, guidance, re-entry, and ground system components. The goal is to extend the US Minuteman III ICBM’s life to 2030. Some of the larger programs covered by the contract include: ICBM Security Modernization Program, which is implementing steps to keep nuclear-tipped ICBMs securely in their silos; Safety Enhanced Re-entry Vehicle (SERV) Program, which is fitting Minuteman III ICBMs with the Mk 21 re-entry vehicle from the decommissioned Peacekeeper missile force – a change that will provide US Strategic Command planners with increased targeting flexibility and enhanced safety; Propulsion Replacement Program, which is remanufacturing motors to replace Minuteman III’s aging propellant to maintain booster reliability; Guidance Replacement Program, which is substituting the NS-50 missile guidance set for aging 1960s vintage guidance electronics, improving flight reliability, system maintainability, and nuclear safety; Propulsion System Rocket Engine Life Extension Program, which is replacing engine components originally produced in the 1970s that had a 10-year design life; Rapid Execution and Combat Targeting Service Life Extension Program, which is updating ICBM command and control capability; Minuteman Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network program, which upgraded communications in all Minuteman III launch control centers and also connected these systems to the Milstar satellite communications system; and Improvement to the launch control centers, accomplished through the Environmental Control System program, which is upgrading climate controls to ensure that electronics and ground support systems are maintained at specified pre-set temperatures. Contracts and Key Events Still Ready. Numerous contract modifications have been issued under the ICBM Prime Integration Contract (F42610-98-C-0001). Below are contract modifications covered by DID over the years. Unless otherwise noted, the contracts are awarded by Hill Air Force Base in northern Utah to Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems in Clearfield, UT. December 14/20: Remote Visual Assessment Northrop Grumman won a $73.2 million delivery order for Remote Visual Assessment II production and deployment for the Minutemen III. This delivery order provides for modification to the Remote Visual Assessment program by adding six capabilities to procure, produce, remove, install, audit, test and document the equipment. The Minuteman III is a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile developed by Boeing to carry single or multiple nuclear warheads and serve a part in the US nuclear deterrence triad. Work will take place in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. Estimated completion date is July 31, 2023. September 10/20: GBSD Design Northrop Grumman Systems won a $13.3 million contract for a tested and fully qualified design of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD). The GBSD will replace the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Weapon system. The deal will provide for the engineering and manufacturing of the GBSD. The GBSD is a US land-based intercontinental ballistic missile system in the early stages of development, slated to replace all 450 Minuteman III missiles in service with the United States Air Force from 2027 onward. Work will take place in Roy, Utah and other locations. Estimated completion will be in February 2029. September 4 /20: Test Launch A test launch on September 2 of an unarmed Minuteman III missile shows that the nuclear deterrent remains safe and reliable, according to the US Air Force. The Air Force Global Strike Command successfully launched the intercontinental ballistic missile, equipped with a test reentry vehicle, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The reentry vehicle traveled about 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. “These test launches verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system, providing valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent,” the Air Force said in a statement following the launch. August 18/20: GBSD The US Air Force Global Strike Command announced on August 14 that military construction activities to support the initial beddown of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) will start as early as 2023. F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming is the first site followed by Malmstrom AFB, Montana in 2026 and Minot AFB, North Dakota, beginning in 2029. The GBSD will replace the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. August 10/20: Service Life Extension Northrop Grumman Systems won a $21.9 million task order for the Minuteman III Fast Rising B-Plug service life extension. The LGM-30G Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, is an element of the nation’s strategic deterrent forces under the control of the Air Force Global Strike Command. The Minuteman is a strategic weapon system using a ballistic missile of intercontinental range. Missiles are dispersed in hardened silos to protect against attack and connected to an underground launch control center through a system of hardened cables. Launch crews, consisting of two officers, perform around-the-clock alert in the launch control center. Work will take place in Layton, Utah. Expected completion date is November 17, 2022. July 24/20: Sustainment Northrop Grumman won a $16.3 million task order under the ground subsystems sustainment contract for the Minuteman III general sustainment. The LGM-30G Minuteman III is a three-stage, solid-fueled, intercontinental-range ballistic missile. The Minuteman III is the sole land-based component of the US nuclear triad. The Minuteman III has a fast launch time, nearly 100 percent testing reliability, and backup airborne launch controllers to preserve retaliatory capabilities. The Minuteman missile program began in 1958 and the first missile in the series, Minuteman I, was test-launched in February 1961. Minuteman II, the second version in the series, was launched in 1964. Unlike its predecessor, the missile was considerably advanced to strike multiple targets with high accuracy. Work will take place in Layton, Utah and is estimated to be finished by August 31, 2021. May 21/20: Two New Teams The Air Force announced that its Nuclear Weapons Center is breaking up the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Systems Directorate into two new directorate teams: the Minuteman III Systems Directorate and the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, or GBSD, Systems Directorate. “This restructuring is a natural progression of the Air Force’s increasing focus on the modernization of the ICBM, the third leg of our strategic nuclear triad,” said Maj. Gen. Shaun Morris, AFNWC commander and Air Force program executive officer for strategic systems. The NWC synchronizes all aspects of nuclear materiel management on behalf of Air Force Materiel Command in support of Air Force Global Strike Command, with more than 1,300 personnel assigned to 18 locations around the world. The Minuteman III Systems Directorate will be led by Col. Luke Cropsey, currently the ICBM Systems director. The GBSD Systems Directorate will be led by Col. Jason Bartolomei, who is currently the system program manager for GBSD and will continue to serve in that role. October 18/19: Mk21A Lockheed Martin won a $108,3 million deal for the Mk21A Reentry Vehicle program. The contract is to conduct technology maturation and risk reduction to provide a low technical risk and affordable RV capable of delivering the W87-1 warhead from the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Weapon System. The Air Force Nuclear Weapon Center has determined it necessary to develop a Reentry Vehicle for the W87-1 warhead that will be deployed on the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Weapon System. The W87 is a thermonuclear missile warhead. Work will take place in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and is expected to be finished by October 2022. July 16/19: Multiprobe Antenna Textron Defense Systems won a $51.3 million contract modification for the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Weapon System multiprobe antenna procurement. The Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile or ICBM is an element of the USA’s strategic deterrent forces under the control of the Air Force Global Strike Command. It is a strategic weapon system using a ballistic missile of intercontinental range. Missiles are dispersed in hardened silos to protect against attack and connected to an underground launch control center through a system of hardened cables. Textron will perform work in Wilmington, Massachusetts, and expected completion date is July 13, 2029. May 6/19: Launch The US Air Force launched a Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The unarmed rocket equipped with a test re-entry vehicle took off at 2:42 a.m. on Wednesday. The missile traveled approximately 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. According to the Air Force, the test was designed to verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system in an effort “to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent. The Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and US Strategic Command use data collected from test launches for ongoing force development evaluation. April 18/19: Minuteman Maintenance Lockheed Martin Space won an $879 million contract to support the US Air Force in maintaining re-entry system and vehicle subsystems for the intercontinental ballistic missile platform. The potential 11-year contract includes maintenance, sustainment, developmental and production engineering, aging surveillance, alteration and software maintenance support for Minuteman III RS/RV equipment. The ICBM is a strategic weapon system using a ballistic missile of intercontinental range. The Minuteman III ICBM is currently the US Air Force’s only operational land-based strategic nuclear missile and can reach targets more than 6,000 miles away. Missiles are dispersed in hardened silos to protect against attack and connected to an underground launch control center through a system of hardened cables. Launch crews, consisting of two officers, perform around-the-clock alert in the launch control center. Lockheed will perform work in Pennsylvania and Utah and expects completion by June 4, 2030. November 15/18: Package Boeing is being awarded with extra funding in support of the US’ Minuteman III ICBM system. Awarded by the Air Force Nuclear Weapon Center, the additional $70.5 million cover specification changes for the ICBM’s Missile Flight Test, Telemetry, and Termination program. This includes changes to the management plan and flight termination receiver; and to the electromagnetic interference, cable qualification and antenna testing requirements. The Minuteman III has been an essential part of the USA’s nuclear strike capability for decades and will remain in service through 2030. The Minuteman III has a fast launch time, nearly 100 percent testing reliability, and backup airborne launch controllers to preserve retaliatory capabilities. The Minuteman’s telemetry, test, and termination systems are packaged in a wafer-like package called the Mod 7 that fits on test versions of the Minuteman between the missile’s reentry system and missile guidance set. During tests, Mod 7 transmits data from sensors aboard the test missiles that monitor the missile’s behavior before and during flight. The telemetry, test, and termination systems transmit telemetry data in real time on the missile’s critical on-board components like batteries booster stage pressure chambers, and guidance section. Most of the work will be performed in Huntington Beach, California. Performance is expected to be completed by January 29, 2021. October 19/18: Cryptography II Boeing is being tapped to support the US Intercontinental Ballistic Missile modernisation program which intends to keep the Minuteman III operational through 2030. The company will deliver eight digital components and 75 message processor drawers in compliance with the government’s minimum requirement for the ICBM program under this $55.6 million undefinitized contract. This action supports the program’s Cryptography Upgrade Increment II, which fully integrates KS-60 capabilities of remote key/code change and irreversible code transformation. Work under the sole-sourced and firm-price-incentive-fee contract will take place in Huntsville, Alabama and Huntington Beach, California. The project is slated for completion on February 11, 2019. August 1/16: Two contracts are to be awarded by the USAF in 2017 for a new Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) weapons system, or ground-based strategic deterrent. On Friday, the service released a request for proposals for the replacement of the existing Minutemen III ICBMs as part of the military’s costly modernization of its atomic weapons systems. The next ten years will see up to $350 billion spent on the modernization with some analysts suggesting the costs will run in excess of $1 trillion over 30 years. June 8/16: The USAF has claimed it is not looking at a road-mobile option for its next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Under the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program the aging Minuteman III ICBM fleet will be replaced. Speaking about the mobile option, a service official said “We want to make sure that as we look at GBSD, we’re building it modular so if changes need to be made in the weapon system you don’t have to open up, let’s say, the software to redo the entire software.” March 14/11: Lockheed Martin announces it received a $12.5 million contract from Northrop Grumman for refurbishment of re-entry vehicle arming and fuzing assemblies for the Minuteman III. Under the subcontract, Lockheed Martin Space System’s Valley Forge facility in King of Prussia, PA will replace components and refurbish and test the assemblies. The subcontract includes an option for a second year. Under an earlier contract in 2009, Lockheed Martin demonstrated the feasibility of the refurbishment effort. Lockheed Martin is the original equipment manufacturer for the arming and fuzing assembly. Oct 6/10: Lockheed Martin announces it received a $106 million contract from Northrop Grumman to develop next-generation re-entry field support equipment (RFSE) for the Minuteman III. Under the 58-month contract, Lockheed Martin will design, develop, test, and deliver 2 sets of RFSE, with an additional 10 RFSE sets to be delivered in a follow-on contract. The RFSE will replace the aging Minuteman III Re-entry System Test Set (RSTS). Lockheed Martin will continue to sustain the RSTS, for which it is the original equipment manufacturer, until deployment of the replacement RFSE, which will be used, along with SERV support equipment, to test Mk12A and Mk21 re-entry vehicles. April 19/10: $33.8 million to provide sustainment support for the Minuteman weapon system. At this time, $31.8 has been obligated. April 2/10: $15.3 million contract to provide a Minuteman enhancement reliability accelerometer engineering and feasibility study, Phase III, prototype phase. At this time, $10.9 million has been obligated. Dec 24/09: A $16.3 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for the exercise of options 12 and 13 for the Propulsion System Rocket Engine Life Extension Program. Nov 19/09: A $31.1 million contract modification to provide for the Remote Visual Assessment Program in support of the ICBM Security Modernization Program. Dec 21/06: A $53.1 million fixed-price-incentive-firm and cost-plus-award fee contract modification, exercising option 1 to continue upgrading the Environmental Control System for the Minuteman III ICBM system. Work is expected to be complete October 2008. Nov 1/06: A $225.2 million cost-plus-fixed fee, cost-plus-incentive fee contract modification to remanufacture Stage 1, 2, and 3 rockets motors and offer product quality assurance test support. The contractor will provide 75 complete booster components sets (one each Stage 1, 2 and 3 motors and an ordnance kit) and 2 product quality assurance test motors. April 6/06: A $34.8 million cost-plus incentive-fee contract modification to begin to provide for full rate production of Minuteman III Safety Enhanced Reentry Vehicles (SERV) on US ICBMs. The scheduled completion date is March 2010. March 17/06: A $7.7 million fixed price incentive (firm target) award fee, firm-fixed price contract modification for Guidance Replacement Program (GRP) full rate production (FRP) Value Engineering Change Proposal 01-OPIC-030 and 01-IPIC-0009. March 17/06: A $25 million fixed price incentive firm with award fee contract modification. This contract will provide environmental control system units, deployment activities, and interim contractor support to upgrade the launch facilities and missile alert facilities at the 3 US ICBM missile wings. Work is expected to be complete October 2007. Jan 19/06: A $225.2 million cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-award-fee contract modification for ICBM Propulsion Replacement Program. Full Rate Production (FRP) options FRP5, FRP6, and FRP7 restructure modification for 212 stage 1, 2 and 3 rocket motors, production quality assurance, ordnance production, and contractor cost data reports. Sept 20/05: A $122.7 million cost plus award fee contract modification to exercise option VIII for the ICBM Prime Integrated Contract to support the Minuteman ICBM. Work on the contract will be complete by September 2006. June 20/05: A $5.9 million cost-plus award-fee contract modification to ensure that US ICBM Reentry Vehicles (which carry nuclear warheads) remain functional until retirement and that an industrial base exists to support replacement follow-on systems. Work is expected to be complete by June 2007. May 19/05: A $24 million cost-plus award-fee contract modification to provide for ICBM Security Modernization Program Fast Rising B-Plug Low Rate Initial Production; 15 B-Plug Kits and 6 B-Plug Kit Installations will be produced under this contract modification. Work is expected to be complete by September 2007. Additional Readings DID (Nov 19/09) – No Dr. Strangelove Here: USAF Takes Steps to Beef Up ICBM Security DID (Dec 21/06) – $53.1M for Minuteman III ECS Upgrades DID (Nov 1/06) – $225.2M to Remanufacture Minuteman III Rocket Motors DID (April 6/06) – SERV Program for “Safety Enhanced” Nuclear Warhead RVs Enters Full-Rate Production DID (March 17/06) – $32.7M to N-G as Part of US ICBM Refurbishment DID (Jan 19/06) – US Spends $225.2M for 212 ICBM Rocket Motors DID (Sept 20/05) – MX Missiles Deactivated, Minutemen at the Ready (updated) DID (June 20/05) – $5.9M to Keep ICBM Warheads Operational DID (May 19/05) – $24M for ICBM Security Doors DID (April 11/05) – $7M to Upgrade ICBM Readiness Testing View the full article

Super Tucano Embraer’s EMB-314 Super Tucano trainer and light attack turboprop continues to rack up global orders, solidifying its position as the globe’s pre-eminent manned counter-insurgency aircraft. The latest order set of about $180 million expands the plane’s footprint into 3 African states: Angola, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania. They join Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Indonesia as customers for this aircraft. The Super Tucano is known as the A-29 or ALX in Brazil, but abroad, it’s the EMB 314 successor to Embraer’s widely-used EMB 312 Tucano trainer. A-29 is better for marketing, though, and Embraer is trying to shift the designation. The Super Tucano offers better flight performance than the EMB 312 Tucano, plus armoring and wing-mounted machine guns, weapons integration with advanced surveillance and targeting pods, precision-guided bombs, and even air-to-air missiles. This makes it an excellent territorial defense and close support plane for low-budget air forces, as well as a surveillance asset with armed attack capability. Brazil uses it this way, for instance, alongside very advanced EMB-145 airborne radar and maritime patrol jet platforms. Meanwhile, in Africa… Contracts & Key Events (click to view full) In March 2012, Embraer announced that the total value of all 3 contracts to Angola, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania comes to “more than $180 million” for around 10 planes. This includes “extensive” support, training, and replacement parts packages. In April 2013, they announced a 4th customer: Senegal, and Ghana joined that list in 2014. In January 2015, the United Arab Emirates committed UAE to procure a couple dozen Super Tucanos on behalf of Iraq in a deal that is not quite settled. Angola Angolan EMB-314 (click to view full) Angola sits far down Africa’s southwestern coast. The regime maintains a sizable and advanced fighter force by African standards, at least on paper. Questions abound as to how many of the of those Soviet and Russian fighters are still operational. They have ordered 6 Super Tucanos for counter-insurgency roles, which will join 6 ex-Peruvian EMB-312 Tucanos that were bought in 2002. Angola is an authoritarian regime, and the country’s economy would be in desperate shape if not for recent oil drilling activity off of its coasts. A 2010 report by the conservative US Heritage Foundation tabbed Angola as China’s #1 supplier of oil, passing Saudi Arabia. As is so often true in Africa, the next question involves how much of that oil wealth is ever seen by the population at large. The country went through a long civil war that lasted from the 1980s to 2002, and the northern enclave of Cabinda is still a focus of separatist activity. Jan 31/13: The first 3 Super Tucanos are formally handed over to the National Air Force of Angloa, at a ceremony held in Embraer’s Gaviao Peixoto facility near Sao Paulo, Brazil. These first 3 aircraft were to be delivered in 2012, so they’re a bit late. Angola is far from Mali’s headline making war, but as noted above, the country has its own problems. Embraer. Burkina Faso This landlocked country in West Africa had already received their 3 Super Tucanos by the time the arch 2012 announcement was made, and were using them on border patrol missions. Adding the Super Tucanos gives the country operational fixed-wing combat aircraft again, though they’re also an AT-802 Air Tractor customer. The AT-802U variant can easily be reconfigured for armed roles, or act as the locust sprayer the country’s AT-802 was purchased to be. In that part of the world, the locusts are a security risk that can easily measure up to any regional turmoil. Burkina Faso has a good record of free and fair elections by African standards, and dealt with widespread spring 2011 protests through the political process. Its neighbors are Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, and Togo. In March 2012, we wrote that “some of [these neighbors] harbor regional turmoil that risks spilling over. The Super Tucanos should help to keep an eye on things, and provide a low-key deterrent to trouble.” Things certainly have spilled over in Mali, and the conflict is not confined to that country’s borders. Burkina Faso is a member of the USA’s Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP), and its Super Tucanos are probably fairly busy at the moment. Ghana Ghana sits directly south of Burkina Faso, between the Ivory Coast and Togo. Until recently lauded as a model of development among its sub-Saharan peers, the country has been facing rising inflation and public deficits as of late. A mounting backlog of unpaid wages to defense and security contractors has been piling up. Piracy has also been booming in the Gulf of Guinea, with an oil tanker gone missing for a week off the coast of Ghana in June 2014. Mark Owen Woyongo, at the time Minister of Defense, first said in March 2014 that the acquisition of 6 Super Tucanos was under consideration, for use at a flying school to be built in Tamale, Ghana’s 3rd city. President John Dramani Mahama then confirmed in November 2014 that the country would buy an unspecified quantity of Super Tucanos, along with Chinese Z-9 helicopters, more M-17 Russian helos, and an additional C-295 tactical transport. The Z-9s are expected to be delivered in June 2015 at the forthcoming Tamale training base. The Super Tucanos are meant to be used for training and attack. Confirmation came on 18 February from President John Dramani Mahama, indicating that five Super Tucanos will be purchased, along with the Z-9s and other equipment. December 14/15: Ghana is set to increase it’s fleet of Embraer Super Tucanos in 2016. The order of four more of the aircraft will see a previous contract increase to nine in total. The acquisition is also to include logisitical support and training for pilots as well as maintenance training for mechanics. The announcement comes as the Ghanaian government has been improving the capabilities of its air force to support troops participating in UN peace keeping missions in the region. Mauritania Mauritanian EMB-314 (click to view full) This country, which sits on Africa’s northwest coasts, is simply mentioned as a customer that “chose the A-29 Super Tucano to carry out counter-insurgency missions.” The country has a very small air force, and its 3-4 ex-French EMB 312 Tucano aircraft are old. Given the overall order total given, and generally understood costs for the Super Tucano, they may have bought just 1 aircraft. The country is active in the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara (OEF-TS), including operations across borders in cooperation with its neighbor Mali, and has fought a number of skirmishes in Mauritania with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. This has been a balancing act for the USA, which has also issued reports citing Mauritania’s Arab rulers for organized repression of its black population, up to and including slavery and human trafficking. That’s a very old pattern for the area, but it’s even more distressing to current sensibilities. It wasn’t distressing enough to block sales, however, even in a racially mixed country like Brazil. Oct 22/12: Embraer hands over “the first light attack and advanced training A-29 Super Tucano turboprops to the Air Force of Mauritania”, for use in “border surveillance missions.” The handover ceremony takes place at Embraer’s Sao Paulo facility, and their use of the plural form is interesting. Embraer. Nigeria December 14/20: Cyber Attack Brazilian aircraft manufacturer had suffered a cyber attack on November 25. Although the company did not disclose what was stolen, those files were made available on a website hosted on the dark web. One of those files that was made available by the hackers was a 4.4MB file of the Nigerian A-29 program. The African state has an order for 12 A-29 light attack aircraft. The airplane maker said the attackers had “access to only a single environment,” and that the incident caused only a temporary impact on “some of its operations.” September 2/20: Beddown The US Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate’s Foreign Military Sales Construction Division awarded a $36.1 million contract to the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District to support the beddown of a A-29 Super Tucano wing at an air base in Nigeria. The facilities will support 12 Nigerian Air Force A-29 aircraft, and include the construction of new airfield hot cargo pad, perimeter and security fencing, munitions assembly and storage, small arms storage, a flight annex wing building for simulator training, airfield lighting, and various airfield apron, parking, hangar, and entry control point improvements. April 21/20: Maiden Flight The first of 12 Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC)-Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light attack turboprops for Nigeria made its maiden flight at the Florida production facility on April 17. With the successful first flight completed, the aircraft will now be fitted with its mission systems by SNC in Colorado ahead of final trials and the commencement of deliveries to the Nigerian Air Force in 2021. The milestone comes about 30 months after the US Department of Defense (DoD) contracted SNC to deliver the 12 aircraft to Nigeria for use in the fight against the Boko Haram Islamist group. With weapons, the total value of the deal was estimated to be approximately $600 million. Powered by a single 1,600 SHP Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68/3 turboprop engine, the Super Tucano carries two 12.7 mm machine guns (200 rounds each) in the wings and can be configured with additional underwing weaponry such as 20 mm cannon pods, additional 12.7 mm machine guns, rockets pods, precision-guided munitions, and/or ‘dumb’ bombs of up to 1,500 kg. April 11/17: The Trump administration is moving ahead with a plan to sell as much as $600 million worth of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft and related equipment to help the Nigerian Air Force in their fight against the jihadist group Boko Haram. Initial permission had been granted under the previous Obama administration but was put on hold following Nigeria’s bombing of a refugee camp in January. Congress is expected to receive notification on the sale of 12 Super Tucanos and sophisticated targeting gear within weeks, and Trump plans to go ahead with other foreign defense sales delayed under Obama by human rights concerns. May 9/16: Approval is being sought by the Pentagon for the sale of up to 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to Nigeria in order to increase military support for the West African nation’s fight against Boko Haram militants. Congress, which needs to approve the sale, has not yet been notified of the foreign military sale. Increased support from Washington comes as new Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari moves to reform a government and military notorious for graft and corruption. Senegal April 10/13: The Senegalese Air Force signs a contract for 3 A-29 Super Tucano light attack/ advanced training turboprops. The order includes operation and the installation of a training system for pilots and mechanics (TOSS) within Senegal, which will create an independent national training capability – and possibly even a regional capability, if other A-29 customers nearby make arrangements. The cost isn’t revealed, but financing will be handled by Brazil’s BNDES National Economic and Social Development Bank (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social). Embraer’s release states that the planes will be deployed on “border surveillance and internal security missions.” Senegal is a former french colony that sits just below A-29 operator Mauritania, on Africa’s west coast. Its other neighbor is Mali, which was recently the subject of a multinational fight against salafist Islamists, led by the French. If you cross southern Mali, you immediately reach another A-29 customer in Burkina Faso. Embraer. Mali April 9/20: Crash One of the Malian Armed Forces’ four Embraer EMB 314/A-29 Super Tucano light attack turboprops crashed on April 7. The FAMa announced details of the crash later that day, saying it happened near Sévaré Camp in central Mali. The Malian Air Force’s Base Aérienne 102 is located at Sévaré Airport. Chief of Staff of the Air Force Brigadier General Souleymane Doucouré held a press conference during which he identified the aircraft (TZ-04) and the two Malian pilots who were killed. Additional Readings DID – Africa: The Next Defense Market Opportunity? View the full article

F-35A (click to view full) In December 2011, Japan picked Lockheed Martin’s new F-35A stealth fighter as its next fighter aircraft, to replace its aging F-4 “Kai” Phantom fleet. The F-35 was actually their 2nd choice. Back in February 2006, Inside The Air Force (ITAF) reported that momentum was building within the USAF to sell the ultra-advanced F-22A Raptor abroad to trusted US allies, as a way of increasing numbers and production. Japan clearly wanted them, and the Raptor was a topic of diplomatic discussions in several venues, including a 2007 summit meeting. In the end, however, US politics denied export permission for downgraded export variants of the F-22, and its production line was terminated. That left Japan looking at other foreign “F-X” fighter options in the short term, while they considered a domestic stealth fighter design as their long-term project. In the ensuing F-X competition, the F-35 Lightning II beat BAE’s Eurofighter Typhoon, as well as an upgraded F/A-18E Super Hornet from Boeing. Now Lockheed Martin has to deliver, and so will its Japanese partners. Will the F-35A’s price and program delays create problems in Japan? This article looks at the JASDF’s current force, its future options, and ongoing F-X developments. The JASDF: Structure & Choices F-4EJ “Kai(zen)” (click to view full) The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) currently has 3 fighter jet models in its fleet: F-15J/F-15DJ Eagles, its F-4EJ “Kai” and RF-4EJ reconnaissance Phantom IIs, and the Mitsubishi F-2 – a larger, longer-range variant on the F-16C. The Mitsubishi F-1 entered service in 1978 and is still listed on the JASDF web site, but it has now been replaced by F-2s [1]. Now, 42 F-35As will begin to replace the 80-plane F-4 fleet, but that won’t be the end for Japan. The JASDF introduced the F-4EJ in 1973. It currently serves mostly in anti-shipping and other “permitted” strike roles, though it can also be used for air defense and policing. The RF-4EJ reconnaissance version will be replaced by F-15Js with special pods, and Japan has indicated that they will begin retiring the rest of the F-4 fleet early in the 2010s. Japan has top-tier manufacturing experience, but they also had a qualitative and quantitative problem. Japanese firms have already produced F-15Js under license, and designed and produced the Mitsubishi F-2 in conjunction with Lockheed Martin. The F-2 is larger than an F-16 and has more range, but its performance doesn’t compare to an F-15, and it costs nearly as much. The F-2s won’t be built in expected numbers, which means they cannot replace the F-4EJs and RF-4EJs. J-20 Prototype (click to view full) The Japanese had important choices to make, and the 2010 tsunami sharpened that urgency by destroying 18 of Japan’s F-2 fighters. Then China pushed things to the next level, unveiling its J-20 twin-engine stealth fighter prototype. The Phase 1 plan was for Japan to choose a future F-X fighter by the end of 2011, buy about 50, and begin receiving them in 2016. Meanwhile, Japanese industry is trying to figure out how to keep itself busy now that license production of F-15 components and F-2s is ending. The Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies’ proposal involves producing F-X fighters and their F-XX follow-on buy until 2028, and having some of those 100-120 planes replace existing F-15Js as well. That would be followed by a Japanese fighter design, to begin development by 2017 based in part on lessons learned from their ongoing ATD-X stealth technology demonstrator. Japan hopes to fly ATD-X in 2014-2016, and the SJAC’s idea was that its successor could enter production around 2028, as the foreign-designed F-X fighter line closed down. When choosing their initial F-X buy, the Japanese had several options. The Winner: F-35 Lightning II F-35A test flight (click to view full) If stealth is desired, Lockheed Martin’s plane is considered a “second best” option to the F-22. While other contenders have sharply reduced their radar signature when compared to planes like the F-16, the F-35 is significantly ahead because it’s designed for stealth from the outset, including internal weapon bays. As China moved to introduce its own J-20 stealth fighter, that criterion seemed to eclipse all others in Japan’s thinking. “Joint Strike Fighters” also offer exceptional performance in the reconnaissance role, while its set partnership model smooths technology transfer issues. That transferred technology is very important to the Japanese, who are quietly working on stealth fighter concepts of their own. Finally, the F-35 will be widely used, offering commonality with key allies and ensuring a steady stream of upgrades without requiring steady Japanese investment. On the negative side, the F-35’s single-engine design would be a concern during maritime combat air patrols, as it increases the odds of having an engine issue cause the complete loss of the fighter. Beyond that, the F-35’s industrial structure is largely set, its development delays could make on-time deliveries a problem, any early deliveries will cost well over $100 million per plane, and its declared status as a strike fighter clashes somewhat with Japan’s avowedly defensive posture. Rising tensions in the area led Japan to conclude that it needed good ground-attack capabilities as an explicit requirement, and based on their mathematical analysis of submitted information, Japan concluded that the F-35A was more capable all around than other fighters with proven records. The choice was announced in December 2011, and agreement to buy up to 42 fighters was signed in June 2012. Media reports aren’t completely precise, but they seem to suggest that Japanese F-35As could eventually fly with up to 40% Japanese manufactured content. Reports and documents indicate that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. will be involved in work on aircraft bodies, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. on mission-related avionics, and IHI Corp. on engines. DDH-181 Hyuga & USN’s LHD-2, post-tsunami (click to view entire) The F-35B’s STOVL (Short Take Off, Vertical Landing) capabilities might make it an especially valuable future option, as a defensive aircraft that could operate from dispersed land locations, rather than bases that are easily targeted by enemy missiles. It has a shorter range than other variants, but Japan is also fielding 18DDH Hyuga Class helicopter carriers for roles like disaster response, and will soon field larger 22DDH Izumo Class ships. They’re called “helicopter destroyers,” because Japan is currently prohibited from operating aircraft carriers, but it should be noted that other countries are planning to operate F-35Bs from comparably-sized ships. This very fact may inhibit Japan from ordering the F-35B, despite its potential usefulness as a land-based fighter. Japan had other options, too. They included: Boeing: The Traditional Supplier F-15Js (click to view full) Boeing and its predecessor firm McDonnell Douglas supplies the JASDF’s F-4s and F-15s. Their next-generation choices included: Upgraded F-15s Japan could have chosen to go ahead and buy “kaizen” F-15Js at a comparable cost, possibly with the AESA APG-63v3 radar being fielded by Singapore. Additional capability boosts would come from attached pods like ReeceLight or SHARP for reconnaissance, or combination recon/targeting pods like LITENING or Lockheed’s Sniper ATP. The concern in Japan is that this option could leave them without an air-to-air advantage against current PLAAF SU-30MKK aircraft, let alone potential future upgrades like the SU-35, or China’s J-20. Boeing’s new F-15SE “Silent Eagle” appeared to be aimed directly at these concerns. It adds a number of important advances that will help it hold its own with currently-fielded fighters, and is optimized for the kinds of long-range, over-water combat patrols the JASDF requires. In full-stealth mode, its strike capability is sufficiently secondary that it need not raise alarm bells, but it’s still present. While a combined F-15 Kai/ F-15SE buy appeared to be the easiest move, things did not work out that way. Boeing did not submit the F-15SE, and F-15 upgrades will have to be a separate, future issue for Japan. Instead, it submitted… Super Hornet Int’l (click to view full) F/A-18Ei Super Hornet. The base for Boeing’s submission was the AN/APG-79 AESA radar equipped Block II model, and the F/A-18F model has already been sold to Australia. The “Super Hornet International Roadmap” is on the drawing board, adding improved radar signature, the ability to carry weapons in low-RCS underwing pods, better defensive systems, an advanced wide screen cockpit display, and more fuel capacity without increasing drag. The other Super Hornet option for Japan would be even more exotic. Some of Australia’s Super Hornets are being fitted to receive electronic warfare equipment, which would allow conversion to EA-18G signals intercept and jamming fighters. That’s a unique capability, but Japan’s avowedly defensive posture makes it much less useful to them than it is to other countries. Even with the EA-18G option, the Super Hornet was an odd bid choice. Beyond the electronic attack role, it’s less capable than the most current F-15 models, such as Singapore’s F-15SGs. Its main benefits relative to the F-35 and European options involved a low price in the $60 million range, the potential for significant license-production in Japan, and future commonality with Japan’s main defense partner, the US Navy. Buy European Eurofighter: Rising sun? (click to view full) The Eurofighter Typhoon or Dassault Rafale were seen as possibilities, and coupling them with the MBDA Meteor long-range air-air missile might have been very attractive, given Japan’s needs. Price is likely to be close to the F-35, and similar to the option of buying more F-15s. Dassault Aviation declined to participate with its Rafale, and Saab’s single-engine JAS-39 Gripen NG wasn’t a contender, but Eurofighter campaigned hard. Their plane is a very capable twin-engine air superiority aircraft. Tranche 1 versions have very limited ground-attack capabilities that would satisfy “defensive-only” criteria, while the latest “Tranche 3” offers a good set of multi-role capabilities. The plane’s carriage of the long-range Meteor missile, and integrated IRST system that can find even stealth aircraft by their heat signatures, offer another pair of advantages over American contenders. The Super Hornet raised questions of comparative capability relative to China’s new fighters, while industrial and technology sharing remain issues for the F-35, so the Eurofighter had a chance. Their platform did well, but Japan rated theoretical capability very highly, and their desk-bound mathematical analysis hurt Eurofighter. The Typhoon was seen as the most fuel-efficient plane, and its bid had the best industrial benefits for Japan. On the other hand, EADS and BAE had trouble meeting Japan’s purchase cost targets while giving Japanese firms all of that work, and picking it would have meant deviating from Japan’s strongly American industrial links and equipment infrastructure. That’s no small move, in a society that sets such store by deep industrial relationships. What They Really Wanted: F-22s No climbing Mt. Fuji (click to view full) F-22J-EX. The F-22 was at the top of Japan’s wish list, due to its unmatched aerial performance, high level of stealth, and twin-engine design. In February 2006, a Lockheed Martin official confirmed that a proposal to sell Japan F-22s in some form of downgraded “international variant” was working its way through the Air Force with the support of the Japanese government. At the time, it was “at the three- or four-star level” and among civilian decision-makers. The request was pursued at the highest levels of government, but the USA killed the fighter by refusing to export it. Japan’s combination of long sea zones and growing rivalry with China make a long-range, twin-engine, supercruising andunprecedented stealthy interceptor with reconnaissance capabilities a natural choice. Leveraging existing Japanese partnerships with Lockheed and Boeing made it nearly irresistible. With it, Japan would have had unquestioned air superiority over its territory for the foreseeable future. There were clear American advantages to a sale. The USAF originally intended to buy 700-800 F-22 fighters, but that was cut to 442, then 381, and finally to just over 180. That left USAF planners concerned, even as foreign projects like Russia & India’s PAK-FA/SU-50, and China’s J-20, prepared to challenge US air superiority. If upgrades and proliferation led to confirmed fighter overmatch against US aircraft within the next decade, an active F-22 production line would have had considerable strategic and financial value. On the negative side, the F-22’s extensive capabilities made many in the USA very nervous risking security breaches of its electronic architecture, stealth aspects, or next-generation data links. Licensed Japanese production, a standard requirement for other Japanese fighter deals, would be unlikely – or extremely limited if allowed. The aircraft’s $137-160 million base flyaway cost also gives pause, since a Japanese buy would require significant and expensive changes to the plane’s electronics. Some estimates placed the cost of an F-22J at around $250 million per plane. Japan never had a chance to find out, as political moves within the USA blocked all F-22 Raptor exports. The USA was left to support its shrunken fleet all by itself, which includes financing a very expensive set of electronics upgrades over the next several years. Japan’s F-X: Contracts and Key Events 2015 – 2020 NG completes center fuselage Getting ready… (click to view full) December 14/20: Lockheed Martin To Assist News reports from Japan said that Lockheed Martin has been chosen to assist Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) in the development of the F-X fighter. Officials say the American company will provide assistance in the avionics and weapons integration. It will also assist in improving the plane’s aerodynamics and stealth characteristics. The F-X fighter program will cost around $40 billion; and the new fighter will replace Japan’s aging fleet of F-2 fighters, which were also developed by MHI and Lockheed Martin two decades ago. July 7/20: How to proceed News reports from Japan reportedly say the governments of Japan and United States have started talks on how to proceed with the former’s F-X fighter program. According to the reports, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin are involved as well. It is said that the other two American companies are Boeing and Northrop Grumman. While Lockheed’ strength is in stealth technology, Boeing has considerable knowledge on composite materials while Northrop can contribute in radar and electronic warfare technology. April 21/20: Successor Sankei News reports that Japan has created a working group of local and US aerospace companies for the development of the successor to the F-2 fighter. The report added that Britain lost the race for the joint development program as it wants to have the lead and Japan is unwilling to participate in joint development with other countries in the Tempest program. The F-2 is one of the main fighter jets used by the Air Self-Defense Force. According to government officials, about 10 Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., IHI Corp. and Toshiba Corp., will join the conference. Japan will ask three US companies, including Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co., to join the conference. December 4/17: Program News Japan will conclude its Mitsubishi X-2 technology demonstrator aircraft program in March 2018. First flown in April 2016, the first two flights were conducted by manufacturer Mitsubishi before being handed over to the Future Fighter Program (FFP) at Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA). Manger at the FFP, Hirofumi Doi, confirmed that 34 sorties have so far been conducted, and all issues regarding propulsion, the fuel system, and integration had been ironed out prior to the maiden flight. Doi did not confirm if the demonstrator aircraft will complete the 50 test flights originally scheduled, or what will happen to the aircraft once the program concludes. Tokyo will then assess the merits of its future fighter acquisition strategy. Options included developing a new fighter called the F-3 on its own, or developing a fighter with a foreign partner. September 18/17: Issues among the Japanese consortium involved in F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production for Tokyo has led to aircraft assembly falling behind schedule. The industry team chosen—Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. was picked for final assembly and checkups, IHI Corp. for engine parts production and Mitsubishi Electric Corp. for radar parts production—was expected to have joined production of F-35s to be delivered to Japan in fiscal 2017 under the fiscal 2013 contract. However, both IHI Corp. and Mitsubishi Electric Corp. have yet to sign parts production subcontracts with the original equipment manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney and Northrop Grumman respectively. The board added that checks by the Defense Ministry’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency found the local companies’ manufacturing processes to be lacking. June 29/17: Japan is considering a procurement of Kongsberg’s Joint Strike Missile (JSM) for its fleet of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in what is being considered by analysts as “a big step forward in stand-off capability”. At present, Tokyo’s fighters are only equipped with anti-ship missiles, so an added air-to-surface missile strike capability would be welcomed as tensions in the region rise amid North Korean ballistic weapons testing and the controversial deployment of the THAAD missile defense system by the US in South Korea. However, Japan had previously resisted the purchase of air-to-ground munitions, in part not to offend sensibilities in Beijing and Pyongyang, and may now face further accusations of looking to pursue renewed imperial ambitions. June 7/17: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has completed the first assembly of a F-35A in Japan. Unveiled at the firm’s Komaki South Final Assembly and Checkout (FACO) facility on Monday, the ceremony was attended by government officials from the US Department of Defense and Japanese Ministry of Defense as well as members from Mitsubishi and Lockheed Martin. F-35 Program Executive Officer. Adm. Mat Winter said the assembly of the first Japanese built F-35A “is a testament to the global nature of this program.” 38 of Japan’s 42 ordered F-35s will be assembled at MHI’s FACO facility. August 23/16: With a national-record breaking defense budget on the cards for Japan next year, upgrades to increase the country’s air-superiority capabilities are being rolled out by the government. With Japan’s F-35 deployment not due until the end of 2017, plans are underway to upgrade and upgun its current F-15J fleet. Among the changes are plans to double the number of air-to-air missiles the F-15J can carry to 16 as well as an expansion of the jet’s lifespan. July 1/16: Japan is to launch a tender in mid-July for its $40 billion fighter acquisition program which has been dubbed the F-3 fighter jet program. Sources close to the program have revealed that US giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin have already been invited to take part in the project alongside local manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Adding to this, analysts say Japan’s preference for an aircraft that can operate closely with the US military, given close Washington-Tokyo ties, makes a non-US option a long-shot. Regardless, Saab AB and the Eurofighter consortium will none the less be looking for any opportunities to involve themselves in this mega bucks project. April 25/16: Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $73.8 million contract for long lead materials, parts, components, and effort to maintain the planned production schedule for six low-rate initial production Lot 12 F-35A Lightning II aircraft as part of Japan’s procurement of the aircraft under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work is expected to be completed by December 2020. The first four of Japan’s planned 42 planes are in various stages of production at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 facility in Forth Worth, Texas while the remaining 38 Japanese aircraft will be assembled and delivered in Japan from Mitsubishi’s Nagoya factory. February 18/16: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has started final assembly of their first domestically produced F-35A. Assembly has entered its final stages at the Komaki Minami plant, and it is expected they will have begun work on two of the fighters by the end of fiscal 2017. By 2020, this production will have increased to 16, and a total number to be manufactured in Japan is 38 out a fleet of 42. MHI will also be responsible for testing the jets stealth against radar. The experience gained by Mitsubishi in the development and manufacturing of the F-35 will help toward the development of Japan’s own next-generation stealth fighter, currently under development as part of the X-2 program. December 11/15: Northrop Grumman has completed delivery of the center fuselage for Japan’s F-35 fighter, known as the AX-1. The center fuselage serves as the core structure for the 5th generation multi-role jet. Japan’s AX-1 is an F-35A jet which uses conventional take-off and landing. Japan has ordered 42 F-35s from Lockheed Martin. Three more center fuselages will be manufactured in the US, while the final 38 will be manufactured and assembled in Nagoya, Japan. October 6/15: Northrop Grumman has completed the center fuselage for the Japanese Self Defense Forces’ first Joint Strike Fighter, forming the skeleton for the country’s first F-35A. The company manufactured the fuselage in California before shipping it to Japan for Final Check Out and Assembly. In total Japan has ordered 42 F-35As, with an initial order for six aircraft this year coming with a price tag of $827.4 million. The country selected the F-35 in December 2011, beating the Eurofighter Typhoon and an upgraded Super Hornet bid. 2013 – 2014 Expected costs keep rising; FACO agreement; MHI’s industrial deal goes sideways. Aug 19/14: FY15. Japan’s Ministry of Defense intends to order 6 F-35As in FY 2015, and they’re asking for a YEN 124.9 billion ($1.21 billion) budget to do it. Other major priority items include 3 long-range surveillance UAVs (YEN 54 billion) and new AEW planes (E-2D or E-737, YEN 58.8 billion). Sources: Reuters, “Japan looking to buy more stealth fighters in 2015: Nikkei”. Aug 4/14: Industrial. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) was supposed to begin supplying F-35 rear fuselage sections for Japan and for other F-35 partners, but the government says that they’ll only subsidize Japanese production. Japan has already given MHI the YEN 63.9 billion yen ($623 million), as MHI is responsible for Japan’s Final Assembly and Check Out line (q.v. June 21/13), but the firm is worried that their lack of experience in competitive global aerospace markets will cause them to lose money on parts supplied for export. MHI wants another YEN 10 billion ($97.4 million) in subsidies, the government says “no,” and the parties remain deadlocked. BAE was supposed to begin receiving MHI parts by 2015, but that isn’t going to happen. Japan’s F-35 deal may need to be amended, though one of Reuters’ unnamed sources say that “…if BAE can wait something could be worked out.” Meanwhile, IHI Corp. is building engine parts for Japanese F-35s and with Mitsubishi Electric Corp. is supplying electric components. Sources: Asahi Shimbun, “Mitsubishi Heavy Won’t Supply Parts for F-35 Fighter Project” | Reuters, “Mitsubishi Heavy’s F-35 Deal with BAE Caught In Japan Funding Spat – Sources.” July 17/14: Weapons. In the wake of recent changes that allow Japan to export some defense items to certain customers, and engage in multinational collaborations with allied countries, Japan is becoming involved with MBDA’s Meteor long-range air-to-air missile: “Separately, the government also gave a green light to Japan’s joint research with Britain using Japanese seeker technology. It’s a simulation-based project linked to a Meteor missile development among European countries. Defense Ministry official Toru Hotchi said Japanese officials are hoping the research can lead to a technology that can be used for F-35 stealth fighter jets that Japan plans to purchase for its Air Self-Defense Forces.” Meteor is about to enter service on the JAS-39C/D Gripen, with Eurofighter and Rafale qualification to follow by 2018. MBDA has previously stated that they plan to field a variant for internal carriage in the F-35, and have taken some design-related steps, but there’s no definite program or timeframe yet. Could interest be picking up? Sources: DID, “Meteor Missile Will Make Changes to Accommodate F-35” | (USA) ABC, “Japan Approves Joint Missile Study, Export to US” | NY Times 2014-04, “Japan Ends Decades-Long Ban on Export of Weapons”. Feb 4/14: Bottakuri. Costs continue to rise for Japan, and F-35Js could end up costing YEN 300 billion each. Meanwhile, Japan’s new 5-year Mid-Term Defense Plan will buy just 28 F-35s by 2018, of a 42 plane order that would see 38 assembled in Japan under a final assembly and checkout deal. At that rate, they won’t make the target of completed deployment by 2021 without a high 2019 order surge. Meanwhile, prices have already climbed from the original YEN 9.6 – 9.9 billion agreement to YEN 14.95 billion each for 2 jets in FY 2013, and YEN 15.4 billion each for 4 more in FY 2014. “Added to this are plant and tooling up costs of [YEN] 83 billion for 2013 and [YEN] 42.4 billion for 2014 as Japanese companies Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Electric and IHI establish assembly and production lines…. Sources here have privately begun to refer to the F-35 deal as a “bottakuri bar,” referring to establishments that lure customers… and force them to pay exorbitant bills through a range of excess charges for items not mentioned explicitly on the menu….. locally produced versions of US kit generally cost double their US prices…. Kiyotani said the F-35’s costs could climb to more than [YEN] 300 billion a fighter.” Abe’s decision to print money at astronomical rates (q.v. Aug 22/13) is going to worsen this problem by dropping the exchange rate. The Yen has lost 28% of its value vs. the US dollar since June 29/12. Defense analyst Shinichi Kiyotani is quoted as saying that lack of specifics in Japan’s 10-year plan reflects uncertainty over the country’s ability to afford the F-35, and its 200 F-15Js and 90 or so F-2s will eventually need replacement. What to do? Sources: Defense News, “Future of F-35 Unclear as Costs Mount in Japan”. Aug 22/13: Local non-discount. The Asahi Shimbun reports that Japan’s F-35As will be noticeably more expensive than their American counterparts, due to the cost of incorporating Japanese-made parts. They’re correct in general, but their figure is misleading. The US government has reportedly authorized 24 engine and radar components to be produced in Japan, accounting for about 10% of the plane’s value, and that number is expected to grow with additional approvals. Overall, IHI Corp. will manufacture 17 engine fan and turbine parts, while Mitsubishi Electric Corp. will produce 7 radar system components that include signal receivers. Parts for the rear fuselage, wings, and undercarriage will come from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and other Japanese contractors. That will help Japan gain important experience for its own stealth fighters, and build on the composites manufacturing expertise gained in its F-16-derived F-2 program. The government has reportedly budgeted YEN 83 billion (about $844.1 million) in FY 2013 for F-35 related industrial infrastructure, including new facilities at an MHI factory in Aichi Prefecture. The problem is that Japanese firms will be manufacturing only for JASDF F-35s, sharply raising per-part costs. The 2 aircraft ordered in 2013 will be the first with Japanese parts, and are now budgeted at YEN 15 billion (see also Sept 6/12, now about $153.5 million) each. Japanese sources cite it as a jump from YEN 10.2 billion (+47%), but sources when the contract was signed cited YEN 9.6 billion. Which makes the new figure seem like an even bigger jump of 56.3%. The real jump? Just 27%. On June 29/12, the equivalent dollar value for YEN 9.6 billion was $120.9 million per plane. A jump to $153.5 million is only 27% in real terms. Abe may be more hawkish than his predecessor, but running the money printing presses full-bore will make it much more expensive for him to execute on those promises. Sources: Asahi Shimbun, “Japan-made parts to push up price of F-35 fighter jets for ASDF” | New Pacific Institute, “Japanese Companies to Manufacture 10 percent of each of Japan’s F-35As”. Aug 13/13: 22DDH & F-35. A New Pacific Institute blog post looks at the new 22DDH/ Izumo Class “helicopter destroyer,” and its suitability for F-35s. The author doesn’t believe the ship is very suitable, as it would require expensive modifications that include a new landing surface, much greater munitions storage, greater aircraft fuel capacity, and possibly even new aircraft elevators. A ski jump isn’t 100% necessary, but would be important for good performance. Even after all of those expensive modifications, F-35 carrying and servicing capacity would be very limited, and the pilots would need expensive naval aviation training. It might be a good “lily pad” to extend air defense range in the southern sectors if Japan ever buys (very expensive) F-35Bs, but that’s about it. Bottom line? The ship’s design makes it better suited to the helicopter and disaster operations it’s publicly touted for, and those needs alone are likely to keep the ship busy. NPI, “Does the Izumo Represent Japan Crossing the “Offensive” Rubicon?” June 21/13: Industrial. Lockheed Martin has signed an agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to begin work on a final assembly and check out (FACO) plant. Per Japan’s weapon export restrictions, it would only be used for Japanese orders, and Japan’s agreement will see the first 4 F-35As produced entirely at Lockheed Martin in the USA. Sources: Defense News, “Lockheed, Mitsubishi Sign F-35 FACO Deal”. FACO March 25/13: Long-lead. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Fort Worth, TX receives a $40.2 million fixed-price-incentive (firm-target), contract to provide long lead-time parts, materials and components required for the delivery of 4 Japanese F-35As, as part of Low Rate Initial Production Lot 8. See also June 29/12 entry. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, TX, and is expected to be complete in February 2014. All funds are committed immediately, and this contract was not competitively procured by US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD, who is acting as Japan’s agent through the FMS process (N00019-13-C-0014). Feb 15/13: Industrial. Jane’s reports that Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is no longer banned from bidding on Japanese military contracts, now that they’ve finished paying the National Treasury back for previous overcharges in defense and space contracts. The ban could have affected MEC’s planned involvement in providing avionics and other products to Japan’s F-35A fighter program. 2012 F-35A DSCA request and contract; How the F-35A won; The future of stealth debated. White Paper (click to read) Nov 9/12: Industrial. Japan may begin receiving F-35As by 2016, but local industrial participation faces a number of barriers, due to Japan’s 1967 arms export guidelines. Media reports say that current plans to allow participation in the multinational project, under amended arms export guidelines, wouldn’t lead to deliveries of Japanese F-35A avionics, or of exportable parts for the main wings and tails, before FY 2017. Media reports are vague, but seem to indicate that Japanese F-35As might eventually reach 40% domestically manufactured content. Japan Today | Yomiuri Shinbun. Sept 6/12: Bottakuri. More cost hikes for Japan, as defense officials Defense Ministry officials cite “lower production efficiency” as the reason its next 2 F-35As will be YEN 15.4 billion (about $195 million) per plane and initial spares. The initial budget was YEN 13.775 billion per plane for the first 4, which works out to an 11.8% increase. The ministry is trying to find the full YEN 30.8 billion for the FY 2013 budget request, in order to cover the 2 fighters in it. The Japan Times. July 2012: Why the F-35 won. The Japanese Ministry of Defense releases its “Defense of Japan 2012” White Paper. Among other things, it explains exactly why the F-35 won. All 3 contenders fulfilled all mandatory requirements, but the F-35 was rated as the overall winner based on the 2nd stage evaluation of capability, industrial participation, cost, and support. It’s difficult to tell whether the F-35A’s subsequent cost jumps would have changed this evaluation, if they had been admitted at the time. Based on what the government says it knew… The F-35A was deemed to have the highest capability. This may seem odd for a plane with no exercise experiences or operational history, but the rating was done as a mathematical analysis, not a flyoff. Within the inputs that Japan received and believed, the F-35A scored highest overall, with a good balance of high scores across air interdiction, weapons and targeting, electronic warfare capability, and stealth target detection capability. Eurofighter won the industrial participation segment with the highest level of domestic participation, but had a harder time keeping its local manufacturing proposals within Japan’s prescribed cost bracket. The clear inference is that Japanese Eurofighters would have cost more than other customers have paid. The F/A-18E+ Super Hornet International was best for purchase cost, while the Eurofighter Typhoon had the lowest expected fuel expenses. The F-35A eked out a “Gilligan win” here by placing 2nd in both sub-categories, and by avoiding the need for “renovation expenses.” Japanese KC-767s don’t mount pod and drogue refueling systems, which is what the Eurofighter and Super Hornet require. The Lightning II uses the same dorsal aerial refueling system as existing JASDF fighters, which avoids the need for KC-767 or C-130H refits. In terms of support and maintenance costs, the F-35A was given the highest score, due to its in-depth, fleet-wide ALIS maintenance and diagnostic system. Having said that, all 3 contenders proposed performance-based logistics (PBL) based on delivered availability, so all 3 scored the same. June 29/12: Buy 4, for more. Officials from Japan’s defense ministry say that they have agreed to terms for their first 4 F-35As, despite a 9.1% price increase. The price hike was caused by American cuts, which have shifted 179 aircraft out of the order book over the next 5 years. The planes will reportedly cost 9.6 billion yen (about $120 million) each over the entire buy, up from the original plan of $110 million. American officials said they could not offer the Japanese a lower price than other partnership nations. That makes the Japanese contract a good bellwether for the real base cost of an F-35A in the near future. Fortunately for the Japanese, the overall contract remained at the expected YEN 60 billion (about $752.4 million). The cost of the 2 simulators and other equipment dropped to YEN 19.1 billion ($240.83 million) from the expected YEN 20.5 billion. Defense News | Fort Worth Star Telegram | Reuters. 42 F-35As May 1/12: F-35A DSCA request. May 1/12: The US DSCA formally announces Japan’s official request for an initial set of 4 Lockheed Martin F-35As, with an option to buy another 38 and bring the deal to 42 aircraft. “The Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s F-4 aircraft will be decommissioned as F-35’s [sic] are added to the inventory.” The aircraft would come with Pratt & Whitney’s F135 engines, and Japan would also want up to 5 spare engines. Other components of the deal would include Electronic Warfare Systems, Reprogramming Center support to keep those EW systems current, additional software development and integration, a fight trainer system for the F-35, other forms for personnel training & equipment, transport to Japan, ALIS (Autonomic Logistics Information System) maintenance support systems, US government & contractor support that includes ALGS (Autonomic Logistics Global Support); and initial spare parts, technical data, tools & test equipment. Implementation of this proposed sale will require multiple trips to Japan involving U.S. Government and contractor representatives for technical reviews/support, programs management, and training over a period of 15 years to conduct Contractor Engineering Technical Services (CETS) and ALGS for after-aircraft delivery. The estimated cost is $10 billion, which works out to $238.1 million per plane. Until a set of contracts are signed, it’s hard to split that accurately between purchase and support costs, and long support deals can add a lot to costs. Japan is also interested in considerably more local assembly than most of F-35 buyers, which is likely to add a number of unique costs of its own. Even so, the announcement has a ripple effect in Canada, where its huge cost per fighter draws a new round of questions about the plane. US DSCA [PDF] | Canada’s Postmedia. F-35 request April 2/12: Stealth’s future? A Japan Today article goes straight to the main military point at stake: the future effectiveness of stealth technologies: “As more nations develop stealth fighters, then the use of radar as the main target acquisition device will be taken over by infrared, wake tracking, electro-optics, and radio/electronic chatter detection – thereby side-stepping radar stealth features – in short order.” It’s a bit more complex than that, especially given the fact that stealth tends to be optimized for certain frequencies, so radars will still play a role. Still, the falling cost of high-bandwidth networking, and the need for a counter to stealth technologies, does suggest a range of countermeasures over the coming decades. Feb 22/12: Negotiations. Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura conveys Japan’s determination to stick to agreed prices and supply schedules for Japan’s F-35s, after Japan’s Sankei newspaper cites unidentified US government officials as saying that Japan had threatened to cancel its orders if prices climbed. “When we were selecting the fighter, we asked those making the proposals to strictly observe their proposed prices and supply schedules. Japan has conveyed this to the US from time to time…” The question is whether this matters. Once a contract is signed, backing out becomes so difficult that for practical purposes, it’s impossible unless the price increases are wildly egregious. The time to back out is before any contract is signed. After that, the contract’s own structure and penalties must serve as a government’s insurance. Reuters UK. 2011 F-35A chosen as F-X; F-35 technical issues; China unveils J-20 stealth fighter prototype. F-35A: Winner. (click to view full) Dec 20/11: Winner! Japan’s Ministry of Defense announces that Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II has won the F-X competitive bid process for 42 planes. The initial contract will be for 4 F-35A jets in Japan Fiscal Year 2012, which begins April 1/12. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2016. Japan’s Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa reportedly said at a news conference that: “…of the four parameters [performance, cost, industrial, and support], the most important was performance. When we think about our national security needs for our future fighters, we have to consider various security environments, and the movements and changes by various countries. In view of this we need to have a fighter that is capable of responding to these changing needs.” The reported budget for Japan’s initial 4 planes is YEN 55.1 billion (about $706 million, or $176.5 million per plane and initial spares). Overall, the cost is expected to be YEN 9.9 billion (about $127 million) per plane, with spares. On the industrial side, a final assembly and checkout facility is expected in Japan, as well as work on components. Reports and documents indicate that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. will be involved in work on aircraft bodies, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. on mission-related avionics, and IHI Corp. on engines. As F-4 replacements, the F-35As will have an air defense role, but Japan does have a large cadre of dedicated F-15Js to perform that mission. Note that there’s still an F-XX program in the future, aimed at replacing Japan’s F-15Js. Numbers as high as 100+ planes have been floated, but that will depend on both economic straits, and local geopolitical threats. Japan Ministry of Defense [ in Japanese] | Lockheed Martin | Pentagon | AFA Magazine | BBC | Bloomberg | The Diplomat: interview, and Flashpoints blog | Defense News | Gannett’s Navy Times | Reuters | UK’s Telegraph | Wahington Post | Yahoo! F-35A wins Dec 13/11: F-35 problems. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram and POGO obtain an internal Pentagon “Quick Look Review” dated Nov. 29, which says the F-35 is headed for serious technical troubles. The overlap between testing and production has been a sore point for the US GAO in particular, as significant changes due to failures revealed in testing will require expensive retrofits of produced fighters, along with the extra costs of changing future production. Even as operational aircraft were being bought, from June 2010 – November 2011 there were 725 change requests for the fighter, of which 577 are still not yet available to implement. Major issues issues raised included unexpectedly severe shaking (“buffet”) during high-speed maneuvers, problems with the helmet system’s night vision display, and frequent failures of an important electrical component that can knock out power and affect both oxygen and cockpit pressurization. The team also expressed concern at the slow progress in developing and testing the plane’s combat roles, including “certain classified issues” that especially affect air defense performance. Star-Telegram | POGO.org, incl. full Quick Look Review | Australia’s Herald Sun | The Hill. Nov 4/11: Super Hornet International. Boeing continues to discuss Super Hornet International designs. Not much has changed beyond earlier releases that noted improved F414 EPE engines, a large touch-screen panel, warning systems with 360 degree spherical coverage, and conformal fuel tanks to extend range. They do mention that the dorsal conformal fuel tanks will have a similar center of gravity to the aircraft, and that up to 3 weapon pods would be able to carry 4 x AMRAAM/ 2 x 500 pound/ 1 x 2,000 pound bomb each, while keeping the plane’s radar signature low. That’s in line with earlier reports, which touted 2 x AMRAAMs and 2 x 500 pound JDAMs per pod, but the 2,000 pound JDAM is new. So, too, is confirmation that the new design would have additional radar shaping to lower its cross section further. With the Super Hornet out of contention in India, Japan appears to be the main target, though the Super Hornet is also being marketed to Brazil, Greece, Denmark, Kuwait, and Qatar, among others. Aviation Week. Sept 26/11: F-X RFP submission deadline. Boeing confirms that it’s offering the F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet, which has also been exported to Australia. Boeing also makes the stealth-enhanced F-15SE design, but appears to have decided not to offer it. Eurofighter GmbH submits the Eurofighter Typhoon, with BAE acting in a lead role. While the submission is described as “cost effective,” the firm is not explicit regarding the status of the submitted aircraft: new, or used. Lockheed Martin is expected to submit the F-35A, but has made no announcement. Boeing | Eurofighter. Mitsubishi F-2s (click to view full) April 13/11: RFP. Japan issues the Request for Proposal for its F-X fighter competition. Source. F-X RFP March 2/11: Eurofighter. During high level visits, British officials continue to press the case for the Eurofighter as Japan’s future F-X fighter, over offerings from Boeing (F/A-18E/F Super Hornet or F-15SE Silent Eagle) or Lockheed Martin (F-35A/B/C). One interesting wrinkle is that reconnaissance capabilities could become an important requirement, a move that would give the F-35 family an edge. BAE et. al. are fighting an uphill fight, but they’re not alone: in January 2011, the European Business Council in Japan launched a defense and security committee to promote defense-related business cooperation. Asahi Shimbun | Japan Times | L.A. Times. Jan 18/11: China’s J-20. The Wall Street Journal reports that China’s unveiling of its J-20 stealth fighter has creates ripples in the region: “Tom Burbage, general manager of the F-35 program for Lockheed Martin Corp., said Beijing’s progress in developing the J-20 has created a “stronger sense of urgency” throughout the Asian-Pacific region about air-force modernization. He said Japan, South Korea and Singapore are now engaged in bilateral discussions with U.S. government officials over the F-35… Mr. Burbage said the U.S. government has asked Lockheed to provide preliminary information on how it could build the Joint Strike Fighter with Japanese industrial input, building either major subcomponents or completing final assembly in Japan… on aircraft for its own military inventory.” 2008 – 2009 Efforts to buy the F-22 fail, Japan looks at other options. F/A-18F over CV-63 (click to view full) Nov 23/09: F-35. In the wake of a FY 2010 American defense budget that ended F-22 production, while maintaining the ban on exporting the aircraft, Japan has been forced to look at other options. Kyodo news agency reports that Japan is considering buying 40 F-35s, and that the Japanese defense ministry is seeking fiscal allocation in the 2011 budget. According to media reports, the plane beat the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, F-15 Eagle variants, and EADS’ Eurofighter. The acquisition plan is likely to be incorporated in new defense policy guidelines and a medium-term defense plan to be adopted in December 2010. The F-35s are estimated to cost YEN 9 billion (about $104 million) each; that’s a rather low figure, when compared to actual expenditures by the USA and Australia. If the reports are true, the critical question would become: what model of F-35? The F-35C’s longer range might suit Japan very well, while the F-35B’s ability to make use of highways and helicopter carriers would add a very interesting wrinkle indeed. Japan Today | Agence France Presse | domain-b | Times of India. Oct 4-7/09: F-35. The Japan Times reports, and Jane’s confirms, that Japan is negotiating a requested payment of about YEN 1 billion (around $11 million), in order to receive “sensitive” information about the F-35’s capabilities. Japan wanted the F-22, and is reportedly still considering it; the government is also reportedly looking at the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault’s Rafale, Boeing’s stealth-enhanced F-15SE, and its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The Japan Times adds that: “It is rare for a country to be charged such a large sum for information on potential imports of defense equipment. The U.S. also told Japan that Washington will not provide information on the F-35’s radar-evading capabilities until Tokyo makes a decision to purchase it, the sources said.” One wonders about the wisdom of that sales approach, if true. July 31/09: F-22. The US House passes “H.R. 3326: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010” by a 400-30 vote. The final version strips out F-22 funding. As House members prepare for negotiations with the Senate on a single, final bill to send to the President, the amendment vote, and subsequent passage of HR 3326, effectively marks the end of the F-22 program. F-22 production will continue through remaining funded orders, and cease in 2011. Both the House and Senate versions of the 2010 defense authorization bill require a report to study the potential for F-22A exports. The House version listed only Japan, while the Senate bill did not restrict the countries involved. Development work would be required before production, however, which creates real problems. While it’s theoretically possible to bridge that time gap by resurrecting the American program in future defense bills, the aircraft’s supply chain will stop producing certain parts, and begin losing the people associated with them, long before the final delivery in 2011. That makes a production line restart in 2013 or beyond a very difficult and expensive proposition for potential export customers like Japan. See also: Aero News. F-22 program ended June 5/09: F-22. Reuters reports that US Senate Appropriations Committee chair Senator Daniel Inouye [D-HI], has sent sent letters on the F-22 issue to Japanese ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, and to American Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Inouye reportedly supports repeal of the 1998 “Obey Amendment” that bans F-22 exports, and the USAF is also said to have decided to support exports to select countries. Reuters adds that there is even growing Congressional support to repeal the Obey Amendment in the face of North Korea’s stepped-up belligerence, and the prospect of significant job losses if F-22 production is closed per Gates’ FY 2010 budget. The exact quote from one of their sources is “…decent support, but it’s not a slam-dunk.” The senator confirmed sending the letter, but would not discuss its contents. Reuters claims that the letter conveyed some conclusions from a recent USAF study, which placed the estimated cost of developing an F-22 Export version at about $250 million per plane, assuming a production run of 40-60 planes. The USAF study also reportedly assumed that production of an F-22EX would begin in 4-5 years, with delivery beginning in 7-9 years following a re-start of the F-22 production line. That price tag is about $80-100 million above the cost of a more-capable F-22A. It factors in average costs per plane for production line restart, and for substituting and integrating replacements for components that the USA still does not wish to export. The final cost per plane could certainly end up being higher, if the development and integration program runs over budget. It could also be lower, but only if the substitution program meets projections and one of 2 things happens: (1) The production line is not shut down, due to Congressional appropriations over the next 3 years; and/or (2) More F-22EXs are bought to spread out the F-22EX program’s development and restart costs, via additional Japanese buys or by adding other countries as F-22EX customers. May 19/09: F-22. A Japan Times article looks at the barriers to F-22 fielding on the Japanese side of the equation, and concludes: “In sum, Japan’s acquisition of the F-22 would involve significantly increasing defense spending, rethinking the domestic production of weapons platforms and implementing a more robust legal and enforcement framework to protect classified information. Under current circumstances, these developments are not in the cards.” Given that some of the F-22’s material/manufacturing methods are considered to be among its more sensitive technologies, domestic manufacturing in Japan is unlikely to be an option at all. April 6/09: F-22. US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announces his recommendation to terminate F-22 orders at the end of FY 2009, leaving the USA with a fleet of 187 aircraft. F-15SE unveiled (click to view full) March 17/09: F-15SE. Boeing unveils the F-15SE “Silent Eagle,” which appears to be aimed directly at Japan. The aircraft has slightly canted vertical tails to improve aerodynamics and reduce weight, minimal additional radar shaping, the addition of coatings to improve radar signature further, and a pair of conformal fuel tanks with cut-in chambers for 2 air-to-air missiles each, or air-to-ground weapons like the 500 pound JDAM and 250 pound GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb. The tanks would be swappable for traditional conformal tanks if desired, and weapons could also be carried externally. BAE’s DEWS electronic self-protection system would be fitted, along with Raytheon’s AN/APG-63v3 radar that will equip all Singaporean F-15s and be retrofitted to the American fleet. The intent appears to be to offer a “budget Raptor” in the $120 million range, with a basic radar signature that’s competitive with newer fighters like the similarly-priced Eurofighter Typhoon. Advantages would include better radar signature when internal carriage is used for long combat air patrols or limited precision strikes, a superior and proven AESA radar, longer range, and more total carriage capacity if necessary. On the flip side, it would not provide the same maneuverability options as canard equipped contenders like EADS’ Eurofighter or Dassault’s Rafale. The total package would come closer to parity with the SU-30MKI/M and subsequent versions of Sukhoi’s offerings, but may or may not measure up against longer-term opponents like Sukhoi’s PAK-FA or China’s J-XX. From Boeing’s release: “Boeing has completed a conceptual prototype of the CFT internal-carriage concept, and plans to flight-test a prototype by the first quarter of 2010, including a live missile launch. The design, development, and test of this internal carriage system are available as a collaborative project with an international aerospace partner.” That partner could also be Israel, which has now expressed interest in the F-15SE, and also made its own requests for F-22s. Dec 28/08: F-22. Japan’s Daily Yomiuri newspaper reports that the country is likely to drop its attempts to buy F-22s, amid signs that U.S. President-elect Barack Obama’s new administration may halt production of the aircraft. Congress has yet to weigh in, however, and a consensus for continued production could easily change the odds for exports as well. Defense News report. Oct 10/08: Eurofighter. Flight International’s “Eurofighter gets serious about Japan’s F-X contest” discusses political developments: “If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said that the Typhoon did not have a chance due to the close US-Japan ties. I am no longer sure of that,” says a Tokyo-based industry source close to the Japanese defence ministry. “Washington’s continued refusal to release information on the [Lockheed Martin] F-22 has strained bilateral defence ties, and Japanese politicians and bureaucrats are eyeing the Typhoon as a viable alternative to the other American fighters that are on offer.” Flight International’s sources indicate that Japan will make one more push in 2009, after the American elections. If that fails, it is likely to abandon efforts to secure the F-22, and move to buy other options. July 16/08: Eurofighter. BAE executives interviewed at Farnborough discuss the Eurofighter’s opportunities with Japan if the USA refuses to sell that country F-22EX fighters. BAE says that is willing to share more of its technology with Japanese companies, establishing Japan as a so-called home market where it manufactures and sells products. Current BAE home markets include the U.K., the USA, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Saudi Arabia. The executive also mentions that BAE is looking hard at India and South Korea for future growth, adding that Defense spending in Korea will be greater than in the U.K. within 5 years. Bloomberg News. 2006 – 2007 Japan pushes for F-22, but is undermined by pro-China interests; USAF F-22As deploy to Kadena, Japan. F-22: Off to Kadena… (click to view full) Nov 15/07: F-22. The Lexington Institute’s quick brief “Asian Security: Japan Needs Better Tools To Do Its Part” weighs in, in favor of Japan’s case: “The F-22 is the Air Force’s new top-of-the-line fighter, far superior to any other fighter in the world in its agility, survivability and versatility. It’s so capable that policymakers aren’t inclined to export it, even to trusted allies like Japan. But does that really make sense if Raptor is the plane best suited to protecting the Japanese home islands against cruise-missile attack or preempting a ballistic-missile launch by North Korea? It sounds like Washington is saying it wants Japan to play a bigger role in regional security, but with inferior weapons — or that the Japanese will have to depend forever on America to do the really tough missions… if we really want the Japanese to be partners in regional security, we should be willing to trust them with other top systems too — especially since they’re the one ally we have that isn’t inclined to export weapons.” July 24/07: F-22. Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said he has recommended that the F-22 Raptor not be sold to Japan. His comments came during a briefing at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, and concern a new U.S. “capabilities assessment group” of Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Office of the Secretary of Defense and industry officials who are reviewing Japan’s fighter requirement. Defense News. June 28/07: CRS on F-22. The US Congressional Research Service issues its report re: selling F-22EX aircraft to Japan (last revised: July 2/07). The report itself is completely non-committal, as it sketches out the options. While the USAF and defense industry are solidly behind the idea as a way to keep the F-22 production line alive, there is some opposition in Congress. Key paragraph: “The executive branch proposes and Congress reviews arms sales on a case-by-case basis. The sale of F-22s to Japan raises both broad questions about the security environment in East Asia and questions that are specific to domestic interests. Factors that argue for a transfer include potential benefits to U.S. industry, contribution to the defense of allied countries, and promoting U.S. interoperability with those countries. Factors that argue against a particular arms transfer include the likelihood of technology proliferation and the potential for undermining regional stability.” Increased Chinese capabilities and the need for a longer-range, twin-engine jet with the ability to take on modern SU-30 family jets is mentioned in the report body, but the military capability drivers are sidestepped and this is not highlighted as a key issue in favor. Japan’s policy of domestic production and license-building is mentioned in the document as a potential stumbling block, but it, too, is absent from the summary paragraph. CRS reports also tend not to present counter-arguments or responses to objections/contentions, as an attempt to remain “above” political debate. That tendency is also present here, and weakens the report as an analytical document. In a particularly interesting side note, however, the CRS report adds: “A final industrial base issue pertains to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Although originally intended to be complementary aircraft, F-22 and JSF capabilities, development, and production have converged. Implicitly if not explicitly, these aircraft are competing for scarce procurement funds. Extension of F-22 production would likely bring these aircraft into even sharper competition.” May 23/07: Given the Raptor’s top secret status, American trust in the purchasing country’s security levels and intentions is a significant part of any export decision. Israel’s past defense cooperation with China, for instance, which included sales like “Harpy” anti-radar drones without timely US notification, has created serious issues. It led to temporary suspension from Israel’s observer status in the F-35 program, and is also widely seen as a serious impediment to its current request for an export version of the F-22. International espionage is a constant of international relations, and victimization is assessed differently; but sufficiently serious leaks can also have repercussions if they indicate a systemic problem, or happen at a high enough level. Details are sparse, so it’s difficult to assess the true importance of recent developments in Japan. Reuters reports that classified data on the USA’s AEGIS naval radar/combat system, SM-3 missiles, and Link 16 tactical data net had been “leaked” in Japan. Local media said authorities believe that computer disks containing the classified data were illegally copied and circulated among dozens of students and instructors at a naval college in western Japan. The reports follow a police raid on Saturday of a naval college in western Japan over a “leak of data” in March 2007 when police found one of the disks at the home of a Japanese naval officer in Kanagawa during a separate investigation of his Chinese wife over her immigration status. AEGIS, SM-3 missiles, and Link 16 are all key nodes in Japan’s outer layer of its initial ABM defense system. Link from Taiwan’s China Post | Associated Press. May 18/07: F-22. Bill Gertz, Washington Times: “Pro-China officials in the White House and Pentagon are quietly undermining Japan’s request to buy 50 advanced F-22 jet fighter-bombers, to avoid upsetting Beijing’s government, according to U.S. officials familiar with the dispute… Both the Air Force and the F-22 manufacturer, Lockheed Martin Corp., favor building an export version… The F-22 export is a major test of U.S. support for Japan and is being watched closely by Japanese government officials who are worried Washington will not back Tokyo and instead kow-tow to Beijing on the sale.” April 30/07: F-22. Japan applies to buy fighter Australia rejects. The USA’s stated willingness to consider Japan’s F-22EX request re-ignites controversy in Australia, in the wake of the Australian government’s attempt to defuse the issue by maintaining that the USA will not sell the F-22 abroad. April 27/07: F-22. Japan has yet to receive clearance for F-22EX fighters, but discussions are progressing. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency: “Seoul eyes advanced jets beyond F-15K” contends that the issue of F-22 exports to Japan will be under discussion during the imminent summit between U.S. President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The decision will be watched closely by South Korea, which also wants 5th generation fighter jets for its 3rd phase F-X purchase. An excerpt: “China is modernizing its air force at a rapid pace,” said Dennis Wilder, senior director for East Asian Affairs at the White House National Security Council. “And so we are very positively disposed to talking to the Japanese about future-generation fighter aircraft.” Japan has worked to improve its diplomatic and military relations with the USA, stressing its reliability as an ally and collaborating on sensitive technologies like missile defense. Hence the current situation, in which exports of the F-22 can be discussed with some odds of success. South Korea, which has made a very different set of choices, is unlikely to be received as positively. April 20/07: F-22. Flight International reports that Israel has approached the USA about acquiring Lockheed Martin F-22s, as concern mounts about new threats to the IAF’s regional air superiority from proposed sales of advanced US weapons to the Gulf states, and Israeli assessments of a growing threat from Iran. Sources say that the issue was raised during a recent one-day trip by US defense secretary Robert Gates to Israel. While unrelated to the Japanese request, and very uncertain for reasons of its own, the Israeli request raises both the pressure to create an F-22EX version, and the perceived market & benefits from doing so. Feb 17-18/07: F-22. Kadena Air Force Base (AFB), Japan received 10 F-22A Raptors in the aircraft’s first overseas deployment. The F-22As are assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB, VA, and are under the command of Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver. The aircraft started their deployment with a stop at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, but a software issue affecting the aircraft’s navigation system was discovered on February 11th, causing the aircraft to return to Hickam. The issue was corrected and the aircraft continued on to Kadena. The 27th FS deployed more than 250 Airmen to Kadena for the 90-120 day deployment, which is part of a regularly-scheduled U.S. Pacific Command rotational assignment of aircraft to the Pacific. See USAF release. Feb 11/07: F-22. The F-22A’s first foreign deployment, to Kadena Air Force Base (AFB) in Japan, runs into a serious problem. The aircraft started their deployment with a stop at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, but a software issue affecting the aircraft’s navigation system was discovered on February 11th, forcing the aircraft to return to Hickam without navigation or communications. October 2006: wide spectrum of opinion in Australia (including the opposition Labor Party) is also pushing for an F-22EX request, based on arguments and strategic needs that are very similar to Japan’s. At the moment, however, the current Liberal Party government remains absolutely committed to the F-35A as its only future fighter force option. September 2006: DID’s “Japan Looking to Expand Missile Defense & Military Spending” report looks at Japan’s current security situation, and political-economic shifts that may be very consequential for its defense market. Feb 18/06: F-22. Inside Defense’s Air Force Plans to Sell F-22As to Allies offers a fuller discussion and analysis of Japan’s F-22 bid. Footnotes fn1. Reader Keith Jacobs informs DID that despite the JASDF listing of 7 F-1s in service, “The JASDF marked retirement of the F.1 with a six-aircraft flypast at Tsuiki Air Base (Kyushu) in 2006 (forgot actual date – but Feb or March if I remember correctly. They were aircraft of the 6th Hiko-tai (the final squadron unit). 6th Hiko-tai has now transitioned to F-2A and has its full complement of aircraft of the new fighter. JASDF also retired the last Fuji T-1B, assigned to the 5th Technical Training School and dispersed them to museums (as they did the T.3) from Komaki Air Base. “ The date of that retirement at Tsuiki was March 6/06. Additional Readings Background: Japan’s Plans Japan Ministry of Defense – Defense of Japan. Annual white papers. Japan Ministry of Defense – Number of Major Aircraft and Performance Specifications. 2007 snapshot. Background: Fighters DID – Eurofighter’s Future: Tranche 3, and Beyond DID – The F-35’s Air-to-Air Capability Controversy DID – Super Hornet Fighter Family MYP-III: 2010-2013 Contracts. Any Japanese purchase would fall under the US government’s multi-year purchase terms, and would effectively extend this production period. DID – Lockheed & Mitsubishi’s F-2 Fighter Partnership News & Views New Pacific Institute, Japan Security Watch (Aug 13/13) – Does the Izumo Represent Japan Crossing the “Offensive” Rubicon? Conclusion: no. Aviation Week (Oct 22/12) – Japan Aims To Launch F-3 Development In 2016-17 [dead link]. See also News of Japan abridged version. Now known as “F-3” instead of “i3”, this would be a Japanese-designed stealth fighter as a follow-on to the F-35. Hence the importance of industrial offsets. If F-3 progresses slowly, opportunities open up for more F-35s. Bloomberg (Sept 2/11) – Lockheed Stealth Jet May Win Japan Deal. Speculative analysis. Suggests that stealth is a very important criterion for the Japanese. Aviation Week (June 11/09) – Boeing Studies Stealth Eagle Options [link now broken]. Interesting point made re: retrofits and stealth sales: “It’s not how low can you go, it’s how low are you allowed to go, and the U.S. government controls that,” says Brad Jones, Boeing program manager for F-15 future fighters. “We can get to different levels depending on the country.” Japan Times (May 16/09) – Hurdles to a Japanese F-22 USA Today (July 12/07) – Japan may hold key to F-22’s future, thousands of jobs US Air Force Association Magazine (June 2006) – “Air Force Alliance” for the US and Japan. There have been major changes in the alliance over the last few years, as the level of cooperation between the 2 countries has grown by leaps and bounds. View the full article

When trying to get a grasp on the best way to secure the nation's security and interests, why should Americans look to the sea? Do American's assume or take for granted what three-quarters of a century of American dominance of the high seas gifted them? Is this assumption in danger? Where do we stand and what steps need to be taken to secure what every American living assumes is their birthright? To discuss this and related issues this Sunday from 5-6pm Eastern will be one of our favorite guests, Dr. Jerry Hendrix, CAPT USN (Ret.), and author of the upcoming book, To Provide and Maintain a Navy; Why Naval Primacy is America's First, Best Strategy. Since retirement, Jerry has remain engaged in the full breadth of national security issues while at The Telemus Group and Center for a New American Security. When on Active duty, his staff assignments include tours with the CNO’s Executive Panel, the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, and the OSD Office of Net Assessment. His final active duty tour was the Director of Naval History. He has a BA in Political Science from Purdue University, Masters Degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School (National Security Affairs) and Harvard University (History) and received his doctorate from King’s College, London (War Studies). He has twice been named the Samuel Eliot Morison Scholar by the Navy Historical Center in Washington, DC, and was also the Center’s 2005 Rear Admiral John D. Hays Fellow. He also held the Marine Corps’ General Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. Fellowship. He authored the book Theodore Roosevelt’s Naval Diplomacy and received a number of awards, including the United States Naval Institute’s Author of the Year and the Navy League’s Alfred T. Mahan Award for Literary Achievement. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=ad7blgH16jc:9sC1YSdjA0Q:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=ad7blgH16jc:9sC1YSdjA0Q:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=ad7blgH16jc:9sC1YSdjA0Q:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=ad7blgH16jc:9sC1YSdjA0Q:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FAFV/~4/ad7blgH16jcView the full article

One of the most dangerous yet commonly held beliefs about a future conflict with China is that we could somehow hold China back by convincing them we could defeat them in 72-hrs. Another is that, for some reason, the US Army should have a role - somehow - in significant numbers. That would imply action on mainland Asia. Even though WWII has mostly faded out of living memory, the Korean War is still inside that fading line. One would think - especially with all the belated focus of the last few years - we would have a greater understanding of the Chinese military history and tradition that, at least to them, goes back thousands of years. Many will make comments about the Russian ability to sustain and even thrive on hardship and sacrifice, but they hold nothing against the Chines ability to do the same. At the very highest levels of our natsec nomenklatura, I fear there are very few that understand the scope of China's ability to take and sustain loss. Case in point, let's look to just one datapoint from WWII. Americans were involved in relative small numbers in this campaign, heck there was even a movie made, 1960's The Mountain Road with James Stewart and Harry Morgan, but this remains almost unknown to the modern mind. The best single stop summary of the campaign is over at wikipedia. You should go there to read the whole thing, but let me just pull some numbers for what the Japanese called, Operation Ichi-Go; Operation Ichi-Go (一号作戦 Ichi-gō Sakusen, lit. "Operation Number One") was a campaign of a series of major battles between the Imperial Japanese Army forces and the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China, fought from April to December 1944. It consisted of three separate battles in the Chinese provinces of Henan, Hunan and Guangxi. These battles were the Japanese Operation Kogo or Battle of Central Henan, Operation Togo 1 or the Battle of Changheng, and Operation Togo 2 and Togo 3, or the Battle of Guilin-Liuzhou, respectively. The two primary goals of Ichi-go were to open a land route to French Indochina, and capture air bases in southeast China from which American bombers were attacking the Japanese homeland and shipping. ... In the first phase, the Japanese secured the Pinghan Railway between Beijing and Wuhan; in the second, they displaced the US air forces stationed in Hunan province and reached the city of Liuzhou, near the border with Japanese-held Indochina. 17 divisions, including 500,000 men, 15,000 vehicles, 6,000 artillery pieces, 800 tanks and 100,000 horses participated in this operation. The Japanese included Kwantung Army units and equipment from Manchukuo, mechanized units, units from the North China theater and units from mainland Japan to participate in this campaign. It was the largest land campaign organized by the Japanese during the entire Second Sino-Japanese War. Many of the newest American-trained Chinese units and supplies were forcibly locked in the Burmese theater under Joseph Stilwell set by terms of the Lend-Lease Agreement. In Operation Kogo, 390,000 Chinese soldiers, led by General Tang Enbo (湯恩伯), were deployed to defend the strategic position of Luoyang. The 3rd Tank Division of the IJA crossed the Yellow River around Zhengzhou in late April and defeated Chinese forces near Xuchang, then swung around clockwise and besieged Luoyang. Luoyang was defended by three Chinese divisions. The 3rd Tank Division began to attack Luoyang on May 13 and took it on May 25. Japanese occupation (red) of eastern China near the end of the war, and Communist guerrilla bases (striped) The second phase of Ichigo began in May, following the success of the first phase. Japanese forces advanced southward and occupied Changsha, Hengyang, Guilin and Liuzhou. At the Defense of Hengyang, the Japanese only won a Pyrrhic victory since 17,000 Chinese soldiers held out against over 110,000 Japanese soldiers from June 22–August 8, 1944, inflicting 19,000-60,000 dead on the Japanese. In December 1944, Japanese forces reached French Indochina and achieved the purpose of the operation. Nevertheless, there were few practical gains from this offensive. US air forces moved inland from the threatened bases near the coast. The operation also forced British Commandos working with the Chinese as part of Mission 204 to leave China and return to Burma. The U.S. Fourteenth Air Force often disrupted the Hunan–Guangxi Railway between Hengyang and Liuzhou that had been established in Operation Ichigo. Japan continued to attack airfields where US air forces were stationed up to the spring of 1945. ... All in all, Japan was not any closer in defeating China after this operation, and the constant defeats the Japanese suffered in the Pacific meant that Japan never got the time and resources needed to achieve final victory over China. The Japanese suffered 11,742 KIAs by mid-November, and the number of soldiers that died of illness was more than twice this.[24][25] The total death toll was about 100,000 by the end of 1944.[5] The Chinese losses for this series of battles alone? 500,000 to 600,000. For the entire war, in the Pacific theater USA's killed were 111,606. For the entire war. I have been warning for the better part of two decades that a war with Communist China is coming - or at least a skirmish. It is only a matter of time and place - both will be of their choosing, unless someone is exceptionally stupid on either side. This will be their coming out party as a military force. Outside chance India might be that nation of choice, but I think less likely than the USA. We need to be ready. I hope we have smart OPLANS and CONOPS on the shelf and have run some solid war games with modest and limited End States. I worry that, as I have seen before, we don't have the right people with a realistic world view running them, shaping them, reviewing them. We will see, one day. Pray for peace. Hope for wise leaders with even wiser counsel. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=IzhGdxUiMIo:Dlql81TINZU:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=IzhGdxUiMIo:Dlql81TINZU:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=IzhGdxUiMIo:Dlql81TINZU:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=IzhGdxUiMIo:Dlql81TINZU:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FAFV/~4/IzhGdxUiMIoView the full article

Americas Bell Boeing won a $170.4 million contract modification, which adds scope for the production and delivery of one CMV-22B variation in quantity aircraft for the Navy and exercises options for V-22 Common Configuration Readiness and Modernization (CC-RAM) Lot 4 requirements. Additionally, this modification provides for planned maintenance interval inspections, repairs, shipping and storage containers and tooling in support of the V-22 CC-RAM program. The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is a joint service, multirole combat aircraft that uses tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft. With its nacelles and rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, its nacelles can be rotated to transition the aircraft to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight. Work will take place in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania and Fort Worth, Texas. Estimated completion is in September 2024. McCallie Associates won a $27.6 million contract for C-5M sustainment. This contract is for the delivery of technical data for organizational maintenance of the C-5M using a common source database. The C-5M Super Galaxy strategic transport aircraft, a modernized version of the legacy C-5, was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin to extend the capability of the C-5 Galaxy fleet to remain in service at least until 2040. The C-5M Super Galaxy transport aircraft achieved initial operational capability (IOC) in February 2014. Work will take place in Nebraska. Expected completion date is June 9, 2025. Middle East & Africa Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) announced that it has carried out seven aircraft modifications under the Erciyes C130 Modernization Project. The program’s scope is to upgrade the avionic system of 13 C-130E and 6 C-130B aircraft under a contract signed between TAI and the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) in 2006. A total of 23 systems and 117 components have been modernized along with the central control computer, which has been completely developed by TAI engineers and described as the brain of the aircraft, the company statement said. Additionally, other critical systems are being modernized and nationalized as part of the project, including the GPS, indicator, anti-collision system, weather radar, advanced military and civilian navigation systems, nighttime invisible illumination for military missions, the voice-recorded black box, communication systems, advanced automatic flight systems (military and civilian), the digital floating map and ground mission planning systems. Europe According to Jane’s, Airbus is offering a Tranche 5 standard of the Eurofighter combat aircraft to replace Germany’s fleet of Panavia Tornados. Speaking at a virtual running of the company’s annual Trade Media Briefing (TMB), the head of combat aircraft business development, Wolfgang Gammel, said that this future standard will be offered to the Luftwaffe as the service looks to replace 90 Tornado Interdiction and Strike (IDS) and Electronic Combat Reconnaissance (ECR) aircraft with 85 new aircraft from 2030. Asia-Pacific Japan has officially decided that it will build two more Aegis warships to replace the abandoned Aegis Ashore program, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said. Tokyo will also be extended the range of its indigenous Type 12 surface-to-ship missile.Opposition lawmakers criticize the move to boost the range of the missile, saying that this is to make the weapon as a tool to attack enemy bases. Chief cabinet secretary Kato explained that the range improvement was to extend the defense capabilities. South Korea received a bid from a US aerospace manufacturer for attack helicopters that can be introduced to South Korea’s Marine Corps. Vince Tobin, executive vice president at Bell Textron Inc., based in Fort Worth, Texas, said Wednesday at a virtual press conference in Seoul that the company’s AH-1Z Viper would provide superior support, Yonhap and Newsis reported. The helicopter with anti-armor and air-to-air missile capabilities can take on the “broadest array of threats” in “any environment on land or sea” while withstanding saltwater corrosion and resistant to dust and sand, the US manufacturer said. Today’s Video Watch: Here’s What Can Fit inside C-5M Super Galaxy The Largest Aircraft View the full article

It has been a bit more than four years ago that navalists were in their second month of excitement about the prospects for a larger Navy with the incoming Trump Administration. As most did not expect him to win in 2016, few of us paid any more than passing attention that he picked up on work already done under Obama’s SECNAV Mabus to mark “350-355” as the number needed given the realities of the evolving global security situation – specifically China’s not so peaceful rise. Not fully appreciated at the time, partisanship and incomplete information led many to not give credit to the Obama team for their work prior to the election. Likewise, in a few years the larger fleet had a Trump stamp on it and it experienced trouble getting broad support. That is a shame. If everyone could take a deep breath for a moment – and remember national security should be on balance non-partisan – what we really have here is a bi-partisan consensus that we need a larger Navy. Will the Biden team pick up where Trump’s left off? We’ll have to see, but we have a reference point, a Ref. A., a marker. The expected outgoing National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien and the Russ Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, have an article out this week at the Wall Street Journal, The Navy Stops Taking On Water. I'm glad they did, as this is a conversation that has to break out in to the open. Sadly, it is behind the paywall and as a result will get limited viewing, but let me grab a few pull quotes for discussion. To start, the most simple concepts are always the most important; As a maritime nation, the U.S. depends on control of the sea to protect its people as well as the flow of cargo. In the second paragraph, this fact, and various iterations of it, should be part of any navalist discussion or position paper. Anyone with a map, globe, or paper thin understanding of our history knows this to be true. No other service has an argument so sound in the search for resources. Only the USAF gets close. This is your marker if you’re a numbers guy. Of course, you have to gain the support in Congress to get the money needed to make it happen; The plan will provide a battle force of 355 vessels within 10 years and nearly 400 within 20 years. It will end the decadeslong decline in attack submarines by building three a year beginning in 2025, with a goal of 80. It will more than double the number of small multimission ships to nearly 70. The backbone of this ship class will be the new Constellation-class frigates, and the Navy will need a second shipyard to increase the pace of construction. The workhorses of the fleet, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, will be modernized. There is a bit of wishcasting in the unmanned arena. Yes, I know the PPT is sexy and the manpower savings seductive … but industry only tells you the best case variation of the various best case scenarios. Development, yes … and maybe in 2030 such things can be said, but in 2020, the technology simply is not in reach. Reality is not in line with the PPT; Finally, the plan calls for significant investments in new unmanned ships, which will enhance the resilient strike capabilities of the fleet at a fraction of the cost of manned ships. How do we get Congressional and taxpayer support? That is the easiest question; This road map is accompanied by proposed investments in our country’s shipbuilding industry to increase production capacity and create more American jobs. Stable and consistent shipbuilding investments would employ hundreds of thousands with critical manufacturing skills that are easily applicable to other industries. This new labor demand will inspire young people to obtain the requisite vocational training, helping to sustain U.S. manufacturing strength. This is something we can give money to with results NOW. We are short of facilities to properly maintain the fleet we have today. If we are to grow our fleet, we will need even more. At a minimum we need two new or re-activated shipyards (spit-BRAC-spit) – most likely three. This last bit leaves me a bit disappointed; The increased costs would be fully paid for by reinvesting savings accrued from drawdowns in the Middle East, managing the size of military personnel, and cutting Pentagon overhead. Overly optimistic. We don’t have all that much left in the Middle East. There is little, at least on the Navy side of the house, flex in uniformed personnel numbers. As for the always popular “Pentagon overhead,” again, we need Congressional action. There will be only one way to get more money for the fleet our nation needs; we will have to claw it away from the other services. Goldwater-Nichols is an albatross around the national security neck. It must be replaced. COCOM reform must be done in parallel. Without that, all else is vanity. With a conductor’s baton in one hand and a battle axe in the other – walk straight in to the grabasstic acquisition system while we are at it. Those three must be done first. I think everyone will be pleased with the results … except for the rent seekers from industry and those who have grown comfortable in their well paid, non-productive billets. In parallel with this is a 30-yr shipbuilding plan. Yes, I know … I know. However, let’s go to the start of the post; there is a bi-partisan consensus that we need a larger Navy. Have a better way to get there? Well, bring it to the table. Compromise with well meaning people who will also compromise. There is more than one way to get to the fleet we need. The challenge west of Wake Island is getting stronger every month – and for 15-yrs we have moved from weakness to weakness. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=6cRAqAUAeoc:DdZzsddna0o:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=6cRAqAUAeoc:DdZzsddna0o:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=6cRAqAUAeoc:DdZzsddna0o:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=6cRAqAUAeoc:DdZzsddna0o:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FAFV/~4/6cRAqAUAeocView the full article

Americas L3 Technologies won a contract modification, which exercises an option to procure 12 AN/SRQ-4 kits and associated components for the MH-60 Common Data Link system. Sikorsky Aircraft developed the MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission naval helicopter, also called ‘Romeo’, in order to replace the US Navy’s legacy SH-60B and SH-60F helicopter fleet. The MH-60 R integrates advanced mission systems and sensors developed by Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training (MST). The helicopter is integrated with a data link for data transmission, an ARC210 Gen 5 multi-function radio for flexible and secure communication, and chaff and flare decoys dispenser. It also features an integrated self defense system for protection against RF, IF, laser and missile threats. Work will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah. Estimated completion date is in February 2023. The House on Tuesday granted overwhelming bipartisan approval to the annual defense spending bill despite threats by President Donald Trump, he would veto the bill. Lawmakers approved the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 335-78, surpassing the two-thirds necessary to override a presidential veto, although there was no solid commitment that Republican lawmakers would vote against the action by Trump. A total of 140 Republicans joined a majority of Democrats in voting “yes” for the bill, while 37 Democrats voted “no” and one voted present. The NDAA includes funding for major military programs and weapons systems, and authorizes dozens of special pay and bonuses for service members. Middle East & Africa Raytheon won a $13.7 million contract modification for the procurement, manufacture and storage of spares in support of sustainment for the Qatar Early Warning Radar (QEWR). QEWR is an early warning radar that will add long-range detection to Qatar’s layered Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) architecture, which includes Patriot systems and an Air Defense Operation Center (ADOC). The 360-degree radar tracks ballistic missiles as part of a missile defense shield, expanding Qatar’s ability to protect its people and assets from missile attack. Work will take place in Andover, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by December 2025. Europe France is planning to build a new 300 meter long, 75,000 tonne nuclear powered aircraft carrier. The new nuclear powered aircraft carrier will be able to carry over 30 aircraft and will be in service by 2038. President Emmanuel Macron officially launched the project to build a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to replace the Charles de Gaulle. Macron made the announcement during a visit to a nuclear facility in the Burgundy town of Le Creusot. Negotiations between France and Indonesia for the purchase of 48 French Rafale fighter jets are advancing at a fast pace and a deal could be inked soon, French website La Tribune.fr said last week, citing several sources.Indonesia would like to seal a deal before the end of the year but French negotiators want to take the time necessary to fine-tune the details, it said. Asia-Pacific Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Gen. Gilbert Gapay, has hinted that Manila has decided to buy F-16s. “Soon, before our President steps down, we will finally have multi-role fighters in the likes of the F-16 in our Air Force inventory,” said Gapay at a Laging Handa press briefing held online. The F-16 is running in the competition together with Saab’s JAS-39. The potential acquisition of F-16 fighter jets was among the topics discussed by American and Philippine officials during the visit to Manila of US Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett in November. Today’s Video Watch: Nothing Can Kill the F-16 Fighting Falcon View the full article

Did you catch Biden's speech where he introduced him nomination for Secretary of Defense? In it, if you look at a certain angle, you can see an outline of what you can expect from him - broadly - for national security priorities. I have quotes and details over at USNIBlog. Come by and give it a read and tell me what you think. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=jU_INXPF9fs:1AVju-Le09Y:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=jU_INXPF9fs:1AVju-Le09Y:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=jU_INXPF9fs:1AVju-Le09Y:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=jU_INXPF9fs:1AVju-Le09Y:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FAFV/~4/jU_INXPF9fsView the full article

Americas International Enterprises won a $12.5 million requirements contract requirements contract for F-16 modular low power radio frequency (MLPRF) and dual mode transmitter (DMT) repairs. This contract provides for the repair of both MLPRF and DMT, which function as part of the radar systems of each F-16 C/D aircraft. The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the USAF. One of the most versatile aircraft in the US Air Force inventory, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has been the mainstay of the Air Force aerial combat fleet. With over 1,000 F-16s in service, the platform has been adapted to complete a number of missions, including air-to-air fighting, ground attack and electronic warfare. Work will take place in Alabama. Estimated completion date is December 6, 2025. The US Air Force is to field interim enhancements to the problematic Remote Vision System (RVS) for its Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker-transport aircraft. The Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) announced the move, saying that demonstration flights conducted over the summer (third quarter) had validated the Enhanced Remote Vision System (ERVS) as a stopgap measure until RVS 2.0 is rolled out in late 2023. RVS 2.0 is the agreed final solution to resolve Category 1 deficiencies associated with the current RVS. “The implementation of ERVS will provide some benefit to our ‘Total Force’ boom operators in the near-term, but most importantly will not delay the fielding of RVS 2.0,” General Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of Air Mobility Command (AMC), was quoted as saying. Middle East & Africa The guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson captured over 2,000 pounds of suspected narcotics in the Arabian Sea, the US Navy said on Monday. The interdiction was in support of the 33-nation Combined Maritime Forces’ mission known as Combined Task Force 150, which combats illicit operations on the seas. The Navy Ship assigned to the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, found a stateless dhow, a privately-owned sailing vessel, “loitering without power in international waters” on Friday, a Navy statement said. The Combined Maritime Forces, formed in 2002 and currently led by the Royal Saudi Naval Force, conduct security operations in the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean. Europe France proposed selling six MRTT aerial tankers to India in a government-to-government deal that involves converting second-hand A330 airliners. These former passenger airplanes are between five to seven years in age and France will certify them for 30 years of lifespan. Another alternative proposal being considered by the Indian Air Force was to wet-lease the tankers from a British company. The IAF now operate seven Russian IL-76 M refuellers with Pakistan acquiring four of the same refuellers from Ukraine and China operating three of the same Russian refuellers along with 10 vintage modified versions of Russian bombers. NATO announced the operational capability of a special operations command on Monday, organized by Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. The Composite Special Operations Component Command, or C-SOCC, was launched in 2017 to provide a unified “deployable multinational headquarters, specifically designed for commanding several Special Operations Forces task groups.” The new command is expected to provide “the participating nations with a capability that exceeds the sum of their individual national contributions,“a NATO statement said. The effort is one of 13 NATO High Visibility Projects meant to reduce costs and improve operational values through shared equipment, training and procedures. Asia-Pacific The US State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) of a Field Information Communications System (FICS) and related equipment for around $280 million. The decision “shows the US commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances,” the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday on Twitter after the sale was approved by the US State Department. “It also enables the country to maintain a robust defense in the face of China’s military provocations, as well as Indo Pacific peace and stability,” it added. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Monday the US State Department made a “determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) of a Field Information Communications System and related equipment for an estimated cost of $280 million”. Today’s Video Watch: Dream Realized: The Air Force’s New Multi-Mission KC-46 Tanker Is Ready View the full article

F-16F “Desert Falcon” (click to view full) The most advanced F-16s in the world aren’t American. That distinction belongs to the UAE, whose F-16 E/F Block 60s are a half-generation ahead of the F-16 C/D Block 50/52+ aircraft that form the backbone of the US Air Force, and of many other fleets around the world. The Block 60 has been described as a lower-budget alternative to the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, and there’s a solid argument to be made that their performance figures and broad sensor array will even keep them ahead of pending F-16 modernizations in countries like Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore. The UAE invested in the “Desert Falcon’s” development, and the contract reportedly includes royalty fees if other countries buy it. Investment doesn’t end when the fighters are delivered, either. Money is still needed for ongoing training, fielding, and equipment needs – and the UAE has decided that they need more planes, too. This DID article showcases the F-16 Block 60/61, and offers a window into its associated costs and life cycle, including dedicated equipment purchases for this fighter fleet. The F-16E/F “Desert Falcon” F-16A (click to view full) The F-16 has become what its designers intended it to be: a worthy successor to the legendary P-51 Mustang whose principles of visibility, agility, and pilot-friendliness informed the Falcon’s original design. The planes have been produced in several countries around the world, thanks to licensing agreements, and upgrades have kept F-16s popular. It’s no exaggeration to call the F-16 the defining fighter of its age, the plane that many people around the world think of when they think “fighter.” They remain the American defense industry’s greatest export success story of the last 40 years, but the aircraft’s ability to handle future adversaries like the thrust-vectoring MiG-29OVT/35 and advanced surface-air missile systems is now in question. The F-16 has now undergone 6 major block changes since its inception in the late 1970s, incorporating 4 generations of core avionics, 5 engine versions divided between 2 basic models (P&W F100 and GE F110), 5 radar versions, 5 electronic warfare suites, and 2 generations of most other subsystems. Moore’s Law applies as well, albeit more slowly: the latest F-16’s core computer suite has over 2,000 times the memory, and over 260 times the throughput, of the original production F-16. Block 60: Technical F-16F, F-16E (click to view full) Each new iteration of the fighter costs money to develop, integrate, and test. The UAE invested almost $3 billion into research and development for the F-16 E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon. First flight took place in December 2003, and flight testing by Lockheed Martin began in early 2004. UAE pilot training on the F-16E/F began at Tucson Air National Guard Base, AZ in September 2004, and the first group of pilots completed their training in April 2005. The first Desert Falcons arrived in the UAE in May 2005. All of the initial 60 aircraft have been delivered, and all training now takes place in the UAE. Versions of this aircraft have been entered in a number of international export competitions as well, including Brazil’s F-X2 (eliminated) and India’s MMRCA (eliminated), but it hasn’t found any buyers yet. Production will restart soon anyway, thanks to the UAE’s impending add-on buy 30 F-16 E/F Block 61s with minor component upgrades. The Desert Falcon’s unique features include… Design & Powerplant F-16E over Tucson (click to view full) The aircraft’s conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) let them carry more fuel, with less drag than underwing drop tanks. All that fuel feeds GE’s new F110-GE-132 engine, which produces up to 32,500 pounds of thrust to offset the plane’s increased weight. The -132 is a derivative of the proven F110-GE-129, a 29,000-pound thrust class engine that powers the majority of F-16 C/D fighters worldwide. Even with a bigger engine and more weight from added sensors, CFTs, etc., Block 60 fighters offer a mission radius of 1,025 miles – a 40% range increase over F-16s without CFTs. Conformal tanks aren’t exclusive to the Block 60. They’re options for many F-16 variants, and can be removed before missions, but that may not be a great idea for the UAE’s fleet. It’s a classic give/take scenario, in which more capability (q.v. electronics) means more weight, which requires a larger engine, which shortens range without more fuel. The conformal tanks more than make up that difference, creating a formidable strike fighter, but they exact their own aerodynamic cost in acceleration and handling. That tradeoff hurt attempts to export the fighter to India’s IAF, which prioritized maneuvering performance and left the Desert Falcon off of their shortlist. Electronics AN/APG-80 AESA (click to view full) The Desert Falcons’ most significant changes are electronic. Northrop Grumman’s AN/APG-80 AESA radar is the most significant advance, and made the UAE the first fighter force in the world to field this revolutionary new radar technology outside of the USA. Compared to mechanically-scanned arrays like the AN/APG-68v9s that equip advanced American and foreign F-16s, AESA radars like the APG-80 have more power, better range, less sidelobe “leakage,” near-100% combat availability, and more potential add-on capabilities via software improvements. Unlike the APG-68s, the APG-80 can perform simultaneous ground and air scan, track, and targeting, and it adds an “agile beam” that reduces the odds of detection by opposing aircraft when the radar is on. This last feature is important. Seeing the enemy first remains every bit as significant as it was in Boelcke’s day, but the inverse square law for propagation means that turning on older radar design is like activating a flashlight in a large and dark building. It can be seen much farther away than it can illuminate. An agile-beam AESA radar largely negates that disadvantage, while illuminating enemies who may not have their own radars on. The Desert Falcons also take a step beyond the standard ground surveillance and targeting pod systems fielded on other F-16s, by incorporating them into the aircraft itself. Northrop Grumman’s AN/ASQ-32 IFTS is derived from its work on the AN/AQS-28 LITENING AT, but internal carriage reduces drag and radar signature, and frees up a weapons pylon. The ASQ-32 can even be used to find aerial targets, allowing passive targeting, and offering a tracking option that radar stealth won’t evade. A JHMCS helmet mounted display provides parity with the fighter’s most modern counterparts, and displays information from the aircraft’s radar and sensors wherever the pilot looks. Its real advantage is that it creates a much larger targeting zone, which can be fully exploited by the newest air-to-air missiles like the AIM-9X. Avionics improvements round out the enhancements via an advanced mission computer to enhance sensor and weapon integration, a trio of 5″x7″ color displays in the cockpit, etc. Various advanced electronic countermeasures systems make up the Falcon Edge Integrated Electronic Warfare System (IEWS), which provides both advance warning capabilities and automatic countermeasures release. Weapons SLAM-ER Highlights (click to view full) F-16s have an extremely wide range of integrated weapons, but Mideast politics has kept some American weapons from the UAE’s hands. Their Desert Falcons won’t carry the same stealthy AGM-158 JASSM long-range, stealthy cruise missiles found on American F-16s, for instance. Nor can they carry the similar “Black Shahine” MBDA Storm Shadow derivatives that equip the UAE’s Mirage 2000 fleet. On the other hand, the Desert Falcons’ array of integrated weapons will include medium range, GPS/IIR-guided AGM-84H SLAM-ER cruise missiles that can deliver accurate hits on ships and land targets up to 250 km away. At shorter ranges, stealthy AGM-154C JSOW glide bombs and GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs give them wide-ranging one-pass attack capabilities against hard targets. In the air, AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder short-range missiles give them over-the-shoulder kill capability, and a combat option that many of the UAE’s neighbors haven’t fielded yet. Block 60: Political Issues MBDA Storm Shadow In the course of development, 2 key issues came up with respect to the F-16 Block 60. One was the familiar issue of source code control for key avionics and electronic warfare systems. The other was weapons carriage. As a rule, the software source codes that program the electronic-warfare, radar, and data buses on US fighters are too sensitive for export. Instead, the USA sent the UAE “object codes” (similar to APIs), which allow them to add to the F-16’s threat library on their own. The other issue concerned the Black Shahine derivative of MBDA’s Storm Shadow stealth cruise missile. The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) defines 300 km as the current limit for cruise missiles, and the terms of the sale allow the United States to regulate which weapons the F-16s can carry. Since the Black Shahine was deemed to have a range of over 300 km, the US State Department refused to let Lockheed Martin change the data bus to permit the F-16E/Fs to carry the missile. The Mirage 2000-9 upgrades that the UAE developed with France addressed this issue, giving the UAE a platform capable of handling their new acquisition. As of 2013, UAE F-16E/F fighters will finally receive the SLAM-ER precision attack missile, giving them the shorter-range but very accurate strike capabilities. Contracts and Key Events 2012 – 2020 F-16E, 162nd FW December 9/20: MLPRF International Enterprises won a $12.5 million requirements contract requirements contract for F-16 modular low power radio frequency (MLPRF) and dual mode transmitter (DMT) repairs. This contract provides for the repair of both MLPRF and DMT, which function as part of the radar systems of each F-16 C/D aircraft. The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the USAF. One of the most versatile aircraft in the US Air Force inventory, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has been the mainstay of the Air Force aerial combat fleet. With over 1,000 F-16s in service, the platform has been adapted to complete a number of missions, including air-to-air fighting, ground attack and electronic warfare. Work will take place in Alabama. Estimated completion date is December 6, 2025. August 24/20: Greece The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is deploying four of its F-16 fighters to Souda Air Base to Crete, Greece. The jets will be there to train with the Hellenic Air Force over the eastern Mediterranean. In the next days, these aircraft and their crews will carry out joint training with the Greek Armed Forces over the Eastern Mediterranean. The F-16 crews will be joined by support staff – engineers and ground personnel. April 17/19: Taiwan The US State Department approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to Taiwan for the continuation of a pilot training program and maintenance and logistics support for the F-16 aircraft. The deal is valued at $500 million. The latest sale follows an announcement last week that a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract has been awarded to Raytheon to refurbish radar for Taiwan’s naval vessels for a total cost of nearly $50 million and a $9 million contract to develop and upgrade Taiwan’s Patriot missile defense system over the next five years. Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) has requested the possible sale for the continuation of the pilot training program and maintenance/logistics support for F-16 aircraft currently at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. March 13/19: Falcon Depot Norway will house the world’s first licensed service center to service F-16 fighter jets. Lockheed Martin together with AIM Norway will jointly establish the so called „Falcon Depot“ center for the Royal Norwegian Air Force and other regional F-16 customers. AIM Norway provides maintenance, repair and modification services for fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and field equipment for the Norwegian Armed Forces. Lockheed Martin continues to grow its F-16 customer base and sees new F-16 production opportunities totaling more than 400 aircraft. There are approximately 3,000 operational F-16s in service today with 25 countries. March 1/19: DB-110 Tactical Reconnaissance Pod The US Air Force awarded Collins Aerospace a $47.6 million contract modification that provides Foreign Military Sales (FMS) partner nations Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain an ordering vehicle for the DB-110 Tactical Reconnaissance Pod program. Collins Aerospace designs, produces, and supports communication and aviation systems worldwide. The company offers a certified pod for F-16 and other fast-jet applications. With an integrated DB-110 sensor, this pod offers advantages over competing systems by relying on dual-environmental conditioning systems, to provide robust ground cooling and operations over a wide range of altitudes. The modification includes the following procurement of DB-110 reconnaissance pods, program infrastructure, airborne data link terminals, surface terminal equipment, mobile ground stations, fixed ground stations, transportable ground stations, and data and travel in support of orders. Work will take place in Westford, Massachusetts and has an expected completion date of November 14, 2023. February 21/19: F-21 Lockheed Martin unveiled the F-21 fighter jet, which is a proposed tailor-made version of the F-16, at the Aero India show in Bengaluru. The company is pitching the new jet to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The US defense firm previously offered its F-16 fighter for the Indian Air Force’s ongoing competition for 114 planes to be made in India. Lockheed is competing with Boeing’s F/A-18, Saab’s Gripen, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and a Russian aircraft for the IAF order. The proposed F-21 plane has a retractable probe, similar to the kind used by U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, that allowing them to take on fuel in flight via a hose-and-drogue system used by the Indian Air Force. Lockheed Martin’s illustrations show the place with a heavy weapon load and a Sniper targeting pod. February 8/19: SPEWS II Turkey’s F-16 was equipped with the new electronic warfare system SPEWS-II after it successfully completed tests. The Self-Protection Electronic Warfare System (SPEWS) II was designed to provide protection in hostile zones for F-16 fighter jets. It can detect radar signals coming from homing missiles and warn the jet’s pilot. The system’s electronic countermeasure capabilities enable it to confuse the signals that enable missiles to find planes and to deceive the missiles by sending signals showing the aircraft in different locations. The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft designed as an air superiority day fighter. 21 of the aircraft have already been equipped with the new system after the tests were successfully completed. January 9/19: Netherlands ends F-16 deployment The Netherlands ended its F-16 mission in the Middle East. Six F-16 aircrafts deployed by the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) operated from Al-Azraq in Jordan since January 2018. They supported troops on the ground and conducted more than 3,000 missions using their weapons about 2,100 times to attack targets such as vehicles, logistic nodes, and weapon positions of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and eastern Syria. The F-16 is a single-engine supersonic multi-role fighter aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Airfare. The dutch F-16s remain available in support of NATO. July 19/18: Raytheon supports HUD BAE Systems is partnering with Raytheon to support the development of BAE’s Digital Light Engine (DLE) Head-Up Display (HUD). The new digital hub will be integrated on the United Arab Emirates’ fleet of F-16s. Raytheon will design, develop and manufacture the projector for the HUD. HUDs are located immediately in front of the pilot’s line of sight and combine real-time mission critical information with the outside world view. The UAE flies the Block 60 variant of the F-16 which has been described as a lower-budget alternative to the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter. The initial order covers design, flight test and certification of the new computers, with a follow-on production order of 100 systems expected in 2020 and 2021. BAE expects a total of up to 315 units to be ordered through 2028. February 12/18: Upgrades-HUD Lockheed Martin has selected BAE Systems to modernize the head-up displays on F-16s operated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A press release issued by the British aerospace giant said work will see the aircraft’s analogue systems with advanced digital systems by using “cutting-edge Digital Light Engine (DLE) technology to implement a HUD upgrade that integrates seamlessly into the F-16’s existing HUD space, requiring no changes to the aircraft, cabling, or computing. The advancement will remove the outdated cathode ray tube image source and replace it with a digital projector.” DLE technology has already been selected to modernize the F-22 Raptor HUD for the US Air Force. BAE estimates it will reduce life-cycle costs by 20 percent and has four times the reliability of legacy analog systems. Last November, the UAE announced that Lockheed Martin would lead the overhaul of 80 F-16s as part of a $1.63 billion upgrade package. November 13/17: Upgrades Speaking at the Dubai Airshow, Major General Abdullah Al Sayed Al Hashemi, Chief of the Military Committee and spokesman for the UAE Armed Forces, announced that it will upgrade its 80 F-16 jet fighters as part of a $1.63 billion program agreed with Lockheed Martin. The ministry also announced other deals, including $17.9 million to US-based OTNA INC for Blu-109 ammunition and a $9.5 million agreement with Thales Communications and Security SAS to secure defense communications. Al Hashemi added that the UAE is also interested in procuring the fifth-generation F-35, calling it “an excellent jet,” but did not comment on discussions ongoing with Washington over such a purchase. Fourth generation jets also being looked at by the Emirates include the Sukhoi Su-35, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Dassault Rafale, however, no deals have ever reached completion. Jan 24/14: 30 more. The US DSCA announces the United Arab Emirates’s official export request for “equipment in support of a Direct Commercial Sale of F-16 Block 61 Aircraft and associated equipment, parts, [and] support….” The DCS purchase doesn’t have to be announced, but this Foreign Military Sale process confirms that they will buy up to 30 F-16 E/F “Block 61” aircraft. The new block number appears to involve a set of small component upgrades over the existing Block 60s, which will be upgraded to the same standard. The UAE’s request includes: 40 20mm M61A Guns 40 Embedded GPS Inertial Navigation Systems Identification Friend or Foe Equipment Unspecified “night vision devices” Joint Mission Planning System Cartridge Activated Device/Propellant Activated Devices, generally used in association with armament hard points and defensive decoys. Unspecified “Weapons Integration” F110-GE-132 International Engine Management Program-Component Improvement Program Site surveys, necessary for the required facilities expansions Ferry maintenance and services, incl. aerial refueling support Plus spare and repair parts; tools and test equipment; personnel training and training equipment; publications and technical documentation; and other forms of US Government and contractor support. The estimated cost for these items is up to $270 million, but of course it is only a fraction of the total sale, which has a likely floor price of around $2 billion. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Ft. Worth, TX remains the primary contractor for these items, even though several of them aren’t made by the F-16’s builder. Implementation of this sale will require the assignment of additional US Government or contractor representatives, but that will be negotiated after the initial contract is signed. Sources: DSCA #13-60. DSCA: accessories for 30 more F-16 ‘Block 61s’ Nov 19/13: More coming? Lockheed Martin is professing “near term” optimism concerning an order for 25-30 more F-16s (25 F-16E, 5 F-16F), but it’s clear there won’t be any kind of announcement at Dubai’s air show. American military sales efforts in the region are being complicated by “Smart Diplomacy’s” habit of alienating allies, but a country’s base of installed equipment has to be a major factor in its procurement decisions. We’ll have to see how all of this plays itself out in the UAE. Sources: UAE’s The National, “Lockheed Martin hoping for F-16 fighter jet deal with UAE” and “Challenges in the Middle East for US defence companies”. Oct 15/13: Weapons. The US DSCA announces the UAE’s formal export request for a variety of new precision strike weapons to equip its F-16E/F Block 60 fighters. The orders could be worth up to $4 billion, and include… 300 AGM-84H SLAM-ER cruise missiles. This Harpoon variant adds IIR terminal guidance to GPS navigation, and extended-range wings that let it hit land and sea targets 250 km away. South Korea’s F-15Ks already deploy it, and the US Navy uses its AGM-88K successor, which they consider to be their most accurate strike weapon. 40 CATM-84H Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM), with seekers but no motor. 20 ATM-84H SLAM-ER Telemetry Missiles for test shots. 4 Dummy Air Training Missiles. Sometimes you just need similar weight & form factor. 30 AWW-13 Data Link pods. Pilots can receive text, data, and photos from various sources, and can also use it to communicate with the SLAM-ER in mid-flight. 1,200 AGM-154C Joint Stand Off Weapons (JSOW). This stealthy 2,000 pound glide bomb uses GPS for navigation and IIR guidance for terminal guidance. 10 JSOW CATM. 5,000 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB). These 250 pound JDAM variants can be carried 4 to a rack. GPS guidance and pop-out wings give them decent range and accuracy, and their design makes them more effective against hard targets than their weight would suggest. 16 SDB Captive Flight and Load Build trainers. 8 SDB Guided Test Vehicles for aircraft integration testing. Containers, mission planning, integration support and testing, munitions storage security and training, weapon operational flight program software development, transportation, tools and test equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and other forms of U.S. Government and contractor support. The principal contractors will be Boeing in St. Louis, MO (SLAM-ER, SDB); and Raytheon in Indianapolis, IN; and Raytheon in Tucson, AZ (JSOW). If contracts are negotiated, they’ll need to negotiate the addition of approximately 2-4 additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the UAE. Sources: US DSCA 13-48, Oct 15/13 | US DoD, “Hagel, UAE Crown Prince Discuss Regional Security Issues”. DSCA: Precision strike weapons request April 21/13: More coming? During visits to the Middle East, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announces a wide range of approved arms buys for Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The UAE’s portion includes 25 more F-16E/F fighters, and unspecified “standoff weapons” that are very likely to be Lockheed Martin’s AGM-158 JASSM cruise missiles. Recall that refusal to provide such missiles is what pushed the UAE to create the Mirage 2000-9, and equip it with the Black Shahine derivative of MBDA’s stealthy Storm Shadow competitor. The potential weapons buy has to be turned into an official request from the UAE, and approved by the US State Department’s DSCA, before they can even begin negotiating a contract. What we can say is that the price will be a lot lower than the “$425 billion” attributed to an unnamed official in the Pentagon’s own release. Dr. Evil, is that you? US DoD. 2007 – 2011 F-16E Nov 30/11: The US DSCA announces [PDF] the UAE’s official request to buy 4,900 JDAM bombs for up to $304 million, which breaks out as: 304 GBU-54 Laser JDAM kits for 500 pound bombs, with 304 DSU-40 Laser Sensors as well as the GPS/INS tail kit 3,000 GBU-38v1 JDAM GPS/INS kits and BLU-111 500 pound bombs 1,000 GBU-31v1 JDAM GPS/INS kits and BLU-117 2,000 pound bombs 600 GBU-31v3 JDAM GPS/INS kits and BLU-109 2,000 pound Hard Target Penetrator bombs 4 BDU-50C inert bombs Plus fuzes, weapons integration, munitions trainers, personnel training and training equipment, spare and repair parts, support equipment, and other US government and contractor support. The weapons are explicitly slated for the UAE’s F-16E/F Block 60 fleet, and are designed to “help the UAE AF&AD become one of the most capable air forces in the region, thereby serving U.S. interests by deterring regional aggression. These munitions will be used to complement the normal war-readiness reserve stockpile of munitions and provide munitions for routine training requirements.” DSCA: Weapons Nov 16/11: What’s up in the UAE? The UAE is either engaged in the mother of all hardball negotiations, or the potential Rafale sale is crashing. Meanwhile, the UAE may be about to cut its planned new jet order and buy more F-16E/F Block 60s, regardless of what happens next. Read “Derailed Denouement in Dubai: What’s Up With the UAE’s Fighter Deal?” for a snapshot. Sept 22/11: The US DSCA announces [PDF] the UAE’s official request to buy 107 MIDS-LVT/ LINK 16 terminals and associated equipment, parts, training and support. The compact MIDS-LVT assemblies would be installed on its F-16E/F fleet, as well as ground command and control sites, giving its air force a Link-16 network that would help UAE fighters share what they see with each other, and with related forces like American and Saudi AWACS aircraft, similarly-equipped allied fighters, etc. If a contract is negotiated, it would include the systems, engineering/ integration services, aircraft modification and installation, testing, spare and repair parts, support equipment, repair and return support, personnel training, interface with ground command and control centers and ground repeater sites, and other related elements of program support. The estimated cost is up to $401 million. The prime contractor is not set; this will be a competition between Data Link Solutions and ViaSat. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of additional U.S. Government and contractor representatives to the UAE, which will be negotiated if a contract is signed and the program proceeds. DSCA: MIDS/ Link-16 May 25/11: The US DSCA announces [PDF] a formal request from the UAE to buy support and maintenance for both classified and unclassified F-16E/F aircraft systems and munitions, plus spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, ground support, communications equipment, and related forms of U.S. Government and contractor support. The estimated cost is up to $100 million, but the exact price will depend on a contract. Implementation of this proposed sale may require the assignment of additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the UAE. The number and duration will be determined in joint negotiations as the program proceeds through the development, production, and equipment installation phases. DSCA: Support April 27/11: Out in India. With existing bids set to expire on April 28/11, India’s MoD reportedly sent letters to Eurofighter GmbH and Dassault, extending the validity of their bids. The net effect of this is that bids from the other 4 contenders will expire on the 28th, removing Lockheed Martin’s F-16IN Block 70, Boeing’s F/A-18E/F, Russia’s MiG-35, and Saab’s JAS-39NG from the competition. This is significant for the UAE, because they maintain close relations with India, and would have received royalties if the Block 60 derived F-16IN had won a contract. Subsequent analysis indicates that the UAE’s optimization for long-range strike hampered the maneuverability and dogfighting performance that the IAF made its top priority, and there were also concerns about the platform’s ability to continue improving. Read “India’s M-MRCA Fighter Competition” for full coverage. Loss in India April 19/11: The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces [PDF] the UAE’s formal request to buy 218 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles, another 18 AIM-9X-2 WGU-51/B Tactical Guidance Units, 40 CATM-9X-2 Captive Air Training Missiles (CATMs) without rocket motors, another 8 CATM-9X-2 WGU-51/B Guidance Units, 8 Dummy Air Training Missiles for loading practice and such, plus containers, support and test equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and other forms of U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support. The AIM-9X isn’t a fit for the Hawks or Mirages, so the F-16E/F fleet is their sole realistic deployment option. The UAE already fits earlier-model Sidewinders to its F-16 fleet, and the DSCA doesn’t believe that they’ll have any difficulty absorbing these newer-model missiles. The estimated cost is up to $251 million, but exact amounts must wait until/if a contract is negotiated with Raytheon Missiles Systems in Tucson, AZ. DSCA: AIM-9X-2 missiles Feb 22/11: DB-110. At IDEX 2011, the UAE announces a series of contracts, including an AED 297.3 million (about $81 million) order of DB-110 reconnaissance pods from Goodrich, beating competition from BAE Systems. DB-110s equip a number of F-16 operators around the world. In the UAE’s neighborhood, they have been ordered by Egypt, Morocco, and Pakistan, and Oman and Saudi Arabia have made formal DSCA requests for them. Janes. Oct 20/10: Goodbye, Tucson. After roughly a decade of F-16 flight and maintenance training with the Arizona Air National Guard, the UAE wraps up their formal training relationship, and flies 5 of its F-16s home. The other 8 fighters on base are scheduled to fly to the UAE in December, along with the squadron’s UAE-owned support equipment. The UAE will now train its personnel in-country, with its own cadre of instructors. On the American side, Dutch pilots are due to take the UAE’s place, flying F-16 MLU fighters in a much less crowded and restrictive environment than they would face at home. Code One Magazine. Emirati and American Airmen gathered on the flightline to bid farewell to five UAE-owned F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Falcons as they took off for home. Eight remaining fighters and additional support equipment are scheduled to depart by December. Dec 28/09: Supporting a fighter extends far beyond delivery, or even maintenance. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces [PDF] the UAE’s request to buy enhanced guided bombs to support “the prior sale of the Block 60 F-16s to the UAE.” The request involves Raytheon’s dual-mode “Enhanced Paveway” bomb conversion kits, which can use GPS and laser guidance. This allows them to bomb through sandstorms, fog, and other obscurants that might obstruct a laser, while retaining the option of improved laser accuracy and the ability to hit moving targets once conditions are favorable. Specific order quantities include: 400 BLU-109/Bs: 2,000 pound bombs with penetrator warheads 400 GBU-24V 12/B Enhanced PAVEWAY III kits. Paired with BLU-109/B. 800 MK-84s: 2000 pound bombs. 400 GBU-24V 11/B Enhanced PAVEWAY III kits. Paired with Mk 84 bombs. 400 GBU-50V 1/B Enhanced PAVEWAY II kits. Paired with Mk 84 bombs, also referred to as EGBU-10 sometimes. 400 MK-82s: 500 pound bombs. 400 GBU-49V 3/B Enhanced PAVEWAY II kits. Paired with Mk 82s; 3/B variant uses non-NATO laser guidance codes. The estimated cost is $290 million, and the principal contractors are the Raytheon Corporation of Waltham, MA, and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant of McAlester, OK. If Congress doesn’t block the sale, and a contract is signed later, the deal could also include containers, bomb components, mission planning software, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, and U.S. Government and contractor support. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the UAE. The number of U.S. Government and contractor representatives required in UAE to support the program will be determined in joint negotiations as the program proceeds through the development, production, and equipment installation phase. DSCA: weapons Aug 22/09: Training. UAE pilots and maintainers begin their first-ever trip to the multinational Red Flag exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, NV, which lasts until Sept 5/09. They will be flying F-16E/F Block 60 fighters from the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Fighter Wing, 148th Fighter Squadron, at Tucson International Airport. The 148th trains Emirati pilots, which is why some of the UAE’s Desert Falcons are based there. They currently have 9 future pilots in their course. USAF release. March 10/09: Radar. Aviation Week’s “AESA Radars Are A Highlight of Aero-India” discusses the AN/APG-80 radar’s performance to date with the UAE: “The proposed F-16IN for India is similar to the E/F and can accept the APG-80, which needs more power and cooling than RACR or SABR, and is lower risk. Northrop Grumman says no APG-80 antennas have had to be repaired, in normal use, since tests started over four years ago. “The antenna will outlast the airframe,” the company says. “A few modules might fail over its lifetime, but they won’t affect performance enough to make it worth unsealing the radome and replacing them.” Feb 22/09: A Raytheon official confirms that the UAE and the U.S. government have executed a letter of offer and acceptance for 224 AIM-120C7 AMRAAM missiles, to equip the UAE’s F-16E/Fs. Terms were not disclosed, but the number matches the DSCA sale request of Jan 3/08. Reuters Oct 1/08: Brazil has decided on the 3 finalists for its F-X2 fighter competition: Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, and Saab/BAE’s JAS-39 Gripen. EADS’ Eurofighter, Lockheed Martin’s F-16BR Block 60+, and Sukhoi’s SU-35 all failed to make the cut. Brazilian FAB release [Portuguese] | Reuters | Boeing release | Gripen International release. Loss in Brazil AIM-120C Jan 3/08: Weapons. The US DSCA announces [PDF] the UAE’s official request for a variety of weapons to equip its F-16 E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon fleet, as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $326 million. The principal contractors are the Raytheon Corporation in Waltham, MA (AIM-120, Paveways); Boeing Corporation in St Louis, MO (JDAMs); and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in McAlester, OK. Equipment requested includes: 224 AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM). The C7 is the most recent version in production, but the AIM-120D model just entering service is more advanced. 224 Mk84 2,000 pound General-Purpose Bombs 200 GBU-31 tail kits for JDAM GPS-guided bombs. These will fit on the Mk84s. 450 GBU-24 PAVEWAY III dual laser/GPS guidance kits on Mk84 2,000 pound bombs 488 GBU-12 PAVEWAY II laser guidance kits on Mk82 500 pound bombs 1 M61A 20mm Vulcan Cannon with Ammunition Handling System Plus containers, bomb components, spare/repair parts, publications, documentation, personnel training, training equipment, contractor technical and logistics personnel services, and other related support elements. Normally, General Dynamics ATP would also be included as a contractor, given the requests for Mk84s and the M61A cannon. The DSCA did not include them, but did say this: “This proposed sale supports the prior sale of the Block 60 F-16s to the UAE… Several U.S. Air Force pilots and maintenance Extended Training Service Specialists already in the UAE are expected to remain for the next five years and will be able to support this potential sale.” DSCA: Weapons 1998 – 2007 Allah Bless Texas! (click to view full) June 19/07: Support MoU. Lockheed Martin and Mubadala Development Company (MDC) of the Government of Abu Dhabi signed a memorandum of understanding today to expand their strategic relationship and jointly explore opportunities for military aircraft sustainment, maintenance, repair and overhaul, engineering and technical support in the UAE. Together, Mubadala and Lockheed Martin have identified various military aircraft airframes and engines as a part of a joint MRO business agreement. A regional support center will be established, and Lockheed Martin will also explore participating with Mubadala in its other aerospace development activity with particular attention to research and development. Mubadala Development Company is a wholly owned investment vehicle of the Government of Abu Dhabi, one of the 7 Emirates in the UAE and the home of most of the country’s fighter fleet. MDC’s mandate is to generate sustainable economic benefits through the development of business ventures related to a wide range of sectors including aerospace and aviation in partnership with local, regional and international investors. Lockheed Martin release. June 18/07: The US DSCA announces the UAE’s request for: “United States pilot proficiency training programs and munitions, services and support for F-16 aircraft which includes: 105,000 20mm cartridges, aircraft modifications kits, maintenance, participation in joint training Continental United States (CONUS) pilot proficiency training program, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals training, F-5B transition and continuation training, fighter follow-on preparation training, participation in joint training exercises, fuel and fueling services, supply support, flight training, spare/repair parts, support equipment, program support, publications, documentation, personnel training, training equipment, contractor technical and logistics personnel services and other related program requirements necessary to sustain a long-term CONUS (CONtinental US) training program.” Training would take place at Alliance International Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, with the Alliance Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Worth, TX and Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support also at Fort Worth, TX as the main contractors. If all options are exercised, the agreement could be worth up to $201 million. The Netherlands and Singapore have moved to set up their F-16 pilot training programs in the USA, which offers a lot more space to fly in and combat-seasoned pilots as trainers; this would represent a similar service. This course will go from fighter fundamentals training to a “capstone” course that takes experienced pilots and significantly improves their tactical proficiency. Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals in Texas is a precursor to F-16 Block 60-transition training, which UAE pilots will receive in Tucson, AZ. DSCA: Training July 18/06: A good “slice of life” release for the F-16 program generally can be found in this Lockheed Martin release: “Most recently – in April – Lockheed Martin achieved a significant production milestone with the delivery of its 4,300th F-16 aircraft that is now in service for Oman, which purchased 12 Advanced Block 50 F-16s in the Peace A’sama A’safiyah (Clear Skies) Program. Clear Skies is a U.S. Government Foreign Military Sales program. The Omani F-16s are just one of six F-16 aircraft programs now in production at the Fort Worth facility. Lockheed Martin is currently producing F-16 aircraft for Chile, Israel, Oman, Poland and the UAE. Greece has also recently placed an order for 30 F-16 aircraft planned for delivery in 2009.” May 3/05: Delivery. The UAE celebrates the arrival of its first Lockheed Martin F-16E/F aircraft. The first “Desert Falcon” F-16s to be based in the UAE were received by the Crown Prince, His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Lockheed Martin release. 1st delivery Dec 6/03: 1st flight. The F-16F Block 60 completes its first flight successfully. Aug 27/03: Radar. Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Electronic Systems sector announces delivery of the first AN/APG-80 agile beam AESA radar to Lockheed Martin Corporation for the new F-16 block 60. Following formal radar acceptance tests in mid-July 2003, the radar was delivered to Lockheed Martin’s Aeronautics Company facility in Fort Worth, TX. The radar will be installed in the first F-16 Block 60 airframe by the end of September. First flight of this aircraft is scheduled for late November 2003. Testing of additional software modes will continue into 2004, using test radars on board the company’s BAC 1-11 test bed aircraft in Baltimore. July 18/2000: Training. Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems in Akron, OH announces an award from the UAE for an F-16 Block 60 Training System valued at $50 million over 7 years. The WST will serve as the primary training device for the combat-ready pilot to achieve front seat training goals and the ULT shall be the primary training device at the squadron level. This group also produces the U.S. Air Force’s F-16 Mission Training Center, and the Israeli Air Force’s F-15I/AUP Flight and System Trainer. The UAE’s F-16 Training System, which will include Unit Level and Weapon Systems Trainers, will incorporate many features of the U.S. Air Force F-16 Mission Training Center, also in development by Lockheed Martin in Akron. A demonstration of the Brief/Debrief Station (B/DS) and its unique mission-recording feature was a key element in the win. Weapon Systems Trainers will include a dome-type visual system and the Unit Level Trainers will each have a 150-by-40-degree out-the-window visual system. The Training System’s components will interface via local and long-haul networks, and will interface with UAE’s existing Mirage 2000-9 training systems. Lockheed Martin NE&SS-Akron will supply a mission observation center, support integration between the F-16 and UAE’s Mirage 2000-9 training systems, and provide performance evaluation, mission scenario engagement, post-mission review and accounting, and a training management information system. Lockheed Martin Information Systems in Orlando, FL, Lockheed Martin Systems Support & Training Services in Cherry Hill, NJ, and French visual system supplier SOGITEC Industries SA will join Lockheed Martin NE&SS-Akron on the 7-year program under subcontract to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, TX. March 5/2000: Officials of the UAE and Lockheed Martin announce contractual agreements for 80 F-16 E/F aircraft and associated equipment for an estimated $6.4 billion. The aircraft will be produced by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company of Fort Worth, TX. The firm’s release states that: “The contract solidifies the U.A.E.’s May 1998 selection of the F-16 after a long and thorough process in which the Block 60 aircraft was evaluated against other advanced fighters including the Eurofighter Typhoon, France’s Rafale and Boeing’s F-15E.” 80 F-16E/F Block-60s Nov 29/98: FlugRevue: “Matra BAe Dynamics has signed a major contract to supply Mica air-to-air missiles and Black Shahine air-to-ground missiles to the UAE, the Lagardère group said on November 24. The contract was estimated to be worth 12 billion francs ($2.09 billion). Confirmation of the missiles purchase follows last week’s signing of a contract for 30 new Mirage 2000-9 built by Dassault Aviation. The UAE purchase marks the first export sale of the infra-red model of the Mica, which complements an electromagnetic version which Abu Dhabi is also buying. The long-range strike missile, known by its Arabic name Black Shahine, is based on the Apache and Scalp EG stand-off weapon being built for France and the Storm Shadow which will equip Britain’s Royal Air Force.” The USA’s refusal to let the UAE mount these missiles on F-16E/F fighters would become a source of controversy. Additional Readings Background: F-16E/F Desert Falcon & Ancillaries F-16.NET – F-16E/F Block 60 Lockheed Martin – F-16 Fighting Falcon Lockheed Martin Code One Magazine, via WayBack (Q3 2003) – UAE Air Force/F-16 Block 60 Lockheed Martin, via WayBack – F-16 UAE Training System. See also July 18/2000 entry, above. Maxwell AFB Air Chronicles PIREP by Capt Gilles Van Nederveen USAF, via WayBack (Fall 2000) – The F-16 Block 60: A High-Tech Aircraft for a Volatile Region GE – Model F110-GE-132 Enhanced Fighter Engine Northrop Grumman – AN/APG-80 (F-16) Northrop Grumman – AN/AAQ-32 Internal FLIR Targeting System (IFTS) Northrop Grumman – Falcon Edge Integrated Electronic Warfare Suite (IEWS) DID – New Options: Denel & Tawazun’s Precision Weapons Partnership. The Al-Tariq GPS-guided glide bomb. It has been integrated with the Mirage 2000-9 so far, but it’s unlikely to stop there. News & Views UAE’s The National, via WayBack (Sept 29/09) – UAE wants its fighters its own way. In this case, Rafales with uprated engines to 20,000 pounds thrust each, an AESA radar, and integration with MBDA’s Meteor long-range missile. The article also reveals the licensing-for-exports deals associated with the UAE’s funded modifications to the Mirage 2000 and F-16 platforms, which made several hundred million dollars in the Mirage’s case. The deal would pay out if other countries buy a version of the F-16E/F, but Lockheed Martin’s 2012 introduction of a different F-16V upgrade design makes F-16E/F royalties less likely. Flight International, via WayBack (Nov 11/07) – Dubai 2007: UAE shows off its most advanced Falcons Lockheed Martin Code One Magazine, via WayBack (Q2 2000) – UAE Signs Agreement For Block 60 F-16 Desert Falcon Lockheed Martin – F-16IN Super Viper. F-16E/F derivative, competing for India’s order against the Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, Dassault’s Rafale, EADS Eurofighter, Russia’s MiG-35, and Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen NG. They eventually introduced the F-16V as a global offering, which may have enough changes in it to sidestep the UAE deal’s provisions re: export royalties. View the full article

Perhaps one day the full story will come out how Iran's top nuclear weapons scientist was taken out, but until then we'll just have to give a nod of respect to the Israeli's ability to execute superb clandestine operations in the Islamic Republic. Tom Rogan at the Washington Examiner has a nice "Top-5 Takeaways" list you really should read in full ... but here's the summary: 1) Biden will not be able to return America to the JCPOA nuclear accord without significant complication 2) There was likely some U.S. intelligence support for this operation 3) Israel's covert intelligence presence on Iranian soil is growing 4) The attack will fuel Iran's paranoia and provoke retaliation 5) This attack doesn't portend U.S. or Israeli military action against Iran's nuclear facilities Especially #4. Just amazing capabilities for such a small nation. Having everyone around you trying to kill you does focus the mind a bit. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=orGE2JNt4Z4:_AqFgK6yegA:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=orGE2JNt4Z4:_AqFgK6yegA:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=orGE2JNt4Z4:_AqFgK6yegA:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=orGE2JNt4Z4:_AqFgK6yegA:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FAFV/~4/orGE2JNt4Z4View the full article

Americas Southeastern Computer Consultants won a $43 million task order, which shall provide Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System (TTWCS) Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) products and services in support of Training Support Activity responsibilities at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division. This is a single award, five-year, cost-plus-fixed-fee term level of effort task order that consists of one base year with four option years, which, if all line item quantities are ordered, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $42,989,767. The Tomahawk missile is a long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is primarily used by the US Navy and the Royal Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations. Work will take place in Virginia, California, Florida, Washington, Georgia, Hawaii, Japan and The UK: Expected completion date is in December 2021. Boeing won a $20.7 million order, which provides for the production and delivery of 48 retrofit kits, support equipment and special tooling in support of phase two of the T-45 Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for SLEP production Lots Three and Four. In addition, this order provides retrofit engineering and logistics from the original equipment manufacturer to support the installation of associated technical directives. The T-45A/C Goshawk is the US Navy’s two-seat advanced jet trainer. It entered service with the US Navy in January 1992. Work will take place in St. Louis, Missouri and estimated completion will be in May 2024. Middle East & Africa The Trump administration on Friday ordered most US troops out of Somalia, a move a Defense Department watchdog warned last month could damage gains the country has made against al-Shabab. The Pentagon said “the majority of personnel and assets” in Somalia will be removed from the East African country by “early 2021.” A news release from the department declined to offer a specific timeline on the moves. “As a result of this decision, some forces may be reassigned outside of East Africa,” the release said. “However, the remaining forces will be repositioned from Somalia into neighboring countries in order to allow cross-border operations by both US and partner forces to maintain pressure against violent extremist organizations operating in Somalia.” Europe The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has placed an order for three An-178 cargo planes with Antonov. This was revealed by Vice Prime Minister, Minister for Strategic Industries Oleh Urusky. The An-178 is based on the An-158 regional jetliner but with an enlarged diameter to hold more cargo. The Defense Ministry of Ukraine and the state-owned Antonov Design Bureau are set to sign a contract for the construction of three new An-178 transport aircraft. AN-178 is a short-range medium-airlift military transport aircraft designed by the Ukrainian Antonov company and based on the Antonov An-158 (An-148-200) regional jet. Airbus Helicopters announced that it successfully performed autonomous take-off and landing (ATOL) from a moving deck using its Vertivision Surveillance Rotorcraft 700 (VSR700) optionally piloted vehicle (OPV). The milestone was achieved using the Deck Finder local positioning sensor system and the DeckMotion Simulator supplied by Airbus Defense and Space. The VSR700 OPV is being developed as a multimission naval UAS under a joint venture between Airbus Helicopters and Hélicoptères Guimbal in response to the French Navy’s Système de Drones Aériens de la Marine (SDAM) requirement announced in 2016. The effort also involves French naval shipbuilder DCNS, which is responsible for integration of the VSR700 into ship-based operations. Asia-Pacific According to Jane’s, officials from Indonesia’s defense ministry are in discussions with a consortium led by French shipbuilder Naval Group for a possible order of the Riachuelo (Modified Scorpene)-class submarine. The discussion is the latest development in what has been a series of sporadic talks between Indonesian defense planners and Naval Group since 2016, when Jakarta first indicated its interest in the Scorpene 1000 vessel type for its naval requirements. Due diligence specifically for the Riachuelo class began after a variant of the submarine type was suggested by Naval Group as being suitable for Indonesia’s requirements, said one of the industry sources. Today’s Video Watch: Launch of “Riachuelo”, Brazil’s first Scorpene-class attack submarine View the full article

Block IV Cutaway (click to view full) Block IV Tomahawk is the current generation of the Tomahawk family of cruise missiles. The BGM-109 Tomahawk family began life in the 1980s as sub-sonic, low-flying nuclear strike weapons, before being developed into long-range RGM/UGM-109 conventional attack missiles. They’re most frequently launched from submarines and surface ships, and have been the US Navy’s preferred option for initial air strikes in Iraq, Libya, et. al. Britain has also bought Tomahawk missiles, and launches them exclusively from submarines. Block IV is the latest variant. It adds innovative technologies that improve combat flexibility, while dramatically reducing the costs to buy, operate, and support these missiles. That’s why the Block IV program, under US Navy PMA-280, has been one of the USA’s defense acquisition success stories over the last decade. xGM-109: Missile & Launcher Types TLAM operation (click for video) Tomahawk missiles have become the US Navy’s major land strike missile. The USA has bought more than 4,000 over the years, and March 2011 saw the 2,000th GM-109 Tomahawk fired in combat, from USS Barry [DDG 52]. The missile typically flies at 50 – 100 feet above ground using terrain-following radar, and navigates to its targets using a combination of GPS/INS, computer matching of the land’s radar-mapped contours to the missile’s internal maps (TERCOM), and final matching of the target scene (DSMAC). Once on target the missile can fly a direct horizontal attack mode, trigger preprogrammed detonation above the target, or use a pop-up and dive maneuver. CEP is often described as being about 10 meters. There are 3 fielded variants. The xGM-109C/D Block III missiles will serve in the US Navy until FY 2020, and can be fitted with either a 1,000 pound unitary conventional warhead (xGM-109C), or a conventional submunitions warhead with hundreds of smaller bomblets (xGM-109D). The Tomahawk Block III has a 750 nautical mile range. Unfortunately, mission planning requires 80 hours of work. The xGM-109E Tomahawk Block IV achieved Initial Operating Capability in 2004, and current Pentagon plans will end purchases in 2015. Block IV reportedly increases missile range to 900 nautical miles, but it only uses the unitary warhead. Mission planning has been cut from 80 hours to just 1 hour, which makes a big difference to combat usage. The missile also has a 2-way UHF SATCOM datalink that allows the missile to be redirected in flight, or commanded to loiter over an area and wait for instructions from a Fleet HQ’s Maritime Operations Center. Submarine Launch 109 UGM-109 launch (click to view full) Submarine-launched UGM-109 missiles are more expensive than their ship launched RGM-109 VLS counterparts, because the submarines’ launch mechanism is more involved and more strenuous. UGM-109 “all-up-round” storage and interface canisters come in 2 types: CLS and TTL. CLS canisters launch UGM-109s from vertical launch tubes installed on many of America’s Los Angeles Class (SSN 719 on), all Virginia Class, and all SSGN Ohio Class submarines. TTL canisters are used to launch Tomahawk missiles from a submarine’s torpedo tubes, which is Britain’s preferred method. In both cases, a Tomahawk launches “wet”, unlike most anti-ship missiles. The canister remains in the vertical-launch or torpedo tube, while the missile is ejected. Once the UGM-109 has reached a safe distance from the submarine, its rocket booster ignites underwater to power it airborne. That booster falls away just before the missile ignites its jet engine. If the submarine needs to “clear the tube” for torpedoes, anti-ships missiles, mines, UUVs, etc., TTL canisters can be ejected into the sea after launch, as a separate evolution. In contrast, CLS vertical-launch canisters are only removed portside, when the submarine comes into base for servicing and reloading. Tomahawk: The 2019 Evolution LRASM-A Concept (click to view full) There was a plan to develop a successor to the retired xGM-109B ship-killer by 2015, as an interim capability for the US Navy’s Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) program. That was shelved in the FY 2014 budget, as the Navy opted to drop the interim capability. Instead, they’re moving ahead with OASuW’s main xGM-84 Harpoon missile replacement program for air and sea launch. The LRASM derivative of Lockheed Martin’s subsonic but stealthy AGM-158B JASSM-ER is the initial air-launched missile, but there will be competition for air and naval missiles beyond FY 2019. Raytheon has partnered with Norway’s Kongsberg to offer the stealthy, and accurate JSM for the air-launched OASuW, and their entry has the unique ability to fit inside the F-35C’s weapon bays. They could also offer Kongsberg’s NSM counterpart in the naval realm, but that would leave Tomahawk in the cold. Or would it? The key to the next set of Tomahawk improvements is actually a warranty. The missile has a 15-year warranty and a 30-year service life, so 2019 will begin a recertification cycle for the fleet that could last until 2030. Threats continue to evolve, so why not add some missile upgrades while they’re back in the shop anyway? The US Navy already has a specifications sheet of possible improvements, and they’ve done a number of capability studies. Raytheon is investing almost $40 million of its own funds in parallel, and they’re still talking to the Navy about that final package, which will break down into 3 broad categories. MI concept Anti-Access/ Area Denial Communications Suite. Saddam Hussein had a sophisticated anti-aircraft system, but he didn’t have the kind of high-end jamming and emissions triangulation capabilities expected of future opponents. The challenge is twofold: keep the enemy from cutting off your communications, and keep your communications from alerting the enemy. One option that has been mentioned in public involves adding a Line Of Sight datalink capability. The flip side of that move would involve training and tactics changes that push missile control farther down the command chain. That may be necessary, but is the US Navy comfortable doing that? There’s more to these A2/AD-CS discussions than just picking technologies. Autonomy. The Tomahawk is already an autonomous weapon, in the sense that it can be fired at pre-planned fixed targets and left alone. To remain relevant, it needs to add dynamic terminal autonomy: the ability to acquire targets on its own and hit them, even if the target is moving or has moved. It would also be useful to expand the missile’s navigation autonomy, by offering backups for hardened SASSM M-code GPS. Both kinds of upgrades are being contemplated. Early tests that aren’t autonomous involve Rapid In-flight Target Update, which allows units that have a lock on a target to transmit rapid final scene updates for the missile’s DSMAC guidance. This is still done via Fleet HQ as Standard Operational Procedure, but that’s enough to hit moving targets in some circumstances. Ships would become vulnerable to Tomahawk strikes if the targeting platform can survive their defenses, and the same is true for land-based air defense systems that can repeatedly move to new fixed locations. Raytheon and the Navy are looking for more, with a focus on mature technologies to cut down program risk. An ESM system for noticing and geolocating emissions has already begun testing. Raytheon personnel stress its quality, to the point that Navigation via Signals of Opportunity (NAVSOP) might be possible as a backup to GPS. During the attack run, ESM can allow the Tomahawk to home in on an active enemy ship or air defense radars, or even on other intercepted signals. That begins to add autonomous moving target capability, and the firm plans to take the next step by flight testing a dual-mode ESM/ active radar seeker system before the end of 2014. Finally, passive visual spectrum (camera or imaging infrared) guidance has also become popular for long-range strike missiles, because it doesn’t give the missile’s location away by creating electro-magnetic emissions. Raytheon has confirmed that CCD/IIR upgrades are also under consideration for Tomahawk, but stressed that no final decisions have been made about a future guidance package. Core Strengthening. All of these capabilities are great, but they demand more computer processing power, more memory, more onboard power, etc. The missile’s core will need redesigns, in order to keep up. Raytheon had to develop a Multi-Function Modular Processor to handle those computing needs. Other efforts will look to add new technology, like the Joint Multiple Effects Warhead System (JMEWS) warhead to allow mid-flight reprogramming, and improve performance against reinforced targets like bunkers. Still other attempts will take advantage of existing upgrades. As an example of the latter, Block III introduced the ability to throttle the missile’s Williams F107-WR-402 turbofan, and Raytheon has been expanding its usefulness over time. It’s a capability that’s obviously handy for adjusting the missile’s time of arrival, or extending range, but the firm has recently been testing a “high speed dash” mode. It’s still subsonic, but it represents some impressive flying that close to the ground. The Missing Link Saab S340-AEW (click to view full) Even after all of these upgrades, the Tomahawk is still a 1970s design that relies on low altitude to hide from radar. That isn’t really subject to change, even though downward-looking radars are proliferating on small AWACS planes and aerostat blimps, and radars in modern ships and air defense systems are taking big steps forward. All of the Tomahawk’s proposed technologies are well and good, and they will expand the missile’s usefulness substantially. Adding them to thousands of existing missiles is very cost effective, and makes a great deal of sense. As budget crunches force the Navy to re-examine every aspect of their programs, however, the Navy will have to make decisions about the cost, capability profile, and limitations of every weapon in their arsenal. Raytheon is trying to position Tomahawk as best they can, but the final decisions will lie elsewhere. Contracts & Key Events 45 min. documentary (click for video) Unless stated otherwise, US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD manages the contracts to Raytheon in Tucson, AZ. In general, these contracts aren’t competitively procured, pursuant to the “only 1 responsible supplier” exemption in 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). Key subcontractors include Lockheed Martin in Valley Forge, PA (Weapon Control System element), QinetiQ North America in San Jose, CA (Command and Control element), and Boeing Inc. in St. Louis, MO (Command and Control element). FY 2016 – 2020 December 8/20: TTWCS Southeastern Computer Consultants won a $43 million task order, which shall provide Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System (TTWCS) Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) products and services in support of Training Support Activity responsibilities at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division. This is a single award, five-year, cost-plus-fixed-fee term level of effort task order that consists of one base year with four option years, which, if all line item quantities are ordered, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $42,989,767. The Tomahawk missile is a long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is primarily used by the US Navy and the Royal Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations. Work will take place in Virginia, California, Florida, Washington, Georgia, Hawaii, Japan and The UK: Expected completion date is in December 2021. July 13/20: TTGTS Raytheon won a $17.2 million order, which provides non-recurring engineering in support of upgrading the existing Tactical Tomahawk Guidance Test Set (TTGTS) product baseline to eliminate obsolescence and production issues. Additionally, this order provides for the development, test and delivery of six new TTGTSs. Since 1994, RMS (Raytheon Missiles Systems) has been the sole developer, designer, and manufacturer for the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. RMS solely possesses the current configuration and manufacturing data for the Tomahawk Block IV AUR missile, and is the only source capable of performing the required tasking. RMS maintains and controls both the Level III technical data package (TDP) and the manufacturing documentation for the Block IV AUR. The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is an all-weather, long range, subsonic cruise missile used for deep land attack warfare, launched from US Navy surface ships and US Navy and United Kingdom Royal Navy submarines. Work will take place in Arizona, Florida, UK, Ontario, Alabama, Utah and various other locations. Expected completion date will be by December 2022. April 15/20: Delivery Order Raytheon Missile Systems won a $30.3 million delivery order to procure 32 Tomahawk Mid-Body Range Safety Subsystems and 32 Flight Test Kits. Tomahawk is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile in service with the surface ships and submarines of the US and the UK’s Royal Navy. Originally produced by General Dynamics, Tomahawk is currently manufactured by Raytheon. The Tomahawk can strike high-value or heavily defended land targets. The Block II TLAM-A missile achieved initial operating capability in 1984. The missile was first deployed in combat during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Work under the delivery order will take place in Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, South Carolina, California, Florida, Missouri and various locations within the continental US. Completion is expected by March 2023. March 31/20: Block V Raytheon Missile Systems won a $493.4 million contract, which provides for recertification and modernization of Tactical Tomahawk (TACTOM) Block IV all-up round missiles to include the integration of navigation and communication kits that result in a modernized TACTOM Block V missile. The Tomahawk is a mature missile weapons system. The current version, called the Block IV Tactical Tomahawk, or TACTOM, has a data link that allows it to switch targets while in flight. It can loiter for hours and change course instantly on command. The US Navy wants to recertify and modernize the missile, extending its service life by 15 years, and resulting in the new Tomahawk Block V series. Work ist expected to be complete in September 2023. Also, Raytheon Missile Systems, is awarded a $147,8 million contract for the full rate production and delivery of 90 Lot 16 Block V Tactical Tomahawk (TACTOM) All Up Round (AUR) Vertical Launch System missiles and other hardware and related services for the Navy. Additionally, this contract procures TACTOM Block IV AUR recertification AGR-4 Spares. Estimated completion date will be in August 2022. March 13/20: Anti-Ship Role The US Marine Corps has indicated that besides the Naval Strike Missile, the service intends to field the Maritime Strike Tomahawk missile for anti-ship role as well. It could be mounted on the same unmanned Joint Light Tactical Vehicle that the Marines is using for the Naval Strike Missile, Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration Lt. Gen. Eric Smith told lawmakers. In December the Marines shot a “slug” or inert round off the top of a JLTV to prove the missile could launch in that manner, and the test was successful. This effort is similar to work that was done with Lockheed’s Hellfire air-to-surface missile when the Navy wanted to put it on LCSs – the missile’s effectiveness was already proven, but testing needed to confirm that it could get going from a vertical launch off a ship deck instead of a horizontal launch from under an aircraft in flight. January 8/20: Hardware Component Refresh Ace Electronics Defense Systems won a $64.4 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed-price delivery orders for the production and delivery of manufacturing kits, spare parts and first article testing for the hardware component refresh of the Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (AN/SWG-5(V)6). The AN/SWG-5(V)6 upgrade offers new offensive capabilities to upgraded ships in support of the Maritime Strike Tomahawk, addresses obsolescence risks and improves the operability and maintainability of the system hardware. ATWCS is an evolutionary upgrade to the current Tomahawk Weapon Control System. ATWCS replaces 1970s’ technology with COTS/GOTS hardware and software, thereby reducing overall reaction time and operator workload, enhancing the training capabilities at all levels, and improving Tomahawk strike effectiveness. ATWCS incorporates an open-system architecture to provide for future growth, eliminates stand-alone Tomahawk desktop computers, and enhances command-and-control interoperability. The single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a five-year ordering period, which, if all line item quantities are ordered, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $64,405,123, with an ordering period to January 2025. Work will take place in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by January 2025. September 20/19: Critical Design Review The US Navy awarded Raytheon a $25.5 million contract for critical design review of the Tomahawk Weapons System Military Code to include studies, analysis, design, development, integration and test of hardware and software solutions. Additionally, the contract provides for the identification of the kit bill of materials, fabrication, assembly, integration, test and documentation of an AGR5 kit. The Tomahawk is a mature missile weapons system with Block II and III, C and D versions in fleet use. These two variants of Tomahawk cruise missile are distinguished by their warhead; TLAM-C has a conventional unitary warhead, and TLAM-D has a conventional submunitions (dispense bomblets) warhead. Raytheon will perform work in California and Arizona and expected completion will be in March 2021. June 19/19: Missile Equipment Raytheon won a $29.6 million delivery order, which provides for the upgrade of the Block IV Tomahawk missile equipment. The upgrade includes test equipment like the system Integration Laboratory, the Air Vehicle System Integration Laboratory, hot-benches, automated flight test equipment and associated test equipment. Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles can launch from a ship or a submarine and can fly into heavily defended airspace more than 1,000 miles away to conduct strikes on targets with minimal collateral damage. The cruise missile is designed to circle for hours above or away from its target and change course on command. The Tomahawk is also able to send an image of its target to controllers right before it hits the target. The latest Block IV variant includes a two-way satellite data-link that enables the missile to be retargeted in flight to pre-programmed, alternate target. Raytheon will perform work within the US and is expected to finish in June 2021. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. April 1/19: Advanced Communications Architecture Antenna Kits Raytheon won an $18.7 million delivery order from the Naval Air Systems Command for 120 Navigation and Communication Advanced Communications Architecture Antenna Kits for the Tomahawk Block IV All-Up-Round recertification. The Tomahawk is the primary ship-based cruise missile in use by the US Navy, as well as many foreign allied fleets. It is a long-range, all-weather, sub-sonic cruise missile. The Block IV missiles have an improved turbofan engine allowing throttle control, in-flight speed changes, better fuel economy and quicker launch times. They have enhanced loiter capabilities and are equipped with a real-time targeting system for striking fleeing targets as well as onboard electro-optical sensors allowing for real-time battle damage assessment. Work for the Navigation and Communication Advanced Communications Architecture Antenna Kits will take place in Colorado and Arizona and will approximately be completed in September 2020. February 28/19: Support for Recertification The Navy awarded a $25.2 million contract modification to Raytheon for delivery of Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile spares. Under the modification Raytheon will provide All-Up-Round spares to support the recertification effort for the Tomahawk missile system. The company initially won a $303.7 million in 2016 from the military branch to supply Tomahawk Block IV missiles and spares. The Tomahawk is a long-range, subsonic cruise missile that can be launched from a ship or submarine and is able to fly into heavily defended airspace more than 1,000 miles away to conduct precise strikes on targets. The US and its allied militaries used the GPS-enabled precision weapon more than 2,300 times in combat, and flight-tested it 550 times. The recertification program of the Tomahawk will expand the missile’s service life until 2040. Work under the contract modification will take place in various places around the continental US, Canada and the UK. It is expected to be completed by October next year. August 27/18: Re-certification Raytheon is being tapped to progress with the re-certification of the Navy’s Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles. The cost plus-fixed-fee delivery order is valued at $9.3 million and provides validation and verification and cost risk analysis. The key to the next set of Tomahawk improvements is actually a warranty. The missile has a 15-year warranty and a 30-year service life, the re-certification process will keep the Tomahawk cruise missile flying through 2040. To keep the missiles up-to-date, Raytheon will add a newly developed ability to strike targets at sea. Work will be performed at multiple locations inside the continental US, including Walled Lake, Michigan; Tempe, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico. The contract is expected to be completed in August 2019. May 31/18: Test kit incoming! Raytheon is being tapped for further production of two sets of kits in support of the Tomahawk cruise missile. The $19.2 million contract modification provides for the procurement of nine mid-body range safety subsystem (MRSS) kits and flight test (FT) kits for the Navy and three MRSS and FT kits for the United Kingdom. The MRSS is installed into flight test configured missiles, one of its key components is the PCM Encoder, which Encoder samples the flight test missile guidance and avionics telemetry data stream, encodes and formats the data, and provides the telemetry information to the ground monitoring station. Block IV Tomahawk is the current generation of the Tomahawk family of cruise missiles. It adds innovative technologies that improve combat flexibility, while dramatically reducing the costs to buy, operate, and support these missiles. The Block IV missile is designed to engage targets 1,000 miles away from maritime platforms, a characteristic the manufacturer says can help keep deployed sailors out of harms way on the battlefield. Work will be performed at multiple locations, including Tucson, Arizona; Boulder, Colorado and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, among others. This effort combines purchases for the Navy ($15,6 million); and the government of the United Kingdom ($3,5 million). March 26/18: Services contract Raytheon Missile Systems was awarded a contract for the provision of various services related to its Tomahawk cruise missile production. Valued at $37 million, the contract provides for lifecycle management and technical support required to maintain a Tomahawk cruise missile depot facility, including depot maintenance, demilitarization preparation, system test operations and foreign military sales maintenance. This also includes associated support requirements for the Navy and the government of the United Kingdom. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed in March 2021. Most recently, the US Navy’s FY18 Budget $3.4 billion weapons procurement request called for the acquisition of 100 ship-launched Tactical Tomahawk cruise missiles. November 07/17: The US Navy has placed fresh orders with Raytheon for 196 Tomahawk Block IV all-up-round vertical launch system missiles and spares. Worth up to $260.3 million, the contract modification also includes the procurement of spare parts and support for the government of the United Kingdom. Deliveries are scheduled for completion by August 2019 after work taking place in Tucson, Arizona, and nearly two dozen other locations across the continental US. September 04/17: Raytheon has been awarded a $119 million US Navy contract to develop an anti-ship variant of the Tomahawk missile. Work to be undertaken by the company for the Maritime Strike Tomahawk program includes analysis, trade studies, architecture, modeling, simulation development, evaluation, and prototyping activities for the integration of seeker suite technology and processing capabilities into the Tactical Tomahawk Block IV All-Up-Round missile system. The majority of the work will be undertaken at Tucson, Arizona, in addition to Dallas, Texas, Boulder, Colorado, and various other locations inside and outside the US. Completion is scheduled for August 2019. The Navy currently uses the Tomahawk on its surface combatants and submarines, but now wants Raytheon to modify the Tomahawk’s targeting system so it can strike moving naval targets, thus giving the service a long-range anti-ship capability. August 18/17: It is expected that Raytheon will be awarded a contract to turn a number of US Navy Tomahawks into anti-ship cruise missiles. The upgrade will take place when the service sends its Block IV Tomahawks back to Raytheon for mid-life recertification. A company executive said the multi-mode seeker for the anti-ship role will likely be a mix of passive and active sensors. The Block IV recertification effort will start in 2019 with the first Marine Strike Tomahawk variants to enter the fleet in the early 2020s. January 13/17: Flight testing of the Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile has been completed. A Raytheon announcement stated that the launches were conducted to demonstrate the missile’s ability to engage time-sensitive targets. The first test saw personnel onboard the USS Pinckney utilize the Launch Platform Mission Planning capability while during the second test, crew members fired the weapon for a longer duration, and also conducted a terminal dive maneuver to strike the intended target. The company said the performance confirms the Tomahawk’s ability to attack heavily defended targets. October 14/16: In response to missile attacks on US and allied vessels off the coast of Yemen, the Pentagon has ordered the US Navy to launch missile attacks at targets operated by Houthi rebels. On October 13, the USS Nitze fired three BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles at radar sites in Yemen which were believed to have been active during previous attacks and attempted attacks on vessels. A defense official said the radar sites were in remote areas where there was little risk of civilian casualties. The Houthis meanwhile, reiterated their denial that they were responsible for the attack on US warship the USS Mason. May 26/16: An op-ed piece published last week, suggesting the US should supply AGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles to Japan has received a rebuttal from Chinese researchers. Experts from the China Institute of International Studies stated that while the idea of supplying the missile to Tokyo was not new, it would pose a threat to other countries in East Asia. The warning most likely comes following efforts started last year by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to pursue changing the country’s post-WW2 constitution to allow it to re-arm and expand its forces. May 18/16: Robert Crumplar suggests in USNI News that Washington considers exporting the BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile to Japan to act as a “responsive deterrent option.” The suggestion comes as Japan looks to deter potential aggression from North Korea, as well as dealing against a larger Chinese military. If the sale were to go ahead, it would follow a precedent for providing Tomahawk to allies that was established nearly 20 years ago when the United Kingdom acquired 65 missiles. April 21/16: Testing of a submarine-launched UGM-109 Tomahawk was terminated by the US Navy after the inert cruise missile crashed 50 minutes after its launch in southern Florida. The Navy was conducting a routine flight test, which was coordinated by the Navy’s Tomahawk Weapon System program at the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River, Maryland. Causes of the missile crash are currently being investigated by Navy officials. February 5/16: The Pentagon is to invest in the development of Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles which will be capable of hitting moving vessels. $2 billion has been requested for the purchase of 4,000 Tomahawk missiles with manufacturer Raytheon. Raytheon has invested in a multi-modal seeker that would allow the missiles to hit moving targets so that missiles may be adapted from land missiles into anti-ship missiles. A further $2.9 billion will also be made available for the purchase of 650 SM-6 interceptors as well, to advance them to become anti-ship missiles for the first time. This will allow the SM-6 to operate in an offensive capability instead of operating solely as an anti-ballistic weapon. January 19/16: Tomahawk cruise missiles could get a lot more destructive if a new development program is successful. Researchers from Energetic Materials Research and Engineering have been successfully utilizing residual fuel left inside a missile during impact and turning it into a fuel-air explosive that can contribute to the blast created by the missile’s warhead. At present the team are looking to find the best way to implode the fuel tank to generate a cloud of fuel that will mix with surrounding air to ignite into an intense, high-temperature explosion. If successful, the add on to the missile could increase the Tomahawks payload without any need to change the dynamics of the warhead. January 15/16: Testing of a new sensor on the Tomahawk missile has been successful. Raytheon owned T-39 test aircraft carried out a number trials over a three week period engaging moving targets on land and at sea. The development of the sensor was part of company funded, independent R&D looking to enhance the current Tomahawk long-range precision strike/land attack role. Since 2005, Raytheon has been investing in increasing the missile’s seeker capabilities and effectiveness in varying environments. October 7/15: Raytheon has demonstrated how a Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile can be used to assess battlefield damage, loiter and then attack a target following analysis of the data it provided to operators. The test demonstrated how the missile could be launched from one location, travel to a second area of operations and communicate via a UHF SATCOM link with a third location half-way around the world, before striking a target. The Block IV Tomahawk demonstrated flexible mission planning capabilities in flight during previous testing in August, with this latest round of testing also demonstrating that multiple missiles could be coordinated from a single control point. FY 2015 August 6/15: Raytheon’s Block IV Tomahawk cruise missile demonstrated mission planning capability during flight tests announced on Wednesday. The upgraded software allowed planners to adapt the missile’s mission profile on the fly, with this new capability now set to be rolled-out across the fleet of Tomahawks in service. The Block IV missile demonstrated similar capabilities in March 2014, when the missile received information in-flight and re-targeted itself to strike a moving vehicle. Oct 11/14: American A2/AD. Rep. Randy Forces [R-VA-4] sends a letter to Army Chief of Staff Gen. Odierno on the eve of the AUSA conference, pushing for the Army to set up a modern version of its Coastal Artillery: long-range, land-based anti-ship missiles that would be forward-based in friendly countries to endanger Chinese vessels and shipping. Missiles like LRASM and the longer-ranged but less stealthy AGM-109 Tomahawk are obvious candidates for this sort of thing, significantly outranging competitors like Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile or Boeing’s SLAM-ER. The RAND study that Forbes refers to actually posited using shorter-range missiles like NSM, but its maps also showed the number of deployment sites required for effective coverage. The idea would be a nice turnabout on China’s Anti-Access, Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy, and a Philippine deployment would produce a very tangible benefit all by itself, at low cost. On the other hand, Rep. Forbes probably underestimates the difficulty of getting many countries beyond the Philippines to accept an inherently provocative deployment whose use is technically beyond their control. Recent American waffling around the world suggests an even less palatable conclusion: the penalty for saying yes would be immediate, without any assurance that the weapons would actually be used to help the accepting country if push came to shove. Contrast with the Russian approach. They just sell SS-N-26 shore batteries to interested countries, helping customers to create the same barrier under their own control, without the offsetting political challenges. India’s derivative PJ-10 BrahMos missile may also wind up being used this way, if India can get its act together on the export front. Sources: RAND, “Employing Land-Based Anti-Ship Missiles in the Western Pacific” | Breaking Defense, “Army Should Build Ship-Killer Missiles: Rep. Randy Forbes”. FY 2014 Final dive (click to view full) Sept 24/14: Orders. Raytheon in Tucson, AZ receives a $251.1 million firm-fixed-price contract for 231 Tomahawk Block IV All-Up-Round missiles for the U.S. Navy (211: 147 vertical launch systems and 64 capsule launch systems / $224.5 million/ 89.4%) and the United Kingdom (20 torpedo tube launch systems / $26.7 million/ 10.6% – q.v. July 1/14 DSCA request). All funds are committed immediately, using foreign funds and FY 2013 & 2014 US Navy weapon budgets. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ (32%); Camden, AR (11%); Ogden, UT (8%); Anniston, AL (4%); Minneapolis, MN (4%); Glenrothes, Scotland (4%); Ft. Wayne, IN (4%); Spanish Fork, UT (3%); Ontario, CA (3%); Vergennes, VT (3%); El Segundo, CA (2%); Berryville, AR (2%); Westminster, CO (2%); Middletown, CT (2%); Walled Lake, MI (2%); Huntsville, AL (1%); Dallas, TX (1%); Farmington, NM (0.2%); and various locations inside and outside the continental United States (11.8%); work is expected to be complete in August 2016. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1 by US Navy NAVAIR in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-14-C-0075). US/UK order July 31/14: Raytheon in Tucson, AZ, receives an $8.7 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract modification for Tomahawk Depot Missile maintenance, including inventory management for the US Navy and the United Kingdom, and direct fleet support for resolving technical issues with forward deployed, in-theater weapons. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ (60%); Camden, AR (36%); and various other continental United States locations (4%); and is expected to be complete in March 2015. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued by US Navy NAVAIR in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-13-D-0002). Sept 9/14: Testing. Raytheon touts a recent pair of live warhead test firings from the USS Hampton [SSN 767: UGM-109] and USS Lake Champlain [CG 57: AGM-109], demonstrating “enhanced flex retargeting” and improved flight performance. Sources: Raytheon, “Tomahawk enhancements showcased in back-to-back flight tests”. July 17/14: Political. The Senate Appropriations Committee approves a $489.6 billion base FY 2015 budget, plus $59.7 billion in supplemental funding. If they get their way, xGM-109 Tomahawk Block IV production would continue at full rate, with $82 million in extra funding. It has been set to end with a 100 missiles, but the added funds would drive it toward the standard annual buy of 180-200. The budget still has to be voted on in the whole Senate, then reconciled in committee with the House of Representatives’ defense budget, then signed into law by the President. Sources: DID, “FY15 US Defense Budget Finally Complete with War Funding”. July 1/14: UK request. The US DSCA announces Britain’s formal request for up to 65 UGM-109 Tomahawk Block IV All-Up-Round missiles plus containers, engineering support, test equipment, operational flight test support, communications equipment, technical assistance, personnel training/equipment, spare and repair parts, and other support. The estimated cost is up to $140 million. DSCA adds that: “The UK needs these missiles to replenish those expended in support of coalition operations.” Which is to say, over Libya. The principal contractor will be Raytheon Missile Systems Company in Tucson, AZ, and Britain doesn’t need any more contractors on site from Raytheon or from the US government. Sources: US DSCA #14-30, “United Kingdom – Tomahawk Block IV Torpedo Launched Land-Attack Missiles”. DSCA request: UK (140) April 28/14: Testing. Raytheon announces a successful captive-carry test flight, using a small T-39 Saberliner business jet fitted with their passive ESM seeker. The jet flew at subsonic speed and at varying altitudes, while the “passive seeker and multi-function processor successfully received numerous electronic signals from tactical targets in a complex, high density electromagnetic environment.” This test brings the Raytheon-funded multi-mission processor to Technology Readiness Level 6. The next step for the company-funded effort is an active seeker test, which will combine the processor with ESM and active radar. That combination would likely form the core of future Tomahawk upgrades. Sources: Raytheon, “Raytheon tests new guidance system for Tomahawk cruise missile”. April 17/14: SAR. The Pentagon finally releases its Dec 31/13 Selected Acquisitions Report [PDF]. It makes early termination official, and explains the savings: “Program costs decreased $1,832.1 million (25.8%) from $7,109.0 million to $5,276.9 million, due primarily to a decrease of 1,161 TACTOM missiles from 4,951 to 3,790 (-$1,249.2 million) and associated schedule, engineering, and estimating allocations (-$586.2 million).” Note that SecNav Mabus’ comments regarding 4,000 GM-109s in stock (q.v. April 13/14) appear to have been in error. Many have been used over the years. Termination April 13/14: Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus sees an inventory of 4,000 Tomahawks that “will carry us through any eventuality that we can foresee,” but Raytheon wants to avoid shutting down their line and cutting the chain to more than 100 suppliers in 24 states. Their lobbying is helped by the fact that the USA’s byzantine procurement and budgeting processes add some strategic risk. News that the Navy was even thinking of a next-generation replacement reportedly came as a surprise to Raytheon in January 2014. Which means that it’s entirely imaginable to have a 20 year wait between the last Tomahawk delivery, and a comparable new operational missile. On the other hand, every defense production line shuts down eventually, and a dollar spent on Tomahawks can’t buy new ships, fighters, air defense missiles, etc. Rather than waging a frontal assault that tries to keep missile orders coming, Raytheon is reportedly looking to accelerate the combined xGM-109 recertification/ upgrade process by a few years, so it picks up where Tomahawk production leaves off. Raytheon senior program manager Chris Sprinkle says that Raytheon has invested $30 million of their own funds in R&D for upgrades, and plans to invest another $8 million or so. Sources: Arizona Daily Star, “Proposed halt of Tomahawk missile buys raises concerns at Raytheon”. March 4/14: FY15 Budget. The Navy unveils a preliminary budget request briefing. It doesn’t break down individual programs into dollars, but it does offer planned purchase numbers for the Navy’s biggest programs from FY 2014 – 2019. The plan confirms 196 Tactical Tomahawk missiles in FY 2014, and proposes to end production with 100 missiles ordered in FY 2015. Source: US Dept. of the Navy, PB15 Press Briefing [PDF]. Feb 19/14: Datalink test. A Tomahawk Block IV missile is launched from the USS Sterett [DDG 104] on a loitering fire test: “… [the missile] flew a preprogrammed route while receiving updates from a simulated maritime operations center and from advanced off-board sensors updating the missile’s target location. Throughout the flight, the missile maintained communications with all the command and control assets and provided updates on its location before hitting the target.” Raytheon told DID that this is the first of many tests involving “off-board sensors”, though 2014 will also see a number of flight tests using new on-board ESM and radar sensors. Many will be captive-carry tests, using one of the US Navy’s T-39 Sabreliner modified business jets. Sources: Raytheon, “Raytheon, U.S. Navy test Tomahawk Block IV’s latest communications upgrades”. Feb 14/14: Upgrades. Tomahawk program manager Capt. Joe Mauser tells Defense Tech that they’re working on a new Joint Multiple Effects Warhead System (JMEWS) warhead for the Block IV, in order to improve performance against reinforced targets like bunkers. At the same time, Raytheon is working on a new active & passive dual seeker (q.v. Oct 7/13). Raytheon has been elbowed aside from the OASuW program, which is currently owned by Lockheed Martin’s stealthy LRASM-B. A low-cost upgrade that accomplishes some of OASuW’s goals offers Raytheon the opportunity to get some funds, keep their missile relevant for years to come, and position themselves as a weaker Plan B if further budget cuts remove their competitor. Sources: DefenseTech, “Navy Wants Its Tomahawks to Bust More Bunkers”. Jan 14/14: #3,000. Raytheon announces that they’ve delivered the 3,000th Tomahawk Block IV missile, as part of FY 2012’s FRP-9 production contract. Sources: Raytheon, “Raytheon delivers 3000th Tomahawk Block IV to US Navy”. #3,000 Oct 7/13: ESM multi-mode. Raytheon announces a successful field test of a new multi-mode seeker technology that would add an advanced Electronic Support Measure (ESM) antenna and processor to the Block IV Tomahawk missile. Raytheon told DID that the system is based on the firm’s own technology, rather than being a direct offshoot of the attempt to add AARGM technology to the Tomahawk (q.v. April 27/12). Raytheon is correct that the current Tomahawk is an open architecture ‘truck’ capable of integrating new payloads and sensors, and an ESM seeker is a helpful addition to recent improvements like the 2-way datalink. ESM would turn the missile into a radar and communications killer that could deal directly with enemy air defenses, and could begin to engage some kinds of moving targets. The challenge is that the missile still needs to survive long enough to hit its target, and the Tomahawk’s low-level flight isn’t enough to protect it from the kind of advanced air defenses that would make you want to use unmanned ESM missiles. Its best use case might be against enemy ships. Sources: Raytheon, “Raytheon demonstrates new seeker technology for Tomahawk Block IV missile”. FY 2012 – 2013 Launch. (click to view full) April 17/13: UK. The US DSCA announces [PDF] Britain’s request to import follow-on support and keep their UGM-109 Tomahawk Weapon Systems (TWS) ready for use. Work can include missile modifications, maintenance, spare and repair parts, system and test equipment, engineering support, communications equipment, technical assistance, personnel training/equipment, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is up to $170 million, but actual costs will be negotiated in a series of contracts. The principal contractors will be Raytheon Missile Systems Company in Tucson, AZ; Lockheed Martin in Manassas, VA, Valley Forge, PA, and Marlton, NJ; Boeing in St. Louis, MO; BAE North America in San Diego, CA; COMGLOBAL in San Jose, CA; and SAIC in Springfield, VA and Patuxent River, MD. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of 1 U.S. Government and 2 contractor representatives to the United Kingdom for the duration of this case. DSCA: UK support request April 10/13: FY 2014 Budget. The President releases a proposed budget at last, the latest in modern memory. The Senate and House were already working on budgets in his absence, but the Pentagon’s submission is actually important to proceedings going forward. See ongoing DID coverage. News for the Tomahawk program is mixed. The OASuW Harpoon replacement program canceled plans for an interim solution based on the xGM-109 family, even as it plans to award Technology Development contracts in FY 2013. Raytheon will need to consider its competitive options carefully, as OASuW could grow to be a huge opportunity. Within the existing Tomahawk program, yearly budgets are rising even though the number of missiles per year remains constant at 196. This is pushing flyaway cost for new missiles from $956,000 in FY 2013 to about $1.2 million. The extra funds are going to 2 areas: obsolescence replacement/ diminishing manufacturing sources, and restoration of planned missile improvements. The former category includes such key components as the Williams turbojet engine and the satellite datalink, and is important enough that FY 2011 – 2011 contract savings are being applied to address it. Improvements will begin with missile communications that will work even in jamming-rich or otherwise hostile environments. March 11/13: UK. A $6.6 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for 4 torpedo tube launched (TTL) Tomahawk Block IV all-up-round missiles for the government of the United Kingdom under the Foreign Military Sales Program. All funds are committed immediately. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ (32.6%); Camden, AR (13%); Ogden, UT (10.5%); Dallas, TX (3.5%); Minneapolis, Minn. (3.3%); Glenrothes, Scotland (3.3%); Spanish Fork, UT (3.1%); El Segundo, CA (3%); Walled Lake, MI (2.6%); Anniston, AL (2.5%); Ft. Wayne, IN (2.3%); Ontario, Canada (2.2%); Vergennes, VT (2.1%); Berryville, AR (1.8%); Westminster, CO (1.6%); Largo, FL (1.5%); Middletown, CT (1.3%); Huntsville, AL (1.2%); Clearwater, FL (0.8%); Moorpark, CA (0.8%); El Monte, CA (0.6%); Salt Lake City, UT (0.6%); Farmington, NM (0.2%); and various continental U.S. (CONUS) and outside CONUS locations (5.6%); and is expected to be completed in February 2015 (N00019-12-C-2000). 4 for Britain March 7/13: Support. A $12.8 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for services in support of Tomahawk missile depot maintenance, including direct fleet support for resolving technical issues with forward deployed, in-theater weapons and inventory management for the US Navy and the United Kingdom. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ (70%); Camden, AR (24%); Commerce Township, MI (4%); Indianapolis, IN (1%); and various other continental U.S. (CONUS) and outside CONUS locations (1%) until February 2014. $2.4 million is committed immediately, of which $2.3 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/12 (N00019-13-D-0002). Jan 17/13: DOT&E testing. The Pentagon releases the FY 2012 Annual Report from its Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E). The Tomahawk gets high marks. It continues to meet its standards, and remains operationally effective and suitable (maintainable). The one thing Pentagon OT&E would like to see is restored flight testing of the Block III model, until it goes out of service in FY 2020. Dec 18/12: CCLS. A $45 million firm-fixed-price contract modification from the USN for 120 Tomahawk Block IV Composite Capsule Launching Systems (CCLS), which are used to launch UGM-109s from vertical submarine tubes. All contract funds are committed immediately. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ (24.61%); Lincoln, NB (23.17%); Camden, AR (12.48%); Rocket Center, WVA (10.3%); Carpentersville, IL (8.74%); Joplin, MO (6.63%); Hopkinton, MA (4.76%); Huntsville, AR (4.37%); Alamitos, CA (2.05%); Torrance, CA (1.47%); Downers Grove, IL (0.75%); and Brooksville, FL (0.67%), and is expected to be complete in July 2015 (N00019-12-C-2000). Dec 17/12: 252 missiles. A $254.6 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, exercising a US Navy option for 252 Tomahawk Block IV All-Up-Round (AUR) missiles: 132 RGM-109s designed to launch from strike-length Mk.41 cells on surface ships, and 120 UGM-109 CLS missiles that are fired from different vertical launch tubes installed on American submarines. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ (32%); Camden, AR (11%); Ogden, UT (8%); Anniston, AL (4%); Minneapolis, MN (4%); Ft. Wayne, IN (4%); Glenrothes, Scotland (4%); Dallas, TX (4%); Spanish Fork, UT (3%); Vergennes, VT (3%); Walled Lake, MI (2%); Berryville, AR (2%); El Segundo, CA (2%); Westminster, CO (2%); Middletown, CT (2%); Huntsville, AL (1%); Farmington, NM (0.2%); and various locations in the continental United States and outside the continental United States (11.8%); and is expected to be completed in August 2015. See also Raytheon. FY 2013: 252 Sept 3/12: OASuW. Aviation Week offers a look into the Tomahawk’s potential future. In June 2012, the US Navy announced a sole-source contract to Raytheon to develop the interim Offensive Anti-Surface Weapon (OASuW) by modifying a Tomahawk Block IV missiles with new sensors and data links. The missile is expected to enter service by 2015… but it’s likely to face competition from Lockheed Martin’s LRASM-A, among others. Full OASuW Technology Development awards are expected to begin in FY 2013, after a Q2 Milestone A decision. The technical Development phase runs from FY 2013 – FY 2017, to an expected total of $557.2 million. Initial Operational Capability is currently set for 2024. July 12/12: CCLS. A $45.9 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, buying 123 Tomahawk Block IV Composite Capsule Launching Systems (CCLS) for the US Navy. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ (24.61%); Lincoln, NB (23.17%); Camden, AR (12.48%); Rocket Center, WVA (10.3%); Carpentersville, IL (8.74%); Joplin, MO (6.63%); Hopkinton, MA (4.76%); Huntsville, AR (4.37%); Alamitos, CA (2.05%); Torrance, CA (1.47%); Downers Grove, IL (0.75%); and Brooksville, FL (0.67%), and is expected to be complete in July 2014 (N00019-12-C-2000). June 7/12: 361 missiles. A $337.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for 361 Tomahawk Block IV All-Up-Round missiles for the Navy. This includes 238 RGM-109E missiles that are launched from strike-length Mk.41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells on surface ships, and 123 UGM-109E missiles that are launched from submarines equipped with the Capsule Launch System (CLS). Raytheon’s release says that the buy includes replenishment of weapons used during Operation ODYSSEY DAWN in Libya, as well as the FY 2012 buy. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ (32%); Camden, AR (11%); Ogden, UT (8%); Anniston, AL (4%); Minneapolis, MN (4%); Fort Wayne, IN (4%); Glenrothes, Scotland, UK (4%); Dallas, TX (4%); Spanish Fork, UT (3%); Vergennes, VT (3%); Walled Lake, MI (2%); Berryville, AR (2%); El Segundo, CA (2%); Westminster, CO (2%); Middletown, CT (2%); Huntsville, AL (1%); Farmington, NM (0.2%); and various locations inside and outside the continental United States (11.8%), and is expected to be complete in August 2014 (N00019-12-C-2000). FY 2012 + Libya replacement: 361 April 27/12: New sensors? FBO.gov: “The Naval Air Systems Command intends to negotiate and award a sole source order under Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) N00019-11-G-0014, pricing arrangement cost-plus-fixed-fee, for engineering services necessary to support a study to assess the possibility of integrating, onto the Block IV Tomahawk weapon, Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) technologies.” The AGM-88E AARGM uses GPS to navigate to the target’s vicinity, then finds targets that are moving or have moved using a combination of emission-locating ESM and an active millimeter wave radar seeker. AARGM is meant to destroy enemy air defense systems, but a system for a missile of this size would also be able to target enemies like ships. ATK received a $452,000 contract on Aug 22/12. xGM-109E Block IV TLAMs: A Program Success Story Fly. (click to view full) Block IV missiles offer a number of improvements over previous versions: the missile’s purchase cost drops by almost half, to about $750,000, while lowering its future maintenance costs, and upgrading its capabilities. Capt. Bob Novak, who was the Tomahawk All-Up-Round (PMA-280) program manager until August 2005, began leading the Tomahawk AUR program team in 2002 during a critical time in the development of the Tactical Tomahawk cruise missile. Under his leadership the program awarded the Navy’s first-ever weapons multi-year contract, and was estimated to have reduced the cost per missile from Block III to Block IV by almost 50%, saving $1 billion over planned lifetime costs while upgrading the missile’s capabilities. While reducing the Block IV Tactical Tomahawk’s purchase costs, improved design and manufacturing also reduced maintenance/ recertification requirements from once every 8 years for Block III missiles to once every 15 years. PMA-280 was honored with several prominent awards, including the Secretary of Defense Value Engineering Award, the Daedalian Award, and the Ed Heinemann Award. Boom. (click to view full) One important new capability that Block IV Tomahawk brings to the US Navy’s Sea Strike doctrine is derived from the missile’s 2-way satellite data link, which enables the missile to respond to changing battlefield conditions. The strike controller can “flex” the missile in flight to preprogrammed alternate targets, redirect it to a new target, or even have it loiter over the battlefield awaiting a more critical target. Block IV Tomahawks can also transmit battle damage indication imagery and missile health and status messages via the satellite data link, allowing firing platforms to execute missions in real time. Global Positioning System-only missions are also possible in addition to the missile’s previous terrain-mapping guidance mode, thanks to an improved anti-jam GPS receiver for enhanced mission performance. The majority of Tomahawk cruise missiles are currently launched by Navy surface vessels, such as the Ticonderoga Class (CG-47) cruisers and Arleigh Burke Class (DDG-51) destroyers. The later series of Improved Los Angeles Class (SSN-688I) and the newest Virginia Class (SSN-744) attack submarines are also armed with 12 dedicated Tomahawk launch tubes, while earlier Los Angeles boats and the newest Seawolf Class (SSN-21) have to sacrifice some of their stored torpedoes to carry and launch Tomahawks through their torpedo tubes. But the USA’s premier Tomahawk carrier vehicle in future will be the Ohio Class SSGN stealth strike subs, with launch capacity for an astounding 154 Tactical Tomahawks each. Additional Readings & Sources DID would like to thank Raytheon Tomahawk Program Director Roy Donelson, and Growth Program Manager Chris Sprinkle, for their assistance with this article. Any mistakes are our own damn fault. Readers with corrections or information to contribute are encouraged to contact editor Joe Katzman. We understand the industry – you will only be publicly recognized if you tell us that it’s OK to do so. Weapon & Program Background US NAVAIR – Tactical Tomahawk Raytheon – Tomahawk Cruise Missile. See also their 2012 paper on the missile’s evolution from Block III: “Tomahawk: Serving the U.S. and Allied Warfighter“. Globalsecurity.org – BGM-109 Tomahawk DoN Acquisition One Source – Reducing Cost/Schedule for TOMAHAWK All-Up-Round Program Air Power Australia – Tomahawk Cruise Missile Variants: BGM/RGM/AGM-109 Tomahawk/TASM/TLAM/GCLM/MRASM. Last updated 2012. DID – Naval Swiss Army Knife: MK 41 Vertical Missile Launch Systems (VLS). Strike-length cells are required to fire Tomahawks. News & Views DID – LRASM Missiles: Reaching for a Long-Range Punch. Covers the USN’s OASuW program, whose sea-launched component has already affected the Tomahawk program. The current plan is based around air and sea-launched adaptations of Lockheed Martin’s AGM-158B JASSM-ER. FAS Strategic Security Blog (March 18/13) – US Navy Instruction Confirms Retirement of Nuclear Tomahawk Cruise Missile. The xGM-109B Tomahawk Block II. Defense Daily (Nov 29/07) – Navy Seeks New Uses For Tomahawks. Covers a number of program developments, including the potential for thermobaric warheads. Naval Air Station Patuxent River Tester Magazine (April 12/07) – Submarine-launched Tomahawk IV flight test a success Naval Air Station Patuxent River Tester Magazine (Dec 14/06) – Tomahawk IV in West Coast Test. “The test successfully demonstrated the Tomahawk Strike Network. The Tomahawk Strike Network (TSN) is a unique aspect of the Block IV system. Utilized in this test, TSN is a communications network that provides secure connectivity among all of the participants in a strike plan. Those participants include the Block IV missile(s), the strike controller, and the missile controller. Messages are generated, sent, and received inside the network, and are monitored by a channel controller. TSN allows the strike controller to retarget the missile in flight, monitor the health and status of the missile in flight, and collect images along the route.” Naval Air Station Patuxent River Tester Magazine (Aug 10/05) – Tomahawk program marks historic milestone. Capt. Rick McQueen became the 1st program manager for the newly formed Tomahawk Weapons System Program Office (PMA-280), as the Navy’s All-Up-Round (PMA-280) and Cruise Missile Weapons Systems (PMA-282) groups merged. Naval Air Station Patuxent River Tester Magazine (Oct 7/04) – New Tomahawk ready for warfighter. Block IV was accepted by the USN on Sept 29/04. View the full article

Do you feel lucky…? (click to view full) The T-45 Training System includes T-45 Goshawk aircraft, advanced flight simulators, computer-assisted instructional programs, a computerized training integration system, and a contractor logistics support package. The integration of all 5 elements is designed to produce a superior pilot in less time and at lower cost than previous training systems. The US Navy uses the Hawk-based T-45TS system to train its pilots for the transition from T-6A Texan II/ JPATS aircraft to modern jet fighters – and carrier landings. This is not a risk-free assignment, by any means. Nevertheless, it is a critical link in the naval aviation chain. This DID FOCUS article covers the T-45TS, and associated contracts to buy and maintain these systems, from 2006 to the end of FY 2014. T-45 History & Background T-45: The Platform T45TS Simulator (click to view full) In 1981, the T45TS beat out the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet in a bid to replace two US Navy training aircraft: the TA-4J Skyhawk and T-2C Buckeye. The new system trains U.S. Navy and Marine Corps pilots for conversion into the F/A-18A-D Hornet, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet family, the AV-8B Harrier II Plus, and the EA-6B Prowler. It will also serve as a lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT) aircraft to future platforms like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter variants. The T-45 Training System, or T45TS, is more integrated than past systems. The system includes the T-45 Goshawk aircraft, advanced flight simulators, computer-assisted instructional programs, a computerized training integration system, and a contractor logistics support package. The combined value of all five integrated elements produces a superior pilot in less time and at lower cost than previous training systems. Goshawks come in two variants: the T-45A and T-45C. What distinguishes them is the “Cockpit 21″ digital avionics in the C variant. The cockpits are equipped with two monochrome 5” multifunction displays supplied by Israel’s Elbit, which provide navigation, weapon delivery, aircraft performance and communications data. In addition, the aircraft have been equipped with a new open systems design MDP that manages the avionics and the displays in the aircraft. Approximately 80% of the MDP’s software and circuit card assemblies were reused from the F/A-18E/F Advanced Mission Computer, making project development faster and less expensive, and improving commonality with the advanced aircraft the Goshawks train their pilots to fly. A number of air forces around the world choose to use BAE Systems’ Hawk trainer in a reserve or even front-line role as a light attack aircraft. The US Navy could do so, but haven’t chosen to. The do plan to keep the Goshawks flying until 2035, however, training the next several generations of US Navy pilots. T-45: Basing & Industrial T-45 Goshawks (click to view full) T-45s are currently based at NAS Kingsville, TX and NAS Meridian, MS. The aircraft are permanently based ashore, and are flown out to the training carrier for deck landings. Since the transition to the T-45, performance has indeed improved. The training task has been accomplished with 25% fewer flying hours, using 42% fewer aircraft and 46% fewer personnel. Overall, the T45TS has enabled the US Navy to reduce student flight time by 13% for each student pilot, and the average training time by 17 weeks. Even so, with the current T-45 training demand the U.S. Navy has been able to average more than 60 hours per month per airframe – one of the highest utilization rates in the world. While the core Hawk aircraft is British, the prime contractor is Boeing Aircraft Company, St. Louis, MO. British Aerospace (BAE Systems) of Kingston, England provides the center and aft fuselage; and Rolls Royce, Ltd. of Bristol, England provides the F405-RR-401 Adour engines, along with its trademark Power By The Hour(R) support based on availability. Tests have been conducted using the more advanced F405-RR-402 as well. Smiths Industries supplies the head-up display (HUD) with its video camera system for post-mission analysis, along with primary and secondary air data indicators and a weapon aiming computer and display. L-3 Vertex provides contractor logistics support for the fleet as a whole, under 2 similar contracts. T45TS Contracts and Key Events, 2006 – 2017 Flight’s end (click to view full) This article began coverage as the T-45 was fading from production. Pentagon budget documents note that the FY 2005 budget covered 10 systems for $301 million, but FY 2006 production dropped to 6 systems and $278.8 million. The FY 2007 figures rose again to 12 systems and $410.6 million total, and were the last T-45s ordered. The FY 2008 budget request of $90.7 million was aimed at modifications to correct discrepancies and deficiencies, address critical avionics obsolescence and diminishing manufacturing source issues, and fund upgrades to the aircraft cockpit and navigation systems. Those tasks have continued beyond 2008, but by FY 2010, the T-45 was no longer listed in Pentagon budget reports for major weapons systems. Unless otherwise specified, all contracts are issued by US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD; and Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas is the recipient. Maintenance and support contracts tend to go to L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, and engine manufacturer Rolls Royce; they will be specifically noted where appropriate. Note that Rolls Royce’s trademarked Power By the Hour approach is designed to charge a fixed price per flight hour. FY 2020 T-45s over CVN 77 (click to view full) December 8/20: SLEP Boeing won a $20.7 million order, which provides for the production and delivery of 48 retrofit kits, support equipment and special tooling in support of phase two of the T-45 Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for SLEP production Lots Three and Four. In addition, this order provides retrofit engineering and logistics from the original equipment manufacturer to support the installation of associated technical directives. The T-45A/C Goshawk is the US Navy’s two-seat advanced jet trainer. It entered service with the US Navy in January 1992. Work will take place in St. Louis, Missouri and estimated completion will be in May 2024. June 24/20: A- And B-Kits The Navy awarded Boeing a $12.5 million order, which procures non-recurring engineering in support of establishing a functional configuration baseline in support of the production and delivery of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out) A-kits and B-kits for the T-45 Training System. The deal provides for the procurement of B-kits, to include air data computers and A-kits, which consist of associated wiring, splitters and filters and spares. This order also provides kit integration, follow-on analysis and engineering in support of issues that may arise during kit production and installation. The T-45A/C Goshawk is the US Navy’s two-seat advanced jet trainer. The aircraft is jointly manufactured by Boeing and BAE Systems. Work will take place in St. Louis, Missouri and Mesa, Arizona as well as various locations within the continental US. Estimated completion will be by January 2023. May 1/20: HUD Physical Optics won a $17.8 million order, which provides non-recurring engineering for the production, test, integration and delivery of the T-45 Head-Up Display (HUD) and its associated internal software. The T-45A/C Goshawk is the US Navy’s two-seat advanced jet trainer. The aircraft is jointly manufactured by Boeing and BAE Systems. The T-45A was selected to meet the US Navy requirement for an undergraduate jet pilot trainer to replace the TA-4J Skyhawk and T-2C Buckeye. The TA-4J was retired in 2003 and the T-2C in August 2008. Work will take place in Torrance, California. Estimated completion date is in April 2022. FY 2019 October 1/19: Engineering Support L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace won a $180.4 million contract modification that exercises an option for organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance, logistics, and engineering support for Navy T-45 aircraft, aircraft systems, and related support equipment. Under the contract, L-3 will also deliver equipment, direct material, services and tools to maintain the flight, test and evaluation operations. The T-45C is a training aircraft for pilots who will eventually fly F/A-18 Hornet, the AV-8B Harrier II and other carrier-based aircraft. To meet the needs of the US Navy training mission and to ensure aircraft carrier compatibility, several modifications were incorporated into the T-45 Goshawk design, including: new twin nose-wheel with catapult launch T-bar; nose-wheel steering for maneuvering within the confines of the carrier deck; strengthened airframe and undercarriage for catapult launches; relocated speed brakes; provision of under-fuselage tailhook; revised avionics and modified cockpit layout for compatibility with front-line US Navy combat aircraft. Work will take place at the Naval Air Stations in Kingsville, Texas; Meridian, Mississippi; Pensacola, Florida; Patuxent River, Maryland. Estimated completion is in September 2020. July 2/19: Upgrade of Oxygen Concentrator Carelton Life Support Systems won an $8 million contract modification for the Phase II Upgrade and qualification testing of the CGU-25 oxygen concentrator on the T-45 aircraft. The McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk is the Navy’s aircraft-carrier capable trainer. The T-45 is tandem-seat pilot trainer that replaces the TA-4J Skyhawk and T-2C Buckeye. It was modified from the British BAE Systems Hawk land-based training jet aircraft. In 2017, the USN grounded the T-45 fleet for a three-day “safety pause” after more than 100 instructor pilots refused to fly the aircraft. The pilots cited concerns about incidents of hypoxia that they believed to have resulted from faulty onboard oxygen-generation systems. Under the modification, Carelton will perform work in Davenport, Iowa, and work is expected to be finished in July 2021. May 2/19: Inlet Retrofit Kits Boeing won a $21.1 million delivery order to procure inlet retrofit kits for the T-45 aircraft. The deal also includes support equipment and special tooling and engineering as well as logistics support for installations. In January, the US Navy tapped Boeing with a $56.7 million contract for T-45 support. The T-45 Goshawk is a highly modified version of the British BAE Systems Hawk land-based training jet aircraft. The T-45 was selected to meet the US Navy requirement for an undergraduate jet pilot trainer to replace the TA-4J Skyhawk and T-2C Buckeye. It features a new forward fuselage deepened to house a new twin-wheel nose gear, redesigned main gear units, a taller fin and tailplane of increased span, a single ventral fin, fuselage side-mounted airbrakes, an arrester hook and small fins ahead of and below the tailplanes. Work for the delivery order will take place in Patuxent River, Maryland and is scheduled to be completed in July next year. March 4/19: Engineering Support The Navy awarded L-3 Communications a $21.4 million contract modification to support the Navy T-45 aircraft, aircraft system and related support equipment. The T-45A/C Goshawk is the US Navy’s two-seat advanced jet trainer that was selected to meet the US Navy requirement for an undergraduate jet pilot trainer to replace the TA-4J Skyhawk and T-2C Buckeye. The aircraft is a navalized version of the BAE Systems Hawk advanced jet trainer, selected by the Royal Air Force and flown by the Red Arrows acrobatic display team. It has a single pylon installed under each wing for carrying bomb racks, rocket pods or auxiliary fuel tanks. The Goshawk is powered by a single Rolls-Royce navalized Adour mk871 twin-spool non-afterburn turbofan engine. The contract modification exercises an option for organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance, logistics, and engineering support. Support includes services, equipment, tool, direct material, and indirect material required to support and maintain flight, test and evaluation operations. Work will take place in Texas, Mississippi, and Florida and is scheduled to be completed in September this year. January 30/19: Engineering Support The Navy awarded Boeing a $56.8 million contract providing program management as well as engineering and integrated logistics support for the post-production support phase of the T-45 aircraft lifecycle. The T-45 Goshawk is the US Navy’s two seat advanced jet trainer. It is a highly modified version of the British BAE Systems Hawk land-based training jet aircraft and was selected to replace the TA-4J Skyhawk and T-2C Buckeye. In order of meeting US Navy training mission and to ensure aircraft carrier compatibility, T-45 includes a new twin nose-wheel with catapult launch T-bar, nose-wheel steering for maneuvering within the confines of the carrier deck, strengthened airframe and undercarriage for catapult launches, relocated speed brakes, provision of under-fuselage tailhook, revised avionics and modified cockpit layout for compatibility with front-line US Navy combat aircraft. The current contract includes special tooling and test equipment, data accessibility and obsolescence identification, and resolution in addition to field services support that provides subject matter expertise in the areas of environmental control systems, cockpit pressurization and On-Board Oxygen Generation Systems integration. FY 2018 September 12/18: Training support L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace is set to support the Navy’s fleet of T-45 Goshawk trainers. The $202.9 million contract modification provides for a mix of maintenance, logistics and engineering support operations needed to keep the trainer aircraft flying. The Goshawk is used to train US Navy and Marine Corps pilots for conversion into the F/A-18A-D Hornet, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet family, the AV-8B Harrier II Plus, and the EA-6B Prowler. And also serves as a lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT) aircraft to future platforms like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter variants. Work will be performed at multiple Naval Air Stations. They include NAS Kingsville, Texas; NAS Meridian, Mississippi; NAS Pensacola, Florida and NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. The contract will run through September 2019. July 25/18: Oxygen nedded Boeing is being contracted to support the Navy’s fleet of T-45 training aircraft. The cost-plus-fixed-fee order has a value of $12.2 million and provides for non-recurring engineering efforts to support the integration of an Automatic Backup Oxygen system into the aircraft. The T-45 Goshawk is used by the US Navy to train its pilots for the transition to modern fighter jets and carrier landings. Last year the Navy decided to equip the trainers with new oxygen monitoring systems following a rash of incidents during which pilots appeared to suffer from oxygen deprivation. Work will be performed at the company’s location in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in August 2019. FY 2017 October 04/17: Following a five-month grounding, the US Navy has allowed the resumption of flights of its T-45 Goshawk fleet after issues arose with the system that generates and supplies oxygen to the trainer aircraft. Under the new flight regime, student pilots can continue training only on aircraft outfitted with a digital upgrade to the CRU-99 oxygen monitor, called the solid-state oxygen monitor (CRU-123), which provides information on temperature and oxygen pressure. The Navy plans to have all of its T-45 aircraft to be fitted with the CRU-123 by the end of the second quarter of 2018. April 18/17: A US Navy ban on T-45 flightshas been lifted, although lower altitude restrictions have been put in place. The trainers were barred from flying late last month after instructor pilots reported incidents of physiological problems by pilots while in the cockpit. The pilot trainer will now fly below 10,000 feet to avoid the use of the aircraft’s On Board Oxygen Generator System as authorities continue to investigate the causes of physiological episodes experienced in the cockpit by aircrew. Air crew will also wear a modified mask that circumvents the OBOGS system. FY 2014 L-3 retains new support contract. July 31/14: L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS receives a $29.8 million indefinite-delivery requirements contract modification to provide organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance and logistics support for T-45 aircraft based at NAS Meridian, MS; NAS Kingsville, TX; and NAS Pensacola, FL. This requirement also includes the support and maintenance of the T-45 aircraft at all operational sites, numerous outlying fields, and various detachment sites. Individual delivery orders will be placed as needed. Work will be performed in Kingsville, TX (58%); Meridian, MS (36%); and Pensacola, FL (6%), and is expected to be complete in September 2014. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-14-D-0019). July 7/14: No T-X Goshawk. Boeing’s partnership with BAE didn’t transfer to the USAF’s huge T-X trainer replacement program, which is expected to begin in 2016. Boeing made some moves to ally with Alenia and its M-346 trainer in May 2008, but decided not to extend that alliance to the USA; they finally signed an agreement with Saab for a joint clean-sheet trainer design in December 2013. BAE partnered with Northrop Grumman to offer their standard Hawk trainer for T-X (q.v. Sept 19/11), and Northrop Grumman has just shifted to the same lead contractor role that Boeing enjoyed for the T-45 Goshawk. Meanwhile, Boeing will have a very tough competitive row to hoe with an unproven clean sheet design. One wonders if they have any regrets right now about letting a productive Hawk partnership lapse. Sources: Breaking Defense, “Northrop Takes The Lead From BAE On $11B T-X Trainer”. July 1/14: Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS wins a $151.4 million indefinite-delivery requirements contract to provide organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance and logistics services in support of “approximately 200” T-45 aircraft based at Naval Air Station Meridian, MS; NAS Kingsville, TX; NAS Pensacola, FL; and NAS Patuxent River, MD. This is a new contract, issued after the previous multi-year deal expired (q.v. Sept 30/13, Jan 24/12). Work on the base contract will be performed in Kingsville, TX (48%); Meridian, MS (44%); Pensacola, FL (7%); and Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be complete in September 2015. Funds will be committed in individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, with 4 offers received by US NAVAIR (N00019-14-D-0011). See also FBO.gov, “USN T-45 Aircraft Maintenance and Logistics Support, Solicitation Number: N00019-12-R-0001”. Multi-year support deal March 28/14: Engines. Rolls-Royce Corp. in Indianapolis, IN receives a $107 million unfinalized contract action to provide intermediate, depot level maintenance and related logistics support for approximately 223 in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines. Funds will be committed as delivery orders are placed. Work will be performed at US Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, MS (47%); NAS Kingsville, TX (46%); NAS Pensacola, FL (6%); and NAS Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be complete in March 2015. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1, and seems to be either an extension at the end of the current multi-year contract, or the beginning of something new (N00019-14-D-0016). March 26/14: Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS receives a maximum $58.5 million indefinite-delivery, requirements contract to support T45TS aircraft based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, MS; NAS Kingsville, TX; and NAS Pensacola, FL. They’ll provide logistics services and materials for organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance, while supporting T-45s at all operational sites, numerous outlying fields, and various detachment sites. Work will be performed in Kingsville, TX (58%); Meridian, MS (36%); and Pensacola, FL (6%), and is expected to be complete in July 2014. Funds will be committed as individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured, pursuant to FAR 6.302-1, by US NAVAIR in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-14-D-0019). FY 2012 – 2013 Engine troubles. Draft RFP for support. T-45Cs: Navy & Marines (click to view full) Sept 30/13: FY14 Fleet. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS wins a $65 million indefinite-delivery, requirements contract modification, exercising the annual option for organizational, intermediate, and depot level support for the Goshawk fleet: 36 T-45A and 168 T-45C aircraft based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, MS; NAS Kingsville, TX; NAS Pensacola, FL, and Patuxent River, MD. The type splits correspond to the FY 2012 fleet contract rather than the FY 2013 contract, which posited the retirement of some T-45As and 3 more conversions to T-45C status. As always, the fleet contract also includes organizational level maintenance for the Rolls Royce Adour engine. This represents the final contract of a multi-year fleet deal. Announced contracts total $663.8 million, for a contract whose maximum figure was $569 million. Note, however, that each year’s announcement is a maximum, not an amount that must be spent. Work will be performed in Kingsville, TX (57%); Meridian, MS (36%); Pensacola, FL (6%); and Patuxent River, MD (1%), and will run to March 2014, at which point new multi-year contracts will be needed for the aircraft and engine. Contract funds will not be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued (N00019-08-D-0014). Sept 25/13: FY14 Engines. Rolls-Royce Defense Services Inc. in Indianapolis, IN receives a maximum $50.7 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery option to support about 223 of its F405-RR-401 Adour engines with intermediate and depot level maintenance, using the Power-By-the-Hour arrangement. This is the last option in a 5-year contract (q.v. Oct 1/08), and as usual, funds will be obligated for individual task orders as they are issued. All together, announced awards under this contract total $524.2 million. Work will be performed at NAS Meridian, MS (47%); NAS Kingsville, TX (46%), NAS Pensacola, FL (6%), and NAS Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be complete in March 2014 (N00019-09-D-0002). Sept 25/13: R&D. Boeing in St. Louis, MO is being awarded $9.7 million for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order for supplies and services in support of the T-45 Subsystems Service Life Assessment Program. It involves systems other than avionics and engines, and work required to required to meet full service life through 2035. $4 million in R&D funds are committed immediately. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (58.5%) and Brough, United Kingdom (41.5%) and is expected to be complete in July 2016. US Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD, is the contracting activity (N00019-11-G-0001, #1509). Jan 24/12: Draft RFP. Following a presolicitation process initiated in November 2011, NAVAIR posts the full draft RFP (N00019-12-R-0001) on T-45 Aircraft Maintenance and Logistics Support. A presolicitation conference is scheduled for Feb. 5, with a final RFP expected at the end of February. As it is currently laid out, the contract would span a maximum of 8 years with all options exercised. Jan 14/13: Engines. US NAVAIR throws a light on recent T-45 engine problems, which hadn’t been discussed in previous DOT&E reports: “Safety problems with the Low Pressure Turbine blades in the F405 engine… forced a redesign of the old blades, which ended production [in early 2012]…. problem was that the newly redesigned blades were not yet fully qualified by U.S. Navy standards and could not be used immediately and the stockpile of old blades was forecast to be depleted by April [2012]…” Poor planning, that, and the Navy had to grant a temporary relaxation of the lifetime wear “1,000-hour Accelerated Simulated Mission Endurance Test (ASMET)” requirement. Even at a 100 hour threshold, however, the 4-6 months normally needed for test preparation would have blown the stockpile’s deadline. Instead, the team met the 100-hour deadline between Jan 20/12 – April 11/12. ASMET testing continued at the NAS Patuxent River Aircraft Test & Evaluation Facility, and was fully done by Oct 23/12, ahead of schedule and “several million dollars” under budget. Hopefully, the Navy will pass on some of the things it learned to other programs. US NAVAIR. Engine problems & blade redesign Oct 15/12: Training. An $8.5 million firm-fixed-price delivery order for 12 T-45 Virtual Mission Training System kits and spares. Work will be performed in Hazelwood, MO (96%), El Paso, TX (3%), and Mesa, AZ (1%), and is expected to be complete in April 2014 (N00019-11-G-0001). Sept 25/12: FY13 Fleet Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS receives a $126.5 million indefinite-delivery, requirements type contract option to support 28 T-45A and 171 T-45C aircraft based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX; NAS Meridian, MS; and NAS Pensacola, FL. That’s 8 fewer T-54As than last year, and 3 more T-45Cs. L-3 Vertex will continue providing logistics support, and the materials for organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance. Taken together, FY 2013 support costs for the 223 plane fleet will run up to $237.9 million. Taken together, announced fleet support orders under this 5-year contract amount to $598.8 million, which is slightly higher than the contract’s announced $569 million maximum (q.v. Aug 28/08). They could still be congruent, however, because each year’s award is a maximum that could leave unspent dollars for future years. Orders will be placed, and funds will be released, as needed. Work will be performed in Kingsville, TX (57%); Meridian, MS (36%); and Pensacola, FL (7%), and the option will finish in September 2013 (N00019-08-D-0014). Sept 20/12: FY13 Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN receives a $103.3 million firm-fixed-price; indefinite-delivery option to support the T-45 Goshawk’s F405-RR-401 Adour engines with intermediate and depot level maintenance, using the Power-By-the-Hour arrangement. They’ll also provide inventory control, sustaining engineering and configuration management, as well as integrated logistics support and required engineering for organizational-level sustainment. Work will be performed at NAS Meridian, MS (48%); NAS Kingsville, TX (47%), NAS Pensacola, FL (4%), and NAS Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be complete in September 2013. Funds will be obligated for individual task orders as they are issued (N00019-09-D-0002). Dec 12/11: Boeing in St. Louis, MO receives an $8.1 firm-fixed-price delivery order modification, exercising an option to support the integration testing of engineering changes to the T-45 aircraft. Work will be performed at NAS Patuxent River, MD, and is expected to run to December 2012 (N00019-11-G-0001). FY 2010 – 2011 Final delivery; 1 million flight hours. Landed. (click to view full) Sept 27/11: FY12 Fleet Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, LLC in Madison, MS receives a $123.2 million indefinite-delivery, requirements contract modification, exercising an option for logistics services and materials for organizational, intermediate, and depot-level maintenance required to support 36 T-45A and 168 T-45C aircraft. This requirement also includes organizational level maintenance for the engine. No funding will be obligated at time of award. Work will be performed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, MS (36%); NAS Kingsville, TX (54%); NAS Pensacola, FL (6%); and NAS Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be complete in September 2012 (N00019-08-D-0014). Sept 27/11: FY12 Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN receives a $99.9 million firm-fixed-price requirements contract modification, exercising an option for intermediate and depot-level maintenance and related support for in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines, under their Power-by-the-Hour arrangement. In addition, this modification provides for inventory control, sustaining engineering and configuration management. finally, Rolls Royce will handle integrated logistics support and required engineering elements necessary to support the F405-RR-401 engine at the organization level – though that support will be performed by L-3 Vertex. No funding is being obligated at time of award; it will be called on as necessary. Work will be performed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (48%); NAS Meridian, MS (47%); NAS Pensacola, FL (4%); and NAS Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be complete in September 2012 (N00019-09-D-0002). Sept 19/11: T-X. BAE won’t be partnering with Boeing to offer its Hawk trainer to the US Air Force – they’ve signed an agreement with Northrop Grumman instead. The USAF’s current T-38 Talon supersonic trainer is a Northrop product. Boeing teamed up with Alenia in May 2008, and pledged to act as a marketing partner for Alenia’s M-311 and new M-346 trainer jets beyond Italy and the USA. They still haven’t committed to any trainer partnerships within the USA, but they clearly weren’t focused on extending their partnership with BAE. Sources: Northrop Grumman, “BAE Systems, Inc. and Northrop Grumman Partner to Pursue U.S. Air Force T-X Contract”. Partner switch for T-X April 29/11: Avionics. A $10.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, exercising an option for hardware and support associated with the T-45 Required Avionics Modernization Program: 30 T-45 retrofit kits, 1 additional spare mission display processor, and associated engineering support efforts. T-45 RAMP converts T-45As into T-45Cs, swapping out the analog instruments for a “glass cockpit” of digital display screens, inertial navigation, and other improvements that make them more like the systems found in the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO, and is expected to be complete in September 2014 (N00019-09-C-0020). Sept 27/10: FY11 Fleet Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS received a $125 million option against its indefinite-delivery, requirements type contract to support the T-45 fleet. They’ll provide services and materials to provide organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance for 47 T-45As and 158 T-45Cs, plus organizational maintenance support for their engines. Work will take place where the planes are based, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (54%); NAS Meridian, MS (41%); NAS Pensacola, FL (4%), and Patuxent River, MD (1%); and the contract option runs into September 2011 (N00019-08-D-0014). Sept 27/10: FY11 Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN receives an $89.1 million option under a firm-fixed-price requirements contract for the 2nd option year of intermediate and depot level maintenance and related support for in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines. Work will take place under the firm’s MissionCare/ “power-by-the-hour” arrangement, which pays Rolls Royce for engine hours flown, not hours of maintenance done. Work will include the aforementioned maintenance for the engines and the aircraft’s gas turbine starting system, as well as inventory control, parts supply, sustaining engineering and configuration management, and other required engineering. The initial Adour engine MissionCare contract was awarded to Rolls-Royce in October 2003, and has been renewed annually. The US Navy’s T-45 fleet reached 1 million flight hours in August 2010, and in September 2010, Rolls-Royce completed 500,000 flight hours of MissionCare support for the fleet. Work will take place where the planes are based, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (54%); NAS Meridian, MS (41%); NAS Pensacola, FL (4%), and Patuxent River, MD (1%); and the contract option runs into September 2011 (N00019-09-D-0002). This would appear to be the 2nd of 4 option years under the Oct 1/08 contract. See also Rolls Royce release. Aug 26/10: Boeing and the U.S. Navy celebrate the Naval Air Training Command’s 1 millionth flight hour with the T-45 Goshawk, after 18 years of service. The ceremony is held at at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, FL. Boeing. 1,000,000 flight hours Oct 20/09: The 221st, and last, T-45C Goshawk is delivered to the U.S. Navy, during a ceremony at the Boeing production facilities in St. Louis, MO. NAVAIR release. Final delivery FY 2008 – 2009 Simulator improvements; Engine improvements get recognition; USN’s T-2 Buckeyes retired. T-45 Goshawks from NAS Kingsville (click to view full) Sept 28/09: Avionics. A $10.1 million firm-fixed-price contract for retrofit kits and associated engineering services in support of the T-45’s avionics modernization program, which is part of the T-45C upgrade. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO, and is expected to be complete in September 2014. This contract was not competitively procured (N00019-09-C-0020). Sept 28/09: Avionics. A $7.6 million firm-fixed-price delivery order against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement for 36 mission display processor aircraft retrofit kits for the T-45-TS. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO, and is expected to be complete in November 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $2.5 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, which is Sept 30/09 (N00019-05-G-0026). Sept 25/09: FY10 Fleet Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS received a $112.7 million option against its indefinite-delivery, requirements type contract to support the T-45 fleet. They’ll provide services and materials to provide organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance for 49 T-45As and 151 T-45Cs, plus organizational maintenance support for their engines. Work will take place where the planes are based, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (54%); NAS Meridian, MS (41%); NAS Pensacola, FL (4%), and Patuxent River, MD (1%); and the contract option runs into September 2010 (N00019-08-D-0014). Sept 25/09: FY10 Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN receives a $90.7 million option under a firm-fixed-price requirements contract for intermediate and depot level maintenance and related support for in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines that power the T-45 Goshawks. MissionCare is the defense analogue to commercial Power By The Hour(R) contracts, which offer fixed-price maintenance based on hours flown. Work will include the aforementioned maintenance for the engines and the aircraft’s gas turbine starting system, as well as inventory control, parts supply, sustaining engineering and configuration management, and other required engineering. It will take place where the planes are based, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (48%); NAS Meridian, MS (47%); NAS Pensacola, FL (4%), and Patuxent River, MD (1%); and the contract option runs into September 2011 (N00019-09-D-0002). This contract exercises the 1st of 4 option years to the base contract noted in the Oct 1/08 entry. Sept 10/09: HSRIP Recognition. The T-45 Goshawk Hot Section Reliability Improvement (HSRIP) team here is presented with the Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE) 2009 James S. McDonnell Flight Test Team Award at the SFTE’s 40th Annual Symposium Award Banquet in Stockholm, Sweden. HSRIP is composed of personnel from NAVAIR, Boeing, Rolls Royce and Wyle, as well as Navy, Marine Corps and Boeing test pilots. It falls under the Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program Office (PMA-273). The HSRIP team is responsible for the US Navy’s incorporation of the F405-RR-402 (Rolls-Royce MK 951 Adour derivative) engine into the T-45, including a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), an improved backup Manual Fuel Control (MFC) system, and a new hot section that should provide longer life. Operationally, the FADEC provides automatic surge detection and recovery logic, an improved airstart envelope and the potential to optimize the engine’s performance and the plane’s handling qualities. The program conducted its first HSRIP test flight on Dec 18/07, and has since completed more than 100 flight test missions. The trophy will eventually be on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Annex at Washington-Dulles International Airport. US NAVAIR release. Dec 10/08: Israel. The Goshawk production line might be saved. After more than 40 years of service, Israel is finally looking to replace its versatile A-4 Skyhawk fleet. The T-45TS is reportedly one of the 4 contenders. Read “Israel’s Skyhawk Scandal Leads to End of an Era” – but salvation doesn’t come for the Goshawk. Israel picks the M346 in 2012, after the Goshawk production line has already shut down. Oct 31/08: Shutdown. The Grim Reaper issues a Halloween reminder, via a $5.8 million order against Basic Ordering Agreement N00019-05-G-0026. The order is for “near and long term requirements to continue the analysis required for an efficient and orderly shutdown of the T-45 production line transition Phase II and the associated post-production support efforts for the T-45 A/C aircraft series.” Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (77%) and Warton, Lancashire, UK (23%), and is expected to be complete in March 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $1.7 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Oct 1/08: Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN received a $90.5 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract to provide FY 2009 intermediate and depot level maintenance and related support for in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines. The contract is for 1 year with options for 4 additional years, and builds upon a successful 5-year contract established in 2003. As Rolls Royce reminds us, support is every more important than engine sales. “MissionCare solutions, along with other aftermarket services provided to global customers by Rolls-Royce, account for more than 50 percent of the company’s annual sales.” These services will be provided under their trademark Power-By-the-Hour (PBTH) arrangement, which pays for flight hours rather than maintenance hours. PBTH services include inventory control, sustaining engineering and configuration management, integrated logistics support and required engineering to support the F405-RR-401 engine beyond the flightline. Work will be performed on over 200 aircraft at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (48%), NAS Meridian, MS (47%); NAS Pensacola, FL (4%), and NAS Patuxent River, MD (1%), and is expected to be completed in September 2013. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant FAR 6.302-1, “Only one responsible source.” (N00019-09-D-0002). See also Rolls Royce release. 5-year Engine Support contract Aug 28/08: Fleet Support. L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS continues its status as the T-45’s support contractor. An $111.4 million indefinite-delivery, requirements type contract will have L-3 provide all logistics services and materials for the FY 2009 maintenance and support of 71 T-45A and 108 T-45C aircraft at Naval Air Station Meridian, MS, NAS Kingsville, TX; and NAS Pensacola, FL. The contract also includes organizational level maintenance for the Adour engines, and has 4 one-year option periods that could boost its value to $569 million. Work will be performed in Kingsville, TX (58%); Meridian, MS, (36%); and Pensacola, FL (6%), and is expected to be complete in September 2009. This contract was competitively procured via electronic RFP, and 2 offers were received by the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-08-D-0014). See also: L-3 Vertex, Oct 27/08 release. 5-year Fleet Support contract Aug 22/08: The historic 50-year service record of the T-2 Buckeye training aircraft comes to a close with a sundown ceremony and fly-by at the Mustin Beach Officers’ Club aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola. The T-2C was the US Navy’s intermediate and advanced trainer before the T-45 entered service, and the twin-engined T-2C entered service in 1968. Some of these jets had remained in the fleet, but this ceremony marks their final retirement from service. US Navy release | Navy Fact File: T-2C T-2 Buckeye retires June 25/08: Training.Boeing announces a contract with Elbit Systems for a Virtual Mission Training System (VMTS) that will help students prepare for carrier strike-fighter and electronic-attack duty at lower cost. Boeing is currently under contract to develop this capability, and is due to provide 2 test aircraft and then retrofit 18 existing Goshawks by 2012. “VMTS simulates via data link an unclassified, mechanically scanned tactical radar that provides air-to-air and air-to-ground modes as well as simulated weapons and simulated electronic warfare. These functions can be networked between the participating aircraft and instructor ground stations that control the mission presentation. The current phase of VMTS work will provide flight officers with in-flight training in the use of radar and weapons against virtual enemy aircraft, including cooperative training with friendly real and virtual aircraft.” April 30/08: L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS received an $11.3 million modification to a previously awarded fixed-price, cost-reimbursable contract (N00019-03-D-0010) adjusting for the effects of union contracts on the T-45 trainer system contractor logistics support effort. Specifically, this modification covers the fiscal 2007 and 2008 cost impact for wages and fringe benefit adjustments as a result of the collective bargaining agreement, dated Oct 1/06 through Aug 1/09, and area wage determinations No. 05-2300 (Rev-4), 05-2300 (Rev-5), 94-2300 and 05-2508. All this is in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act – price adjustment clause and notification of changes clause. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (51%) and NAS Meridian, MS (49%). FY 2006 – 2007 Final T-45s ordered; Production line shutdown contract. Learning to fly (click to view full) Sept 26/07: FY08 Fleet Support. L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, Miss. received a $95.8 million estimated value modification to a previously awarded fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, time and materials requirements contract (N00019-03-D-0010). It exercises a contractor logistics support option for approximately 189 T-45 Training Systems. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, Texas (51%) and NAS Meridian, Miss. (49%), and is expected to be complete in September 2008. Sept 26/07: FY08 Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN received a $66.4 million modification to a previously awarded fixed-price, requirements contract. The option covers Power-By-the-Hour (PBTH) logistics support for approximately 188 of the Adour F405-RR-401 jet engines installed in the T-45 aircraft. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Miss. (50%); NAS Kingsville, Texas (48.94%); and NAS Patuxent River, Md. (1.06%), and is expected to be complete in September 2008. The contract has been developed in line with commercial PBTH agreements under a fixed price per engine flight hours. Rolls-Royce provides all engine maintenance, support, trouble-shooting, parts supply and logistics coverage; work is split between Meridian and Kingsville, TX, along with some functions at Patuxent River, MD. Rolls-Royce employs 110 maintenance, supply and management personnel across five locations in support of this program (N00019-03-D-0012). Rolls Royce release. Sept 19/07: Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St. Louis, Mo. received a $13.3 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract to exercise an option for the procurement of 10 T-45 Training System Airframes, including logistic support analysis, technical manuals, and technical support of support equipment, production integration testing support and flight test instrumentation, system equipment and repair. This modification brings the total for these items to $278.5 million. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed in September 2009 (N00019-06-C-0309). June 11/07: A $265.2 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0309) for 10 FY 2007 production T-45 airframes, logistic support analysis, technical manuals and technical support of support equipment, production integration testing support, and flight test instrumentation systems equipment and repair. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (58%) and Warton, Lancashire, England (42%), and is expected to be complete in September 2009. 10 T-45s May 31/07: Engine R&D. A $7.2 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0309) for Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) for Phase II of the T-45 Hot Section Reliability Improvement Program. This effort is in support of flight test, including carrier suitability testing aboard ship, as well as identification of required changes to T-45 publications and retrofit activities. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO and is expected to be complete in November 2008. Feb 5/07: Production line shutdown. A $7.6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-05-G-0001) provides for T-45 production line transition efforts for orderly shut down. Specific efforts will include technical assessment of parts and tooling to identify areas to reduce post-production parts manufacturing costs. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (59%) and Manchester, England (41%), and is expected to be complete in December 2007. Production line shutdown contract Arrested landing (click to view full) Sept 28/06: FY07 Fleet Support. L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC in Madison, MS received a $94 million estimated value modification to exercise an option for contractor logistics support for the T-45 Training System. This is a modification to a previously awarded fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, time and materials requirements contract (N00019-03-D-0010); work will be performed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, TX (51%) and NAS Meridian, MS (49%), and is expected to be complete in September 2007. Sept 27/06: FY07 Engine Support. Rolls-Royce Defense Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN received a $65.3 million fixed-price modification to a previously awarded requirements contract, exercising an option for power-by-the-hour logistics support for approximately 188 F405-RR-401 Adour engines. Under this arrangement, a single contract line item number is used to pay a fixed price per aircraft flight hours; contract performance is measured almost exclusively against the fleet-driven performance metric of “ready for issue engine availability.” Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, MS (50%); NAS Kingsville, TX (48.94%); and NAS Patuxent River, Md. (1.06%), and is expected to be complete in September 2007 (N00019-03-D-0012). See also Rolls Royce release. April 6/06: Engine R&D. Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St. Louis, MO received a $5 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N00019-04-C-0013). This contract is part of the Hot Section Reliability Improvement Program for integration of the F405-RR-402 engine into the T-45 airframe, and involves nonrecurring engineering effort for Phase 1. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO and is expected to be complete in August 2007. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD issued the contract. March 31/06: Avionics. $14.4 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-05-C-0025) for non-recurring engineering services associated with, and the production of, 12 T-45 required avionics modernization program retrofit kits and two simulator avionics retrofit kits. In addition, this contract provides for technical data, integrated logistics support, and approximately 12 spare kit components. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (77%); Mesa, AZ (15%) and Albuquerque, NM (8%), and is expected to be complete in August 2009. March 30/06: A $139 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for six FY 2006 T-45 Goshawk training system airframes, plus support to build/specific sustaining engineering, ground based training support, and planning and integration. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (52%) and Warton, Brough, England (48%), and is expected to be complete in September 2008 (N00019-06-C-0309). 6 T-45s March 30/06: $5.7 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N00019-04-C-0013) provides nonrecurring engineering effort required to incorporate an embedded Terrain Awareness Warning System (eTAWS) and associated digital video recorder (DVR) replacement for the current airborne video cassette recorders (AVCR) into the T-45C aircraft, flight simulators located at the T-45’s bases in Naval Air Station Meridian and Naval Air Station Kingsville, and manned flight simulators located at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Patuxent River. In addition, this contract is for the production of up to seven pre-production DVRs in support of development, integration, simulator tests, and flight test. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (60%) and Germantown, MD (40%), and is expected to be complete in February 2008. March 17/06: $12.5 million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide integrated logistics support for the T-45 training system for calendar year 2006. Support to be provided includes acquisition logistics, logistics analysis, technical manuals and technical support of support equipment, production integration testing, and flight test instrumentation system equipment and repair. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (80%); Warton, Lancashire, England (13%); and Filton, Bristol, England (7%), and is expected to be complete in December 2006. This contract was not competitively procured (N00019-06-C-0309). View the full article

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=WkNIvdppROY:neuZhO0UwdA:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=WkNIvdppROY:neuZhO0UwdA:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=WkNIvdppROY:neuZhO0UwdA:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=WkNIvdppROY:neuZhO0UwdA:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FAFV/~4/WkNIvdppROYView the full article

Americas Bell Boeing won a $18 million contract modification, which exercises an option to continue providing technical analysis, engineering and integration services for various systems and sub systems in support of the V-22 aircraft for the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Foreign Military Sales customers. The V-22 Osprey is a joint service multirole combat aircraft utilizing tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft. With its rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, it can convert to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight. Work will take place in Texas and Pennsylvania. Estimated completion will be by 2022. Lockheed Martin Space won a $29.1 million contract modification to procure a pilot assessment of the contractor’s property management system and exercise options under previously awarded contract N00030-20-C-0100 for Trident II (D5) missile production and deployed systems support. The modification includes a $5 million not-to-exceed value for the pilot assessment, which is being awarded as an undefinitized contract action. The Trident II D5 fleet ballistic missile (FBM) is a three-stage, solid-propellant, inertial-guided ballistic missile developed by Lockheed Martin. The Trident II D5 submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a successor to Polaris A1, Polaris A2, Polaris A3, Poseidon C3 and Trident I C4 missiles. Work will take place in Colorado, Utah, Florida, Illinois, New York and California. Work will take place in September 20, 2025. Middle East & Africa Mali has decided to expand its C295 fleet by ordering another cargo plane to expand the number of aircraft to two. Airbus says this contract includes an integrated logistics support package with spare parts for the two aircraft and training for flight crews and mechanics. This second aircraft, to be delivered in 2021, will supplement the first C295 already in operation since December 2016 which has already accumulated 1,770 flight hours and transported more than 38,000 passengers and 900 tonnes of cargo in less than four years of operations. Europe The Italian Air Force will double its intake at the International Flight Training School after the school moves to Sardinia. Head of the training operation, Gen. Luigi Casali, says 80 new pilots will be able to complete Phase 4 training at Sardinia and two thirds of those students will be from foreign air forces. Italy currently gathers its Phase 2, 3 and 4 pilots at Galatina where pilots in Phase 2 and 3 fly the Italian MB339 and Phase 4 students fly 18 T346A air force jet trainers, built by Italy’s Leonardo, as well as another four of the type owned by the firm. As the Phase 4 pilots move to Sardinia, the earlier stage students will stay on at Galatina to take advantage of the freed up space and start to switch over to new, M345 aircraft, also built by Leonardo, which is partnering the air force in the running of the flight school. Asia-Pacific Japan media have confirmed that a Royal Navy naval task force lead by aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will be sailing to Asia as early as next year. The British warships are likely to conduct wargames with Japanese and US forces in waters off the Nansei Islands chain in southwestern Japan. The move comes amid concerns over China’s increasing assertiveness in the East and South China seas as well as about its handling of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. It could trigger an outcry from Beijing. During the dispatch, the British navy also plans to conduct maintenance on carrier-based F-35B stealth fighter jets at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.’s aerospace systems works in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, the sources said. The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of 155mm Ammunition and Accessories, and related equipment, for an estimated cost of $132.2 million. The Government of Australia has requested to buy M825A1 155mm White Phosphorous projectile munitions, M782 Multi-Option Fuze for Artillery, M762A1 electronic-timed fuzes, M231 and M232A2 propelling charges, percussion primers, technical publications and books, technical data for operational maintenance, technical assistance and services, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $132.2 million. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States. Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region. Today’s Video Watch: Exclusive visit of the new C295 FWSAR for Canada View the full article

Midrats regulars and all sound thinking navalists rejoiced earlier this year when one of our favorites were offered the honor to serve once again - in this case one of our favorite guests and all around great guy, Mark R. Vandroff, Captain, USN Ret. Mark found himself back in the mix with his appointment as Deputy Assistant to the President, Senior Director, Defense Policy and Strategy at the National Security Council. Just in time for the holiday season, Mark will come visit us this Sunday from 5-6pm to talk about his experience so far at the NSC, the NSC in general, and other related topics that may come up in the process. A 1989 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Mark was the 10th Major Program Manager for the Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer program and the 37th Commanding Officer of NSWC Carderock. Immediately before coming to the White House, he was the Vice President of Maritime Programs at Zenetex, LLC. He holds a Master’s of Science in Applied Physics from the Johns Hopkins University and is a frequent contributor to the Naval Institute’s “Proceedings” and online publications such as Strategy Bridge and CIMSEC. The programs he led have been the recipient of some of Department of Defense’s highest awards for acquisition excellence, including the 2011 Secretary of the Navy’s Competition Excellence Award and the 2012 David Packard Award. Mark was recognized by the American Society of Naval Engineers with 2018 Gold Medal award for excellence in naval engineering. 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. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=UTbXDAQBx0Y:VuFvo9E_VMQ:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=UTbXDAQBx0Y:VuFvo9E_VMQ:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=UTbXDAQBx0Y:VuFvo9E_VMQ:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=UTbXDAQBx0Y:VuFvo9E_VMQ:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FAFV/~4/UTbXDAQBx0YView the full article

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jMxlWqNjWjs/U1nIwXMMBjI/AAAAAAAAIJ4/839fmIwW8yk/s320/Galanti-portrait-Newswk-cap.jpgI bumped into a post I did over six years ago on the passing of one of our greats. Phyllis. Thought I'd repost today ... because, she deserves it. Circumstances display character. Character comes often from places least expected - unless of course you know the best of military spouses; She said in a Richmond News Leader interview in 1971 that while Galanti was a POW, she just “wanted to be a housewife.” She wanted to “sink into oblivion” when he returned. By 1969, she had become active with other POW wives. In 1970, the wives group became the National League of Families and Friends of POWS and MIAs in Southeastern Asia. It evolved into a tour de force in crusading for the North Vietnamese to adhere to Geneva Convention protocols in treatment of prisoners and eventually for the release of POWs and the accounting for those missing in action. Mrs. Galanti served as chairwoman of the league. In a televised speech before the Virginia Senate on Feb. 12, 1971, she kicked off an areawide campaign, “Write Hanoi: Let’s Bring Paul Galanti Home,” part of a nationwide project. Her efforts generated more than 450,000 letters from the Richmond area, around 300,000 letters from Northern Virginia and 378,000 from Gastonia, N.C., where Paul’s parents had moved in 1964. More than 80 percent of people living in the Richmond area contributed a letter, which was thought to have been the greatest response to the Write Hanoi campaign anywhere in the United States. In March 1971, Mrs. Galanti was among a delegation of 10 Write Hanoi campaigners who went to Stockholm, Sweden, to try to obtain information on the POWs from the chargé d’affaires in the North Vietnamese embassy there. They also wanted to send the letters asking for freedom for American servicemen being held in Southeast Asia to the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong delegations attending the World Assembly of Paris for Peace and Independence of Indochinese Peoples. Because “they knew we had” the letters, Mrs. Galanti said they were able to talk with officials. The letters were flown to Paris to be given to the North Vietnamese delegation at the peace talks. By Christmas Eve 1971, she received two letters and two postcards from her husband. “Those four little pieces of mail were the most elaborate Christmas gift,” she said. She reported in March 1971 that she was using the services of a peace group to correspond with her husband. Mrs. Galanti called for a shift in strategy in July 1971. Instead of writing Hanoi, she asked Americans to write to President Richard Nixon and Congress. “The issue has become a political matter,” she said. “Their release can come from one place — Washington.” In an op/ed piece in The News Leader in 1971, she wrote, “I can honestly say that I have never done anything so rewarding and worthwhile in my life. Knowing that so many people were genuinely concerned gave me a much-needed boost.” When she and other POW wives went to Versailles, near Paris, in February 1972 to talk about release of POWs with 800 communist delegates from 75 countries at the World Assembly of Paris for Peace, they failed to get an audience. However, Mrs. Galanti said she felt a softening on the part of communist officials to Nixon’s plan to end the war. Mrs. Galanti and two other POW wives talked about prisoner issues with Nixon and Henry Kissinger, then national security adviser, on May 15, 1972. In October 1972, she was elected chairwoman of the league and early the next year learned that her husband’s name was on a list of living POWs. Galanti was released on Feb. 12, 1973, among the first group of POWs freed by the North Vietnamese. Their plane landed at Clark Air Base, Philippines. He arrived in Virginia from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., on Feb. 15. He was reunited with his wife at the Norfolk Naval Station. At the time, he told reporters, “Phyllis was pretty shy when I left, and I came back to a real tiger.” We should all be so lucky. Ms. Galanti passed in the spring of 2014 after 51 years of marriage. Fullbore. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=yIl2AUoC8zA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?d=qj6IDK7rITs http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=1eQKP2U8nJw:avurWd5CZyY:gIN9vFwOqvQ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=1eQKP2U8nJw:avurWd5CZyY:-BTjWOF_DHI http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=1eQKP2U8nJw:avurWd5CZyY:V_sGLiPBpWU http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/blogspot/FAFV?i=1eQKP2U8nJw:avurWd5CZyY:F7zBnMyn0Lo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FAFV/~4/1eQKP2U8nJwView the full article