Defense Industry Daily

Saar 5: INS Hanit
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The 1,227t/ 1,350 ton Sa’ar 5 Eilat Class corvettes were built by Northrop Grumman in the 1990s for about $260 million each. It’s a decent performer in a number of roles, from air defense to anti-submarine work, to coastal patrol and special forces support. In 2006, the Israelis went looking for a next-generation vessel with better high-end capabilities. Six years later, Israel had nothing to show for its search. In the meantime, massive natural gas deposits have been discovered within Israel’s coastal waters, adding considerable urgency to their search.

The USA is Israel’s logical supplier, but given Israel’s size and cost requirements, the only American option was the Littoral Combat Ship. Israel pursued that option for several years, conducting studies and trying to get a better sense of feasibility and costs. Their approach would have been very different from the American Freedom Class LCS, removing the swappable “mission modules” and replacing them with a fixed and fully capable set of air defense, anti-ship, and anti-submarine weapons. In the end, however, the project was deemed to be unaffordable. Instead, Israel began negotiating with Germany, and reports now include discussions involving both South Korea, and a local shipyard.

Ship Systems: What is Israel Looking For? The Strategic Situation

Offshore energy
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Israel’s discovery of massive offshore gas reserves in the Tamar and Leviathan fields has the potential to change Israel diplomatic weight, as well as its economy and energy status. Work is already underway in cooperation with Cyprus, and Greece has shifted from hostile to cooperative over the last decade, but Turkey is making hostile noises, and Syrian hostility is assured.

Potential irregular threats to Israeli drilling installations include UAVs, which have already overflown existing rigs on their way into Israeli airspace, or boat operations with divers or depth charges. Rig owners are working with the IDF to counter the irregular threat, via armed teams on each platform and radars networked to Israel’s coastal defenses. They may need to take further steps with RWS emplacements and missiles, given rules that require enemies to close within 1/2 mile before defenders can open fire.

The higher end is more problematic, and isn’t much discussed, but it exists. Hezbollah has already proven its ability to use long-range surface-launched naval missiles, and drilling platforms are ideal targets if they can be reached. Full state-level threats leave Israel open to the threat of supersonic Russian SS-N-26s in Syria’s possession, and add enemy submarines to this picture. Turkey’s purchase of 6 U214s, Iran’s Kilo Class boats, and a possible Egyptian purchase of 2 U209s fitted with modern systems, are changing the local balance. Turkish saber-rattling and Syrian hostility mean that enemy fighters must also be considered, and the rigs will be placed some distance from Israeli quick-reaction fighter launches.

It’s a complex, multi-dimensional problem, and the solution will have to be multi-layered. Defensive systems and sensors on board the rigs themselves, and naval flotillas of smaller ships that offer presence while providing point defense and surface attack punch, are already in place. Heron UAVs are already operating in maritime patrol mode, which offers Israel a persistent aerial surveillance option, but doesn’t help much with response capability at present. Israel could benefit greatly from maritime patrol aircraft with good on-station time, and offensive capabilities that allow them to intervene. Their aged Westwind 1124N Sea Scan business jets don’t fit that bill.

Meanwhile, their naval flotillas need a boost, and acknowledging higher-end threats becomes very consequential if it means that Israel needs high-end wide-area air defense and anti-submarine capabilities on station.

Israel’s Requirements

LCS-I components
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Whatever that solution may be, Israel’s experience with the LCS concept shows where their needs are leading them. From Israel’s point of view, the keys to their original interest in an LCS-I design were threefold.

Flexibility. The 1st key is an open architecture combat system. Israel produces a lot of its own electronics, and the ability to easily integrate their own products into current and future configurations was seen as a huge plus. Lockheed Martin’s VP of Israel Operations, Joshua Shani, meant it when he said that that “participation by the Israeli defense industry will be the cornerstone of [LCS-I’s] success.” The same will be true of any other ship type that Israel adopts.

Wider View. The 2nd key is better sensors. LCS-I negotiations focused on Lockheed Martin’s SPY-1F S-band radar, which also equips Norway’s Fridjhof Nansen Class AEGIS frigates. Discussions surrounding other ships have focused instead on IAI Elta’s locally-developed EL/M-2248 MF-STAR “Adir” S-band active array radar, which has been exported to India for use on their Kolkata Class destroyers, and is being installed as a Sa’ar 5 upgrade. AESA radars are much easier to resize for smaller ships, and IAI ELta’s designs scale all the way down to the EL/M-2258 ALPHA (Advanced Lightweight Phased Array) radar, which is being installed on Israel’s 500t class Sa’ar 4.5 Fast Attack Craft.

AN LCS-I would also have offered far superior underwater sensors. The ability to embark larger helicopters, including the MH-60 Seahawk family or similar naval helicopters, would dramatically boosting Israel’s anti-submarine capabilities. A modern bow sonar, which is present in other ship designs, would add a lot all by itself, especially if the ship’s combat system could integrate that data with towed and/or variable-depth sonars.

SM-2 (top), SM-3

Weapon Improvements. The 3rd key involves a wider weapon fit, especially when it comes to air defense. Adopting the MK41 Vertical Launch System would give Israel inherent flexibility over time to integrate new missiles of all types, in order to handle Israel’s combat scenarios, and address changes in threats and operational requirements.

LCS-I’s high-end armament would have included torpedo tubes, mounts for Harpoon or Gabriel anti-ship missiles, and the contents of the ship’s 16 strike-length vertical launch cells. Those cells would offer Israel the flexibility to include anti-air missiles like the new Israeli Barak-8, the entire range of Raytheon’s Standard family air and missile defense interceptors, compatible anti-ship and precision strike missiles like Lockheed Martin’s LRASM, or even current anti-submarine missiles like VL-ASROC. Local options like IAI’s ANAM/ Gabriel 5 and IMI’s Delilah-SL will also be of interest to the Israelis.

In Israel’s case, a strike-length MK41 VLS system could take on strategic significance. Raytheon’s SM-3 (area defense), SM-2 Block IV, and SM-6 missiles (point defense) can be used to defend against ballistic missile attacks, if paired with a suitable radar. The AN/SPY-1F has never received the signal processor upgrades given to larger and more powerful SPY-1D radars for ballistic missile defense, nor has it ever been tested in that role. Alternatively, the ship could be networked with long-range ground radars like Israel’s “Green Pine.” In either scenario, the SM-3’s range and Israel’s tiny size would allow just 1 ship on station to cover most of Israel. A situation where 2 ships out of 4 are on station at any given time is very plausible, and could provide overlapping point defense ABM coverage. Either option would supplement Israel’s medium range Arrow and short range Patriot PAC-2 GEM systems on land. At present, this is an option rather than a focus, but even the potential for such a vital national mission is a first for the Israeli Navy.

Onboard vehicles add to an Israeli frigates’ punch in a different way. New ships will be expected to embark a flexible USV/UUV mix, with the ability to store and launch Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB), mine or sub-hunting hunting UUVs, or surface USVs. Israel’s leading-edge capabilities in USVs would make that capability an immediate and long-term force multiplier.

Israel’s core problem is that a high-end, full featured frigate is going to cost them $600+ million. They want the capabilities, but don’t have the money to buy 3-4 ships at that price. In response, they can choose to scale back their desires, or they can find some way to make a deal.

What Are You Shipping: Vessels & Systems Current State: Israel’s Sa’ar 5 Corvettes

Sa’ar 5 corvettes
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Some have called the 1,227 tonne Eilat Class a better base model for the USA to adopt, as it seeks an affordable Littoral Combat Ship or flotilla asset. The ships were built by Litton-Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation of Pascagoula, MS (now HII), based on Israeli designs. All 3 ships of class were launched from 1993 – 1994.

Air Defense. Sa’ar 5 corvettes have moderate anti-air capabilities, thanks to IAI Elta ELM-2218S and ELM-2221 GM STGR radars. Twin 32-cell launchers hold short-range Barak-1 surface-air missiles, and the ship has a Mk15 Phalanx 20mm CIWS gun for last-ditch defense. As of 2013, the ships are preparing to swap their Barak-1 systems for the larger Barak-8 missile, whose 70+ km reach will give the Israeli Navy its first area air defense capability.

ASW. Bow-mounted and towed sonars, plus 6x 324mm torpedo tubes for Mark 46 torpedoes, give these corvettes moderate anti-submarine capability. This was quite adequate until the early 2010s. As Turkey has become progressively more hostile, and unstable neighbors like Egypt buy modern submarines, there is some concern that the Eilat Class’ anti-submarine capabilities may not be enough.

Surface Warfare. Surface warfare is addressed well. Harpoon or Gabriel anti-ship missiles can be used against larger ships or land targets, while the Mk15 Phalanx 20mm gun and Typhoon remotely-operated 7.62-30mm gun/missile systems deal with guerrilla craft. The corvette is also capable of launching small special forces boats, or robotic USVs like RAFAEL’s Protector series.

A 76mm Oto Melara naval gun option could be installed in place of the Phalanx. It would offer slightly less air defense capability, in exchange for a longer reach and more punch against fast boats. That upgrade would be compatible with long-range Vulcano ammunition for naval fire support, but Israel has chosen the Phalanx for now.

The Eilat Class’ helicopter hangar can accommodate AS565 Dauphin/Panther, Kaman SH-2F or Sikorsky S-76N helicopters. Israel’s navy flies the AS565, but they haven’t armed them with substantial naval weapons.

Future Option: Lockheed Martin’s LCS-I

LCS-I missions
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The Israelis have a long-standing relationship with Lockheed Martin, and a 2,500-3,000t LCS design with the USA’s swappable mission modules could significantly improve Israel’s ability to conduct anti-submarine warfare and mine neutralization missions.

Unfortunately, the pitifully weak armament of the USA’s LCS ships is inadequate for the Israelis, who need their ships to be able to engage other naval vessels, and to provide their own air defense. Worse, the American design lacks the flexibility to add meaningful weapons in future. As a result, the Israelis took a different approach, eliminating the ship’s swappable mission modules in favor of a much more heavily-armed vessel.

Initial studies were conducted in conjunction with Lockheed Martin, leading to an RFP and even an official $1.9 billion DSCA request for Lockheed Martin’s LCS-I design. That would have made Israel the first LCS export customer. Construction of the LCS-I ships would have occurred at Marinette Marine and Bollinger Shipyards in the United States and American construction allows Israel to buy the ships with American military aid dollars, rather than using its hard-currency budget. Gary Feldman, Lockheed’s business development director international LCS sales, said that detail design could have begun in 2009, with construction starting in 2010.

In the end, however, expected per-ship costs of $700 million or so led the Israelis to back away and look for another solution.

Future Option: HII’s Sa’ar 5B

Northrop Grumman has proposed an enlarged “Sa’ar 5B” corvette with more advanced systems, and Israel has made that task easier by developing their own advanced ship radars and improved missiles. Indeed, the Israelis are implementing a de facto Sa’ar 5B by upgrading existing Eilat Class ships with fixed-plate MF-STAR “Adir” AESA radars, new medium range Barak-8 missiles, and better anti-ship/ land strike missiles.

Northrop Grumman (now HII) has hinted that Sa’ar 5B ships could be built for less than $450 million, using American aid dollars, but Israel initially rejected that option as well. Discussions are rumored to have resumed, but nailing down a firm price will require money up front for extensive design studies. That left Israel looking beyond the USA for their base ship, even as the equipment they wanted in those ships remained fairly constant.

Future Option: Germany, Overall?

MEKO CSL
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In February 2009, Israel switched its interest to ThyssenKrupp Marine Systsems’ MEKO family, which comes in sizes ranging from A100 corvettes to full-size A200 frigates. MEKOs are customized to their destination country, so a German K130 Braunschweig Class is very different than Malaysia’s Kedah Class, even though both begin with the A100 base. As part of that customization, the radar would have been IAI’s Elta’s EL/M-2248 MF-STAR, and many of the other technologies requested for the LCS-I would have applied as well.

Reports are split between a buy of 4 A100 base corvettes to put more ships on station, vs. a purchase of 2 high-end frigates that would be able to focus on advanced anti-submarine and wide-area anti-air warfare.

There was even some talk of making Israel the launch customer for the MEKO CSL, which would have given Israel some of the modularity found in the USA’s LCS class. The Meko CSL is only slightly smaller than the American LCS Freedom Class, at 108m/ 354 ft. long, with a beam of 21 meters and full-load displacement of 2,750 tonnes. Propulsion is by a combined diesel-and-gas (CODAG) water-jet system that cruises at 15 knots and reaches 40. Cruising speed range at would be about is 3,500 nautical miles, with 21 days endurance. The MEKO CSL variant adds improved stealth shapes and measures refined on Sweden’s Visby Class corvettes, and has several modular sections for faster swap-outs. An Israeli MEKO CSL would contain a lot of local content, including IAI Elta’s MF-STAR, the new Barak-8 medium range air defense missile, and Israeli electronic countermeasures systems, among others. The CSL also has a rear mission bay, and could serve as a hub for Israel’s advanced UAVs and robotic naval USV/UUVs.

German negotiations stalled after Germany agreed to provide subsidies for more Dolphin Class submarines, but not for frigates. 2013 Reports indicate that negotiations have resumed.

Asian Quality: The South Korean Option

FFX launch
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South Korea (ROK) is a global leader in shipbuilding, and their successful naval shipbuilding programs include cruiser-size KDX-III AEGIS destroyers as well as smaller ships like their FFX and FFX II light frigates. The FFX Block II in particular appears to be an advanced small combatant that meets Israel’s size and capability requirements. The 2,500t+ ships will offer electrical power to spare, high-end long range radar capabilities, a 127mm/ 5″ gun with guided shell options and future long-range fire capabilities, a 16-cell vertical launch system, and the ability to embark full-size anti-submarine helicopters.

The South Koreans might be able to produce new frigates at the price and quality level Israel needs, and they’ve become significant buyers of Israeli defense technologies in recent years. Israel wants to keep that relationship going, but KAI’s recent loss of a $1 billion deal for new IAF jet trainers has put a dent in things. South Korea remains interested in other Israeli technologies, including its Iron Dome rocket defense system.

A deal that offset ROK defense purchases with Israeli buys of South Korean FFX Block II ships might make everyone happy, and get the Israeli political support required to move the project ahead. Negotiations are reportedly underway.

Final Option: Don’t Go Big – Go Home

Saar 5 Eilat Class
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Israel’s final option is less ambitious in terms of performance, but more ambitious industrially. It involves a deal with the privatized Israel Shipyards. In exchange for government investment to modernize and expand the shipyard, they would design and build an larger, improved version of existing corvettes. The Sa’ar 5.5 option would be designed to give Israel a locally-built offering that was both exportable and upgradeable, without requiring outside help or approval.

Recent MF-STAR/ Barak-8 upgrades are laying the groundwork for a tested option. The question is whether all of the money required for shipyard modernization, ship design, fabrication in a shipyard stretching its capabilities, and platform testing would make the final product as expensive as higher-end options, while offering comparatively less capability. That could also make the vessels unexportable on price grounds, creating a lose-lose-lose scenario.

Contracts & Key Events 2015 – 2018

 

Barak-8
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August 16/18: Protector of Israeli interests Israel will send its ‘Sons of Sa’ar’ to protect its Mediterranean gas fields and its exclusive economic zone. The Israeli Navy is set to receive four next-generation Sa’ar 6 corvettes between 2019 and 2024. The 300-feet-long warships, which are currently being built in Kiel, Germany, will be packed to the gills with highly sensitive detection equipment — to monitor both the surrounding sea and airspace — as well as offensive weapons and defensive missile interceptors. The ships will be equipped with the ‘Naval Dome’, essentially a navalized version of the Iron Dome, with the Barak-8 missile at its core. The Barak-8, and aims to deliver up to 42 mile of range, thanks to a dual-pulse solid rocket motor whose second “pulse” fires as the missile approaches its target. This ensures that the missile isn’t just coasting in the final stages, giving it more than one chance at a fast, maneuvering target. The missile’s most important feature may be its active seeker. Instead of forcing its ship or land-based radar to “paint”/illuminate its target at all times, the Barak 8 can be left alone once it is close to its target. This is an excellent approach for dealing with saturation attacks using older ship radars, which can track many targets but illuminate just a few. The Barak-8 was developed by IAI in collaboration with Israel’s DDR&D, India’s DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organization), the navies of both countries, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., IAI’s ELTA Group and local industries in India.

January 19/18: Upgrades—Testing Israel’s Navy announced that it has successfully tested a new chaff defense system for its Sa’ar 4.5-class missile boats and it is expected that the system will be declared operational in the coming weeks. First to receive the upgrade was the INS Sufa, with testing conducted two months ago off the coast of Haifa. The system includes an algorithm that identifies and classifies any kind of projectile making its way towards the Israeli missile ship, and then programs a unique diversion plan: firing chaff rockets from the front deck and create a “wall” over the water of hundreds of metal wires, which mislead the enemy missile into “thinking” this was the Israeli ship. This helps divert the enemy missile, only a minute or two before it was to hit the Israeli ship.

April 3/17: The Israeli Navy is altering the design of the Sa’ar-6 corvette in order to fit additional Iron Dome interceptors onboard the vessels. By adding a second launcher, each corvette will be able to carry as many as forty Tamir interceptor missiles, allowing vessels to engage an increasing number of disruptive, possibly deadly and inexpensive shore-launched rockets launched by groups such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Four Sa’ar-6 ships are currently on order with Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS); however, the sale is source of a scandal in Israel and are part of an investigation into potential conflicts of interest among those close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

November 10/16: Israeli navy officials are evaluating fixed-wing extremely short take-off and landing (ESTOL) UAV ideas to eventually deploy on their four new Saar 6 corvettes and existing SAAR 5 missile vessels. The ESTOL UAV will be based on propulsive lift technology that will enable it to take off from a very small platform on the navy ship. A decision will be made on the platform in 2017.

May 12/15: The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced Monday that it has signed a contract for four Sa’ar-class corvettes, manufactured by Germany’s TKMS. Discussions between the two countries over the supply of Littoral Combat Ships to protect Israel’s offshore gas reserves have been in the works since 2009, with the Germans agreeing to a discount in October last year, with the German government further subsidizing the deal, funding approximately a quarter of the contract’s value. The $480 million deal will see TKMS buying $181 million-worth of Israeli-manufactured equipment as offsets. Whilst the Israeli MoD did not announce the precise type of corvette the Israeli Navy will receive, it is likely to be the Blohm Voss-class 130 corvette, with modification to Israeli specifications.

2014

Israel’s offshore strategic situation; Significant Sa’ar 5 improvements underway; Negotiations with Germany.

Oct 19/14: Germany. Ha’aretz reports that Germany has agreed to a discount, and seems set to secure the Israeli contract for its next-generation ships:

“A crisis between Israel and Germany over missile boats required to protect Israel’s offshore gas fields has ended after Berlin agreed to slash [EUR] 300 million (about $382 million) off the cost, officials on both sides said. They are expected to initial an agreement for the boats within weeks.”

Time will tell which boats Israel orders. If they still want 4 ships, a sum of just over $900 million with subsidies included could get them MEKO derivatives along the lines of Germany’s own 1,840t K130 Braunschweig Class corvettes, but with Israeli technology. If they’re only ordering 2 ships, possibilities expand to include base options like the 2,750t MEKO CSL, or a MEKO A200 derivative that compares to Turkey’s own 3,350t Barbaros Class. Sources: Ha’aretz, “Missile boat crisis ends as Germany gives Israel $382 million discount”.

Sept 28/14: RFP & timelines. State Comptroller Judge (ret.) Joseph Shapira published an audit report in March 2014 that said Israel’s gas facilities in the Mediterranean were only partially protected, but constituted a prime target for attacks by terrorist organizations. That has ratcheted urgency a bit higher, but Israel may have to wait for some time before its ships sail out:

“The Ministry has been preparing for a number of years an international tender for the procurement of ship to operate in Israel’s marine economic area, and has done in-depth staff work in the matter. The government decided to procure the ships only in November 2013, and provided a special budget for them. Procurement was suspended in order to provide enough time for negotiations for a deal with a foreign country. Last July, following the prolonging of these processes, the Defense Ministry decided to issue an international tender for procurement of the ships. The tender is currently taking place; the envelopes will be opened next December, and a preliminary answer will be given. The tender will be completed by the end of 2015.”

Add time for integration of Israeli components, construction, outfitting, testing, and training, and operational acceptance before 2018 would be quite a feat. Globes reports that the contract’s scope involves NIS 2 billion (about $550 million) for 4 ships. That won’t get them very much. Sources: Globes, “Israel Navy to wait years for gas rig defense ships”.

May 15/14: Germany. Ha’aretz reports that the proposed deal discussed in December 2013 (q.v. Dec 8/13) appears to have fallen through for now:

“The German government has decided not to give Israel a massive subsidy for the purchase of German missile boats, due to the breakdown in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, both Israeli and German officials said on Thursday.”

Sources: Ha’aretz, “Germany nixes gunboat subsidy to Israel, citing breakdown of peace talks”.

May 13/14: Sa’ar 5+. Israeli improvements to their existing ships are underway. This matters, because deploying the systems within the Israeli Navy makes Israel much more likely to demand them as part of any future frigate. Fielding a tested upgrade to the Eilat Class also provides added weight to options like the Sa’ar 5B or Sa’ar 5.5, by creating a proven starting point.

A “senior naval source” tells The Jerusalem Post that Israel is upgrading the anti-ship and strike missiles on board its ships, in order to give their Navy medium-range precision strike capability against land targets. They weren’t specific, but IAI has developed an “Advanced Naval Attack Missile” as a successor to existing naval Gabriel missiles. The other likely option is IMI’s “Delilah-SL”; it’s a ship-launched version of the Air Force’s go-to missile for strikes against targets that are heavily defended, or require a high level of human judgement via its “man in the loop” feature.

The article adds that a Sa’ar 5 Eilat Class corvette has already been outfitted with IAI Elta’s MF-STAR S-Band AESA radar and Barak-8 air defense missiles. Adding better strike weapons to that array changes effectively creates a proven “Sa’ar 5B/ 5.5” option. Sources: The Jerusalem Post, “The Israel Navy is quietly enhancing its capabilities for precision, long-range missiles”.

Jan 18/14: Israel Defence reports that Israel is scaling down its naval platform ambitions. They’re reportedly back to a platform around 1,300t, which is about the same size as their Sa’ar 5s, rather than a 2,000t+ platform. They’ll still insist on its ability to carry MF-STAR and the Barak-8, but success won’t entirely solve their problems:

“Originally, the IDF Navy should have initiated the procurement of the new missile frigates in the context of the previous multi-year plan, and funds had been allocated for this purpose as part of that plan, but owing to the cancellation of the LCS option, the process never materialized…. intention of the IDF is to finance the procurement of the new vessels by a dedicated budget allocated by the government outside the framework of the normal defense budget, in order to secure the offshore gas drilling rigs. The procurement plan notwithstanding, the total number of missile frigates in the IDF Navy is expected to decrease during the next five-year period, owing to the obsolescence of the present vessels, some of which are to be decommissioned.”

Sources: Israel Defence, “The Next Missile Frigate of the IDF Navy”.

Jan 8/14: Strategic. Paul Alster & David Andrew Weinberg discuss the difficulties Israel faces in defending its offshore gas resources, and take a critical look at the exploitable reserves and revenue projections. They say flatly that:

“IDF officials concede that they do not have the resources as of now to properly secure the infrastructure at sea.”

They list threats that include UAVs, which have already overflown existing rigs on their way into Israeli airspace; suicide operations with divers, boats or depth charges; and surface-to-surface missiles like the C-802s that have already been used by Hezbollah. Rig owners are working with the IDF to counter the irregular threat, via armed teams on each platform and radars networked to Israel’s coastal defenses. They may need to take further steps with RWS emplacements and missiles, given rules that require enemies to close within 1/2 mile before defenders can open fire. Higher end threats are even more problematic, and aren’t much discussed here, but they exist. It’s a complex, multi-dimensional problem, and the solution will have to be multi-layered.

One apparent error: the authors refer to “two state-of-the-art German-built MEKO class F221 frigates” as Israel’s choice. The F221 is FGS Hessen, a Sachsen Class advanced air warfare destroyer. First off, it isn’t part of the MEKO family, but a separate and more advanced class built in the context of trilateral cooperation between the Netherlands, Germany and Spain. They are top-end multi-role “frigates,” whose size and growth capacity for ballistic missile defense would make them destroyers if Europeans weren’t so averse to the term. It’s a very capable ship, but an unlikely choice. One ship of that class, with modifications, would eat most of Israel’s reported EUR 1 billion budget for 2. Sources: Forbes, “The Daunting Challenge Of Defending Israel’s Multi-Billion Dollar Gas Fields”.

2012 – 2013

 

Sa’ar 5 & Panther
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Dec 16/13: Strategic. Information Dissemination runs an analysis of Israel’s apparent interest in 2 high-end ships, which is a departure from their traditional focus on larger numbers of smaller vessels. The best that can be said for Jacob Stoil’s analysis is that it’s incomplete. He’s correct to say that this is a departure, and that presence matters, but he never looks at the regional changes underway, and the strategic imperatives created by new enemy capabilities and new Israeli needs. Then there are quotes like this one, which assume premises that turn out not to be true:

“Israel clearly does not intend to use naval power to support land operations or develop independent strategic operations from the sea in a serious way. All of their naval procurement and training decisions over the last more than twenty years have made that impossible.”

Sources: Information Dissemination, “Of Destroyers and Doctrine: An Evaluation of Israel’s Decision to Invest in Larger Hulls”.

Dec 8/13: Germany. The newspaper Ha’aretz reports that Israel’s Defense Ministry is expected to ask the Finance Ministry for a ILS 3 billion budget increase (about $855 million/ EUR 624 million) to purchase 4 “missile boats” as a special buy outside the defense budget, for protection of Israel’s huge offshore natural gas fields. At the same time, the German Bild newspaper is reporting a different deal: 2 ships for EUR 1 billion. The Ha’aretz report does add that Israel continues to negotiate with American and South Korean suppliers, leaving the Navy’s plans characteristically unclear.

What is clear is that there’s a big difference between the implications in the Israeli and German reports. EUR 156 million per ship will struggle to buy a ship like the K130 corvette, a surface warfare patrol ship with limited anti-aircraft capabilities, and no anti-submarine capabilities. They could form interesting flotilla dyads with the proposed Multi-role Super-Dvora, but submarine threats are rising in the Mediterranean. At EUR 500 million per ship, on the other hand, Israel would be looking at high-end MEKO Class frigates will a full range of capabilities, which would become the most advanced ships in their navy. The price would be more limited coverage, with just half the number of ships bought for slightly more money. Sources: Die Presse, “Israel konnte deutsche Kriegsschiffe kaufen” | Ha’aretz, “Defense Ministry seeking $853m to buy German missile boats” | AFP, “”Bild”: Deutschland verkauft Israel zwei raketenbestuckte Zerstorer” | N24, “Israel will Raketenschiffe aus Deutschland” (repeats Ha’aretz figures).

Aug 10/12: South Korea. Israel Defense reports that South Korea is interested in Israel’s Iron Dome rocket defense system, and is negotiating for possible offsetting deals involving frigates for Israel.

April 1/12: South Korea? Israel Defense reports that South Korea is offering to build new surface vessels for the Israeli Navy via Hyundai shipyards. South Korean representatives have reportedly visited Israel and met with the Ministry of Defense, and are said to be continuing discussions. The magazine reports that the offered ships had a displacement of just 1,300 tons, the same size as current Sa’ar 5 Eilat Class corvettes, and significantly smaller than South Korea’s new 2,300t FFX Incheon Class frigates. It didn’t say whether that displacement was measured at full load, after Israel radars, weapons, etc. had all been installed.

Israel hasn’t set aside a budget for such vessels in its current plans, but ongoing discoveries of huge offshore oil and gas are changing its assessment of its security needs.

Meanwhile, Israel Shipyards has reportedly proposed an alternative in which government re-investment would help them add hundreds of employees, invest in a new manufacturing layout, and build 2,100 ton “Saar 5.5” light frigates. They would then become an exporter, with the ability to field upgraded versions for Israel later on. The MoD has approached the Treasury about this plan, but it’s reportedly stuck, even as negotiations have stalled with the USA for a Freedom Class LCS derivative, and with Germany for a MEKO frigate derivative.

2009 – 2011

LCS too expensive; Talks center around German MEKO designs, incl. MEKO CSL; Israel may not have the budget to buy the ships it wants – but huge resource finds mean they may have to.

MEKO 200TN
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November 2010: Leviathan. Israel’s giant “Leviathan” offshore natural gas field is discovered. The gas field is located roughly 130 km/ 81 miles west of Haifa, in 1,500 m/ 4,900 ft. of water. Estimated reserves are a stunning 500+ billion cubic meters, or more than 18 trillion cubic feet.

Israel’s navy just became much more important.

Giant offshore gas find

July 25/10: MEKO. Hopes of German government subsidies to finance Israel’s MEKO buy appear to be fading, amidst the country’s tightening climate of austerity. From The Jerusalem Post:

“The [Israeli] Defense Ministry statement came amid reports that Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government had decided to turn down an Israeli request for financial assistance in purchasing the Dolphin-class submarine and new [MEKO frigates]. In another rare statement, the German government, which rarely talks about defense sales, also denied it was holding talks with Israel on subsidizing new naval vessels… Israel had hoped to receive additional subsidies for two Meko-class ships it was interested in purchasing.”

May 18/10: MEKO CSL? Aviation Week reports that Israel may become the launch customer for ThyssenKrupp’s new MEKO CSL. If true, the American Littoral Combat Ship’s price may end up spawning an international export competitor.

The Meko CSL is only slightly smaller than the American LCS Freedom Class, at 108m/ 354 ft. long, with a beam of 21 meters and full-load displacement of 2,750 tonnes. Propulsion is by a combined diesel-and-gas (CODAG) water-jet system that cruises at 15 knots and reaches 40. Cruising speed range at would be about is 3,500 nautical miles, with 21 days endurance. The MEKO CSL variant adds improved stealth shapes and measures refined on Sweden’s Visby Class corvettes, and has several modular sections for faster swap-outs. An Israeli MEKO CSL would also contain a lot of local content, including IAI Elta’s MF-STAR active-array radar, the new Barak-8 medium range air defense missile, and Israeli electronic countermeasures systems, among others. The CSL does have a rear mission bay, and one of its roles would likely be as a hub for Israel’s advanced set of robotic UAVs and naval USV/UUVs.

Jan 18/10: MEKO. Defense News reports that Germany and Israel are in talks concerning a $1.45 billion naval deal that would add 1 Dolphin Class submarine, and 2 MEKO-derived frigates as the beginning of Israel’s next-generation frigate program. Current reports do not see a January 2010 agreement as likely, and Defense News claims that Israel is asking Germany to pay for 33% of the cost as a German industrial stimulus program, just as it did with Israel’s previous 2-sub order.

The MEKO ships would be Israel’s alternative to a very modified version of Lockheed Martin’s Littoral Combat Ship design, which Israel rejected due to its expected $700+ million cost. Even so, American components in the total naval package could reach up to $200 million. This is important because Israel can use US military aid dollars to buy them, instead of hard currency.

Nov 25/09: German MEKOs? Reuters reports on negotiations between TKMS and Israel to buy up to 8 next-generation MEKO ships.

“Built at ThyssenKrupp’s (TKAG.DE) Blohm+Voss shipyards in Hamburg, the Meko costs around $300 million but Israel wants the German government to underwrite the sale. An official involved in the talks said Israel sought a discount of 20 to 30 percent. That would help the Meko outprice the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)… An Israeli official said despite the fact that U.S. defence grants would significantly defray the estimated $460 to $600 million cost of the LCS, the Meko topped the wish list. “We want to close a deal by the end of the year. Now it comes down to financing issues with the Germans,” he said.”

Previous reports placed the LCS-I cost closer to $650-700 million. As was the case with the LCS-I, Israel is looking to incorporate a range of Israeli technologies and weapons into the frigates.

Oct 15/09: TKMS + UAE. Blohm + Voss parent firm, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, sells an 80% share of all Blohm + Voss groups to the United Arab Emirates’ firm Abu Dhabi MAR, and makes future naval construction a 50/50 joint venture. It remains to be seen whether this will affect Israeli negotiations to use Blohm + Voss’ MEKO designs as the base for its future frigate.

June 29-July 6/09: USA Out. Multiple sources report that Israel is abandoning the LCS-I design, owing to its high costs. Israeli estimates reportedly put the price of an LCS-I at over $600 million, a reasonable figure given the $650-700 million cost of the first 2 American ships, and LCS-I’s extensive Israeli equipment upgrades. Arutz Sheva:

“As much as we sought commonality with the U.S. Navy, it became much, much more expensive than planned,” a naval source said. “At the end of the day, we had no choice but to face that fact that, for us, it was unaffordable.”

Surprisingly, Israel also turned down a 2,300 ton Sa’ar 5.5/5B option from original Eilat class builder Northrop Grumman, owing to expected costs of about $450 million. Instead, Israel is reportedly looking at expanding cooperation with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), whose HDW subsidiary builds Israel’s Dolphin subs. The idea is to build an advanced, stretched version of Blohm + Voss’ 2,200 ton MEKO A-100 corvette. The ship would add Mk 41 VLS cells, IAI’s Elta’s EL/M-2248 MF-STAR “Adir” active array radar, and other Israeli equipment. The Israelis reportedly believe they would be able to field such a capable ship for around $300 million, and that they can build it locally as a joint military/economic stimulus project. One source told Arutz Sheva (INN) that “We believe a strong case can be made for making this into a national project that fosters self sufficiency and provides all the economic benefits that come with creating a military shipbuilding industry.”

TKMS would be the main design partner, IAI looks set to step into the role of overall systems integrator, and the likely shipbuilder would be Israel Shipyards in Haifa. Israel Shipyards have mostly focused on much smaller fast attack boats, but were also responsible for local integration of the Sa’ar 5 corvettes.

This version of Israel’s next-generation ship project will face 2 main challenges. One is a technical/ engineering challenge. The other is financial.

As one source told the Jerusalem Post: “The challenge will be to make a relatively small ship large enough to carry everything we need, including the radar system.” Given that the systems Israel wants usually equip 4,000+ ton ships, that challenge should not be minimized. TKMS’ Meko 200, in service with the Turkish and South African navies, does offer a 3,850 ton option, and the Israeli Navy is reportedly preparing to issue a design contract to IAI and TKMS subsidiary Blohm+Voss, in order to sort out their technical options.

The financial challenge will be equally formidable. Both LCS-I and a Sa’ar 5.5 design could be purchased with American military aid dollars, which must be spent in America. Those agreements have provisions that allow up to 26% of that aid to be spent in Israel, but those funds are already committed to projects like an extended-range Barak anti-aircraft missile, IAI Elta’s MF-STAR active array radar, and other priority projects. There are 2 possible workarounds for this, and they are not mutually exclusive. One involves financing from other ministries beyond defense, as an industrial project that would provide employment, expand Israeli shipbuilding capabilities, and might even create an exportable platform if the right agreement is struck with TKMS. The second workaround involves using American aid dollars to cover some elements, like steel, American production of the Meko’s MTU1168 diesel engine by General Dynamics, etc., in order to reduce the hard currency price. That would help the project get approved, but it comes with a cost of its own – it would force the Israelis to labor under America’s cumbersome ITAR export approval laws whenever they or TKMS wished to sell the design abroad.

If those conundrums cannot be resolved at an acceptable cost, a 3rd option may exist. Defense News adds that Israel might have driven down the Sa’ar 5.5’s price by $100 million if it had paid for a contract design/detail design process, and that option may return depending on how efforts with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems progress:

“When Northrop Grumman makes a fixed-price offer, it’s the result of an organized and serious process that allows the company to honor all of its commitments,” a company representative said. “Without conducting a contract design – which eliminates most of the uncertainties that drive up price – NG couldn’t offer the unit costs we all believed we could have delivered to the Israel Navy.”

Sources: Arutz Sheva | Jerusalem Post | Defense News | Jane’s.

LCS-I out; No NGC Sa’ar 5B either

Feb 12/09: Industrial. The director of naval procurement at the Israeli Ministry of Defence’s purchasing mission in New York informs U.S. parties that a change in plans toward a different class of locally-built ships may be in the cards:

“In the event this option turns out to be more suitable both in terms of our operational and budgetary requirements, the [multimission ships] will be built in Israel.”

Source: Defense News June 2009 report.

Feb 1/09: LCS-I. The Jerusalem Post reports that OC Navy Adm. Elazar Marom has dispatched a number of officers to the United States to sail on Lockheed Martin’s Freedom [LCS 1] and test its capabilities. The report adds:

“In addition to reviewing the LCS – whose price has soared over the past year and now reportedly reaches $500 million – the navy is also considering downgrading its procurement plans and purchasing more Sa’ar 5-class missile ships… “There are a number of possibilities and they are under review,” one source said. “There are other possibilities such as more Sa’ar 5s, an upgraded Sa’ar 5 that would be called Sa’ar 5.5, or to wait for the LCS’s price to go down.”

January 2009: Tamar. Noble Energy announces that exploratory drilling has found an offshore gas field about 80 km west of Haifa, in 1,700m / 5,600 ft. of water. The field is called Tamar.

Eventual estimates for the area are a bit of a shock to the traditionally resource-poor Israelis: 200 billion cubic meters / 7.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Giant offshore gas find

2006 – 2008

From studies to a formal LCS-I request.

(click to view full)

July 15/08: LCS-I. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced [PDF] Israel’s official request for up to 4 Littoral Combat Ships (LCS-I variant), including the hull, and all mechanical and electrical functions. The ships will also include design and integration services, hardware and software, spare and repair parts, test and tool sets, personnel training and equipment, publications, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics personnel services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $1.9 billion.

Each ship will be equipped with:

• 2 MK-41 Vertical Launch Systems, with 8 launch cells for each system. This would allow the ship to hold and fire up to 16 SM-2/3 air defense missiles, or up to 64 RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles.
  
• 1 Enhanced Harpoon Launching System with missile launchers. Harpoon is an anti-ship missile, but the latest versions can also be used to hit land targets.
  
• 1 Phalanx Close-In-Weapon System, Block 1A. This is surprising, as Block 1B adds important capabilities against the small boats that remain a concern for Israel. Israel is likely to bolt on other gun systems like RAFAEL’s Typhoon in order to cover that threat, but Israeli systems do not need to be specified in the DSCA announcement.
  
• 2 MK-32 triple-launcher Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes, which handle lightweight torpedoes and launch them from on deck using pressurized air.
  
• Communications and Sensors, including Link 16.
  
• The same COMBATSS-21 Combat system used in American LCS designs.
  
• The smaller AN/SPY-1F (V) AEGIS radar, which is also used on Norway’s Nansen Class frigates. SPY-1F radars lack ballistic missile defense capabilities, but could be networked with other radars like Israel’s “Green Pine.”
  
• A MK-99 Fire Control System; or the Ship Self-Defense System (SSDS) now being installed on American Carriers, LHA/LHD ships, San Antonio Class LPDs, etc.

The principal contractors will be:

• Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors in Moorestown, NJ and Eagan, MN (LCS-I, SPY-1F radar, COMBATSS-21, Mk-41)
  
• General Dynamics Armament Systems in Burlington, VT (AEGIS illuminator, 20mm gun for Phalanx)
  
• Raytheon Company, Equipment Division in Andover, MA and Integrated Defense Systems in Waltham, MA (Phalanx, SSDS)

The DSCA announcement says that the Israeli Navy will have no difficulty integrating these ships into its Naval forces, adding that this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the Israel.

LCS-I DSCA request

Feb 6/08: LCS-I. The Jerusalem Post:

“Looking to upgrade its sea-based capabilities, the Israel Navy has submitted a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the United States Navy for a new missile ship currently under development by Lockheed Martin Corp. The Defense Ministry said that the navy expects to receive a reply by April.”

The report added a final caveat, but it doesn’t mean as much as it seems when set against a detailed ship design study, and accompanying industrial arrangements for an extensive array of Israeli equipment on board. That prior work and set of partnerships creates a strong pull toward the Team Lockheed design – one that will not be lightly broken:

“While the navy has filed the RFP, defense officials said it was still not certain whether Israel would purchase the LCS from Lockheed Martin. As part of its multi-year plan finalized in September, the IDF decided to purchase two new ships, but did not state from which company.”

September 2007: LCS-I. NAVSEA asks Lockheed Martin to conduct a 9-month, $2.5 million study of combat system integration for an Israeli LCS-I configuration.

Systems that must be compatible with the combat system reportedly include Lockheed’s AEGIS SPY-1F radar and the Israeli Elta EL/M-2248 Adir radar, RAFAEL’s Typhoon remotely-operated gun/missile systems, Raytheon’s Standard SM-2 surface-to-air missile, and Israel Aerospace Industries’ Barak 1 and 8 anti-air missile systems. A Nov 12/07 Lockheed Martin release adds that:

“During the nine-month combat system configuration phase, Lockheed Martin will examine the combat system performance of LCS-I using two different radar options: the advanced radar under development by Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Lockheed Martin’s SPY-1F radar. The team will examine the performance of these two radar options using the COMBATSS-21 combat management system integrated with the Israeli Navy Command and Control (IC2) system and develop the technical architecture, high level specifications and estimated costs to integrate COMBATSS-21 with IC2 and multiple Israeli and U.S. sensor and weapon systems including the MK 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS)… Lockheed Martin is currently partnered with Rafael Armament Systems, Elbit Systems and Ness on LCS-I.”

Combat system study

April 10/06: LCS-I. Lockheed Martin announces a $5.2 million NAVSEA study studied Team Lockheed’s LCS hull, mechanical, and engineering systems’ ability to accommodate the systems and weapons the Israelis want, while avoiding the need for major redesign of the USA’s basic configuration.

The final answer was that it could, with some obvious modifications to accommodate better radars and vertical launch systems for missiles.

Freedom Class LCS study

Additional Readings & Sources Background: Israeli Sa’ar Vessels

• Israeli Weapons – Eilat Class Saar 5 multi-mission corvettes. Built by what is now Huntington Ingalls in the USA. Currently being refitted with the MF-STAR AESA radar, Barak-8 medium-range air defense missiles, and improved anti-ship/ land strike missiles.

• Naval Technology – Eilat Class Sa’ar 5 Multi-Mission Corvettes, Israel.

• Israeli Shipyards – SAAR Class Fast-Attack Vessel. The Sa’ar 4 and 4.5, which max. out at 500t, plus an abbreviated description of the the 800t SAAR S-72. They didn’t build the Sa’ar 5s, but are an option to build a “Sa’ar 5.5” design if Israel goes that route.

• Defense Update – Israel Shipyards Introduces the SAAR 72 Mini-Corvette Design. The 800t design sits somewhere between the existing Sa’ar 4.5 and Sa’ar 5 corvettes. From May 16/13.

• Israeli Weapons – Sa’ar 4.5. Currently being refitted with improved IAI ELM-2258 APLHA radars.

Background: Other Ships

• DID – The USA’s New Littoral Combat Ships (LCS).

• ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems – Blohm+Voss Class 130 Corvette. Based on the MEKO 100, displacement 1,840t. Mostly surface warfare & point air defense. They carry 2 small heli-UAVs in a small hangar on board, and can accommodate medium helicopters on the deck.

• Naval Technology – K130 Braunschweig Class Corvette, Germany. Germany’s 5th and final ship entered service in March 2013.

• ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems – Blohm+Voss MEKO® A-200 Class Frigate.

• Naval Technology – MEKO A Class Combat Ship Family, Germany.

• ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems – Blohm+Voss Class MEKO® CSL Light Frigate. Modular design with a payload bay.

• DID – Korea’s New Coastal Frigates: the FFX Incheon Class. About 2,300t full displacement. Hyundai and Daewoo can go much bigger, of course, all the way up to their 4,800t KDX-II and 10,000+ tonne KDX-III destroyers that serve with the ROKN. They’ll also be working on an FFX Batch II class that’s expected to be larger, with an upgraded radar and Mk.41 VLS cells.

Background: Ship Systems

• IAI Elta – ELM-2248 MF-STAR : MULTI-FUNCTION Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar. Has up to 4 fixed active array S-band tiles, with multiple digital beamforming capability. Each tile containing 16 Gallium Arsenide transmit/receive modules. A typical 3×3 m array weighs approximately 1,500 kg, and total weight below decks is about 900 kg for onboard equipment in 2 processing and 4 power supply cabinets. Liquid cooling is used.

• Defense Update – EL/M-2248 MF-STAR Naval Multi-Mission Radar. also known as “Adir,” and being fitted to Sa’ar 5 corvettes as part of a current upgrade.

• IAI – ELM-2258 ALPHA: Advanced Lightweight Phased Array Naval Radar. Significantly smaller than MF-STAR, uses a single rotating face. An upgrade for Sa’ar 4.5 FACs.

• Wikipedia – Gabriel (missile). Israel currently fields the Mk.IV (200 km range), and they’ve exported successive versions around the world.

• IAI – Advanced Naval Attack Missile. Effectively, the Gabriel Mk.V, but different enough to merit its own designation.

• IMI – Delilah-SL. The EO-guided Delilah is the IAF’s go-to missile for attacks against heavily defended targets, or targets that demand a high level of human judgement via a “man in the loop” feature. This ship-launched variant offers a 250 km range.

• IAI – Barak-1 Ship Point Defense System.

• DID – India & Israel’s Barak-8 SAM Development Project(s). Barak-8 is already being retrofitted to the Sa’ar 5 Eilat Class, along with an MF-STAR radar.

News and Views

• Forbes (Jan 8/14) – The Daunting Challenge Of Defending Israel’s Multi-Billion Dollar Gas Fields.

• Information Dissemination (Dec 16/13) – Of Destroyers and Doctrine: An Evaluation of Israel’s Decision to Invest in Larger Hulls.

• Defense Update (Oct 14/12) – Israel Navy to Modernize Hetz Class Missile Boats with a New Radar. The Sa’ar 4.5 will get the EL/M-2258 ALPHA S-Band, electronically-steered, software-defined radar. It uses a number of MF-STAR technologies, but is adapted for small ships.

• Ha’aretz (July 9/12) – Israel Navy demands NIS 3 billion for protection of gas rigs.

• Defense Update (January 2010) – Israel Turns to Germany for Naval Stealth Ships. Israel switches gears. Report is focused on the MEKO, incl. the MEKO CSL.

• Defense News (Oct 22/07) – Lockheed Moves Forward With USN’s LCS.

• Jane’s Defence Weekly (Oct 11/07) – Reports that “[The Lockheed Martin LCS-I] design appears to be the most suitable for our needs,” a senior IN source told Jane’s…”

Americas

The Air Force is quickly moving ahead with its hypersonic missile program. The service is contracting Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control division to move ahead with the critical design review and relevant testing of its air-launched rapid response weapon (ARRW). The undefinitized contract has a value of $480 million. The ARRW is one of two current US hypersonic missile research programs. Once completed the ARRW will be able to travel at least five times the speed of sound. Current information suggests that the missile will achieve hypersonic speeds by the use of scramjets, which use an aircraft’s forward motion to shovel air at supersonic speeds into the engine, causing thrust. The hypersonic scramjet will be carried aloft by a large aircraft as a wing-mounted missile. Once the parent aircraft is going fast enough that the scramjet will ignite, it launches the missile. Hypersonic weapons will likely be engineered as “kinetic energy” strike weapons, meaning they will not use explosives but rather rely upon sheer speed and the force of impact to destroy targets. The Air Force is currently investing over one billion dollars to aggressively expedite the ARRW’s and HACSW’s development schedule. Work will be performed at Lockheed’s facility in Orlando, Florida and is expected to be completed by November 30th, 2021.

The Navy’s Blue Angels squadron is set to receive new wings. Boeing is being awarded with a firm-fixed-price delivery order valued at $17 million. The contract provides for necessary work needed to convert nine F/A-18E and two F/A-18F aircraft into a Blue Angel configuration. The Blue Angels were formed in 1946 following WWII as a public relations and recruiting tool to inspire airshow crowds to pursue excellence in all of their endeavors and as a recruiting asset to attract potential candidates to join the US Navy. Work is likely to include removing the jet’s 20mm Vulcan cannon, enhancing the the aircraft’s fuel systems for prolonged inverted flight, adding an oil tank and extra plumbing to the Super Hornet’s exhaust for the smoke system, as well as other smaller changes. Flight controls on the Blue Angels’ F/A-18’s are usually modified to make formation and inverted flight easier. The flight control stick between the pilots’ legs uses a spring to exert 40-pounds of forward bias force meaning the pilot constantly exerts slight rearward pressure compared to a normal Hornet to maintain level flight. Work will be performed at Boeing’s facility in St. Louis, Missouri and is scheduled for completion by December, 2021.

Ceradyne is being tapped to support the US Army’s newly developed lightweight helmet. The $34.6 million contract modification provides for the incorporation of additional systems and components in the Integrated Head Protection System (IHPS). The helmet is capable of providing a larger area of protection for the head and face. The new head protection system is also equipped with accessories, such as mandibles, visors, night vision goggle attachment devices, rails and a modular ballistic appliqué that provides protection against fragmentation, 9mm and rifle fire. The Army intends to field 7,000 units of IHPS to separate brigades during the FY2018 before moving to full-rate production. Work will be performed at the company’s location in Irvine, California.

The US Army is procuring a number of Inflatable Satellite Antenna (ISA) systems. GATR Technologies will provide the service with the systems, kits, spares and associated training under this $522,4 million contract modification. GATR’s ground-mounted antennas look like giant beach balls with tie-downs to point them in the right direction. The inflatable satellite terminal reduces the tactical footprint of large-aperture satellite communications systems and enables portable high-bandwidth communications in remote areas. The ISA is designed for military ground use in remote areas with harsh weather and where the movement and installation of large standard rigid satellite antennas is challenging. The main advantage of the terminal is portability, the company noted. When the ball is deflated, it rolls up (with the dish inside) like a sleeping bag and weighs 18 pounds. The antenna bag, blower, hoses and plates fit in one transportable case. The modification brings the contract’s total face value to more than $960 million. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order. The contract has an estimated completion date of September 26th, 2023.

Middle East & Africa

Iranian media reports that the Islamic Republic has a new anti-ship ballistic missile in its arsenal. Dubbed Fateh Mobin, the new missile is based on the existing Fateh 110 missile design. The Mobin was recently tested by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The missile flew more than 100 miles on a flight path over the strait to a test range in the Iranian desert. The Fateh 110’s development started in 1995 and was first tested in 2001. According to CSIS the Fateh 110 already comes in two anti-ship variants. In 2014 the IRGC displayed the Hormuz-1 and Hormuz-2 equipped with anti-radiation capabilities for attacking radar systems. Another anti-ship variant of the Fateh is the Khalij Fars, which does have the electro-optical seeker required to improve accuracy enough to potentially hit a moving target. Defense Minister Gen. Hatami recently underlined Iran’s determination to further enhance its defense power in all fields “despite sanctions, pressures and psychological war by enemies”. A message clearly directed towards an US and regional audience.

Turkey may lose a $1.5 billion defense deal as the diplomatic crisis with the US escalates. The contract in question is Pakistan’s planned acquisition of 30 Turkish-made T129 ATAK helicopter gunships. The T129 is produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries but partly uses US-made engine parts for which TAI will need US export licenses. If those licenses are not issued Turkey cannot legally export the gunships to Pakistan. The helicopter is powered by two CTS800-4A turboshaft engines that are manufactured by LHTEC, a joint venture between the American firm Honeywell and the British company Rolls-Royce. Turkey and Pakistan signed a deal July 13th for 30 T129 ATAK helicopter gunships.

Europe

The German Navy plans to equip its K130 corvettes with the Skeldar V-200 rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The Navy is procuring two V-200s and will start to operate them by the end of 2019. The Skeldar is developed by Saab, is capable of being launched from the deck of any vessel, and delivers real-time intelligence and surveillance. The Skeldar V-200’s major mission capabilities include surveillance, reconnaissance, target attainment and transfer of target data to strike platforms. The typical payload configuration includes EO/IR gimbals, a laser pointer, laser range finder (LRF), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), ground moving target indicator (GMTI), electronic warfare, AIS transponder, searchlight, megaphone and cargo hook. The German Navy has its K130s deployed to a variety of naval missions where an increased reconnaissance capability is direly needed. During combat operations the V-200 will assist in guiding ship-launched RBS15 Mk3 missiles to their target.

Asia-Pacific

Vietnam is exporting three radar systems to Laos. The VRS-2DM radar system is produced by Viettel and provides information to air-defense troops and can perform airspace and flight management tasks. Laos purchased the system as means to boost its combat capability.

The government of Australia is set to receive a new engine for one of its P-8 Poseidon aircraft at a cost of $12.8 million. The Poseidon is powered by a CFM56-7B27AE engine is produced by CFM International belongs to the family of high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines. The CFM56-7 first ran on 21 April 1995 and has a takeoff thrust range of 19,500–27,300lb. It powers commercial Next-Generation 737s and military versions of the airframe including the AWACS and C-40 Clipper. Work will be performed at multiple international locations, including Villaroche, France and Durham, North Carolina. Delivery of the engine is scheduled for September 2019.

Today’s Video

Watch: Iran unveils ‘Mobin’ missile

Americas

The Naval Air Systems Command is procuring system components for its F-35 Lightning fighter jets. Lockheed Martin will provide the service with essential Aircraft Management System (AMS) and Panoramic Cockpit Display (PCD) components at a cost of $19.3 million. The company will also be responsible for mitigating hardware risks as part of the program’s technical Refresh Phase 3 development. The F-35 is an advanced 5th generation fighter jet that that comes with a broad range of integrated missions systems and sensor fusion. The Aircraft Management System is the brain of the aircraft and integrates with the Automated Information Logistics System, or ALIS, a centralized fleet management system developed to reduce the F-35’s sustainment cost. The Panoramic Cockpit Display was designed by pilots for pilots. The 20 inch by 8 inch PCD incorporates an integral touchscreen that dominates the cockpit. The fly by wire system is controlled via an active side-stick on the right and an active throttle on the left. Active means these inceptors are under complete computer control and can be programmed on the fly. Work will be performed at the company’s location in Forth Worth, Texas and is expected to be completed by September 2019.

UAS manufacturer Insitu is being tapped to support the US Marine Corps. The awarded firm-fixed-price delivery order has a value of $9 million and provides for the procurement of spare and sustainment parts needed to maintain the RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft system. Insitu’s ScanEagle family combines versatility, endurance and small size. The RQ-21A system is modular, flexible and multi-mission capable, providing roll-on, roll-off transitions between land and maritime environments. The drone is a bigger, heavier and more capable version of the ScanEagle unmanned aircraft that has logged thousands of hours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The United States Marine Corps has ordered 32 systems each consisting of five air vehicles. Work will be performed at the company’s location in Bingen, Washington and is scheduled for completion by January 2019.

The US Special Operations Command is determined to keep its incumbent MEUAS II-B program running. Insitu is being awarded a $5000 minimum, $232 million maximum additional task order for maintaining its mid-endurance unmanned aircraft systems intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance services. MEUAS II-B is a fee-for-service or “power by the hour” contractor-owned and operated UAV network deployed in support of SOCOM operations. The catapult-launched mid-sized ScanEagle provides SOF units on the ground with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information.

The Canadian Armed Forces are increasing their numbers of ‘smart’ soldiers. Rheinmetall will deliver 1,256 additional sets of the Argus Soldier System at a cost of $16.9 million. The order is part of the Canadian Army’s Integrated Soldier System, with 1,632 sets of the same equipment expected to be delivered this year. Argus provides soldiers with an enhanced situational awareness and enables them to perform functions such as navigation, detect, locate, identify and engage targets, and several other command and control functions. The system comprises of a hand-held Tactical User Interface with Battle Management Software (BMS), tactical soldier radio, connection hub, control unit, head set, active noise reduction earphones, and high capacity batteries. The system’s tactical radio provides simultaneous communication for voice and data between soldiers and their commander on multiple nets. The Argus Soldier System is a modular data display provider ranging from a light version to a medium and extended command-and-control version. Argus has been developed to assist the soldier to operate in the future battlefield. Being networked give troops a tactical advangtage in urban areas and when facing a number of asymmetric threats and attacks by irregular forces.

Middle East & Africa

The US Army is awarding a PAE Government Services with a contract modification for sustained vehicle support work. The $10.8 million modification enables the company to continue its efforts as part of the US National Maintenance Strategy – Ground Vehicle Support program in Afghanistan. Under NMS, PAE will provide training and mentoring to the Afghanistan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) in maintenance, supply chain management and warehouse support across 25 locations in Afghanistan. PAE will also provide Contractor Logistics Support to the ANDSF, which will include maintenance, supply chain management and parts support for vehicles and ground equipment. The ANA’s inventory consists of approximately 23.000 types of vehicles, that include Soviet-era T-55 tanks and MT-LB armored personell carriers, 150 rather new T-72 tanks and about 2.500 US-made Humvees. A key outcome of the NMS in Afghanistan is to develop a long-term capacity and a near-term readiness to ensure that the country is self sufficient. The strategy aims to bridge the gap between the dependence on US logistics support and the transition of all responsibility of the ANDSF. Work will be performed in Hkia, Afghanistan and is scheduled for completion by August 30th 2022.

Europe

The German Naval Yards (GNY) shipyard group joins forces with former competitor ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems as means to land the contract for the German Navy’s future MKS 180 multirole combat ship program. MKS180 ships are expected to be capable of tackling targets above and below water in addition to supporting land missions. Armament should feature a 127 mm naval gun while surface to air missiles should be capable of hitting targets at a distance of 15 miles thereby enabling protection from air threats. The ships will be equipped with towed sonars for anti-submarine warfare and include sick bays or detention rooms for counter-piracy missions. The German Navy wants to acquire four MKS180s for $4.5 billion and wants them to enter service by the beginning of 2023. The newly formed German partnership will compete against Blohm + Voss, which is bidding with Dutch shipyard Damen.

Swedish defense manufacturer Saab will deliver its Integrated Defensive Aids Suite-2 (IDAS-2) to India. The order is being placed by India’s state-owned defense contractor Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at a cost of $39 million. According to the company IDAS-2 is an EW system designed to provide self-defence in sophisticated, diverse and dense threat environments. It integrates with a platform’s radar and provides the aircrew with radar-warning, lasar-warning and missile-approach warning funtion. IDAS-2 is also fully integrated with with the BOP-L countermeasures dispenser, which automatically dispenses countermeasures under the control of the EWC upon threat-identification. The system will be produced at Saab’s facility on Centurion, South Africa. IDAS-2 will protect India’s fleet of Dhruv light attack helicopter. First deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2019.

Asia-Pacific

Taiwan wants to procure Phalanx style systems to protect its air force bases. The government’s public solicitation for the “Near Force Air Defense Fast Propeller System” requires the air-defense weapon to have high-precision, a high rate of fire, to be mobile and to operate automatically. It must be able to counter a number of airborne threats ranging from subsonic missiles to UAVs. The US military has used the Phalanx Centurion in Iraq to protect FOB Kalsu from incoming rockets, artillery shells and mortars. The Centurion can reach beyond its own array and use other target acquisition sensors to detect and track fired rounds. The Air Force plans to install the land-based Phalanx Centurion at the Jiashan, the Hualienjia and the Taidong Zhihang bases where large stockpiles of AMRAAM missiles are stored.

Today’s Video

Watch: RAAF timelapse of medical facility deployed at Pitch Black 2018.

Americas

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division is procuring support equipment for its fleet of E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. Northrop Grumman will supply the Navy with 45 end items of Peculiar Support Equipment (PSE) at a cost of $29.9 million. The firm-fixed-price order includes the delivery of updated software sets, system specification documents and obsolescence management. E-2D support activities are conducted through the PEO(T) and PEO(U&W) programs led by the Supporting Program Executive Office. Both programs provide flight line and intermediate maintenance level test equipment & automated test equipment for the E-2D. The E-2D gives the warfighter expanded battlespace awareness, especially in the area of information operations delivering battle management, theater air and missile defense, and multiple sensor fusion capabilities in an airborne system. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Florida, and is expected to be completed in August 2021.

The Missile Defense Agency is procuring further efforts for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) from Lockheed Martin. The cost-plus award fee valued at $15.8 million provides for the procurement of materials and work necessary to support the BMD Increment 3 Capability Concept Development; and raises the total cumulative contract value to $2.8 billion. Aegis can simultaneously attack land targets, submarines, and surface ships while automatically protecting the fleet against aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. Aegis has become a widely-deployed top-tier air defense system, with customers in the USA, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Norway, and Spain. Work will be performed at the company’s location in Moorestown, New Jersey and is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

The Air Force is ordering the next round of receiver technology for its military GPS development program. Raytheon is being awarded with a $11.3 million contract modification for the development of the miniaturized airborne global positioning system (GPS) receiver 2K-M. Under the Military GPS User Equipment program (MGUE), the Air Force’s GPS Directorate is developing receiver cards that will plug into existing equipment, enabling them to utilize the new military M-Code. Last year Raytheon’s MAGR-2K-M underwent a successful prototype and system functional check on the B-2 — confirming the card could draw power, put out the right data and that that data was being received by the B-2 systems in the appropriate format. So far, the military has identified more than 700 types of weapons systems that will need to be upgraded — an effort requiring almost one million receiver cards. Work will be performed at Raytheon’s locations in El Segundo, California; and Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by the end of May 2020.

The US Air Force is contracting Lockheed Martin to rapidly advance the development and testing of new hypersonic missiles. An initial contract for the development for Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon (HCSW, pronounced “Hacksaw”) at a cost $928 million was awarded to the company in April. Lockheed will also develop another weapon system named the AGM-183A or ARRW for short. HCSW has been designed to deliver a prompt hypersonic / hypervelocity, precision strike capability against high-value, time-critical fixed and re-locatable surface targets in a single or multi-theatre challenged anti-access / area denial (A2/AD) environment. By using a rocket to boost the missile to very high altitudes, the unpowered ARRW then glides down to lower altitudes at speeds up to Mach 20. The US acceleration of the hypersonic missile development project is a necessary response towards Chinese and Russian surprise developments in high-speed weapons.

Middle East & Africa

AAI Corp., a subsidiary of Textron, is being contracted for the provision of force protection efforts in Afghanistan. The firm-fixed price contract has a value of $12.7 million. AAI will most likely use its Aerosonde as an advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) solution in order to provide the US military with the capability to effectively execute a number of deployment operations and engineering support activities. The Aersonde is equipped for simultaneous day-and-night full-motion video, communications relay and intelligence in a single flight. It has an endurance of over 14 hours and can travel to a range of about 75 nautical miles. Work will be performed at Bagram Airfield and Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by March 27th, 2019.

Côte d’Ivoire’s Gendarmerie is now using the Belarusian-made Cayman 4×4 light armored vehicle. Last month the State Military-Industrial Committee (Goskomvoenprom) announced that it will deliver the vehicle to an unnamed African nation. Built by the 140 Repair Plant in Borisov, vehicle can be used in reconnaissance and sabotage missions, patrol, escort, peace-keeping and police operations, as well as in emergency response missions. It weighs about 7 tons and can carry a crew of six. A 170 hp D-245 engine powers it to a top speed of 60 mph on paved roads. Its side and rear armor is said to be equivalent to STANAG 4569 Level 1 and its frontal armor equivalent to Level 2. Côte d’Ivoire which currently has a protection company serving with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) is the first known export customer of the Cayman 4×4.

Europe

A Spanish Eurofighter accidently launched an AIM-120 AMRAAM in Estonia. The fighter aircraft was flying near defenses near Pangod in the vicinity of Otepää when the incident occurred. It is yet unclear if the AIM-120D’s built in self-destruct mechanism terminated the flight or if the missile landed at an unspecified location. The Estonian Defense Forces have sent helicopters to search for the missile. The Spanish Eurofighter is part of NATO’s Air Policing Mission that support member states that do not have the necessary air capabilities to independently protect their airspace. The Spanish air force currently deploys six Typhoons as part of this mission. An investigation has been initiated to clarify the circumstances.

Asia-Pacific

Jane reports that the Philippines is currently negotiating the terms of an agreement to expand collaboration on diesel-electric submarines with Russia. The Philippine Navy is currently in the process of conducting market research and doctrine studies in support of its submarine procurement program. The Navy is looking to purchase at least two submarines as part of its 2018-22 Second Horizon military modernization program. If the agreement realizes Russia would provide the Philippine Navy with submarine training to support military operations, maintenance, and sustainment activities.

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Watch: What does it take to become a certified C2-A Pilot?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Americas

• The US Army is procuring protective netting kits in support of its MRAP vehicles. Navistar Defense will provide an unspecified amount of rocket propelled grenade netting kits as part of the awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. The three-year contract with no option periods is valued at $29.58 million. The PG Net provides a lightweight solution used as an add-on protection on top of existing armor. It can be used to protect the entire vehicle or apply on specific locations where other types of armor are less effective. The mesh structure is not designed to stop the incoming RPG but to disable it by trapping it in-flight and thus preventing it from detonation. Navistar’s netting kit is similar to the Q-Net offered by QinetiQ. Work will be performed in Illinois and is scheduled for completion by August 4th, 2021.

• Raytheon is set to provide the US Air Force with technical support for its inventory of AMRAAM missiles. The contract modification has a value of $13.1 million and provides for technical services and analysis support. Over the years Raytheon’s family of AIM-120s has become world market leader for medium range air-to-air missiles. The AMRAAM’s advanced active guidance section provides aircrew with a high degree of combat flexibility and lethality. Its mature seeker design allows it to quickly find targets in challenging combat environments. Coupled with modern radars the missile’s guidance approach allows a fighter to launch and control many missiles at once, avoiding a dangerous fixation on one target. Work will be performed at the company’s location in Tucson, Arizona and expected to be completed by September 30th, 2020.

• The Navy is investing in a new Air Wing Training Facility. Straub Construction is being contracted to construct this new facility at Naval Air Station, Fallon at a cost of $16.8 million. The facility will be constructed using structural steel framing and a mix of reinforced concrete, including seismic upgrades. After its scheduled completion by August 2020, the facility will support a number of desk-style aircraft simulators where soldiers will train on platforms such as the Aegis combat system, the F-35 and E-2D. The facility will house F-35 Mission Rehearsal Trainers which are small scale simulators that use the same technology as ‘full-scale’ simulators but do not provide a full 360°-degree home display. NAS Fallon is home to TOPGUN and the virtual aegis combat system environment will train surface warfare officers to track and target air threats as part of the Navy’s general NIFC-CA capability.

• The Air Force’s OA-X trainer competition seems to gain traction again after a series of delays and mishaps. The Air Force plans to request proposals from a limited number of companies including Textron and Sierra Nevada Corp. The announcement follows the trainer experiment that was kicked off last year as means to study the feasibility of using an off-the-shelf platform as a low-cost solution for light attack and close-air support missions. Textron is competing with its AT-6 Wolverine and Sierra Nevada with its A-29 Super Tucano, jointly produced with Brazilian manufacturer Embraer. Earlier this year the second phase of the fighter experiment was cut short when a Super Tucano participating in the effort crashed near Holloman Air Force Base. One pilot died, and another was seriously injured. A formal solicitation is expected to be released in December, and a production contract will be awarded in the fourth quarter of FY 2019.

Middle East & Africa

• Reports suggest that the Iranian Air Force successfully overhauled yet another aircraft. IRGC military technicians spent about 25,000 man/hours of work on the French-made Mirage F1 fighter jet. The F1 performed its first flight in 1966. The F1 is built from aluminum alloy, with substantial use of honeycomb sandwich construction, and some use of steel and titanium. It is powered by a single SNECMA Atar 09K50 afterburning turbojet. The F1C was designed to be easy to maintain and quick to turn around between sorties. Iran acquired the F-1 after 24 Iraqi Air Force officers defected in 1991. After the airframes languished for years, the Iranian government commissioned a refurbishment and upgrade program named Project HABIBI in 2007. The Mirage now joins one overhauled American-made F-14 and F-5 jet, as well as 10 Russian-made Su-22s.

• Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Boeing are currently competing in being the lead vendor in one of Israel’s biggest defense procurement programs. The Israel Air Force is looking to modernize its fleet of tanker aircraft as means to maintain its air-superiority. IAI proposed to buy buying used Boeing 767 aircraft on the open market and converting them for airborne refueling of combat planes, however Boeing is reluctant to grant IAI permits to convert its planes to tanker configuration. Boeing has a clear interest in ousting IAI from the procurement program as it wants to push sales of its newly developed KC-46, which comes with a price-tag of $250-300 million. The Israel Air Force’s current tankers are used Boeing 707s converted by IAI in the early 1980s.

Europe

• The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense is issuing a tender for the general overhaul of two Mi-17 transport and four Mi-24V combat helicopters. The Mi-17 is a medium weight, single rotor helicopter. The aircraft construction primarily incorporates the airframe of a Mi-8 with the power train of the Mi-24, which provides an increase in performance and gross weight over the basic Mi-8. The aircraft is configured with 5-bladed main rotor system 70 feet diameter and uses wheeled landing gear. The multirole helicopter that can be armed with rockets, missiles and guns. The Mi-24V is equipped with a YakB four-barreled, 12.7mm, built-in, flexibly mounted machine gun, which has a firing rate of 4,000-4,500 rounds a minute and its four underwing pylons can accommodate up to 12 anti-tank missiles. The planned procurement has a total value of $22 million of which $6.6 million are earmarked for the Mi-17s and $15.3 million for Mi-24Vs.

Asia-Pacific

• Jane’s reports that the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA) can now offer an improved version of its Cai Hong 804C VTOL UAV. The particularity of this hybrid drone is the installation of 4 rotors on the tail beams attached to the wings, allowing it to take off and land vertically without the need for a track, or an ejection system. The updated vehicle features a redesigned composite airframe that boosts an increased wingspan, a maximum take-off weight of 60 lb. and a payload capacity of 8 lb. The UAV is equipped with an EO/IR ball turret that can detect and identify a tank-sized object at a maximum distance of 1.2 miles and 0.9 miles respectively. The UAV is equipped with an L-band datalink that enables it to transmit and receive data within a 62 miles line-of-sight distance, supporting a data transfer rate of up to 25.6 kbps for telemetry and 4 Mbps for imagery.

Today’s Video

• Watch: The opening of Aviadarts 2018

Americas

• General Dynamics is being contracted to provide the US Army with 5th Generation Common Hardware Systems. The hybrid contract has a value of $3.9 billion. According to the Army the CHS-5 contract will enable the rapid procurement of total life cycle system management solutions in support of tactical programs. CHS provides state-of-the-art computing and networking equipment that improves connectivity, interoperability, logistics and maintenance support to soldiers, and is positioned as the Army’s primary organization to oversee commercial hardware for the Army’s tactical network. CHS-5 will support Army and Department of Defense (DoD) requirements to acquire flexible, cost effective, shared, and simplified non-developmental C5ISR solutions. Work is scheduled to be completed by August 2023. All work locations and individual funding will be determined with each order.

• Snowbird Environmental Systems is being tapped to cool down the Navy’s Hovercrafts. The awarded contract provides for the delivery of air conditioner units to be installed on the LCACs at a cost of $14 million. The Landing Craft, Air Cushions are high-speed, fully amphibious hovercrafts, that are capable of carrying a 60-ton payload over water and land at speeds in excess of 40 knots and a nominal range of up to 200 nautical miles. Carrying equipment, troops, and/or supplies, the LCAC launches from inside the well deck of an amphibious warship, then travels the waves at high speed, runs right through the surf zone near the beach, and stops at a suitable place on land. This is a two-year base contract with three one-year option periods is scheduled for completion by the end of July 2023. Work will be performed in Florida.

• The US Special Operations Command is looking to upgrade its SATCOM systems. Tampa Microwave is set to provide SOCOM with its Special Operations Forces Deployable Node–Lite requirement at a cost of $70 million. SDN-L is a deployable secure satellite communication system that provides secure voice, video, and data via a lightweight, commercial air transportable kit. The system provides high-capacity voice, data and video capability to small SOF teams (four to eight personnel) operating self-sufficiently at remote locations. It provides those teams with an essential communication capability needed for situational awareness, mission planning, analysis, collaboration, and real-time mission coordination. Work will be performed at the company’s location in St. Petersburg, Florida and a various USSOCOM mission units. Performance is expected to be completed by August 2023.

• The Navy is currently procuring a large quantity of engine components for its F/A-18 E/F and EA 18G aircrafts. General Electric will provide repair and replacement work for 773 F414 engine components under this order. The firm-fixed-priced, performance-based logistics requirements type contract has a value of $630.5 million. The F414 is one of the US Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft engines. It incorporates advanced technology with the proven design base of its F404 predecessor. The F/A-18E/F provides a 40 percent increase in combat radius, a 50 percent increase in endurance, 25 percent greater weapons payload, three times more ordnance, and is five times more survivable than the F/A-18 A/C models. These major performance improvements are mainly due to the F414-GE-400 engine. Work will be performed in various General Electric supplier locations and in Jacksonville, Florida. Work is expected to be completed by April 2022.

Middle East & Africa

• The government of Kuwait could soon see a significant boost to its missile inventory. The US State Department is determined to approve a foreign military sale of 300 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles for an estimated cost of $30.4 million. The potential sale would also include missile containers, M261 launchers and spare parts. The Hellfire is the USA’s preferred aerial anti-armor missile. Hellfire II missiles comes in several variants. The AGM-114R is a “multi-purpose” missile that comes with guidance and navigation improvements. The 114R is designed to work well against all 3 target types: armored vehicles, fortified positions, or soft/open targets. The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin.

Europe

• The French Air Force is set to receive some mid-life upgrades for its AWACS fleet as part of a US foreign military sale. Boeing is being awarded with a $9.8 million contract modification and will provide the French Air Force’s E-3F fleet with 40 mission-computing software changes and 17 ground-system software changes. France received 4 E-3F AWACS aircraft between 1991-1992 and undertook its own RSIP improvement program from 2002-2006. France intends to fly the platform until at least 2035. Work will be performed in Kent, Washington, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Avord Air Base, France. The work is expected to be completed by June 30, 2020. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $393,5 million.

• The Netherlands may soon receive more torpedoes for its Navy as part of a US foreign military sale. The US State Department is determined to approve the sale of 106 Mk 54 conversion kits for an estimated cost of $169 million. The Royal Netherlands Navy intends to upgrade its current Mk 46 torpedoes to the Mk 54 with the purchase of these kits. The Mk 54 stemmed from the need for a smaller, lighter, but cost-effective advanced torpedo that could be dropped from helicopters, planes, and smaller ships. To achieve this, it combined the expensive Mk-50’s search and homing system with the propulsion system of the Mk 46 torpedo and added off-the-shelf electronic components. Its size improves its ability to go after targets in shallower littoral regions, but the torpedo is designed to work in both deep water and near-shore or shallow environments. The deal would also include torpedo containers, Recoverable Exercise Torpedoes, air launch accessories for rotary wing aircraft and spare parts. The principal contractor will be Raytheon.

Asia-Pacific

• Jane’s reports that Lockheed Martin is currently is co-operating with the Indian Ministry of Defense to discharge defense offset obligations linked to its sales of C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The comments follow media reports in India that the MoD has cashed in part of a bank guarantee from Lockheed Martin in relation to a fine linked to an alleged breach of offset obligations tied to the C-130J program. The offset package under discussion was linked to the US government’s sale of a second batch of six C-130Js announced in 2013, which was costed at $1.1 billion. The IAF acquired an initial batch of six aircraft in 2007 for $962 million, although Lockheed Martin’s offset obligations linked to this program have already been met. Sales of both batches of C-130Js were conducted under the US Foreign Military Sales route.

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Americas

• Leonardo DRS is being contracted to provide the US Army with a new C-UAS capability. The awarded contract modification has a value of $13.25 million and provides for engineering and testing of the Mobile Low, Slow Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (MLIDS) Increment 1. The C-UAS capability is essentially a vehicle-mounted weapons system that is capable of neutralizing small UAVs. MLIDS is a collection of different sensors and weapon systems that have been integrated by DRS to fill the C-UAS mission and mounted on top of two separate all-terrain mine resistant ambush-protected vehicles, or MATV. MATVs can be equipped with either an elevated electro-optical infrared system or with a combination of radar and a variety of kinetic weapons suitable for countering the threat posed by enemy UAVs. Work will be performed at the company’s location in St. Louis, Missouri and is expected to be completed by May 2019.

• The US Army is tapping Leidos for further work on the Saturn Arch program. The awarded contract modification provides for sustained operations and support services at a cost of $60 million. The Saturn Arch Program began in 2010, with an effort to implement intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to a special aircraft fitted with state-of-the-art sensor technology to identify and assist in removing IEDs from the battlefield in Afghanistan. It uses a variety of platforms and sensor assets for detecting and assisting in the removal of enemy IEDs and other threats. Aerial platforms including manned and unmanned aircraft use electro-optical and infrared sensors, ground-penetrating radar, and radio-frequency detectors to locate IEDs, allowing friendly forces to either avoid or disable them. It also allows trends to be mapped to develop a picture of where the weapons are most concentrated in operations areas. Work will be performed in Bridgewater, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of 16th September 2019.

• The US Navy’s next Littoral Combat Ship is currently entering its post-shakedown availability (PSA). Austal is being awarded a cost-plus-award-fee order with a value of $14.8 million. The company will provide engineering and management services in support of the USS Tulsa (LCS 16), including work specification development, prefabrication efforts and material procurement. The USS Tulsa is an LCS-2 Independence class vessel which is a futuristic but practical high-speed trimaran, based on Austal designs and experience with vessels like the US Marines’ Westpac Express high-speed transport. LCS 16 carries a General Dynamics designed combat system, and standard LCS weapon fittings. Work will be performed in Mobile, Alabama and San Diego, California. The PSA is expected to be completed by August 2019.

• PAE Aviation and Technical Services is being tapped to provide a variety of services in support of the Navy’s fleet of F-5 aircraft. The awarded modification provides for options for organizational and limited depot-level maintenance and logistics support services for the F-5F Tiger II and F-5N Freedom Fighter aircraft at a cost of $47.9 million. The F-5 was born out of a 1950s US Navy requirement calling for a small, lightweight, jet-powered fighter to operate from the decks of its Escort Carriers. The F-5N is a single seat, twin-engine, tactical fighter and attack aircraft providing simulated air-to-air combat training. As a tactical fighter aircraft, the F-5N accommodates a pilot only in a pressurized, heated and air-conditioned cockpit and rocket-powered ejection seat. The avionics of the F-5E Tiger II are more sophisticated compared to the earlier version F-5A aircraft. It rolled out from production in 1987 and since then has undergone various upgrades to compete with changing combat environments. The aircraft costs are low and can be easily maintained compared to the F-15 and F-16 aircraft. Work will be performed at multiple locations, including Naval Air Stations Key West and Fallon, as well as Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. All work is expected to be completed by 2019.

Middle East & Africa

• Jane’s reports that the Israeli defense manufacturer IAI is currently jointly developing a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) with the Croatian company DOK-ING. In futuristic warfare scenario, CBRNE weapons cause hazardous effects including contamination of environment & terrain. CBRN UGVs can be used for detection, sample collection and marking of contaminated zones without risk of exposing personnel, which gives them a certain edge over conventional manned NBC recce vehicles. Details of the IAI and DOK-ING produced platform are currently in the embryonic stages. However, IAI General Manager for Robotic Systems Division Meir Shabtai explained that it would be suitable for military applications as well as the civil market. Under the collaboration agreement, DOK-ING will be providing the platform and IAI will be incorporating its autonomous capability.

Europe

• The US State Department is currently in the process of approving a possible foreign military sale to Denmark. The North-European country has requested the purchase of up to 46 SM-2 Block IIIA All-Up Rounds and other related equipment for an estimated cost of $152 million. SM-2 Block IIIA missiles have greater capability at even lower altitudes than previous SM-2 versions, a more powerful fragmentation warhead, and can use Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination (ICWI) to improve performance against supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles. The missiles are provided as medium range (50 mile) rounds that can be fired from AEGIS rail launchers, AEGIS vertical launch systems, and Tartar rail launchers. The deal would also include a telemetry omni-directional antenna, warhead dud capable missiles, the Mk13 Vertical Launching System Canisters and operator manuals. The system will be installed on the Royal Danish Navy’s IVER HUITFELDT Frigate Class ships. In combination with the Anti-Air Warfare System (AAWS) combat system the missiles will enhance anti-air warfare capabilities. The principal contractors will be Raytheon and BAE Systems.

Asia-Pacific

• Japan is currently withdrawing its PAC-3 air defense systems in light of easing relations with North Korea. The systems had been deployed in five prefectures across the country since August 2017 to counter the threat posed by North Korean missiles. PAC-3 is the current standard for new-build Patriot Missiles. The missile uses a “hit-to-kill” approach, instead of the PAC-2’s large fragmentation warhead, which allows it to pack more missiles per launcher (16 instead of 4). Its enhanced capabilities also allow it to be used for point defense against ballistic missiles, and its Config-3 ground systems also feature a range of improvements to the battery’s radar, communications, electronics, and software. The missile batteries were returned to their respective Japan Air Self-Defense Force bases after Japanese officials decided that North Korea would be unlikely to fire ballistic missiles as tensions between Washington and Pyongyang have eased following the landmark summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on 12th June on Singapore’s Sentosa Island.

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Americas

• L-3 Chesapeake Sciences Corp. is being tapped to provide the Navy’s submarine fleet with passive sonar equipment. The awarded contract modification has a value of $27.5 million and provides for the production of TB-29X towed arrays. The TB-29X is a thin line towed array passive sonar receiver installed aboard Navy submarines. The TB-29X array is in the same form factor as the TB-29 array; however, it offers increased capability, greater reliability and reduced obsolescence. These arrays can be used for back-fit on Los Angeles (SSN-688 and SSN-688I) submarines and forward-fit on the Virginia (SSN-774) class. Passive sonar is a method for detecting acoustic signals in an underwater environment, usually the ocean. The difference between passive and active sonar is that a passive sonar system emits no signals; instead, its purpose is to detect the acoustic signals emanating from external sources, such as enemy submarines and surface vessels. Work will be performed at multiple locations inside the US, including Liverpool, New York; Millersville, Maryland and Ashaway, Rhode Island. Work is scheduled for completion by November 2019.

• The Navy is contracting General Electric to provide its fleet of Super Hornets and Growlers with more thrust. The awarded firm-fixed-price-advance acquisition contract provides for the full-rate production of Lot 23 F414-GE-400 engines at a cost of $10.5 million. The F414-GE-400 is a 22,000-pound class afterburning turbofan engine. The engine features an axial compressor with 3 fan stages and 7 high-pressure compressor stages, and 1 high-pressure and 1 low-pressure turbine stage. At a weight of 2,445 pounds, the F414-GE-400 has a thrust-to-weight ratio of 9. The F414 delivers 35% more thrust than the original F404, which significantly improves the range, payload and survivability of the Super Hornet and Growler. Work will be performed in Lynn, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed in December 2019.

• The shipbuilding firms tasked with delivery of conceptual designs for the US Navy’s future FFG(X) frigate are all being awarded with firm-fixed-price modifications to exercise further options for the Guided Missile Frigate Conceptual Design. Huntington Ingalls is receiving an additional $7.99 million, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works an additional $7.95 million, Fincantieri Marinette Marine $7.98 million, Lockheed Martin $6.97 million, and Austal is receiving a further $6.39 million. This modification is for additional Guided Missile Frigate Conceptual Design efforts. Huntington Ingalls will be maturing their proposed ship design, which is based on the National Security Cutter, to meet the FFG(X) System Specification. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, Mississippi and Ocean Springs, Mississippi and is expected to be completed by June 2019.

• The US Army is procuring a number of holsters for its new M17 and M18 pistols. Atlantic Diving Supply will provide the Army with Modular Handgun Holsters under this $49 million firm-fixed-price contract. Fielding of the M17 and M18 Modular Handgun System (MHS) started in November 2017. The M17 is a variant of SIG Sauer’s P320 handgun, while the M18 is a compact version of the M17. According to the Army, the MHS program is the first in a line of modernization efforts that the service will pursue over the next few years. The new handguns also have an external safety, self-illuminating sights for low-light conditions, an integrated rail for attaching enablers and an Army standard suppressor conversion kit to attach an acoustic/flash suppressor. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion expected by July 29, 2023.

Middle East & Africa

• The government of Kuwait is set to receive counter-measure equipment for its fleet of Super Hornets as part of a US foreign military sale. Raytheon will procure a total of 38 Integrated Multi-Platform Launch Controllers (IMPLCs) at a cost of $34.6 million. The ALE-50(V) consists of a launcher and launch controller attached to one of the aircraft’s weapon pylons, containing one or more expendable towed decoys. These trail behind the aircraft when deployed, attracting radar-guided missiles to themselves instead. Each decoy and payout reel is delivered in a sealed canister, and has a 10-year shelf life. The IMPLC is the standard launch controller for all future installations. It’s a component of the AN/ALE-50(V) countermeasures decoy dispensing set, and the IDECM integrated defensive electronics countermeasure system. In addition, this contract provides for the induction and repair of IMPLC assets, in support of the US Navy. Work will be performed at multiple locations, including Goleta, California; Forest, Mississippi and Andover, Massachusetts. This contract combines purchase for the Navy ($2,5 million) and FMS to Kuwait ($32 million). Work is expected to be completed in March 2021.

Europe

• The Swiss Army is reportedly introducing a modernized version of its Duro 4×4 tactical vehicle. Duro is a high-mobility military tactical vehicle initially developed by Bucher-Guyer in the mid-90s. vehicles are available in 4×4 and 6×6 configurations and are built with both protected armor and non-armor, and with overall weights ranging from 7t to 25t. The vehicle designed as a modular vehicle that could be easily fitted with interchangeable bodies, including fully-enclosed bodies and various shelters. The Duro can be equipped with a variety of self-defense measures ranging from 7.62 mm machine gun to 40mm grenade launchers. Switzerland is currently in the process of upgrading some of its 3000 Duro vehicles which it received between 1994 and 2002. General Dynamics European Land Systems will modernize about 2200 of those vehicles through the second quarter of 2022.

• The German Luftwaffe will have its first A400M in intensive care aeromedical evacuation (ICAE) configuration on standby starting from 1st August 2018. The “flying intensive care unit” can carry up to six medical patients to safety, including two in critical condition. That capacity will be expanded to reach 10 patients in time, surpassing the capability of the existing fleet of C160 Transall transports. Germany, which is the largest buyer of the multinational A400M, has received 20 of the 53 A400M aircraft it plans to buy. It has taken years to add certain capabilities to the aircraft, and officials are still working on enhanced protective measures. Introduction of the A400M in MEDEVAC configuration will complement the capability currently provided only by the Luftwaffe’s A310 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), which can also treat up to six patients in addition to providing intermediate care to 16 others and 22 less serious cases.

Asia-Pacific

• Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force has now the first of its 27DDG-class destroyers in its fleet. Named the Maya, the guided-missile destroyer is equipped with the Aegis Baseline J7 combat system and the Northrop Grumman AN/SPQ-9B radar system, which provides the capability to detect and track low-flying, high-speed, low-observable anti-ship missile targets in heavy-clutter environments. Aegis Baseline J7 is the Japanese equivalent for the current Aegis Baseline 9/BMD 5.1 standard. The vessel is also equipped with Raytheon’s Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) – a sensor data sharing tool currently fielded only on US and Royal Australian Navy ships. Powered by two combined gas turbine-electric and gas turbine (COGLAG) engines, the ship and 300 crew are propelled to a maximum stated speed of 30 knots. The Maya is slated for commission into the JMSDF in 2020.

Today’s Video

• Watch: US Army equips its Bradley with Stinger missiles

Americas

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp. is being contracted for support work on the MV-22 and CV-22 platforms. The three-year long-term requirements contract has a value of $64.8 million and provides for repair work of the constant frequency generator (CFG) installed on the aircraft. The MV-22 is flown by the US Marine Corps. The newest Block C variant includes forward-mounted defensive systems, ice detectors, dust protection and a “Cabin Situational Awareness Device”. The US Air Force Special Operations Command operates the CV-22, which adds more sophisticated surveillance capabilities and beefed-up defensive systems. The CFG together with the auxiliary power unit and variable frequency generator is housed in the V-22’s mid-wing gearbox. The mid-wing gearbox transmits power between the left and right interconnecting drive shafts without changing speed or direction of rotation. This contract intends to enhance the CFG reliability and improve its overall aircraft operational readiness. Work will be performed in Rockford, Illinois, and is expected to be completed by July 2021.

• Boeing is being awarded a change order by the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. The change order is valued at $15.5 million and provides for the development, qualification and delivery of a Flight Termination Receiver 2.0 (FTR 2.0). 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. Nuclear weapons have a devastating effect and a nuclear war has the potential to wipe out all life on earth. The FTR is an essential piece that allows for the missiles destruction after it has already been launched. The Flight Termination System can take a number of commands via Radio Frequency that range from safing and arming devices to terminating the missiles flight. Work will be performed in Layton, Utah, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2021.

• The US Army is contracting Raytheon to support its Electronic Warfare Program Management Tool (EWPMT). The contract modification provides for interim contractor support to maintain and field the EWPMT’s Capability Drop 3 through 4. Development of the tool was the Army’s answer to an ever-increasing amount of electromagnetic spectrum operations and electronic warfare. Rolle out in 2016, the EWPMT provides commanders with both greater understanding and awareness of the spectrum for better planning and decision making. Key tasks the tool provides the force with; include capabilities to plan, coordinate, manage and deconflict electronic warfare and spectrum management operations; integration of electronic attack in the targeting process to ensure electronic attack can meet the commanders’ desired effect, and synchronization of electronic warfare and spectrum operations. Work will be performed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with an estimated completion date by September 2022.

• The US Air Force’s fleet of E-8 JSTARS is earmarked for retirement by the mid-2020s. The National Defense Authorization Act endorses the Air Force’s plan to replace the E-8 JSTARS with a new network of sensors spread across unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft, called the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). The USA’s 17-plane E-8C Joint Surveillance Targeting and Attack Radar System fleet’s ability to monitor enemy ground movements over very wide areas, while seeing through problematic weather conditions, has made it an invaluable contributor to every US military ground campaign over the last 15+ years. In the future the E-8’s role will be filled by the MQ-9 UAV. The ABMS is a network of de-centralized systems, which fuses the data from hundreds of sensors to provide situational awareness for combatant commanders across the globe. The current NDAA provides $120 million for the accelerating the development of the ABMS and its integration onto the MQ-9.

Middle East & Africa

• The Israeli Air Force is receiving funds for construction work on of its bases under the US foreign military sales program. Conti Federal Services is being awarded a firm-fixed-price contract with a value of $69.4 million to build hardened aircraft shelters in Israel. This contract is part of a larger Israeli infrastructure project needed to accommodate the countries new F-35i ‘Adir’ fighter jets. Those hardened aircraft shelters are outfitted with cranes and underground pits, as well as air-conditioning, water, sewage, and compressed-air systems. Construction of those shelters is vital to protecting the multi-million fighter jets in light of the growing threat of large-scale rocket and missile attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah. Work will be performed in Tel Aviv, Israel and is scheduled for completion by September 2020.

Europe

• The Spanish S-80 submarine program is experienced further delays. The S-80 program had its genesis in 1989, but it wasn’t until 1997 that Spain’s Armada began defining its objectives more clearly. The S-80 contract between Spain and Navantia was signed in 2004 with the initial delivery planned to take place in 2011. The program was interrupted in 2013 due to excess weight problems that threatened the submarines buoyancy. Spain’s S-80 submarines will be an entirely new and larger ship class that builds upon Navantia’s recent submarine experience, rather than a modified version of the more well-known AIM 2000 Scorpene AIP boats. It will share some key technology developments, however, including Air-Independent Propulsion. At present, its seems that the first submarine will be delivered in 2023, over a decade later than envisaged.

• Poland will soon add Lockheed Martin’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to its inventory. The government has decided to obtain the weapon system directly from the US rather than procuring the same capability through a consortium led by the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ). The acquisition is part of Poland’s Homar program that seeks to obtain a squadron-level fire module of multiple rocket launchers. The program aims to provide the Polish Army with a capability of striking targets at distances of up to 180 miles. HIMARS is a highly-mobile artillery rocket system offering the firepower of MLRS on a wheeled chassis. HIMARS is operated by a crew of three – driver, gunner and section chief – but the computer-based fire control system enables a crew of two or even a single soldier to load and unload the system. In addition to the standard MLRS round, HIMARS is capable of launching the entire MLRS family of munitions, including the extended-range rocket, the reduced-range practice rocket and all future variants. HIMARS carries a single six-pack of MLRS rockets, or one army tactical missile system (ATACMS) missile.

Asia-Pacific

• The Philippine Navy (PN) is set to take delivery of its first two AW-159 ‘Wildcat’ helicopters in March 2019. The ‘Wildcat’ comes in an Army and Navy version. Both AW159 versions will share a common fully-marinized airframe, with provisions for a range of mission and role-based equipment with an estimated 90% commonality. The PN has opted for an anti-submarine warfare package to protect its frigates currently being constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries. The AW159 helicopters will be able to carry rockets and gun pods, and the naval version adds BAE’s Sting Ray light torpedoes. The helicopter is capable flying at a speed of 291 km/h and has a range of 777 km. The contract for the two anti-submarine helicopters is worth over $101 million and includes munition, mission essential equipment, and integrated logistic support.

Today’s Video

• Watch: The Islamic Republic of Iran has overhauled and upgraded 10 of its Su-22s.

Americas

• Leidos Inc. is being contracted in support of the Air Force’s avionics intermediate shop product support integration program. The firm-fixed-price requirements contract has a value of $620 million and allows for independent product support and the provision of single-point solutions for the F-16 advanced avionics intermediate shop. Avionics is the science and technology of the development and use of electrical and electronic devices in aviation and is essential to keeping jets ready to fly at a moment’s notice. Line replaceable units processed through the AIS are returned quickly to the supply system, without having to use time and money for shipping to a centralized intermediate repair facility or being returned to depot. Transportation time would dramatically hinder asset availability. Using high-tech equipment, technicians are able to perform on-scene screening of the aircraft, which increases the return-to-service rate. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base and Robins Air Force Base as well as in 23 European countries that either host an US AFB or are foreign military sales customers. Work is expected to be completed by July 24, 2023.

• Management consulting firm McKinsey is being awarded a contract modification in support of the Air Force. The company will implement the Space Acquisition Transformation plan under this $8.4 million modification. The pivot towards space is part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, which lays the foundation towards a separate military department responsible for national security space. An interim report published in March was highly critical of the current acquisition system for space systems. It pointed out that today’s processes slow down modernization at a time when US access and use of space capabilities are being threatened by foreign adversaries. The 2018 NDAA calls for changes in the management of military space components, most of which are controlled by the US Air Force. Speeding up the acquisition process will require a sweeping review of how the Space and Missile Systems Center does business. This change will likely involve a change of management culture, essentially moving away from being mission/product focus towards managing space systems as an enterprise. Work will be performed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, California, and is expected to be completed by March 29, 2019.

• Pratt & Whitney Military Engines is set to continue its engine work in support of the F-35 platform. The company is being awarded a modification which is valued at $24.6 million and which provides for the procurement of F135 Low-Rate Initial Production 9. The contract also includes needed support equipment and associated labor for depot activities outside the continental US and fleet modernization efforts for the Navy, USMC, Air Force, foreign military sales customers and non-DoD participants. The LRIP 9 production contract include 53 conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) and 13 short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) propulsion systems for the United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps as well as five countries – Italy, Norway, Israel, Japan and the United Kingdom. The F135 engine maintains a 96 percent full mission capability requirement, and new production engine reliability is exceeding 90 percent, well ahead of key 2020 requirements. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut and Indianapolis, Indiana. It is expected to be completed in May 2021.

• Several US allies are set to receive a boost to their anti-tank capabilities as part of a US foreign military sale. Raytheon-Lockheed Martin Javelin JV is being awarded a contract modification that provides full-rate production of the Javelin system at a cost of $307.5 million. The FGM-148 Javelin missile system is a heavy fire-and-forget missile that will reliably destroy any enemy armored vehicle, and many fortifications as well. Javelin technically consists of 2 parts. The $80k Javelin missile that come in ready-to-fire tubes and the $125k Command Launch Unit that houses the weapons sensors, optics and electronics. In Iraq the weapon proved that it can fill the niche between high and low-intensity conflicts, which led to a rise in popularity with American and international customers. After work is completed at the company’s location in Tucson, Arizona, the Javelin will be delivered to Australia, Estonia, Lithuania, Turkey Taiwan and Ukraine by August 2021.

Middle East & Africa

• Alsalam Aerospace Industries is being tapped to convert six mission capable Saudi F-15S aircraft to a F-15SA configuration. The contract has a total value of $59.6 million, of which $17.8 million will come from the US foreign military sales fund. Services include program management, conversion labor and storage. The F-15SA can be considered to be the most advanced production F-15 Eagle that is being built today. In 2015 Saudi Arabia ordered 84 new build F-15SAs and close to 70 kits to upgrade their existing F-15S fleet to the SA configuration. This configuration includes a full fly-by-wire control system, a new AESA radar, a digital electronic warfare and radar warning suite, missile launch detection system, updated flat-panel display cockpits with helmet mounted displays and an infrared search and track system. Work will be performed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is expected to be completed by August 2020.

• The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is set to receive a boost to its UAV fleet as part of a US foreign military sale. Insitu Inc. is being awarded a modification to a previously issued firm-fixed-price delivery order, that provides for the production of 27 ScanEagle UAVs and 37 payloads at a cost of $10.8 million. In March Insitu had received a contract valued at over $47 million to support Afghanistan’s surveillance efforts. The payloads are housed in the nose section. The operators can swap the payloads in the field in a few minutes. The sensors installed in the turret allow the operator to track stationary or moving targets without having to re-maneuver the air vehicle. The payloads include electro-optical and infrared sensors, biological and chemical sensors, laser designators and a magnetometer for identification and locating magnetic anomalies. Work will be performed at the company’s location in Bingen, Washington, and is expected to be completed by December 2019.

Europe

• Jane’s reports that Swedish defense contractor Saab is intensifying flight trials for its newly developed Gripen E fighter jet. Prototype 39-8 has been flying since June 2017 and is mainly used to test the airframe and flight controls. Prototypes 39-9 and 39-10 have already left the production line at Linköping and are currently undergoing verification ahead of their first flights. The will be used as a tactical systems testbed and as first production-standard airframe respectively. The E-series is Saab’s latest answer to evolving threats in the modern battlespace. The E-series has a new and more powerful engine, improved range performance and the ability to carry greater payloads. It also has a new AESA-radar, InfraRed Search and Track system, highly advanced electronic warfare and communication systems readying the platform for the 21st century. The JAS-39 Gripen is an excellent lightweight fighter by all accounts, with attractive flyaway costs. Sweden is due to receive the first of 60 Gripen Es in 2019, with deliveries running through to 2026. The only international customer to date, Brazil, has ordered an initial batch of 28 Gripen Es and eight twin-seat Gripen Fs to be delivered between 2019 and 2024.

Asia-Pacific

• The Philippines is set to receive several retired turboprop light attack aircraft from the US Air Force. The aircraft to be delivered have been retired from the US military since the mid-1990s, will be provided to the Asian nation for free as part of a general assistance package to the country’s military. The aircraft will be a mixture of two OV-10A and two OV-10G+ aircraft formerly operated by NASA. Modifications to the aircraft include a L3-Wescam MX-15Di Electro-Optical turret, Link 16 tactical datalinks, full-motion video, a glass cockpit and the ability to fire the BAE’s APKWS GPS-guided rocket. Military applications for which the Bronco is particularly suited include anti-guerrilla operations, helicopter escort, close air support, armed reconnaissance and forward air control. In addition, it could be used for utility missions such as cargo paradrop — delivery of up to six paratroops, medical evacuation, smoke screening and psychological warfare with leaflets and loudspeakers. The Philippines is the last operator of the OV-10 Bronco, with its air force currently operating between eight and 10 aircraft. The new aircraft are expected to be operational in early 2019.

Today’s Video

• Watch: F35 engine upgrade could enable Directed Energy Weapons

Do you feel lucky…?
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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
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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
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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
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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 2018

T-45s over CVN 77
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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 flights has 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
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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).

Americas

• Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control division is being tapped to provide work for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. The $164 million contract modification provides for performances as part of the ongoing Terminal Field Support Contract (TFSC), with a current value totaling at $725 million. Lockheed will continue with its efforts under the TFSC which include services such as forward stationing for theater support, logistics information capabilities, post deployment software support and security and engineering services. THAAD is a long-range, land-based theater defense weapon designed to intercept missiles during late mid-course or final stage flight, flying at high altitudes within and even outside the atmosphere. This allows it to provide broad area coverage against threats to critical assets such as population centers and industrial resources as well as military forces. Work will be performed at multiple locations inside the US, including Huntsville, Alabama; Sunnyvale, California and Grand Prairie, Texas. The ordering period remains from March 25, 2010, through March 31, 2019.

• The Navy is contracting Northrop Grumman for repair work in support of its F-18 fleet. The long-term contract is valued at $38.4 million and provides for the repair of the Automated Support System Electro-Optic Console to support Fleet repairs of the F-18 Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) weapon systems. The AN/USM-636(V) Consolidated Automated Support System (CASS) is a computer-assisted, multi-functional Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) used to test various electronic components in use by the Navy. CASS is a five-rack integrated test system is designed to accommodate variations in workload and allow for Test Program Set transferability among the different configurations. ATFLIR gives naval aviators a three- to five-fold increase in target- recognition range. Its infrared and electro-optical (television format) sensors can detect tactical threats at unprecedented ranges, delivering images that are three to five times clearer than previous systems. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and will be completed by July 2023.

Middle East & Africa

• The Pakistan Navy (PN) is increasing its maritime surveillance capabilities. The PN now has two ATR-72 twin-engine turboprops converted into maritime patrol aircraft in its inventory. The ATR-72 currently on offer by Italian vendor Leonardo-Finmeccanica which uses the ATR-72-600 as its base platform. This aircraft is capable of ASW operations through the use of a fitted sono-buoy launcher and pylons for lightweight ASW torpedoes. The Pakistan Navy operates the slighter smaller ATR-72-500, but this should not impact its capabilities. Typical MPA missions include vessel search and identification; economic exclusive zone patrol (fishing, off-shore platforms); drug, smuggling and piracy control; search and rescue (SAR); disaster surveillance; maritime patrol roles; and Anti-Submarine Warfare. Rheinland Air Service had signed a contract in 2015 to convert two ATR-72 aircraft already owned by the Pakistan Navy into MPAs. Aerodata provided the platform with its AeroMission mission management system. Work on the project commenced in January 2016 after export approvals were received from the German government.

• The Iranian military will receive up to 800 new and upgraded tanks in the coming years. Reza Mozaffariniya, the deputy minister for industry in the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) said in an interview that the Ministry plans to upgrade and produce around 50 – 60 tanks annually at its production facility in Dorud. The tanks to be built will be most likely the Karrar and the Zolfaghar. The Karrar closely resembles the Russian-made T-90MS but also has features of American Abrams M1 and British Challenger 2 tanks. The Karrar MBT is fitted with a new welded turret which is armed with a 125 mm smoothbore gun fitted with a fume extractor and a thermal sleeve and can fire all standard ammunitions. Its turret is equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun and includes a day/night sight, a thermal imager and a laser rangefinder. The Zolfaqar III is the latest and most advanced version in the Zulfiqar family that comes with a variety of upgrades. They include improving the fire navigation system, chassis, and armament, engine and laser system, to increase the operational capabilities of the tank. The wheels of the variant will be covered by an armored skirt and a reinforced turret. The Iranian Army is currently conducting research and test operation on this platform.

Europe

• Northrop Grumman is being contracted to support the US Army’s Regional Cyber Center-Europe. The awarded contract modification has a value of $16.6 million and provides for non-personal Information Technology support services. Wiesbaden is home to US Army’s 5th Signal Command. The Gray Cyber Operations Center is tasked with consolidating tactical, theater and strategic communications functions to support the US European Command, US Africa Command and US Army Europe. The Cyber Command’s main responsibility is to direct, and conduct networked based warfare, ensuring freedom of action in and through cyberspace and the information environment, and to deny the same to adversaries. Work will be performed in Wiesbaden Erbenheim, Germany, with an estimated completion date of July, 2019.

• German defense manufacturer H3 Grob Aircaft is currently investing in a broad range of new capabilities, including a special-mission variant of the Cessna Caravan and its proven G120TP trainer. Both platforms can now be outfitted with an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pod beneath its fuselage. The Cessna Caravan’s equipment can include a Leonardo Seaspray 3300 surveillance radar and a Hensoldt Argos-II, 16in electro-optical/infrared sensor. The G120TP can be equipped with a system that comprises a Trakka Systems TC-300 305mm EO/IR turret, Leonardo PicoSAR lightweight synthetic aperture radar and a line-of-sight downlink. The 132 lb. heavy system can be integrated on the starboard wing using an innovative “glove” mount.

• Romania intends to buy more F-16s to further increase its fleet strength. In 2016 the country became the latest operator of the F-16 following delivery of the first six from a total of twelve from Portugal for a price of $734 million. The deal included nine F-16AM single-seaters and three F-16BM two-seaters as well as an overhaul of engines and a number of services. Romania now plans to buy five more F-16 fighter jets from Portugal, four single seaters and one dual seater, by the end of this year. It also intends to purchase 36 more such aircraft in the future from other NATO countries like the US and Greece, but also Israel is an option.

Asia-Pacific

• The Lao People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is currently taking delivery of the first batch of four repaired Mi-17 helicopters. The helicopters were delivered by Russian Helicopters, thus completing the first service contract between the Russian holding company and the Lao Ministry of Defense. The PLAAF has a moderate fleet of aircraft, including a total of 11 Mi-17 transport helicopters. The Mi-17 is an improved export version of the Mi-8 helicopter, fitted with more powerful engines and with some other minor improvements. The helicopter has a crew of 3, including pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer. The Mi-17 can carry 24 passengers and even small vehicles. It has an 8000 lb. internal payload capacity. Alternatively, it can carry underslung loads weighting up to 6000 lb. The Mi-17 can be armed with window-mounted 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm trainable machine guns.

Today’s Video

• Watch: Automatic Air Collision Avoidance System explained by USAF pilot

Americas

• Boeing is being tapped to build two mission-ready 747-8 aircraft for the US President. The awarded firm-fixed-price contract provides for the production of two Air Force One and has a value of $3.9 billion. The contract includes extensive and manufacturing development efforts that entail design, testing, certification and fielding of the new aircrafts. The iconic plane is maintained and operated by the Presidential Airlift Group, part of the White House Military Office. The ‘flying’ Oval Office provides the President and his staff with 4.000 square feet of living and work space on three levels. In case of an armed conflict the aircraft serves as the President’s command center. Work will be performed in San Antonio and is expected to be completed by December 2024.

• Aero-Glen International LLC. is being awarded a contract to support the Air Force’s F-16 sustainment efforts. The firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a value of $403 million and provides for the production of F-16 service life extension program kits for the F-16 fleet. The F-16 SLEP aims to keep the aging fleet of F-16s flying until nearly 2050. The program combines a dozen structural modifications into one repeatable package – from bulkheads to wings and canopy, effectively increasing the jets life to 12.000 flight hours. The Air Force aims to complete each refurbished SLEP jet in 9 months at a cost of $2.4 million. Work will be performed at Fort Worth International Airport, Texas, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2029.

• The US Army is contracting Wamor Inc to support its air cargo capabilities. The $18.8 million firm-fixed-price contract enables the company to produce a number of Advanced Cargo Parachute Release Systems (ACPRS) and ACPRS coupling assemblies. According to Army Technology Wamore’s advanced cargo parachute release system uses an innovative and exclusive methodology for separating a canopy or canopies from their payload only after the payload has been safely delivered to the drop zone. The ACPRS enables the Army’s Cargo Aerial Delivery Team to support mass airborne assaults, aerial re-supply, special operations, deep-strike concepts and humanitarian relief missions. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order. The contract is scheduled for completion by July 2023.

Middle East & Africa

• The government of Kuwait is set to receive support for its fleet of tanker aircraft as part of a US foreign military sale. The deal is valued at $8.4 million and provides for logistics, supply and maintenance support for three KC-130J aircraft. The KC-130J is a multi-role, medium-sized fixed-wing aerial refueling aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin, it essentially is a very advanced derivative of the standard C-130J. The tanker aircraft carries 92 ground troops or 64 paratroopers and equipment in its tactical transport role. It can also be configured as a MEDEVAC aircraft accommodating 74 patients on stretchers, and their accompaniments. In May 2010, the US Government placed a $245m foreign military sales contract with Lockheed Martin for the delivery of three KC-130J aircraft to Kuwait Air Force. The first aircraft was delivered in August 2014. Work will be performed at Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base, Kuwait, and is expected to be completed in August 2019.

• 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.

Europe

• Romania is looking into acquiring a new missile system to be deployed on its Black Sea coast. The potential contract has a value of $137 million. Four major defense firms already voiced their interest. Romania currently has an outdated arsenal of Soviet-made P-15 missiles. Considering the ongoing modernization efforts of its Type 22 frigates and its acquisition of corvettes the Ministry would like one single missile system to be deployed on sea and on land. The Ministry of Defense hasn’t given any concrete details yet but reaffirmed that it envisages a supplier from a NATO or EU country. Likely competitors are MBDA with its SeaVenom missile, Boeing with its Harpoon, Saab’s RBS15 Mk3 and Kongsberg’s NSM.

• The Ukrainian Armed Forces are heavily investing in their air-defense capabilities. About 2500 anti-air specialists are currently deployed to provide round-the-clock protection, until now they shot down about 33 hostile Orlan-10 UAVs. Their main defense system is the Russian-made Buk-M1. In the past Ukraine was dependent on Russian defense enterprises to supply them with spares and components needed to conduct necessary restorations and repairs. Considering the current geo-political situation, the embattled country heavily invested in developing their indigenous repair and maintenance capability. Ukrainian companies are also tasked with work on the Bukivka 9M38M1 rocket, focusing on a new engine and solid rocket fuel to enhance the rockets acceleration, speed and payload. Ukraine plans to increase its anti-aircraft inventory by a third over the coming years.

Asia-Pacific

• Jane’s reports that the Taiwan Defense Forces have now a full air brigade of Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters. The 29 helicopters are part of the 601st Air Cavalry Brigade, which operates out of Taoyuan’s Longtan District in northern Taiwan. The AH-64A/D Apache has become a dominant attack helicopter around the globe. The gunships are armed with a 30mm chain gun and can be equipped with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, Hydra-70 2.75-inch rocket pods and AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles. Taiwan purchased 30 Boeing Apache helicopters from the United States in 2008 for $1.94 billion and took delivery of the final batch in October 2014. One of the helicopters was badly damaged in a training accident in April 2014.

Today’s Video

• Watch: Raytheon’s JSM destroys target in challenging flight scenario

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 – 2018

F-16E, 162nd FW

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.

Americas

• Thales Defense and Security is being tapped to support worldwide aircraft deployment by the US military. The awarded firm-fixed-price contract provides for up to 29 Deployable-Instrument Landing System (D-ILS) production units and has a value of $12.2 million. The highly mobile D-ILS units will be used in airfield environments to precisely guide pilots on their final approach during low-visibility or low-ceiling weather conditions. The Thales D-ILS essentially provides the equivalent of fixed-based Instrument Landing System capability at tactical airfields and environmentally diverse regions such as sites hit by natural disasters. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $126 million. Work will be performed in Clarksburg, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by July, 2023.

• The US Army is looking for work in support of its Waveform Development Environment Ecosystem. Thales Defense & Security, Rockwell Collins, Northrop Grumman, Harris Corp and General Dynamics are set to compete for each order of the hybrid contract valued at $249 million. Waveform Development Environment Ecosystem is the US Army’s multi-year program to facilitate the rapid development and production of software-defined radio waveforms. This technology is needed to provide troops with the ability to securely send and access large amounts of encrypted data simultaneously. Part of this ecosystem is Joint Tactical Radio System (JSTARS) or Rifleman radio. The Rifleman radio can create self-forming, ad hoc, voice and data networks. What’s even more significant is that they also enable any leader at the tactical level to track the position of individual soldiers who are also using the radio. That’s a big deal in urban environments, which can force a squad or platoon to split up. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 12, 2023.

• Lockheed Martin is being awarded a modification in support of the Navy’s LCS program. The un-definitized contract action modification has a value of $450.7 million and provides for long-lead-time material and detail design in support of the construction of four Multi Mission Surface Combatant ships. Lockheed Martin MMSC (Multi-Mission Surface Combatant) is a derivative of the US Navy’s Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship. The MMSC platform can be configured with a variety of sensors and weapons based on operational requirements of the naval customer. It also allows for interoperability with the US Navy and allied naval forces in joint operations. Its mission capabilities include anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, anti-air warfare, mine warfare, electronic warfare, and special operations. This modification brings the total cumulative face value to over $1 billion. The contract also includes a $225.3 million US foreign military sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Work will be performed at multiple locations inside and outside the continental US. They include Crozet, Virginia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Baltimore, Maryland and the UK. Production is expected to be completed by October 2025.

Middle East & Africa

• Jane’s reports that Saudi Arabia is purchasing five new corvettes with a price tag of $2.1 billion. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been negotiating the deal since 2015, with the last vessel expected to be delivered in 2022. The contract will involve around seven million hours of work at the company’s shipyards in Bahía de Cádiz, Ría de Ferrol and Cartagena. According to the data from Navantia, the ships will be based on the Avante 2200 design. The total displacement of these corvettes is over 2,500 tons, the length of the hull is 98.9 m. The two diesel power plants will provide a speed of up to 25 knots. The crew will consist of 92 sailors. The ships will be armed Harpoon anti-ship missiles, ESSM surface to air missiles, a Super Rapid naval gun built by Leonardo, a CIWS system, torpedo launchers and remote weapon stations. The multi-purpose vessel is especially designed for surveillance and maritime traffic control missions, search and rescue missions and assistance to other ships, among others. In addition, the vessels will provide an important capacity for defense of strategic assets, intelligence gathering and anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, anti-surface and electronic warfare missions.

Europe

• Leonardo and General Atomics will jointly work on integrating Leonardo’s SAGE electronic warfare surveillance system onto the MQ-9B UAS. SAGE analyses the electromagnetic spectrum across the Land, Sea and Air domains in order to map the source of active emissions. Using highly accurate Direction Finding (DF) antennas, SAGE builds target locations and provides situational awareness, advance warning of threats and the ability to cue other sensors. The sensor with a 360° radar-warning-receiver capability allows to identify the location and parametric data of specific RF emitters from a single platform, thus enhancing the tactical electronic intelligence picture and situational awareness. SAGE is already in service with the South Korean Navy, Brazilian Navy and Indonesian Air Force. The two companies plan to integrate SAGE into the MQ-9B airframe without the need for external pods. First orders will be possible as soon as 2019.

• Swedish defense contractor Saab is unveiling its next generation RBS15 Gungnir anti-ship missile system. The RBS15 missile family is optimized for the littoral environment. According to the company the Gungnir will be offered in both air-launched and surface-launched configurations, a highly advanced target seeker and a range of more than 186 miles. The system is backwards compatible to that it can easily be integrated with the Mk3 system. RBS-15 fire-and-forget missiles grew out of Sweden’s need for missiles that excelled in littoral warfare situations like Sweden’s fractured coastlines and innumerable bays. They have a longer reach and heavier punch than counterparts like the Harpoon. The option to engage targets from the air, as well as from land and sea gives the ability to perform coordinated attacks, with multiple missiles, against a wide range of naval and land-based targets thereby increasing mission flexibility and success. The RBS15 Mk4 development and production program started in March 2017. One month later a first order with a value of $362 million was placed, with deliveries to take place from 2017 to 2026.

Asia-Pacific

• The government of Taiwan is set to receive support for its fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft as part of a US foreign military sale. URS Federal Services will provide a maintenance and supply support to meet all of the 21st Fighter Squadron mission objectives under this firm-fixed task order valued at $7.3 million. Taiwan is currently in the middle of a modernization program that seeks to improve the island’s ability to control the sea and deny enemies to take that control. The ultimate issue for Taiwan is one of numbers. In the air, quantity has a quality all its own. The current fighter jet availability is quite low with just 74 out of 146 F-16s considered to be operational. This task order provides safe, efficient and effective maintenance for sortie production of Taiwan’s 14 Block 20 F-16 aircraft for the Taiwan Air Force. Work will be performed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by end of July, 2019.

• The government of Japan is in dire need to replace its ageing fleet of F-2 fighters. The country is currently searching for a Japan-led international collaborative development for a new fighter jet. Lockheed Martin already issued a development proposal that is a big favorite. The company would build a high-performance stealth machine integrating F-35 electronics onto a F-22 platform. However, the plane will be more expensive than initially thought thus raising concerns to the program’s cost effectiveness. Lockheed estimates the initial price tag to be around $177 million per plane, essentially making it more expensive than the F-35. Japan will start retiring its fleet of 90 F-2s by 2030. Development of a new plane takes about 10-years therefore the Ministry of Defense intends to specify any concrete development policy by the end of the year.

Today’s Video

• Watch: Torpedoes and anti-ship missiles sink ship during RIMPAC 2018

Americas

• The Navy is contracting Flour Marine Propulsion LLC for work on nuclear propulsion. The cost-plus-fixed fee contract is valued at $1,2 billion and provides for work at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory. The Naval Nuclear Laboratory falls under the Department of Energy and provides advanced nuclear propulsion work and technical support to the Navy. They specifically work on the Navy’s aircraft carrier and submarine nuclear fleet. The USA has had an all-nuclear submarine fleet for over 50 years, a policy that dates back to the visionary Admiral Hyman Rickover. On the surface, America’s aircraft carriers became an all-nuclear fleet with the retirement of the USS Kitty Hawk. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative estimated value of this contract to $13 billion. Work will be performed in Pennsylvania, New York and Idaho.

• GE Aviation Systems LLC is being tapped to support the US’s fleet of tanker aircraft. The awarded firm-fixed-price modification has a value of $18 million and provided for additional spare parts on the KC-130J propeller system. The KC-130J is a version of the classic C-130 Hercules. The KC-130J is a multi-role, medium-sized fixed-wing aerial refueling aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin primarily for the US Marine Corps. The US Navy and the USMC currently operate a fleet of 47 KC-130J Hercules aircraft. The plane is powered by four Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprop engines. Each engine, driving an all-composite six-blade R391 propeller, develops a power of 3,425kW. Work will be performed in Sterling, Virginia and is expected to be completed in May 2022.

Middle East & Africa

• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is set to receive support for its Vision 2030 plans as part of a US foreign military sale. Kratos Technology & Training Solutions is being awarded a $53 million contract modification under the International Program the company will provide program planning, logistics and a variety of technical services and instructional services in support of Saudi Arabia. These services support all levels of Royal Saudi Naval Forces’ Vision 2030 goals. Saudi Arabia is almost completely reliant on outside military purchases. One of the 2030 plan’s pillars is developing a domestic military production capacity so that it is less dependent on the US and foreign military purchases. Work will be performed at various locations in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Jubail, Jeddah, Dammam, and Ras al Ghar.

• Jane’s reports that the Air Force of Mali is adding four light attack aircraft to its fleet. The African nation has purchased four Embraer EMB 314/A-29 Super Tucanos. The country had ordered a total of six aircraft in 2015, however after a series of financial issues the order was reduced to four. According to the company the Super Tucano is designed to carry a fighter’s typical array of weapons, either smart or conventional. Its armament line-up is fully integrated with its avionics system and comprises most advanced ordnance and sensors. The Super Tucanos delivered to Mali are armed with 12.7 mm machine guns and can carry 70 mm rocket pods and 300 lb. bombs. The government also indicated that it also acquired 20 mm cannon pods for the aircraft. With this delivery, Mali joins Angola, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania as African operators of the Super Tucano.

Europe

• The United Kingdom is looking to boost its inventory of Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs). The US State Department is determined to approve the possible foreign military sale valued at $650 million. The UK wants to buy up to 200 AIM-120D missiles. The AIM-120D features C7 improvements and adds a number of strong upgrades to the missile. The new hardware and software is rumored to offer improved jamming resistance, better operation in conjunction with modern AESA radars, and an improved high-angle off-boresight “seeker cone,” in order to give the missile a larger no-escape zone. Less-publicized improvements reportedly include a dual-pulse rocket motor, for up to 50% more range and better near-target maneuvering. The UK will be the first export customer of the AIM-120D. The deal also includes missile containers, weapon system support, training and warranties. The principal contractor will be Raytheon Missile Systems Company.

• Italy’s Guardia di Finanza is increasing its maritime patrol mission capabilities. The militarized police force will purchase an ATR 72-600 that will be outfitted by Leonardo. Valued at $51.2 million the contract includes the plane, training and logistics support. If a number of unspecified options are exercised the total value of the contract could reach $250 million. According to Flightglobal, the twin-engine turboprop will be capable of performing a number of roles, including maritime patrol, search and rescue, anti-piracy and anti-drug smuggling operations, and surveillance of territorial waters. The plane is expected to be delivered sometime in 2019.

Asia-Pacific

• The Indonesian Navy is establishing a new squadron primarily tasked with UAV maritime surveillance missions. The Skadron Udara 700 will be based in Juanda Surabaya and will operate the ScanEagle UAS. Indonesia is currently anticipating the delivery of four Insitu ScanEagle UAVs and associated equipment, from the US government. The UAVs are being provided under a grant by the US government under a capacity-building program for Southeast Asian navies known as the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI). The ScanEagle is solidly based on Insitu’s original “Insight” platform, with different variants distinguished by their payloads and accompanying equipment rather than their aerodynamic design. The UAVs are launched by catapult, and autonomously recovered using a folding “skyhook” and catch-line. The Indonesian MSI package seeks to specifically improve the country’s maritime patrol capabilities, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance integration, and equipment maintenance capacity.

Today’s Video

• EA-6B Prowler flies

Americas

• The US Army is tapping Boeing to increase its transport capability. The awarded contract modification is valued at $131.1 million and provides for the procurement of four MH-47G Block II aircraft. The MH-47G Chinook is a variant of the world’s most popular heavy-lift helicopter, that has been optimized for Special Forces Operations. The most obvious difference of this helicopter variant is its big aerial refueling tube at the front. Less obvious modifications include additional sensors for surveillance, “aircraft survivability equipment,” dual embedded Global Positioning Systems, a redundant navigator for improved accuracy and reliability, and various advanced datalinks that allow the display of Near Real Time Intelligence Data (NRTID). The USA expects to be operating Chinooks in their heavy-lift role past 2030. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of June 29, 2020.

• Weston Solutions is being contracted by the US Army Corps of Engineers to support its remediation efforts. The $27 million firm-fixed-price contract provides for the remediation of hazardous, toxic and radioactive waste as well as military munitions. Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste projects are implemented at former military sites that have been contaminated during weapons tests and other kinds of operations. The Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program for example was initiated to identify, investigate, and clean up or control sites throughout the United States that were part of the Nation’s early atomic weapons and energy programs. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order. The contract is expected to be completed by July 10, 2023.

• Raytheon is set to provide the Missile Defense Agency with the sustained capability to defend against ballistic missile threats. The awarded multiple award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (MAIDIQ) contract has a minimum amount of $10.000 and a maximum amount of $4.1 billion. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide autonomous acquisition and persistent precision tracking and discrimination to optimize the defensive capability of the ballistic missile defense system and counter evolving threats. The tracking and discrimination capability is at the heart of a ballistic missile defense system, stopping a missile attack begins with detecting a launch. THAAD for example uses the AN/TPY-2, an X-Band, phased array, solid-state radar developed and built by Raytheon. The TPY-2 is employed for surveillance at ranges of up to 1,000 km (600 miles) as well as target identification and target tracking, thanks to its high-power output and beam/waveform agility. Targeting information is uploaded to the missile immediately before launch, and continuously updated during the flight.

Middle East & Africa

• Jane’s reports that the government of Qatar’s order of Rafale fighter aircraft will be delivered between 2019 and 2022. The first Qatari squadron is being set up at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in southwest France, there more than 200 pilots and technicians have been trained. The current F3 standard includes full integration with the Reco NG reconnaissance pod, implementation of all currently planned modes for the RBE2 radar, anti-ship attack with the Exocet or follow-on ANF, and support for an improved tanker pack. Qatar made an initial purchase of the Rafale in 2015 and gradually increased its order to 36 planes.

• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is set to receive support for its F-15 Fleet Modernization program as part of a US foreign military sale. Titan LSC has been awarded a $68.4 million indefinite-delivery-requirements contract that provides for the acquisition of various different commercial vehicles and trailers in support of the RSAF program. Titan will facilitate delivery to the Dhahran Supply Depot at King Abdul Aziz Air Base and maintain operations in the Dammam Metropolitan Area in Saudi Arabia as a liaison for the operation. In October 2010 Saudi Arabia negotiated a $30-60 billion arms package with the USA including an order of 84 F-15 Strike Eagles. Work will be performed at Titan LSC, Amman, Jordan, and in the subcontractor’s facility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The contract is expected to be completed by July 10, 2021.

Europe

• The government of Denmark has voiced its intent to purchase 29 AIM-120 C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM). The State Department is determined to approve this foreign military sale which has a value of $90 million. The potential deal includes the missiles, a spare guidance section and other equipment ranging from missile containers to training services. At present, the AIM-120-C7 is the most advanced AMRAAM approved for export beyond the USA. The AIM-120-C7 is currently in production for almost all export customers, with an improved seeker head, greater jamming resistance, and slightly longer range. Additional work continues to improve the C7’s resistance to electronic countermeasures, and the 2-phase EPIP program. The missiles would equip Denmark’s future F-16 and F-35 fighter jets.

• The government of Slovakia has decided to purchase 14 new F-16 fighters to replace its Russian made MiG-29 jets. The deal has a potential value of up to $1.3 billion. The Lockheed produced plane thus successfully competed against Saab’s Gripen. In April, the US State Department approved the potential sale of 14 Block 70/72 F-16Vs for Slovakia. The Slovakian defense ministry said in a press statement “the US offer was more advantageous for the Slovak Republic in terms of all parameters, and in this regard the ministry refused to speculate that the reason for choosing the F-16 aircraft was later delivery and thus prolongation of dependence on Russian technology.” The ministry compared the price of 14 F-16, ammunition, pilot training costs and ground staff, logistics, infrastructure completion, delivery times and other operating costs, up until the 2040s horizon.

Asia-Pacific

• The Nepalese Army intends to purchase on AW-139 Helicopter. The Nepalese government intended to purchase three helicopters in total for disaster response and rescue operations, however part of the purchase was cancelled as the price ceiling exceeded an earlier deal. The AW139 delivers best-in-class performance with a maximum cruise speed of 165 knots and a range in excess of 500 nm. It also has the largest cabin in its class, which can accommodate up to 15 passengers. The AW139 Chopper delivery date has not been disclosed yet.

Today’s Video

• Britain shows off its F-35s

Americas

• Vencore Services and Solutions is being tapped to support the US Air Force’s Technical Applications Center (AFTAC). The awarded contract has a value of $49.8 million and supports R&D operations to develop future nuclear monitoring equipment. Nuclear surveillance is needed for the monitoring of treaties and observing global nuclear developments. Vencore will provide services that are heavily focused on organizing a group of highly-specialized scientists, engineers, and analysts to work in support of nuclear detection missions. The company will develop the future systems and other advanced detection technologies, including new analysis- methods and techniques. Consisting of more than 3,600 sensors worldwide, AFTAC operates and maintains a global network of nuclear event detection equipment called the U.S. Atomic Energy Detection Systems (USAEDS), the largest sensor network in the US Air Force. Once a disturbance is detected underground, underwater, in the atmosphere or in space, the event is analyzed for nuclear identification, and the findings are reported to national command authorities. Work will be performed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It has an estimated completion date of August 20, 2024

• The Navy is currently testing its MQ-8C Fire Scout UAS. A press release confirms that the UAV finished its Initial Operational Test and Evaluation from the littoral combat ship USS Coronado. The MQ-8C “Endurance Upgrade Fire Scout” is based on Bell Helicopter’s 3-ton 407 model, which serves as the base for the Iraqi Air Force’s manned IA-407-armed scout helicopters. MQ-8C is effectively a full-sized light naval utility helicopter, with 8 hours endurance carrying a 1,250-pound payload, and a maximum underslung payload of more than 2,600 pounds. The crew of the Coronado and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1, or VX-1, conducted combat simulations to evaluate the Fire Scout on target identification, intelligence and surface warfare, the results of which will help the Navy decide how best to use the rotorcraft. The unit also evaluated best practices concerning pairing the Fire Scout and MH-60S Seahawk helicopters. The Fire Scout has a range of nearly 600 miles and can fly to up to 12,500 feet. The Fire Scout can be armed with Hellfire and Viper Strike missiles, alongside several other weapons systems.

• The US Army is again boosting the upkeep of its Abrams tanks. Honeywell International Inc. is being awarded a contract modification valued at $119.6 million in support of the Army’s Total Integrated Engine Revitalization Automotive Gas Turbine program for M1 Abrams tank engines. Approved for production in 1990, the M1A2 represents the US Army’s technological improvement of the basic M1A1 design and the most modern battle tank in the world. It is equipped with a 120mm gun and is protected by depleted uranium armor. Over 10.000 Abrams tanks have been built so far, many of which were exported to militaries across the world. Work will be performed in Phoenix, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of March, 2021.

Middle East & Africa

• Jane’s reports that the Tunisian Navy commissioned its second Multi Service Offshore Patrol Vessel (MSOPV) 1400 and a third Istiklal-class patrol boat at the port of La Goulette. The Syphax is the second of four MSOPV 1400s currently being built for the Tunisian Navy. The ship is being built and developed by Romanian defense contractor Damen. The MSOPV is Damen’s second generation offshore patrol vessel design and was revealed several years ago. It incorporates Damen’s Sea Axe hull shape for superior seakeeping – since the hull is designed to reduce water resistance, the new OPV is fuel efficient and capable of speeds up to 25/26 knots. A Multi-Mission Bay can be equipped with dedicated mission modules (e.g. mission containers) for missions such as counter piracy, counter-drug operations, anti-mining warfare, search-and-rescue and so forth. The Multi-Mission Bay is also equipped with a nine-meter RHIB, which can be launched over a dedicated slipway through the rear of the vessel while the OPV is sailing. Meanwhile, the third OPV, Hannon, commenced initial sea trials in the Black Sea late last June.

Europe

• The Czech Ministry of Defense is looking into a variety of systems to replace its obsolete Russian-designed 2K12 Kub mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems. The government has allocated about $450 million for procuring a new SHORAD SAM system with a range of 9 miles. It is yet unclear what kind of system the government is looking for. Currently there are several types of SHORAD systems on the market. Earlier this year, Estonia, which is also a NATO member opted for MBDA’s Mistral. However, considering its limited range of 4 miles, it seems unlikely that this system will be ordered. Another option could be Israel’s Iron Dome, which has an all-weather-range of up to 43.5 miles. The Ministry plans to equip the 25th ADM Regiment with four batteries, each equipped with up to eight ready-to-fire missiles.

Asia-Pacific

• India’s plan to build and commission its second indigenous aircraft carrier has been postponed again. Steadily declining budgets, technological hurdles and prolonged delays by the Ministry of Defense in approving the program make it very unlikely that the Vishal will enter service by 2030-2032. The proposed 65,000–70,000 ton conventionally powered ‘flat top’ carrier would be capable of embarking 50–60 fixed- and rotary-wing platforms and cruise at 30 knots, but it would also cost between $12 – 13 billion. India’s Navy has currently one carrier in operation the refurbished Soviet-era Kiev-class Vikramaditya. By 2018–19, Vikramaditya was to have been supplemented by INS Vikrant, the 37,000-tonne Project 71 carrier with a short take-off but arrested recovery (STOBAR) configuration that has been under construction since 2009 at Cochin Shipyard Limited, southern India. At this point the Vikrant is scheduled to enter service by October 2020. The Indian Navy plans to field three carrier battle groups under its Maritime Capability Perspective Plan.

• The Royal Australian Air Force’s fleet EA-18G Growlers is expected to achieve its initial operational capability (IOC) in the coming months. Australia is currently only the second operator of the aircraft, after the US Navy. The EA-18 is more than 90% common with the standard F/A-18F Super Hornet, sharing its airframe, AESA radar, stores management system and weapons options. The exception is the Super Hornet’s Vulcan Gatling gun is substituted with electrical equipment. Additional electrical equipment is added throughout the airframe, and Raytheon’s internally-mounted AN/ALQ-227 communication countermeasures system uses a dedicated, omni-directional antenna for signals detection, analysis, and recording. In May 2013, then Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister for Defense Stephen Smith announced that 12 new-build EA-18G Growlers would be acquired for the RAAF, in place of an earlier plan to modify 12 ‘pre-wired’ RAAF F/A-18Fs to Growler configuration. The production of Australia’s 12 EA-18Gs was formally contracted as part of a larger US Navy buy of 44 Super Hornets and Growlers in July 2014.

Today’s Video

• Spectacular Typhoon Display – Yeovilton International Air Day 2018

Americas

• Rolls-Royce Corp. is being tapped for services in support of the AE 3007H engine. The firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract is valued at $420 million and provides for provides for maintenance, repair and overhaul of the engine. The AE 3007H (F137) engine is used to power Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS. In typical operations the Global Hawk has a cruise speed of 357 mph, a range of 8,700 mi, a service ceiling of 60,000 feet and may fly for up to 28 hours. The turbofan engine produces a net thrust of 7,050 lb. Work will be performed in Montreal, Canada; and at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and is expected to be completed by June, 2024.

• The Navy is awarding Orbital Sciences Corp with a contract in support of its supersonic cruise missile simulation program. The $52,8 million contract modification provides for the production of 18 GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) base vehicles in support of the Navy and the governments of Japan and Israel. The rocket-boosted, ramjet-powered GQM-163A was developed to simulate supersonic cruise missiles like the SS-N-22 Sunburn, the Kh-31 and the Indo-Russian PJ-10 Brahmos. Rail-launched from Navy test and training ranges, the highly maneuverable Coyote achieves cruise speeds of over Mach 2.5, with a range of approximately 60 nautical miles at altitudes of less than 20 feet above the sea surface. Work will be performed at multiple locations, including Chandler, Arizona; Camden, Arkansas; Vergennes, Vermont; Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Hollister, California, and is expected to be completed in May 2022.

• The government of Canada is looking into acquiring an additional seven surplus F/A-18 A/B Hornets from Australia. The deal is subject to US export controls. If approved, it will bring to 25 the number of former RAAF Hornets sold to Ottawa. Should export approvals be received, negotiations would determine delivery timings. The original F/A-18A (single seat) and F/A-18B (dual seat) became operational in 1983 replacing Navy and Marine Corps F-4s and A-7s. It quickly became the battle group commander’s mainstay because of its capability, versatility and availability. Reliability and ease of maintenance were emphasized in its design, and F/A-18s have consistently flown three times more hours without failure than other Navy tactical aircraft, while requiring half the maintenance time. The first two “classic” Hornets will be delivered to Canada in 2019. The Royal Canadian Air Force requires airframes to fill a capability gap during a pending process to obtain 88 new combat aircraft to replace its 85 Boeing CF-18 A/B fighters.

Middle East & Africa

• The somewhat clandestine relationship between Israel and United Arab Emirates is strengthening. As i24News reports, the Israeli Air Force recently hosted a military delegation from the United Arab Emirates to review operations of the advanced US-made F-35 fighter jets. Israel is a Security Cooperation Partner in the F-35 JSF program, its introduction was a key part of the IAF’s recapitalization plans. Israel is the only country in the region that has the F-35 in its inventory, it is also the only nation to this date that has used the fighter jet in combat missions. Although not having formal diplomatic ties the two countries are cooperating in security matters as way to counteract the growing influence of Iran in the region. The extraordinary visit comes as the UAE seeks to purchase its own fleet of the advanced F-35 fighter jets, built by US defense giant Lockheed Martin, and amid reports of a burgeoning Israeli-Gulf alliance against Iran.

• Jane’s reports that the Israeli defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is finalizing the development of its new SPARC trailer-mounted and remote-controlled launch system for the Spike non-line-of-sight (NLOS) multipurpose tactical missile. According to Rafael, the Spike NLOS is a multi-purpose, multi-platform electro-optical missile system with real-time wireless data link for ranges up to 25 km giving the gunner the ability to attack targets at stand-off range with no line of sight. The Spike NLOS can also be supplied with three different warheads especially suited to urban and high intensity conflicts, they include: a tandem high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead, a penetrating blast fragmentation (PBF) warhead, and fragmentation warhead. The Spike NLOS Modular Launcher is an adaptable, palletized, stand-off launch system specifically configured for light rapid response/all-terrain-type vehicles – typically deployed as an air portable capability – by reconnaissance units and special forces.

Europe

• The United Kingdom is looking into several options to replace its Boeing E-3D Sentry AWACS airplanes. Parliament has ruled that the MoD must hold a fair and open competition before selecting any new surveillance aircraft. The intervention by the Defense Committee followed earlier media reports that the Ministry of Defense (MoD) had already decided to procure the Boeing E-737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to replace the old AWACS planes. The plane is based on Boeing’s 707 family, and its ability to see and direct air operations within hundreds of miles provides vital strategic support. Deliveries to the UK began in March 1991 and were completed in May 1992. In 2005 the UK government approved the Sentry Whole Life Support Program (WLSP) at a cost of $1.2 billion. The RAF currently has six E-3Ds in its operational fleet, with the type having entered service in 1991. While other operators of the type have benefited from regular upgrades, the RAF’s fleet has fallen behind in terms of capabilities due to a lack of investment.

Asia-Pacific

• Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation is reportedly developing a new aircraft launch system to be deployed on aircraft carriers. The company did yet not specify the characteristics of these systems or the timeframe of their development. Russia currently has one Soviet-era aircraft carrier that is equipped with a ski-jump ramp. An aircraft launch system aboard an aircraft carrier is needed to accelerate radar surveillance aircraft or planes whose thrust/weight ratio is insufficient for taking via a ski-jump ramp. Current steam catapult technology is very stressful for the aircraft involved, very maintenance intensive, and not really compatible with modern gas turbine propulsion systems. It is quite likely that the system to be developed will be an electromagnetic aircraft launch system. EMALS aims to leap beyond steam’s limitations, delivering significant efficiency savings, a more survivable system, and improved effectiveness. An electromagnetic catapult is a mechanism, which accelerates an aircraft by linear induction motors instead of steam shuttles. This principle is used on monorail railroads.

• Flightglobal reports that the Chinese government is planning to develop a new carrier-borne fighter as replacement of its J-15s. Reports suggest that the Chinese copy of the Sukhoi Su-33, has been involved in four crashes and suffers a range of mechanical problems. The J-15 is the heaviest carrier-borne fighter in current operation, with an empty weight of 38.500 lb., higher than the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet’s 32.187 lb. China has one operational carrier, the Liaoning.

Today’s Video

• PLAAF general confirms new J-15 fighter replacement program

Americas

• The Army is procuring fuses for its artillery shells. Action Manufacturing and Amtec Corp. are set to compete for each order of the firm-fixed-price contract worth $250,7 million. The contract provides for the manufacture, inspection, testing, packaging, and delivery of M739A1 Point Detonating and Delay fuses. The M739 series fuses are the latest improved version of the selective impact fuses. The fuse body is a one-piece design solid aluminum and has a standard 2-inch threaded base to match projectile nose and fuse cavity. The M739A1 fuse contains an Impact Delay Module (IDM) assembly. The IDM provides fuse initiation delay based upon the completion of mechanical actions caused by projectile deceleration and will function immediately after passing through the target. Function occurs when a spring-loaded firing pin is released. There are no explosive components contained within the IDM. The M739A1 is a selective super-quick auto-delay impact fuse designed for use in all standard HE artillery 4.2-inch Mortar, 105mm through 8-inch Howitzers and 175mm Guns. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 28, 2023.

• Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), is being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract valued at $116,2 million. The contract provides for sustainment support of integrated afloat and ashore tactical networks. This three-year contract includes one two-year option period which, if exercised, would bring the overall, potential value of this contract to an estimated $196,5 million. The Navy has a number of tactical networks that support its warfighting capabilities, they all depend on a well-maintained IT infrastructure. One of those systems is CANES, or the US Navy’s Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services program, which is designed to streamline and update shipboard networks to improve interoperability across the fleet. Work will be performed aboard Navy ships and Department of Defense installations and facilities worldwide by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Systems Center Pacific and Center Atlantic. Work is expected to be completed June 27, 2021. If the option is exercised, the period of performance would extend through June 27, 2023.

• The US Air Force will prematurely end its A-29 Super Tucano experiment program. The US Air Force will not conclude the flying portion of its light-attack experiment after a June 22 aircraft crash resulted in the death of a pilot. Last month’s mishap involved the A-29 Super Tucano, made by Embraer and Sierrra Nevada Corp., that was being flown in a training mission over the Red Rio Bombing Range, which is part of the White Sands Missile Range north of Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. Lt. Christopher Carey Short, a naval aviator, died in the accident while a second pilot was airlifted to the hospital with minor injuries. The suspension ends a flying evaluation of the Super Tucano and the Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine two weeks before a scheduled public demonstration. The Air Force plans to use data gathered from the experiment to decide whether to buy potentially hundreds of light attack aircraft. The hope is these fighters could be cheaper alternatives for certain missions to using aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-35.

Middle East & Africa

• The government of Qatar is adding several Hawk advanced jet trainers to its order of Eurofighter Typhoons. BAE Systems has announced that the emirate has amended the contract it signed in late 2017 for 24 Typhoons to include nine Hawks. The Hawk family of aircraft, manufactured by BAE Systems, has been made famous by the Red Arrows Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team. Since entering service with the Royal Air Force in 1976, over 800 Hawk aircraft have been delivered and it has been exported to several nations. The Hawk 100 is an advanced two-seat weapons systems trainer with enhanced ground attack capability. The aircraft provides fighter lead-in training and navigator and weapons systems operator training. Hawk deliveries will commence in 2021, with the first of the Typhoons following in 2022. No financials pertaining to the details of the Hawks were disclosed.

Europe

• The Belgian Navy is testing Schiebel’s Camcopter S-100 drone as part of the service’s search for new maritime-surveillance and search-and-rescue equipment. Belgium sports a relatively straight coastline measuring close to 70 kilometers, roughly equivalent in length to that between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in Florida. The European nation is joining a growing trend among navies worldwide to employ UAVs to act as the eyes and ears of military and coast guard vessels. Earlier this year, the government of Australia chose the heavy-fuel variant of the S-100 as its new maritime UAV. According to Schiebel’s spokeswoman, the S-100 has performed “thousands” of takeoffs and landings from aboard more than 30 ships by a host of international customers. Based in Vienna, Austria, Schiebel plans to focus on developing next-generation sensors to further expand its portfolio in the areas of intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance.

Asia-Pacific

• China is continuing its determined naval buildup. The People’s Liberation Army Navy is now in possession of two new destroyers. The Type 055 vessels are designed long-range air defense, anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. They are kind of a mix between Ticonderoga – Arleigh Burke – and Zumwalt class destroyers. The Type 055 could just as easily be classified as a cruiser than as a destroyer. It’s 590 feet long and displaces between 10,000 and 12,000 tons. That is 81 feet longer and up to nearly 2,500 tons greater than America’s latest Arleigh-Burke class destroyers. The ship is likely to be primarily armed with a sea-going version of the HQ-9 long-range surface-to-air missile, as well as the HQ-16 medium-range SAM, and possibly quad-packed DK-10As. The DK-10A is based on the PL-12 air-to-air missile and would act as an intermediate-range air defense missile roughly similar to the US Navy’s RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM). The two 10,000-tonne Type 055 destroyers were launched simultaneously by the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company in a move that reflects the rapid pace at which China is building this new class of warship. The latest ships are the third and fourth to be launched, with all four entering the water in a little over a year. The recently launched vessels are equipped with multifunction phased array radars similar to the U.S. Navy’s Aegis system and could accompany future carrier battle groups as China continues to expand its carrier program.

Today’s Video

• NASA will bring one of its F/A-18 to Galveston to test quiet sonic boom