C-17 vs. AN-124
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The long-range C-17 Globemaster III heavy transport aircraft remains the backbone of US Air Mobility Command inter-theater transport around the world, and its ability to operate from shorter and rougher runways has made it especially useful during the Global War on Terror. Recent buys by Australia, Britain, and Canada have broadened the plane’s its global use. Now NATO, who has relied on the SALIS arrangement and its leased super-giant AN-124s from Russia, is looking to buy and own 3-4 C-17s as NATO pooled assets with multinational crews. Participating countries will receive allocated flight hours relative to their participation (a Dutch MinDef release says they expect 500 flight hours per year for EUR 10-15 million per year over 30 years), and thus far they include: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and the United States.

This order will not materially change the coming shut-down of C-17 production, but it does look like the inauguration of a pool that will fill a gaping hole in Europe’s defense capabilities – its complete lack of heavy airlift. This article will cover NATO C-17 acquisition program, including its structure and ongoing announcements. Program is actually a misnomer so far. There has been talk, and spending bills are being introduced in some countries, but nothing resembling firm contracts yet, despite an originally-planned in-service date of late 2007. While Denmark has dropped out, Finland dropped in, and Latvia is now on board. Now a second official export request has been issued – but the number of planes has dropped…

• The NATO C-17 Pool
• Contracts, Notifications & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
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PJ-10 BrahMos
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Back in November 2005, The Hindu newspaper reported that India’s government has given the go-ahead for exporting missiles, and that India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is looking to market several of its products internationally. The DRDO will participate in international expos as part of its marketing strategy, and government officials have claimed interest from African, Gulf and South-East Asian countries. They have also noted, however, that India’s government would be required to approve any foreign sales to specific countries.

The missile systems in question include:

• Trishul (“trident”) short-range surface-air missile (SAM)
• Akash (“sky”) medium-range SAM
• Nag (“cobra”) anti-armor missile; and the
• Indo-Russian BrahMos medium-range supersonic cruise missile, which is primarily designed as an anti-ship weapon but can also perform land attack.

DID describes each of these programs, then adds some analysis that offers insights into these long-running missile programs and their competitive prospects. Updates have also been added, including the Indian Air Force’s agreement to begin manufacturing and fielding the Akash system…

• The Missiles: IGMP set, and BrahMos
• Program Updates [updated]
• Appendix A: India’s Export Prospects – DID Op/Ed Analysis (Dec 1/05)
• Appendix B: Additional Readings & Sources – Related Reports & News
• Appendix C: Additional Readings & Sources – The Missiles
  
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AN-32, Arrival
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In the above Jan 10/08 photo, an Afghan soldier with the Afghan National Army Air Corps directs a newly delivered AN-32 light tactical transport plane to its spot on the ramp of Kabul Air Base in Kabul, Afghanistan, just 65 days from receipt of original tasking from the Navy International Program Office. This plane was the first of 4 refurbished AN-32s that were purchased from the Ukraine by the ANAA, which now has 7 An-32s in inventory. The ANAA also flies 2 related AN-26 transports.

US Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR) Support and Commercial Derivative Aircraft Program Office bought the AN-32s from Ukranian commercial firms, after inspecting the aircraft. Recent stories shine light on some of the credit for their early delivery, including soldiers like PMA-207’s C-26 and UC-35 Assistant Program Manager for Systems Engineering Mr. Roman Hnatyshyn, a first-generation U.S.-born citizen fluent in the Ukrainian and related Slavic languages. Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen Petters worked the other end, and was deployed from the Pentagon to Afghanistan to help rebuild the ANAAC’s ability to support itself and the planes it would be getting. NAVAIR release | Photo and initial delivery information from the Pentagon’s DefenseLINK.

AN-32, Airborne
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The AN-32’s high placement of the engine nacelles above the wing allow bigger propellers, driven by 5,100 hp AI-20 turboprops that almost double the output of the related AN-26’s engines. As a result, the AN-32’s 14,750 pound/ 6900 kg load capacity is almost 50% better than its AN-26 cousin’s. Most important to the ANAAC, it can take off with much better load fractions in hot and/or high-altitude conditions, whose thin air could be a problem for other aircraft. India also operates AN-32 “Cline” aircraft for that very reason, and some of those IAF AN-32s are currently flying supplies into Myanmar.

May 12/08: Harper Construction Co., Inc. in San Diego, CA won a $22 million firm-fixed price contract for re-stationing of 31st Air Defense Artillery from Fort Bliss, TX, including construction of primary infrastructure and site development at Fort Sill, OK to support the new “Net Fires center” there. Work is expected to be completed by March 1/10. See this Corps of Engineers page for more details regarding the relocation project, which has a total of $148 million programmed for the move. Web bids were solicited on Sept. 21/07, and 2 bids were received by the U.S. Army Engineer District in Tulsa, OK (2912BV-08-C-2002).

The 31st ADA Brigade operates Patriot missile batteries, and also includes a combat support hospital and associated detachments. Its attached reserve unit the 3rd Battalion, 265th ADA Regiment, operates Avengers, Hummers equipped with a combination gun/Stinger missile package.

A “BIM” example
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Veterans Enterprises Technology Services, LLC in Knoxville, TN received a $9.8 million firm-fixed price contract for the construction of a Center of Standardization program and dining facility. Work will be performed at Fort Sill, OK and is expected to be complete by Sept 30/09. Web bids were solicited on Oct 4/07, and 4 bids were received by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, VA (W91236-07-D-0043).

Centers of Standardization is an important part of the US Army’s base construction program, which could reach $40 billion between 2004-2013. The idea is to have facilities of the same type share the same design standards across all US Army bases, even if they look a bit different from the outside. The intent is to lower costs and speed up construction, and the new approach is also linked to recent Army Corps of Engineers process improvement efforts. One aspect of that approach is to begin making use of “Building Information Modeling” (3D computer models) as a regular part of its construction processes. Another is the removal of needless overhead like specifications for particular bolt sizes in construction contracts. Taken together, these and other improvements can cut the expected time to build new facilities from 5-7 years from initial planning through completion to 2-4 years. See the March 2006 issue of the US Army’s official “Soldiers” Magazine [PDF format] and the March/April 2007 issue of US Army IMCOM’s Public Works Digest Magazine [PDF format] for more.

Welcome home…
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In the wake of the scandal described last week in “YouTube Video Leads to Fixes at Ft. Bragg,” the US Army committed itself to walk through inspections of all its bases. On May 7/08, Army Secretary Pete Geren said that the US Army will spend $248 million in emergency funds to fix problems found during inspections of 148,000 rooms at bases worldwide.

Ned Christensen, chief of public affairs for the Army Installation Management Command, says that the US Army aims to have new or renovated barracks housing for 147,700 enlisted Soldiers within 5 years, at an estimated total construction cost for new barracks complexes of about $10.7 billion between 2004-2013. AP report.

Sniper ATP
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Singapore has used RAFAEL’s LITENING surveillance and targeting pods on its F-16s for a number of years. In 2006, however, the city-state elected to equip its new F-15SG Strike Eagles with Lockheed Martin’s long-range Sniper ATP pods instead. Now the MINDEF has decided to add Sniper ATP pods to its 2-seat Lockheed Martin F-16D Block 52+ fighters, which may become part of a broader F-16 modernization drive.

The contract was undertaken as a direct commercial sale, instead of a Foreign Military Sale required for items classified as war materiel/”munitions”. The contract includes integration, spares, support equipment and integrated logistics support, and the pods will begin delivery in 2010. Contract values were not disclosed. Lockheed Martin release.

Sniper on F-16
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Lockheed Martin has orders for Sniper ATPs from 9 international customers (Belgium, Britain – Harriers only, may add Tornado aircraft, Canada, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and of course Singapore), and from the USAF, whose F-15E Strike Eagles have found them very useful in Iraq. RAFAEL/Northrop Grumman’s LITENING pod family had defined this market for a long time thanks to its affordable pricing and a wide feature set, and it is still receiving international orders as Northrop Grumman prepares to roll out a 4th generation version. Lockheed’s Sniper ATP appears to be mounting a very strong bid to secure future leadership in this segment, however, and the total value of its 2001 USAF contract alone could exceed $850 million.

RIM-162: sections
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The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) is used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft, and is is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles. Compared to the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, ESSM is effectively a new missile with a larger, more powerful rocket motor for increased range, a different aerodynamic layout for improved agility, and the latest missile guidance technology. Testing has even shown the ESSM to be effective against fast surface craft, an option that greatly expands the missile’s utility. As a further bonus, the RIM-162 ESSM has the ability to be “quad-packed” in the Mk 41 vertical launching system, allowing 4 missiles to be carried per launch cell instead of loading one larger SM-2 Standard missile or similar equipment.

The Sea Sparrow was widely used aboard NATO warships, so it isn’t surprising that the ESSM is an international program. The NATO Sea Sparrow Consortium includes Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and the USA – as well as non-NATO Australia. Foreign Military Sales customers outside this consortium include Japan, Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.

This is DID’s FOCUS article for the program, containing details about the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missile family, and contracts placed under this program since 1999. The latest addition is a pair of support contracts…

• ESSM: The Missiles and the Program
• ESSM-Related Contracts & Key Events (1999 – Present) [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources
  
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NSC 1 Bertholf
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The US Coast Guard’s massive $25 billion Deepwater meta-program (really Deepwater-II given post-9/11 changes) has endured more than its share of ups and downs. Nevertheless, Congressional support remains strong, and efforts are being made to restructure the program and get it back on track. “Voted Off the Island: The USCG’s Deepwater FRC Program” offered an in-depth look into the difficulties faced by the USCG’s Island Class cutter modification program, and by the Deepwater Fast Response Cutter that was supposed to replace it. “US Coast Guard’s Deepwater Effort Hits More Rough Sailing” covers recent program developments more generally.

The Legend Class National Security Cutters are the largest ships in the Deepwater program, and represent the program’s flagship in more ways than one. The 418 foot, 4,300 ton ships will be frigate-sized vessels with a 21 foot draughts¹, and are rather larger than the 379 foot, 3,250 ton Hamilton Class High Endurance Cutters (HECs) they will replace. Controversies regarding durability and potential hull fatigue, as well as significant cost overruns, have shadowed the new cutter’s construction. Nevertheless, the program appears to be moving forward.

This DID FOCUS Article covers recent developments concerning the Legend Class cutters. The latest developments include the tempest over TEMPEST, while a Navy review board gives the first of class ship Bertholf a thumbs-up review…

• Quick Background: The Deepwater Program
• The Legend Class National Security Cutters
• The Pitfalls of Being a Legend: NSC Issues & Action
• Legend Class Program: Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
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On April 2/07, BB&T Capital Markets upgraded EDO Corporation to “buy,” in part because they thought EDO was well positioned to win a part of the $200-$500 million Counter- Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (CREW) contracts going forward. CREW systems are vehicle mounted electronic jammers designed to prevent the remote detonation of land mines, and EDO makes the Warlock jammer, a derivative of its earlier “Shortstop” product.

Those contracts appear to have come through, with awards for the system EDO now calls the CVRJ (CREW Vehicle Receiver/Jammer). The Pentagon refers to Spiral 2.1 Vehicle Mounted CREW systems, which are one element of the DoD’s Joint Counter RCIED Electronic Warfare program. As the USA buys and fields more mine-resistant MRAP vehicles, IED jammers like the CVRJ and “Lockheed’s” Symphony are a natural accompaniment. A fact that should make EDO’s new owner ITT very happy…

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