Showing results 1 - 10 of 23 for the search terms: SBIRS.
Results for "SBIRS"
The USA’s New Littoral Combat Ships (updated)
26-Oct-2009 11:36 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, BAE, Boeing, Budgets, Coastal & Littoral, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Modifications, Design Innovations, EADS, Eng. Control Systems, Expeditionary Warfare, FOCUS Articles, Force Structure, Forces - Naval, General Dynamics, IT - Software & Integration, Interoperability, Issues - Political, L3 Communications, Lobbying, Lockheed Martin, Materials Innovations, New Systems Tech, Northrop-Grumman, Other Corporation, Partnerships & Consortia, Policy - Doctrine, Power Projection, Procurement Innovations, Project Methodologies, Protective Systems - Naval, R&D - Contracted, Raytheon, Rolls Royce, Sensors - Aquatic, Surface Ships - Combat, Testing & Evaluation, Training & Exercises, Transformation, UUVs & USVs, Warfare - Trends
General Dynamics Team
Trimaran LCS Design
(click to enlarge)
Exploit simplicity, numbers, the pace of technology development in electronics and robotics, and fast reconfiguration. That was the US Navy’s idea for the low-end backbone of its future surface combatant fleet. Inspired by successful experiments like Denmark’s Standard Flex ships, the US Navy’s $30+ billion “Littoral Combat Ship” program was intended to create a new generation of affordable surface combatants that could operate in dangerous shallow and near-shore environments, while remaining affordable and capable throughout their lifetimes.
It hasn’t worked that way. In practice, what the Navy wanted, the capabilities needed to perform primary naval missions, and what could be delivered for the sums available, have proven nearly irreconcilable. The LCS program has changed its fundamental acquisition plan several times since 2005, and canceled contracts with both competing teams, without escaping any of its fundamental issues.
The latest additions include completion of LCS-2 builder tests, and plans to deploy LCS-1 ahead of schedule…
EELV Contracts: After the Merger
20-Oct-2009 10:31 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, Launch Facilities, Launch Vehicles, Lockheed Martin, Satellites & Sensors, Spotlight articles
Boeing Delta IV Heavy
(click to view full)
The EELV program was designed to reduce the cost of government space launches through greater contractor competition, and modifiable rocket families whose system requirements emphasized simplicity, commonality, standardization, new applications of existing technology, streamlined manufacturing capabilities, and more efficient launch-site processing. Result: the Delta IV (Boeing) and Atlas V (Lockheed Martin) heavy rockets.
Paradoxically, that very program may have forced the October 2006 merger of Boeing & Lockheed Martin’s rocket divisions. Crosslink Magazine’s Winter 2004 article “EELV: The Next Stage of Space Launch” offers an excellent briefing that covers EELV’s program innovations and results, while a detailed National Taxpayer’s Union letter to Congress takes a much less positive view.
This DID Spotlight article looks at the Delta IV and Atlas V rockets, as well as the contracts that have been placed since the merger, which formed United Launch Alliance. The latest news is the successful launch of a Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellite by an Atlas V rocket…
- Delta IV
- Atlas V
- Military Satellite Payloads
- Contracts & Key Events
- Additional Readings
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DSP Satellites: Supporting America’s Early-Warning System
11-Oct-2009 13:39 EDT |
Related Stories: ABM, Americas - USA, Contracts - Awards, FOCUS Articles, Northrop-Grumman, Satellites & Sensors, Support & Maintenance, Support Functions - Other
DSP-16 Deploys
(click to view full)
Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites have been monitoring the skies as America’s early-warning system for ballistic missile launches since their first launch in 1970. The current Satellite Early Warning System (SEWS) consists of 5 DSP satellites; 3 provide frontline operational service, with 2 available as backups should problems emerge with the primary satellites.
The program’s lifetime has seen the launch of 23 DSP satellites, and improvements to DSP via 5 upgrade sets have allowed those satellites to exceed their design lifespan. The USAF’s fact sheet lists the satellites’ unit cost at $400 million, though they do not mention what fiscal year baseline that figure is linked to. While the DSP satellites successfully detected Iraqi SCUD launches during Operation Desert Storm, testimony before Congress has noted that there are some classes of missiles the DSP constellation finds difficult to pick up.
This entry will be DID’s focus article for the DSP program, and will be updated to cover new developments, contracts, et. al. The latest development involves a contract to Northrop Grumman Space Technology to support the DSP spacecraft…
- The DSP Satellites [NEW]
- Contracts and Key Events [updated]
- Additional Readings
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Despite Problems, SBIRS-High Moves Ahead (updated)
02-Sep-2009 17:15 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Contracts - Awards, Lockheed Martin, New Systems Tech, Northrop-Grumman, Official Reports, Outer Space, Project Management, Satellites & Sensors
SBIRS-High
(click to view full)
The Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS)-High satellite program is a key component of the USA’s future missile alert system, designed to give maximum warning and monitoring of ballistic missile launches anywhere in the world. The new satellites will replace the existing Defense Support Program (DSP) fleet. Their infared sensors have 2 times the revisit rate and 3 times the sensitivity of DSP, while providing better persistent coverage.
Unfortunately, the program has been beset by massive cost overruns, technical challenges that continue to present problems, and uncertain performance. Despite its problems, the U.S. Air Force is proceeding with the program, even as it examines potential alternatives and supplements.
DID has more on the current state of the SBIRS-High program and its budgets, and covers recent contract awards…
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Azimuth to Research Ways to Protect Sensors from Directed Energy Threats
25-Aug-2009 15:27 EDT |
Related Stories: Air Reconnaissance, Americas - USA, Contracts - Awards, Design Innovations, New Systems Tech, Other Corporation, Outer Space, R&D - Contracted, Satellites & Sensors, Sensors & Guidance, UAVs
Space-based sensors
could be vulnerable
(click to view full)
Azimuth Corp in Dayton, OH received a $50 million contract to conduct hardening and survivability research designed to protect sensors from directed energy threats. The contract is being awarded under the US Air Force’s Hardened Materials Research and Survivability Studies program, which is intended to study materials technologies, interactions, and/or applications to improve the survivability of military systems.
Air Force Research Laboratory Detachment 1 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio manages the contract (FA8650-09-D-5434).
A 2007 report by a US Defense Science Board task force identified the potential use of directed energy to disrupt sensors…
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THAAD: Reach Out and Touch Ballistic Missiles (updated)
20-Aug-2009 08:18 EDT |
Related Stories: ABM, Americas - USA, BAE, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, FOCUS Articles, Lockheed Martin, New Systems Tech, R&D - Contracted, Raytheon
THAAD: In flight
(click to view full)
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is a long-range, land-based theater defense weapon that acts as the upper tier of a basic 2-tiered defense against ballistic missiles. It’s 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, hence its previous “theater (of operations) high altitude area defense” designation.
This capability makes THAAD different from a Patriot PAC-3 or the future MEADS system, which are point defense options with limited range that are designed to hit a missile or warhead just before impact. The SM-3 Standard missile is a far better comparison, but the SM-3 is a naval counterpart and could offer positioning advantages or disadvantages depending on the area to be defended. An ideal multi-layered anti-ballistic missile system should have both land and naval options, as well as theater-level and point defenses backed by a 3rd tier of longer ranged midcourse-defense missiles (q.v. GBI) and/or space-based weapons that can hit the missile during its boost phase.
This is DID’s FOCUS article covering the THAAD system, and newer items will be indicated in green type as a reader convenience. The latest news involves potential changes to THAAD that could make it much more competitive with Raytheon’s new land-based SM-3 offering…
SBIRS Evaluating New Technologies (updated)
01-Apr-2008 12:14 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Contracts - Awards, R&D - Contracted, Satellites & Sensors, Spotlight articles, T&C - SAIC
SBIRS-High
(click to view full)
DID has discussed the ongoing project issues with the USA’s “SBIRS High” missile launch early-warning satellites, which aim to replace the existing DSP fleet. Massive cost overruns, technical challenges that continue to present problems, and uncertain performance all factor into the equation. Yet their mission – to detect ballistic missile launches and so serve as the critical first stage of the USA’s national early warning system – is too critical to abandon. What to do?
While some progress has been made on SBIRS-High, the search for alternative technologies is now well underway in a program called AIRSS the Alternate InfraRed Satellite System. The effort continues to progress, as Raytheon reports early success and additional risk reduction contracts are being issued…
Major Shifts Flow From NPOESS Polar Satellite Program “Crisis”
31-Jul-2007 20:23 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Boeing, Contracts - Modifications, Design Innovations, Environmental, Issues - Political, New Systems Tech, Northrop-Grumman, Project Failures, Project Management, Project Methodologies, R&D - Contracted, Satellites & Sensors, Scandals & Investigations, Sensors & Guidance
NPOESS (click to view full)
The National Polar-orbiting Observing Satellite System (NPOESS) is a joint program of the Department of Defense, Department of Commerce and the NASA that will help develop 3-7 day weather forecasts for civilian and military purposes, replacing less sophisticated satellites that are expected to fail over the next several years. Those forecasts include weather like hurricanes, tornadoes, et. al. Unfortunately, it now appears that NPOESS could be as much as $3 billion over budget, and that it is not expected to be launched until 2012 – 3 years later than even the most recent program plan, and at least 6 years later than earlier projections. Some gaps in coverage are possible during that time, if enough older satellites fail.
In November 2005 testimony given at a House of Congress Science Committee hearing, the Administrator of NOAA and the Undersecretary of the Air Force promised new cost and schedule estimates and policy options, as well as fuller and more rapid information. Nor are these the only changes underway in NPOESS, which was openly described as “a program in crisis”... DID’s updates you with some contract history, and recaps the program’s issues and changes in the wake of a recent $2+ billion contract…
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$80M to Boeing for GMD Missile Defense Complex in Europe
26-Jul-2007 17:19 EDT |
Related Stories: ABM, Americas - USA, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, Europe - Other, Issues - International, Issues - Political, Support Functions - Other
(click to view full)
Boeing in Huntsville, AL received a sole-source maximum $80 million cost-plus-incentive-fee, indefinite-delivery letter contract to conduct activation planning of a European-based Missile Defense Complex, as part of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) component of the USA’s anti ballistic missile program. Work will be performed at Huntsville, Alabama and the European site, and is expected to be complete by September 2013. The contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, AL is the contracting activity (HQ0147-07-D-0001).
Upon completion, GMD will consist of an complex array of components: Air Force Defense Support Program satellites (DSP – in service); Space Based Infrared System-High satellites (SBIRS-High, encountered problems and may be supplanted or supplemented by AIRSS); the Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS); Upgraded Early Warning Radars (UEWRs – in progress around the world); a Battle Management, Command, Control and Communications system (BMC3 – in Colorado and Alaska); the SBX Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX); and Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) missiles at Ft Greely, AK and Vandenberg, CA.
Missile defense efforts in Europe remain a source of controversy. Russia, which is helping Iran with its nuclear program, has objected strongly to such efforts. The nature and location of this complex are not discussed in the DefenseLINK release, however. Some additional readings related to this subject include…
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$126.2M Paid as STSS SBIRS-Low is Rebaselined and Stretched Out
09-Nov-2006 08:41 EST |
Related Stories: ABM, Americas - USA, Contracts - Modifications, Issues - Political, Northrop-Grumman, Project Methodologies, Satellites & Sensors
STSS Concept
(click to view full)
Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp. in Redondo Beach, CA received a $126.2 million cost-plus-award fee contract modification to perform activities associated with rebaselining the Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS, formerly SBIRS-Low) program for FY 2005 through FY 2008 due to funding restrictions. They will also perform additional government directed testing to improve mission assurance for the low-orbiting infared ballistic missile detection & tracking satellites. Work will be complete June 2008, and the Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA issued the contract (F04701-02-C-0009/P00106).
So, what does this mean? Fiscal year funding constraints on STSS forced work content to be prioritized and time in a way that wasn’t congruent with the current block 6 performance baseline. In order for the contractor to make up for that lost time, efforts like double/triple shifts, additional personnel, etc. will increase their cost and this “pays the piper” for that politically-driven decision. An October 2005 article offers additional background regarding the STSS program.
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