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Results for "aegis"
Korea’s KDX-III AEGIS Destroyers
19-Nov-2009 15:06 EST |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Asia - Other, BAE, Contracts - Awards, Finmeccanica, IT - General, IT - Networks & Bandwidth, Lockheed Martin, New Systems Tech, Other Corporation, Surface Ships - Combat
ROKS King Sejong the Great
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KDX (Korean Destroyer eXperimental) is the Republic of Korea’s big surface combatant shipbuilding program. This 3-phased program involves 3 individual classes of ships. The 3 KDX-I Gwanggaeto the Great Class ships are called destroyers, but a 3,800 tons their size and armament more properly rank them as small frigates. The last ship of class was commissioned in 2000. The next 6 KDX-II Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin Class ships are indeed destroyers at 6,085 tons full load, with a hull design licensed from Germany’s IABG and more advanced systems that include SM-2 air defense missiles. They were commissioned between 2003-2008.
With that experience under their belts, Korea has now launched into the 3rd phase of the program. The KDX-III King Sejong the Great destroyers are by far the largest, at 8,500 tons standard displacement and 11,000 tons full load. They carry the AEGIS combat system, along with a wide array of American, European, and Korean weapons and missiles.
DID’s article offers details regarding the class, as well as some of the relevant contracts. The latest item is a $41.1 million award to Lockheed Martin for combat systems engineering, installation, and testing aboard the 2nd ship being built in the KDX-III class…
- The KDX III Sejongdaewang-Ham Class
- Contracts and Key Events [updated]
- Additional Readings
Continue reading…
Dead Aim, Or Dead End? The USA’s DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class Program
15-Nov-2009 15:31 EST |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, BAE, Boeing, Budgets, Coastal & Littoral, Contracts - Awards, Design Innovations, Electronics - General, FOCUS Articles, General Dynamics, Issues - Political, Lobbying, Lockheed Martin, New Systems Tech, Surface Ships - Combat, T&C - IBM, Transformation
67% of the fleet
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The prime missions of the new DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class destroyer are to provide naval gunfire support and next-generation air defense in near-shore areas where other large ships hesitate to tread, possibly even as the anchor for an action group of stealthy Littoral Combat Ships and submarines. The estimated 14,500t (cruiser sized) Zumwalt Class will be fully multi-role, however, with undersea warfare, anti-ship, and long-range surface attack roles.
That makes the DDG-1000 suitable or another role – as a “hidden ace card,” using its overall stealth to create uncertainty for enemy forces. At over $3 billion per ship for construction alone, however, the program faced significant obstacles if it wanted to avoid fulfilling former Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter’s fears for the fleet.
True, or False?
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DID’s FOCUS Article for the DDG-1000 program covers the new ships’ capabilities and technologies, key controversies, associated contracts and costs, and related background resources. From the outset, DID has noted that the Zumwalt Class might face the same fate as the ultra-sophisticated, ultra-expensive SSN-21 Seawolf Class submarines. That appears to have come true, with news of the program’s cancellation at 3 ships. Or will it be 2?
The latest news involves more funds to finish the ship’s computing backbone, which has been identified as a concern in recent GAO reports…
US Foodservice to Supply Food and Beverages to Baltimore-Washington Military Facilities
12-Nov-2009 10:44 EST |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Bases & Infrastructure, Contracts - Modifications, Food-related, Other Corporation, Support Functions - Other
Dinner’s Ready!
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The US Defense Supply Center Philadelphia is exercising the 4th option year on a $64.5 million contract with US Foodservice Baltimore/ Washington in Severn, MD to provide food and beverages to US military facilities in Maryland, Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Delaware.
The 4th option year is worth a maximum of $19.4 million.
Under the contract, US Foodservice is providing food and beverages to the following US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, and US Coast Guard facilities…
Continue reading…
LPD-17 San Antonio Class: The USA’s New Amphibious Ships (updated)
05-Nov-2009 15:16 EST |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Modifications, Design Innovations, Expeditionary Warfare, FOCUS Articles, Forces - Marines, IT - General, Issues - Political, New Systems Tech, Northrop-Grumman, Other Corporation, Partnerships & Consortia, Policy - Procurement, Power Projection, Procurement Innovations, Project Failures, Project Methodologies, Radars, Raytheon, Surface Ships - Other
LPD-17 cutaway
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LPD-17 San Antonio class amphibious assault support vessels are a new class of ship which is just entering service with the US Navy. Much like their predecessors, their mission is to embark, transport, land, and support elements of a US Marine Corps Landing Force. What changes are the capabilities and technologies incorporated to perform that mission. This new ship class includes significant internal technology and design upgrades, and is designed to operate accompanying platforms like the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle amphibious armored personnel carrier.
Between 10-11 scheduled ships of this class are slated to assume the functional duties of up to 41 previous ships, including the USA’s older LSD-36 USS Anchorage class dock landing ships (all decommissioned as of 2004, LSD-36 and LSD-38 transferred to Taiwan) and its LPD-4 USS Austin Class ships (12 built and serving, LPD 14 Trenton now India’s INS Jalashva). The San Antonio class ships may also replace 2 classes of ships currently mothballed and held in reserve status under the Amphibious Lift Enhancement Program (ALEP): the LST-1179 Newport class tank landing ships, and LKA-113 Charleston class amphibious cargo ships.
Welcome to Norfolk…
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Replacing that many existing ships is already a very tall order. While its design incorporates notable advances, the San Antonio Class has also had its share of teething problems. So, too, has the New Orleans shipyard to which most of this contract has been assigned. The number of serious issues encountered in this ship class have been much higher than usual, and more extensive. The initial ships have been criticized for sub-standard workmanship, and it took 2 1/2 years after the initial ship of class was delivered and accepted before any ship of class was sent on an operational cruise. Whereupon the USS San Antonio promptly found itself laid up Bahrain due to oil leaks. Meanwhile, costs are almost twice the originally promised amounts at over $1.7 billion per ship – 2 to 3 times as much as many foreign LPD classes, and more than 10 times as much as Singapore’s 6,600 ton Endeavour Class LPD.
DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This is DID’s FOCUS Article for the San Antonio Class, detailing the ships’ unique features and capabilities, its program innovations and issues, ship timelines, and related contracts throughout the program’s history. As has become DID custom, the most recent additions are highlighted in green type. The latest developments include a contract to Raytheon that could be worth over $175 million, and the imminent commissioning of the LPD 21 New York, which contains steel from the destroyed World Trade Center…
Raytheon’s Standard Missile Naval Defense Family (updated)
05-Nov-2009 14:30 EST |
Related Stories: Americas - Other, Americas - USA, Asia - Japan, Australia & S. Pacific, BAE, Boeing, Contracts - Intent, Contracts - Modifications, Europe - France, Europe - Other, FOCUS Articles, Lockheed Martin, Middle East - Other, Missiles - Surface-Air, New Systems Tech, Protective Systems - Naval, Raytheon
SM-2 Launch w. AEGIS
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Variants of the SM-2 Standard missile are the USA’s primary fleet defense anti-air weapon, and serve with 13 navies worldwide. The most common variant is the RIM-66K-L/ SM-2 Standard Block IIIB, which entered service in 1998. The Standard family extends far beyond the SM-2 missile, however; several nations still use the SM-1, the SM-3 is rising to international prominence as a missile defense weapon, and the SM-6 program is on track to supplement the SM-2. These missiles are designed to be paired with the AEGIS radar and combat system, but can be employed independently by ships with older or newer radar systems.
DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This article covers each variant in the Standard missile family, several years worth of American and Foreign Military Sales requests and contracts, key events, and the budgetary and technical background that can help put all that in context. New material is indicated in green type.
The latest addition includes a $47.8 million order for engineering and technical services to support the Standard Missile program…
SSDS: Quicker Naval Response to Cruise Missiles
03-Nov-2009 09:38 EST |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, C4ISR, Contracts - Modifications, Electronics - General, IT - Software & Integration, Protective Systems - Naval, Raytheon, Surface Ships - Combat, Surface Ships - Other
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Right now, in many American ships beyond the top-tier AEGIS destroyers and cruisers, the detect-to-engage sequence against anti-ship missiles requires a lot of manual steps, involving different ship systems that use different displays. When a Mach 3 missile gives you 45 seconds from appearance on ship’s radar to impact, however, seconds of delay can be fatal. Seconds of unnecessary delay are unacceptable.
Hence Raytheon’s Ship Self Defense System (SSDS), which uses software and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronics to turn incoming data from several systems (radar, radar warning receivers, combat identification, electro-optics) into a single picture of prioritized threats. SSDS will then recommend an engagement sequence for the ship’s crew, or (in automatic mode) fire some combination of jamming transmissions, chaff or decoys, and/or weapons against the oncoming threat. The entire ship’s combat system concept, including the sensors and weapons, is known as Quick Reaction Combat Capability (QRCC) – and SSDS is the key element that ties it all together.
Recent developments involve ongoing PEA contracts…
- SSDS: Current Versions
- Contracts & Key Events, 2008 – Present [updated]
Continue reading…
NGC Contracted for USN/RAN SPQ-9B Radars & Support
01-Nov-2009 18:08 EST |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Australia & S. Pacific, Contracts - Awards, Missiles - Anti-Ship, Northrop-Grumman, Radars, Surface Ships - Combat
AN/SPQ-9B radar
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. in Melville, NY recently received a pair of contracts from America and Australia for the AN/SPQ-9B radar system. That radar was the main air defense radar on several American destroyer and cruiser classes, but is now relegated to a secondary role on advanced air defense ships. It provides the capability to detect and track low-flying, high-speed, small radar cross-section anti-ship missile targets in heavy clutter environments.
The AN/SPQ-9 radar is currently installed on CG-47 Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruisers, where this track-while-scan radar can be integrated into the Mk 86 gun fire control system (GFCS) or the Aegis Combat Direction System. It is also the primary radar on the LHA-1 Tarawa class amphibious landing ships. As for the AN/SPQ-9B…
Continue reading…
Land-Based SM-3s for Israel - and Others
28-Oct-2009 14:42 EDT |
Related Stories: ABM, Americas - USA, Europe - Other, Middle East - Israel, Middle East - Other, Raytheon, Rumours
Land-based SM-3 concept
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In July 2008, Aviation Week reported that the US Missile Defense Agency was considering a land-based variant of the SM-3 Standard missile – largely due to specific requests from Israel.
Israel currently fields the medium range Arrow-2 land-based ABM system, supplemented by Patriot missiles for point defense. The Arrow has performed well in tests, however, and an order for more was placed as recently as February 2008. What could Israel’s rationale be?
DID discusses some possible rationales, and also discusses developments. Which includes a big role for land-based SM-3s in the USA’s future missile defense architecture…
- The SM-3 Option [NEW]
- Israel’s Possible Rationales [updated]
- Updates and Developments [updated]
Continue reading…
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
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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…
Serious Dollars for AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense Modifications
22-Oct-2009 20:10 EDT |
Related Stories: ABM, Americas - USA, Budgets, Contracts - Awards, FOCUS Articles, IT - Software & Integration, Lockheed Martin, Missiles - Surface-Air, Protective Systems - Naval, Radars, Raytheon, Surface Ships - Combat
AEGIS-BMD: CG-70
launches SM-3
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The AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense System seamlessly integrates the SPY-1 radar, the MK 41 Vertical Launching System for missiles, the SM-3 Standard missile, and the ship’s command and control system. Like its less-capable AEGIS counterpart, the AEGIS BMD Weapon System can also integrate with other radars on land and sea via Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), receiving cues from and providing information to other platforms, in order to create a battle picture that’s more detailed than any one radar could produce alone.
AEGIS has become a widely-deployed gold standard for current western naval defensive systems, and is in service or planned for service with 6 different countries. What does it do? What is AEGIS BMD, and how does it differ? And what enhancements are underway?....
- What Is AEGIS?
- AEGIS Missile Defense Capabilities
- AEGIS BMDS: The Program, 1995 – Present
- Contracts & Updates, FY 2007 – Present
- Additional Readings
Continue reading…
