Showing results 1 - 10 of 26 for the search terms: csar-x.
Results for "csar-x"
India’s MMRCA Fighter Competition
12-Nov-2009 09:14 EST |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Asia - India, BAE, Boeing, Britain/U.K., EADS, Europe - France, Europe - Other, Fighters & Attack, Lockheed Martin, Other Corporation, Pre-RFP, RFPs, Radars, Rumours, Russia, Transport & Utility
IAF: Jaguar, Mirage 2000
SU-30K, MiG-27, MiG-21BiS
(click to view full)
“It’s the biggest fighter aircraft deal since the early 1990s,” said Boeing’s Mark Kronenberg, who runs the company’s Asia/Pacific business. DID has offered ongoing coverage of India’s planned multi-billion dollar jet fighter buy, from its early days as a contest between Dassault, Saab, and MiG for a 126 plane order to the entry of American competitors and even EADS’ Eurofighter.
What began as a lightweight fighter competition to replace India’s shrinking MiG-21 interceptor fleet appears to have bifurcated into 2 categories now, and 2 expense tiers. What’s going on? In a word, lots. The participants changed, India’s view of its own needs is changing, and the nature of the order may be changing as well – but with the release of the official $10 billion RFP, the competition can begin at last. DID offers an in-depth look at the MRCA/MMRCA competition’s changes, the RFP, and the competitors; and also offers an updated timeline regarding competitive moves since this article was published in March 2006.
The RFP responses were submitted in April 2008, and the IAF is beginning the competitive fly-off. France’s Rafale has climbed back into the race, but the breakdown of negotiations to upgrade the IAF’s Mirage 2000s may damage its chances, even as it increases the MMRCA order…
F-22 Raptor: Procurement & Events (updated)
29-Oct-2009 18:10 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Asia - Japan, Australia & S. Pacific, Boeing, Budgets, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Modifications, Delivery & Task Orders, Engines - Aircraft, FOCUS Articles, Fighters & Attack, Issues - International, Issues - Political, Lobbying, Lockheed Martin, Official Reports, Support & Maintenance, Support Functions - Other, Transformation, United Technologies
Into that good night
(click to view full)
The 5th-generation F-22A Raptor fighter program has been the subject of fierce controversy, with advocates and detractors aplenty. On the one hand, the aircraft offers full stealth, revolutionary radar and sensor capabilities, dual air-air and air-ground SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) capabilities, the ability to cruise above Mach 1 without afterburners, thrust-vectoring super-maneuverability… and a ridiculously lopsided kill record in exercises against the best American fighters. On the other hand, critics charge that it’s too expensive, too limited, and cripples the USAF’s overall force structure. Meanwhile, close American allies like Australia, Japan and Israel, and other allies like Korea, are pressing the USA to abandon its “no export” policy. Most already fly F-15s, but they’re interested in an export version of the F-22 in order to help them deal with advanced – and advancing – Russian-designed aircraft, air-to-air missiles, and surface-to-air missile systems.
This DID FOCUS Article covers both sides of the F-22 controversies in the USA and abroad, and it will also be updated over time to cover and backfill contracts and events related to the F-22A Raptor program. This article has been restored to full public access, as F-22 program winds down to its end.
Recent updates include significant votes in the House and Senate, which will effectively end American F-22 production. But contracts continue, including a $474.2 million contract for 4 Lot X F-22A aircraft…
On The Verge: Canada’s $4B+ Program for Medium-Heavy Transport Helicopters
27-Oct-2009 12:13 EDT |
Related Stories: Alliances, Americas - Other, Americas - USA, Asia - Central, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, Europe - Other, FOCUS Articles, Helicopters & Rotary, Other Corporation, Rumours, Russia, Support & Maintenance
Used to be ours…
(click to view full)
Back in 1991, Canada’s Mulroney government sold the country’s CH-47 Chinook medium-lift helicopter fleet to the Dutch. They cost a lot to maintain and operate, and Canada didn’t need them anyway. Or so they thought. Fast forward to 2002, then 2006. Canada has had boots on the ground in Afghanistan for several years now, but doesn’t have any helicopters capable of operating in the hot and/or high-altitude environment of southern Afghanistan. To support its 2,000 or so troops in Afghanistan, Canada has to rely on favors from US, British, Australian, Polish, and – irony of ironies – Dutch pilots flying CH-47 Chinooks.
Even so, Canada’s “emergency” purchases for Operation Archer never included helicopters. It should have come as a relief, therefore, to learn in June 2006 that the Canadian government had announced a CDN$ 4.7 billion program to purchase 16 “medium-heavy” helicopters for military and “disaster response” roles. It should have, but it didn’t. It took 21 months after this helicopter program was announced before a sole-source RFP was even issued.
DID explains the Afghan situation on the ground for Canadian forces, the RFP, the options, the problems, the ultimatum issued by Canada’s Parliament, and the contract(s). As Canada’s August 2009 CH-47F buy moves forward, the latest addition is an order for the helicopters’ surveillance turrets…
Continue reading…
Lockheed-Martin US101 Wins, Loses U.S. Presidential Helicopter Contract (updated)
22-Oct-2009 10:01 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, C4ISR, Contracts - Awards, FOCUS Articles, Finmeccanica, GE, Issues - Political, Lockheed Martin, New Systems Tech, Northrop-Grumman, Other Corporation, Transport & Utility
VH-71 Concept
(click to view full)
In June 2005, the U.S. Navy selected the US101 for a new fleet of “Marine One” helicopters for the President of the United States. The US101 is an American variant of AgustaWestland’s successful EH101 multimission medium helicopter; it beat out Sikorsky’s S-92 Superhawk, which is already in use as a VIP state transport in countries like South Korea. Lockheed Martin, which leads Team US101 as prime contractor, received a $1.7 billion contract from the Navy for the Marine One program’s systems development and demonstration phase.
Based on the contract schedule, the first US101 that was equipped to transport the President was expected to be available in 2009. The entire fleet of 28 US101s was scheduled for delivered to the Marine One squadron by late 2015.
This is DID’s FOCUS Article for the program. In 2008, the US Navy reached an agreement to proceed with the VH-71, despite a cost per aircraft equal to or greater than the President’s Air Force One 747s. In 2009, the program’s massive requirements changes and accompanying costs overruns led to its proposed cancellation, and a first round of layoffs from Lockheed Martin. Another round is on the way in the wake of a formal stop-work order and program cancellation, even as the Pentagon considers buying 2 different helicopters in the follow-on program. Recent additions include upgrades for the existing Presidential helicopter fleet, and veto recommendation threats from SecDef Gates…
Boeing in Flight on Production of (Re)New H-47 Chinooks
21-Sep-2009 11:18 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - Other, Americas - USA, Avionics, BAE, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Modifications, Europe - France, Europe - Other, FOCUS Articles, Forces - Special Ops, Helicopters & Rotary, New Systems Tech, Other Corporation, Protective Systems - Aircraft
CH-47Fs take off
(click to view full)
DII FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record; this FOCUS Article covers the CH-47F/MH-47G helicopter programs, in the USA and abroad. The CH-47 Chinook’s distinctive “flying banana” twin-rotor design stems from the brilliant work of aviation pioneer Frank Piasecki. It gives Chinooks the ability to adjust their positioning very precisely, while carrying a large airframe whose load capacity has made it the world’s most popular heavy-lift helicopter. The USA expects to be operating Chinooks in their heavy-lift role past 2030, and the history and structure of that effort is detailed here.
The CH-47F looks similar to earlier models, but offers a wide range of improvements in almost every aspect of design and performance. While the related HH-47’s $10-15 billion CSAR-X program win has been nullified by the program’s termination, delivery orders continue for CH-47Fs and for MH-47G Special Forces configuration helicopters. Orders or formal requests have also come in from Australia, Canada, Italy, and the Netherlands, with more countries expected to follow.
The latest news involves a minor refurbshment contract for special operations helicopters, delays to Australia’s buy, and rising interest from Turkey…
CSAR-X… “Canceled for Convenience”
03-Jun-2009 14:32 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Boeing, Finmeccanica, Helicopters & Rotary, Lobbying, Lockheed Martin, Official Reports, Policy - Procurement, United Technologies
HH-47 Concept
(click to view full)
Several DID articles have covered the $10-15 billion CSAR-X competition aimed at replacing the USAF’s HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search-and-rescue helicopters, and noted its twists and turns. From profiles of the original options, to transfers of program responsibility between AFSOC and the USAF and the withdrawal of the PRV-22 Osprey from competition, to Sikorsky’s decision to offer the H-92 Superhawk, to our FOCUS Article covering the Boeing HH-47 Chinook’s contract win in November 2006, the CSAR-X/PRV program has been eventful.
February 26, 2007 added one more big event: the US Government Accountability Office, a non-partisan agency of Congress, upheld Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin’s protests over Boeing’s win. Would the GAO ruling be interpreted narrowly, triggering a double-checking exercise, or more broadly, triggering a renewed evaluation process? Worse, could the GAO’s follow-up defining the award’s problem areas create so many issues that further protests from whomever loses bring the program to a halt? The USAF released its RFP v2.0, but Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin filed renewed protests even before the new RFP’s due date. The USAF kept trying to push forward with an accelerated process, but barriers have mounted as it has lost – repeatedly. Meanwhile, the Pave Hawks aren’t getting any younger, or more capable.
DID looks at the 3 competing helicopters’ key advantages and disadvantages, and chronicles the events surrounding the GAO protest and subsequent developments. After their second loss before the GAO, the USAF has now decided to re-compete the contract – in full, with RFP Amendment 5. Which came out at about the same time as a report alleging that CSAR-X’s criteria were changed to allow Boeing’s HH-47 to compete. Meanwhile, almost $100 million is required to update the old HH-60 helicopters, as a result of all the delays.
The latest item is formal cancellation of the CSAR-X contract, per SecDef Gates’ FY 2010 budget recommendations…
CH-53K: The U.S. Marines’ HLR Helicopter Program
21-Apr-2009 12:48 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Budgets, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Intent, Contracts - Modifications, Delivery & Task Orders, EADS, Europe - France, Europe - Other, Expeditionary Warfare, Force Structure, Forces - Marines, Helicopters & Rotary, Issues - Political, Lobbying, New Systems Tech, R&D - Contracted, Transformation, United Technologies
CH-53E, Cobra Gold 2002
(click to view full)
The U.S. Marines have a problem. The CH-53E Super Stallion medium-heavy lift helicopters they rely upon to move troops, vehicles, and supplies off of their ships are wearing out. Fast. Yet the pace demanded by the Global War on Terror is relentless, and usage rates are 3x normal. Attrition is taking its toll, and CH-53s are being recalled from “boneyard” storage at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ, in order to maintain fleet numbers in the face of recent losses and forced retirements. No flyable airframes are left, and by 2012-2015, replacements will be urgently needed.
Enter the Heavy Lift Replacement (HLR) program, also known as the CH-53X and given the formal designation CH-53K in April 2006. The program’s value is estimated at $4.2 billion, and its requirements will define the future of the US Marine Corps’ medium-heavy lift capabilities. In recent news, Sikorsky just received $3.04 billion for the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) of the CH-53K aircraft, to include 4 SDD aircraft, 1 ground test vehicle, and associated program management and test support.
DID describes the CH-53K’s requirements, covers some of the potential improvements, and notes the treacherous political waters this program will need to survive, in order to wind up delivering US Marines the tools they’ll need to survive. The latest news involves additional sub-contracting by Sikorsky, and a GAO report that praises the program but reveals problems outside it…
Gates Lays Out Key FY 2010 Budget Recommendations
06-Apr-2009 23:42 EDT |
Related Stories: ABM, Americas - USA, Bases & Infrastructure, C4ISR, Coastal & Littoral, Fighters & Attack, Force Structure, Heavy Bombers, Helicopters & Rotary, IT - Cyber-Security, IT - Networks & Bandwidth, Issues - Political, Lobbying, Medical, Specialty Aircraft, Surface Ships - Combat, Tanks & Mechanized, Transport & Utility, UAVs, Warfare - Lessons
Gates & Cartwright
(click to view full)
On April 6/09, US Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates did something unusual: he convened a press conference to announce key budget recommendations in advance. That’s a substantial departure from normal procedure, in which the Office of the President’s submitted budget is the first official public notification of key funding decisions. Gates’ departure was done with full official approval, however, as the Pentagon and White House begin their efforts to convince Congress.
That’s likely to be a difficult task. Congress (the US House of Representatives and Senate) has full budgetary authority within the American system, subject only to the threat of Presidential veto. In the past, this has kept a number of programs alive despite the Pentagon’s best efforts to kill them. Sometimes, that stubbornness has improved America’s defense posture. Sometimes, it has done the opposite. For good or ill, that process has now begun. Again.
Gates’ announcement, made in the presence of Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Gen. James Cartwright, USMC, aims to make significant changes to America’s defense programs. Several would be ended or terminated. Others would be stretched out over a longer period. Still others will gain resources. DID provides the roundup, with links to related articles that offer program background…
Continue reading…
DARPA’s “Sandblaster” Program is On
17-Mar-2009 13:28 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Avionics, Contracts - Awards, DARPA, Field Reports, Helicopters & Rotary, New Systems Tech, R&D - Contracted, United Technologies
MV-22, landing
(click to view full)
In March 2007, United Technologies subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, CT received Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract for a program called “Sandblaster.”
Sandblaster?!? Being under a helicopter’s rotors can certainly feel like that, especially in sandy or dusty areas. That’s a problem in current operations, as “brownout” leaves helicopter pilots attempting to land blind – or unable to land at all. Since 1973, the US military says that there have been 21 MH-53 and 10 HH-60G brownout-related accidents within the combat search and rescue force alone. Future operations can also expect to encounter these conditions on a regular basis.
Advances in computer processing power and display technologies have led to the development of “synthetic vision systems” for commercial aircraft, and even for some ground vehicles. Could a set of sensors combine their data in a synthetic vision system that lets rotary-wing pilots see, even in total brownout conditions?
- Project Sandblaster
- Sandblaster and CSAR-X
- Contracts and Key Events
- Additional Readings
Continue reading…
Joint Heavy Lift Program: Breakthrough, Borg, or Backwater?
03-Aug-2008 11:29 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Boeing, Budgets, Contracts - Awards, Design Innovations, Expeditionary Warfare, FOCUS Articles, Forces - Marines, Helicopters & Rotary, Interoperability, Issues - Political, Lobbying, New Systems Tech, Other Corporation, Policy - Procurement, Power Projection, Pre-RFP, Project Methodologies, R&D - Contracted, Specialty Aircraft, Top Stories, Transformation, Transport & Utility, United Technologies
JHL: QTR Concept
(click to view full)
In 2005, the US military and NASA announced the kickoff of the Army-led Joint Heavy Lift program, with the award of 5 contracts for the Concept Design and Analysis (CDA) of a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Joint Heavy Lift (JHL) rotorcraft. This is a futuristic aircraft that’s imagined as having the C-130 Hercules aircraft’s 20 ton cargo capacity, but with the ability to take off and land like a helicopter. No current US military helicopter platform even comes close to that vision, and so the competitors are deploying some radical and different technologies in their attempts to meet these goals. DID covers each of them below.
CH-53E Super Stallion
At the same time, the US Marine Corps’ vital medium-heavy lift CH-53E Super Sea Stallion helicopters are beginning to to wear out their airframes. Hence the HLR Heavy Lift Replacement (HLR) program, aimed at fielding new-build CH-53K aircraft beginning in 2013-2015. The US Air Force, meanwhile, has its AJACS program, which aims to produce a C-130 replacement beginning around 2020.
All 3 programs may face a rough ride ahead. Runaway cost growth on numerous US defense programs, operational demands, and a looming demographic crisis in social programs all work to create budget squeezes, and hence pressures for program consolidation. The USMC’s affordable CH-53X track upgrade was very nearly sidetracked via a merger with he R&D heavy, schedule-uncertain, JHL, and may not be in the clear yet. The USAF’s AJACS program to replace the C-130 Hercules with a modern 20+ ton transport is also facing scrutiny of this sort, and those pressures, too may increase. Conversely, it is also possible that the JHL program could find itself edged out by a pair of more conventional helicopter and aircraft solutions from the USMC and USAF. DID notes the technologies, the politics, and progress to date.
Recent news includes a report that shows just how far away the US military is from a viable competition and winning design…
