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Results for "gapfiller"
Up to $43.1M to Rome Research to Support US Army GIG Facilities
17-Nov-2009 12:33 EST |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Contracts - Awards, IT - General, IT - Networks & Bandwidth, IT - Software & Integration, Other Corporation, Satellites & Sensors, Support & Maintenance, Support Functions - Other
Rome Research Corp., a Rome, NY-based subsidiary of PAR Technology Corp., received a 5-year contract worth up to $43.1 million to provide operator level personnel to the 21st Signal Brigade for its work operating and maintaining US Army Global Information Grid (GIG) facilities within the continental United States.
The US Department of Defense’s GIG represents a globally interconnected, end-to-end set of information capabilities and processes for collecting, processing, and managing information for US troops, policymakers, and support personnel. Each US military service operates a segment of the GIG…
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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
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“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…
Switzerland Replacing its F-5s?
09-Nov-2009 07:25 EST |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, BAE, Boeing, Budgets, Contracts - Intent, EADS, Europe - France, Europe - Other, Fighters & Attack, Force Structure, Issues - International, Issues - Political, Northrop-Grumman, Other Corporation, Project Successes, Specialty Aircraft
Swiss F-5Es
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The F-5E/F Tiger II was a follow-on upgrade to the wildly successful F-5 Freedom Fighter, a low-budget aircraft designed to capture the lower tier of the non-Soviet global fighter market in the 1960s and 1970s. A number of countries still operate F-5s, but the airframes are very old. The Swiss bought 72 F-5E/F fighters in 1976, and another 38 in 1981, for a total of 110 (98 single-seat F5E, 12 two-seat F-5F). Switzerland currently flies about 54 F-5s; A squadron of 12 were leased to Austria while they await their Eurofighters, and 44 others were sold to the US Navy.
While F-5 owners like Brazil, Chile, Thailand, et . al. have opted for comprehensive refurbishment and upgrades, Switzerland is looking to replace 3 of its 5 Tiger II squadrons with new aircraft under its Tiger-Teilersatz TTE program. The new fighters will partner with the 3 squadrons of upgraded F/A-18C/D Hornets that make up the rest of its fighter fleet. An initial evaluation RFP has been issued to 4 contenders, but Boeing’s withdrawal means the selection is now down to Sweden’s Gripen, France’s Rafale, or EADS’ Eurofighter.
Testing is now complete, and armasuisse has issued its 2nd and final RFP. Left-wing opponents of any military in Switzerland are working hard to derail the purchase, and like the 1993 F/A-18 sale, this purchase will face a national referendum. If it isn’t canceled by the Cabinet first. So far, however, the program is moving forward, and final bids have now been submitted…
- The Competition [updated]
- The Competitors
- Contracts & Key Events [updated]
- Additional Readings
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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
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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…
Next-Stage C4ISR Bandwidth: The AEHF Satellite Program
21-Oct-2009 12:23 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - Other, Americas - USA, Boeing, Britain/U.K., C4ISR, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Modifications, Design Innovations, Electronics - General, Europe - Other, FOCUS Articles, IT - Cyber-Security, L3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, New Systems Tech, Northrop-Grumman, Other Corporation, Project Management, R&D - Contracted, Raytheon, Satellites & Sensors, Transformation
AEHF concept
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DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This article offers a look at the AEHF system’s rationale and capabilities, while offering insight into some of the program’s problems, and an updated timeline covering over $5 billion worth of contracts since the program’s inception.
The USA’s new Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites will support twice as many tactical networks, while providing 10-12 times the capacity and 6 times higher data rate transfer than that of the current Milstar II satellites. With the cancellation of the higher-capacity TSAT program, AEHF will form the secure, hardened backbone of the Pentagon’s future Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) architecture. Its companion Family of Advanced Beyond-line-of-sight Terminals (FAB-T) program will give the US military modern capabilities, and more flexibility on the receiving end. The program has international components, and partners include Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands.
This article has been updated with a recent contract for Boeing to provide engineering development models for the FAB-T, and a $50+ million order from Canada…
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
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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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The USA’s 2005-2009 Multi-Year Hornet Procurement Contract
23-Sep-2009 12:46 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Modifications, Engines - Aircraft, Fighters & Attack, GE, Logistics Innovations, Project Successes, Specialty Aircraft, Spotlight articles, Support & Maintenance
F/A-18F Super Hornet
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The US Navy flies the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, and has just taken delivery of its first operational EA-18G Growler electronic warfare & strike aircraft. These buys are actually managed out of a common multi-year procurement (MYP) contract, which also manages many of the EA-18G’s support costs since it’s derived from the Super Hornet and many of the required maintenance items are common to both planes. The contract covers 42 aircraft per year, split between Super Hornets and EA-18Gs, with a variation quantity clause permitting up to 6 additional aircraft per year under the same terms. FY 2008 marks year 4 of the 5-year MYP-II contract.
DID already has an EA-18G FOCUS Article; we will be using this entry to cover the Super Hornet MYP program’s budgets, and this article has been updated to include all announced contracts since MYP-II began. The latest entries include almost $40 million for engine spares…
ALE-55 Towed Fighter Decoys for US Navy, Australia
23-Sep-2009 10:10 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Australia & S. Pacific, BAE, Contracts - Modifications, ECM, Fighters & Attack, New Systems Tech
AN/ALE-55
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“Raytheon’s ALE-50 ‘Little Buddy’ Decoys” covered a towed system that serves with F-16 Falcon/Viper, F/A-18 Hornet family, and B-1B Lancer heavy bomber aircraft.
A related system is made by competitor BAE, whose AN/ALE-55 (V) consists of an electronic frequency converter (EFC) and a fiber optic towed decoy. It works together with an aircraft’s onboard electronic warfare (EW) equipment, throughout the ECM cycle of Suppression (harder to acquire or track), Deception (active jamming techniques aimed at launchers); and Seduction (active jamming aimed at the missile, and being a decoying target if all else fails). Contracts include…
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Australia’s 2009 Defense White Paper
23-Sep-2009 07:30 EDT |
Related Stories: Air Reconnaissance, Australia & S. Pacific, Coastal & Littoral, Contracts - Intent, Fighters & Attack, Force Structure, Forces - Special Ops, Helicopters & Rotary, IT - Cyber-Security, IT - General, IT - Networks & Bandwidth, Issues - International, Issues - Political, Missiles - Anti-Armor, Missiles - Anti-Ship, Missiles - Precision Attack, Missiles - Surface-Air, Non-Lethal Weapons, Official Reports, Policy - Procurement, Power Projection, R&D - Contracted, Satellites & Sensors, Signals Intercept, Cryptography, etc., Soldier's Gear, Specialty Aircraft, Submarines, Surface Ships - Combat, Surface Ships - Other, Tanks & Mechanized, Think Tanks, Transport & Utility, Trucks & Transport, UAVs, UUVs & USVs
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Defense was an issue in the last Australian election. The center-left Labor Party attacked the center-right Liberal Party by citing mismanaged projects, and accusing the Howard government of making poor choices on key defense platforms like the F/A-18F Super Hornet and F-35A Joint Strike fighters. That sniping continued even after Labor won the election, and has been evident in more than a few Defence Ministry releases.
The new government made some program changes, such as canceling the SH-2G Seasprite contract. Yet it has been more notable for the programs it has not changed: problematic upgrades of Australia’s Oliver Hazard Perry frigates were continued, the late purchase of F/A-18F Super Hornets was ratified rather than canceled, and observers waited for the real shoe to drop: the government’s promised 2009 Defence White Paper, which would lay out Australia’s long-term strategic assessments, and procurement plans.
On May 2/09, Australia’s government released “Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030.” DID has reviewed that document, and the reaction to date… including a new ASPI roundup of reactions from around Asia.
- Fast Incoming
- The Highlight Reel
- Additional Readings & Assessments [updated]
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The Wideband Global SATCOM Program
16-Sep-2009 07:37 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Australia & S. Pacific, Boeing, C4ISR, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Modifications, FOCUS Articles, New Systems Tech, Northrop-Grumman, Other Corporation, Satellites & Sensors, T&C - SAIC, Transformation
The WGS program is actually a set of 13-kilowatt spacecraft based upon Boeing’s model 702 commercial satellite. These satellites will support the USA’s warfighting bandwidth requirements, supporting tactical C4ISR; battle management; and combat support needs. The program name has been changed for some reason from “Wideband Gapfiller Satellite” to “Wideband Global SATCOM,” presumably to avoid the (correct) suggestion that it fills an emerging gap. Readers should be aware that references to either title in documents, archives, or the media denote the same program.
Upon its first launch into geosynchronous orbit, WGS Flight 1 became the U.S. Department of Defense’s highest capacity communication satellite. This is DID’s FOCUS Article covering the WGS program. The most recent developments include storage for WGS F3, as it prepares for launch…
