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JHMCS: Fighter Pilot “Look & Shoot” Helmets’ Upgrade, Ups & Downs
27-Oct-2009 11:28 EDT |
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In the 1970s, fighter aircraft began to appear with Head-Up Displays (HUD) that projected key information, targeting crosshairs etc. onto a seemingly clear piece of glass. HUDs allowed pilots to keep their eyes in the sky, instead of looking down at their instruments. Ever since, we’ve been wondering when we’d see them in our automobiles. In the 1990s, another innovation appeared: helmet-mounted displays (HMDs) put the HUD inside the pilot’s helmet, providing this information even when the pilot wasn’t looking straight ahead. The Israelis were already pioneering a system called DASH when a set of former East German MiG-29s equipped with Soviet HMDs slaughtered USAF F-16s in NATO exercises. Suddenly, helmet-mounted displays became must-haves for modern fighters – and a key partnership positioned Elbit to take DASH to the next level.
This DID Spotlight article offered insights into the rocky past, overall state, and future of a program that has experienced its share of snags and controversy – but went on to become the #1 helmet-mounted sight in the world today. It also details the JHMCS’ game-changing effects on air combat, its production sets and known customers, and all contracts since full-rate production began.
The latest item is a some aditional gear for the US Navy…
$5.1B Proposed in Sales, Upgrades, Weapons for Pakistan’s F-16s
19-Oct-2009 08:43 EDT |
Related Stories: Alliances, Americas - USA, Asia - Central, Asia - India, Avionics, BAE, Boeing, Bombs - General, Bombs - Smart, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Intent, ECM, Fighters & Attack, Issues - International, Issues - Political, Lockheed Martin, Missiles - Air-Air, Northrop-Grumman, Other Corporation, Radars, Raytheon, Sensors & Guidance, Spotlight articles, Support & Maintenance, Support Functions - Other, United Technologies
PAF F-16A drops Mk.82s
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On June 28/06, the US DSCA notified Congress via a series of releases of its intention to provide Pakistan with a $5.1 billion Foreign Military Sales package to upgrade the F-16s that serve as the PAF’s top of the line fighters. Some of these items had been put on hold following the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan & Kashmir, but the request for 36 new F-16 Block 50/52s is now going ahead following the required 30-day review period, along with new weapons, engine modifications, 60 F-16 upgrade kits that would cover Pakistan’s older F-16 A/Bs plus other aircraft it might buy second-hand, and related equipment.
These items are detailed below, along with controversies the proposed sales have created, and some of the conditions attached to the sale by the US government. By the end of July 2008, Pakistan was expected to have its first 10 planes. The first new-build F-16, on the other hand, just had its acceptance ceremony this month…
Brazil Embarking Upon F-X2 Fighter Program
06-Oct-2009 10:32 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - Other, BAE, Britain/U.K., Budgets, EADS, Europe - France, Europe - Other, Events, Issues - International, Issues - Political, Official Reports, Other Corporation, Policy - Procurement, Pre-RFP, Russia, Spotlight articles, Transformation
Upgraded F-5BR
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Could the words “Brazilian fighter” begin evoking images unrelated to the Gracies? A proposed 50% boost to Brazil’s defense budget could be on its way to accomplishing that, and more. While the Navy and Army are also in line for funds to replace broken-down equipment, the fighters will be a critical centerpiece of the Forca Aerea Brasileira’s efforts. The 36+ aircraft buys under consideration are mostly the same set of 4+ generation fighters that were considered last time: Boeing’s F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, Dassault’s Rafale, EADS’ Eurofighter, Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Block 60, Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen NG, and Sukhoi’s SU-35. The Gripen, Rafale, and Super Hornet were picked as finalists, and along the way, the Brazilian competition became much more important to at least one of that trio.
This free-to-view DID Spotlight article covers Brazil’s reborn F-X competition, adds its assessment of their offers’ relative strengths and weaknesses, and covers ongoing events. Now, the government has tapped Dassault’s Rafale as its preferred choice, but industry and the FAB are reportedly leaning toward the JAS-39NG Gripen. Whether that’s true or not, it’s defnitely true that Saab and the Swedish government have just upped the ante considerably, as the final offers come in…
- A Stirring Giant?
- F-X2: The Competition
- Analysis: F-X2, The Competitors
- Updates and Key Events [updated]
- Additional Readings
Continue reading…
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…
F-15s Looking for the AESA Edge
16-Sep-2009 09:00 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, Fighters & Attack, New Systems Tech, Radars, Raytheon, Spotlight articles, Testing & Evaluation
Before: APG-63 MSA
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F-15C Eagle air superiority fighters have traditionally used APG-63 radars with mechanically steered arrays. While upgrades over the years have improved them, the mechanical steering components are a point of potential failure given the stresses put on them, and better radar technologies have appeared. With cruise missile defense rising in importance, and longer-range detection of threats desired, upgrades are necessary. They may also correct a known air-air weakness that can reputedly be exploited by aircraft like Russia’s SU-30 family, though other reports claim that the mechanically-scanned APG-63v1s have also worked to close that hole. Thus far, 18 USAF F-15Cs have been modified to carry APG-63v2 radars – a misnomer, since the upgrade uses a revolutionary new AESA technology that bears little resemblance to its predecessor.
The USAF is discussing a retrofit set that would turn the F-15Cs into multi-role fighters; an AESA radar will be part of that, and the program to equip select F-15C units with AESA radars as an air-air improvement continues. They will now be joined by the USAF’s entire 2-seat, multi-role F-15E Strike Eagle fleet, whose future AESA radar just received some improvements, and a new designation…
Switzerland’s Hornet Upgrade 25 Program
22-Jul-2009 13:38 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Avionics, Boeing, Contracts - Intent, Electronics - General, Europe - Other, Fighters & Attack, IT - Software & Integration, Lockheed Martin, Northrop-Grumman, Protective Systems - Aircraft, Raytheon, Sensors & Guidance
Swiss F/A-18Cs
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“F-18 Hornets: Keeping ‘Em Flying” details the efforts underway in a number of countries to extend the useful lifespans of their F/A-18 A-D Hornet fleets, from major structural replacements to capability upgrades.
Switzerland’s official December 2007 request [PDF] for equipment to extend the useful life of its 33 Swiss Luftwaffe F/A-18C/D fighters (26 F/A-18Cs, 7 F/A-18D 2-seat), via its F/A-18C/D Upgrade 25 Program, falls into this same category. Part of that program even included a successful trip to the USA, which allowed them to use American weapon ranges to test the integration of their new AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles with their existing Hornet fleet
This phase of the “Upgrade 25” Program is worth up to $535 million. The request, subsequent political developments, and follow-on contracts include:
Australia Buying 24 Super Hornets As Interim Gap-Fillers
13-Jul-2009 08:17 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Australia & S. Pacific, Avionics, Boeing, Contracts - Intent, ECM, Engines - Aircraft, Fighters & Attack, Force Structure, Issues - Political, Missiles - Air-Air, Missiles - Precision Attack, Radars, Sensors & Guidance, Signals Radio & Wireless, Spotlight articles
RAAF F/A-18F rollout
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DID has covered the recent controversies over Australia’s involvement in the F-35 Lightning II program, amid criticisms that the F-35A will be unable to compete with proliferating SU-30 family aircraft in the region, lacks the required range or response time, and will either be extremely expensive at $100+ million per aircraft in early (2013-2016) production, or will not be available until 2018 or later. The accelerated retirement of Australia’s 22 long-range F-111s in 2010 sharpened the timing debate, with a recently retired Air Vice-Marshal and the opposition (now governing) Labor Party both weighing in with criticisms and alternative force proposals.
In December 2006, The Australian reported that Defence Minister Brendan Nelson was discussing an A$ 3 billion (about $2.36 billion) purchase of 24 F/A-18F Block II Super Hornet aircraft around 2009-2010. A move that came as “a surprise to senior defence officials on Russell Hill”; but is now an official purchase as requests and contracts work their way through. Australia’s new Labor government’s later decided to keep the Super Hornet purchase, cementing the deal. Recent ministerial statements now place the program’s final figure at A$ 6.6 billion, which includes basing, training, and other ancillary costs.
This DID Spotlight article that describes the model chosen, links to coverage of the key controversies, and offers a history of contracts and key event’s from the program’s first official DSCA requests to the present day. The latest addition involves delivery of the 3rd aircraft, ahead of schedule…
First Production HMDS Orders for F-35 Pilots
25-Jun-2009 15:56 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Avionics, Contracts - Awards, Design Innovations, Fighters & Attack, Lockheed Martin, Other Corporation
HMDS Concept
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The Elbit Systems/Rockwell Collins joint venture Vision Systems International, LLC recently announced $54.1 million in contracts. These awards will begin production of their Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS), which will equip all American and exported F-35 fighters. The contracts will cover low rate initial production (LRIP) Lots 1, 2 and 3, and run through 2012. They include Lockheed Martin’s purchase of 52 F-35 Gen II Helmet Mounted Displays, and 30 aircraft shipsets. VSI also received contracts for production tooling and initial funding for the Pilot Fit Facility Standup at Eglin Air Force Base, FL.
HMDS is a significant advance over its predecessors – which are themselves a significant advance over a technology that changed fighter pilots’ worlds in the 1960s and 1970s…
Continue reading…
Comanche’s Child: The USA’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (updated)
07-May-2009 13:00 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Avionics, BAE, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, FOCUS Articles, Force Structure, Guns - under 20mm direct, Helicopters & Rotary, L3 Communications, New Systems Tech, Other Corporation, Policy - Procurement, Procurement Innovations, Project Methodologies, Sensors & Guidance, T&C - CSC
YRH-70 test, 2005
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The ARH (Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter) is a program by the United States Army to replace around 375 Bell Textron OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters. The Army’s initial replacement, the $14.6 billion RAH-66 Comanche program, was canceled in 2004. Instead, the Army would buy a larger number of less expensive platforms, with reduced capabilities.
Bell Helicopter Textron initially won the ARH competition, beating an MD Helicopter/Boeing consortium. As DID has noted re: a similar $500-600 million competition in India, Bell’s ARH-70 is a militarized version of its highly successful 407 single-engine commercial helicopter.
This will serve as DID’s FOCUS Article for the ARH program, providing updated background, details, and contract award information. Bell Helicopter continued to work on the ARH-70 at its own expense, but rising program costs killed the program. The OH-58Ds still need to be replaced, and Eurocopter is already testing an armed variant of the UH-72A that won the Army’s Light Utility Helicopter competition. Even as developments in the Army make it less certain that the next winner will be a helicopter solution…
Turkey Orders 30 F-16C Block 50s et. al. for $2.9B
04-Mar-2009 13:25 EST |
Related Stories: Alliances, Americas - USA, Avionics, Contracts - Intent, Fighters & Attack, Interoperability, Lockheed Martin, Middle East - Other, Northrop-Grumman, Other Corporation, Radars, Support & Maintenance
TuAF F-16s
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On Sept 28/06, the US DSCA notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Turkey of 30 more F-16C Block 50 aircraft, as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $2.9 billion. This sale is in addition to Turkey’s $1.1 billion upgrade program for its existing F-16 fleet, which aims to bring all of its aircraft to a common configuration. More than 200 F-16 aircraft currently make up the backbone of Turkey’s current fighter fleet, and this marks the 52nd follow-on buy of F-16s by 14 repeat customers. Over 4,300 F-16s have been delivered to 24 nations. The final Turkish F-16 under this contract will be delivered in 2013.
DID readers will also recall the recent buy of 30 F-16 Block 50/52 Plus aircraft by Turkey’s rival Greece. While the Hellenic Air force has decided to pass on the option for an additional 10 F-16s and delayed consideration of new fighters beyond 2011, Turkey joined the F-35’s production planning phase in 2007. If they decide to continue, orders will be placed in 2008-2009.
Meanwhile, the Government of Turkey is moving ahead with its F-16 fleet expansion plans. This article will cover the deal as its component contracts and agreements come together. The latest items include the core $700+ million contract to buy the new fighters, and a decision regarding the fighter’s core electronic countermeasures equipment…
Continue reading…
