• EADS says it might submit bid for KC-X aerial tanker RFP without Northrop Grumman; Pentagon mulls deadline extension. Reuters | Wall Street Journal | Bloomberg | MarketWatch

• EADS CEO says the company is looking to buy a medium-sized defense company in the US.

• Strategy Analytics: Annual market for SATCOM-related electronics to grow from $796 million in 2009 to nearly $2.58 billion in 2020.

• CACI secures $219 million contract to provide C4ISR and IT to SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic.

• F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter passes first vertical landing test.

• Boeing completes design of US Navy free electron laser weapon system to take out high-speed cruise missiles.

• Honeywell gets US Army order to maintain Cold War era Washington-Moscow hotline.

• Defense executive panel offers advice to contractors on future industry challenges.

• Nordic Alliance proposal continues to make political progress.

• ASDReports.com: Global market for armored vehicles will reach $10.3 billion, fueled by continued IED threat.

• US Army: “Review drops two-war force size paradigm,” changing the assumptions used to set required military forces.

• “American Civil Liberties Union” sues the government, asking for in-depth information about the use of UAV strikes in foreign wars.

• CSC snags 5-year, $27 million contract to provide IT to US DoD’s Dependents Schools-Europe, which runs 81 schools for the children of US military.

• Cubic in San Diego, CA will supply small arms training systems to Saudi Arabia under a $30 million contract.

• Boeing’s A160T Hummingbird Warrior helicopter UAV completes resupply trials with US Marines. Main competition is Kaman’s K-MAX.

• USAF continues its shift from cost-plus contracts toward fixed-cost, for the F-35 program. Meanwhile, the first production model F-35B hovers in a test.

• Navy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Release 1.1 (Single Supply Solution) goes live at Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP). Sounds simple. Isn’t, in practice.

• General Dynamics gets $30.6 million contract to supply 118 Type-3 advanced mission computers for the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter aircraft.

• Czech firm Aero Vodochody says it will supply 40 cockpits for the US Blawk Hawk troop transport and utility helicopter.

• GAO blocks $1 billion contract award to Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater, to train Afghan police, upholding DynCorp protest. Washington Post | Business Week | GovExec | DynCorp release

• European shipbuilder consortium (Fincantieri, Damen, Meyer Werft, STX, Thyssen Krupp) and EU sign grant agreement for 3.5 year BESST (Breakthrough in European Ship and Shipbuilding Technologies) project.

• Defense Threat Reduction Agency is looking for industry input for a robotic underground munition that would be an air-dropped mobile platform capable of drilling underground to deliver munitions. FedBizOpps notice | Ubergizmo.com | Tech Journal

• USJFCOM tests Lockheed Martin’s Valiant Angel system to sort through full-motion video from UAVs and sensors.

• New T-11 parachute doubles the number of paratroopers that can be deployed, according to US Army testing.

• L-3 gets $20.9 million order to build 4 F-16 flight simulators for the USAF.

• Canada awards C$14.9 million contract to M. Sullivan & Son to build a new 6,139 square meter health center at Canadian Forces Base Kingston.

• USCG acquisition chief warns about declining readiness of cutter fleet [PDF], expects price tag for Deepwater program to reach $27.4 billion.

• UK’s SSN Trafalgar-class fast attack submarine HMS Triumph sets sail for sea trials after 6-year, GBP 300 million refit program that included installation of new sonar and C2 systems and an upgrade of the Tomahawk missile system.

• UK MOD inks GBP 400 million deal to buy capacity on EADS Astrium’s Skynet 5D satellite, which is expected to be launched in 2013; the satellite capacity will be used for military communication, including Bowman radios.

• Der Spiegel: The debate over Germany’s security & defense policies.

• Germany’s KMW delivers 1st Fennek JFST armored reconnaissance vehicles to Bundeswehr for deployment to Afghanistan in April. KMW release [in German]

• Greece reportedly agrees to settle its submarine contract dispute with ThyssenKrupp.

• US Army working to improve its M24 sniper rifles, including a .300 Win Mag upgun.

• South Korea’s KUH Surion utility helicopter makes its first flight.

• US military’s next-generation JPALS flight approach and landing system completes preliminary design review.

• ATK reorganizes into 4 business units; Karen Davis to head armament systems group. ATK release | Associated Press

F-35A: incoming…
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Denmark picks Super Hornet?; New program head nominated; Landing gear contract; new flight decks wanted. (March 18/10)

The $300+ billion F-35 Joint Strike fighter may well be the largest single global defense program in history. This major multinational program is intended to produce an “affordably stealthy” multi-role fighter that will have 3 variants: the F-35A conventional version for the US Air Force et. al.; the F-35B Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing for the US Marines, British Royal Navy, et. al.; and the F-35C conventional carrier-launched version for the US Navy. The aircraft is named after Lockheed’s famous WW2 P-38 Lightning, and the Mach 2, stacked-engine English Electric (now BAE) Lightning jet. Lightning II system development partners included The USA & Britain (Tier 1), Italy and the Netherlands (Tier 2), and Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Turkey (Tier 3), with Singapore and Israel as “Security Cooperation Partners.” Now the challenge is agreeing on production phase membership and arrangements, to be followed by initial purchase commitments in 2009-2010.

This updated article has expanded to feature more detail regarding the F-35 program, including contracts, sub-contracts, and notable events and reports.

• The F-35 Family of Aircraft
• F-35 Program: Production Timelines & Structure
• F-35 Program: Controversies and Competitions
• F-35 Program: Events & Developments, CY 2009-2010 [updated]
• F-35 Program: System Development & Production Contracts, FY 2009-2010
• F-35 Program: Ancillary and Sub-contracts, FY 2009 – 2010 [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources [updated]
• Video Viewing [NEW]
  
  Continue Reading… »

F414-GE-400 engine
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General Electric Aircraft Engines business group in Lynn, MA received a $326 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0088), exercising an option for 80 F-414-GE-400 engines and modules and 2 spare engines for the US Navy.

They will be installed in the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter and EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft.

Continue Reading… »

F/A-18C to Afghanistan
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In October 2008 a fleet-wide inspection program and limited grounding became necessary after aileron hinge cracks are discovered in some of the US Navy’s 630 or so F/A-18 A-D Hornet fighters. Discovery of new cracks in March 2010 led to a much wider grounding.

The USA’s is watching the average age of its fighter fleet rise, and will continue to do so even if all F-22s and F-35s envisioned in current Pentagon plans are purchased. The long saga of the USA’s F-15A-D fleet culminated in early retirement for a number of its aircraft. The A-10C re-winging program acquired added urgency with the revelation that wing cracks had been found in active aircraft. Now the US Navy’s long-serving F/A-18A-D Hornet fleet can be added to the list.

Continue Reading… »

Adm. Gorshkov: Before.
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New Gorshkov, MiG-29K contracts; first MiG-29Ks inducted. (March 11/10)

This free-to-view DID Spotlight article offers an in-depth look at India’s troubled attempt to convert and field a full-size aircraft carrier, before time and wear force it to retire its existing naval aviation and ships.

Right now, there are 2 major concerns in India. One is slipping timelines. The other concern involves Vikramaditya’s 3-fold cost increase, including worries that Russia will raise it rates yet again once India is deeper into the commitment trap. The carrier purchase has now become the subject of high level diplomacy, involving a shipyard that can’t even execute on commercial contracts. An agreement in principle reportedly exists, but negotiations that began in 2007 have yet to lead to a revised contract. Recent Russian demands continued to raise the price, even as deliveries of India’s new MiG-29K naval fighters got underway. March 12/10 should see the signing of a new contract, which India hopes the Russians will honor.

• Waiting for Gorshkov – A History
• Gorshkov-Vikramaditya: Aerial Complement
• INS Vikramaditya: Updates & Contracts [updated]
• Appendix A: Additional Readings – Equipment Profiles
• Appendix B: Additional Readings – Related Developments
  
  Continue Reading… »

F-16B & X-35
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Expected March 2010 deal faces 1+ year delay; other Mid-east export issues come up. (March 11/10)

In an exclusive June 2006 interview, Israeli Air Force (IAF) chief procurement officer Brigadier-General Ze’ev Snir told Israel’s Globes publication that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was a key part of their IAF recapitalization plans, and that Israel intends to buy over 100 of the fighters to replace their F-16s over time. Since then, however, the expected cost of that purchase has more than doubled.

The necessary contract must deal with that sticker shock, with issues like the incorporation of Israeli technologies, and with slips in the internal F-35 program before it can be signed. Israel is even contemplating delaying its purchase, removing an important early adopter for the multi-national program…

• F-35 for Israel: Key Issues
• Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
  Continue Reading… »

• CSC survey: US aerospace and defense execs see growth opportunities in cybersecurity, renewable energy, and physical and information infrastructure.

• Self-organizing, supra-military networks on the battlefield: Saving British Soldier X, and an account of what it took in deployed resources.

• Chilean earthquake hits Talcahuano NB hard, reportedly totaled 2 U209 submarines in ASMAR shipyard; full shipyard recovery could take up to 5 years [video, with subtitles].

• Forecast International: Report predicts $28.4 billion will be spent on electronic warfare systems over the next 10 years.

• Taiwan defense ministry issues report that warns China has better fighter jets. Well, yes. More of them, too.

• China is also sporting digital camouflage on its uniforms, and vehicles. They’re early adopters for vehicles, but not the first.

• South Africa’s new Gripen fighters, MEKO frigates, and U209/1400 submarines: just for show?

• USAF test of X-51 hypersonic cruise missile delayed, DangerRoom reports.

• Weather pushes A400M testing to Toulouse, France, as 2nd test plane is handed over.

• DARPA is looking for industry proposals for development of non-volatile logic technologies that can be used in remote sensors, small UAVs, and high-performance computers.

• Air Force Research Lab is asking for white papers on integrating C2 capabilities across cyber, air and space domains.