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Nimrod MR1 & E-3D AWACS
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“Nimrod Was Actually a Fine Hunter: Upgrading Britain’s Fleet” describes a parallel set of efforts. One multi-billion pound program seeks to upgrade 12 of Britain’s unique Nimrod Mk2 maritime patrol aircraft to Nimrod MRA4 status.

The other effort, named Project HELIX, sought to keep its related Nimrod R1 electronic and signals intelligence/ relay aircraft fleet flying until 2025. A 9 month assessment phase involving L-3, Lockheed, and Northrop-Grumman was down-selected to L-3 and Lockheed Martin in 2005. In April 2007, L-3’s team won the Phase 3 risk reduction contract, and became the preferred bidder for the main HELIX contract in 2009.

A recent US DSCA announcement has just cast doubt on that effort, however, by conveying Britain’s official $1+ billion request to refurbish 3 KC-135 tankers and convert them to RC-135V/W Rivet Joint ELINT/SIGINT aircraft…

• The RC-135 Rivet Joint
• Contracts and Key Events
• Other Options?
  
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On Sept 30/08, “The USA’s National Cybersecurity Initiative” focused on the belated but growing reaction to recent uses of cyber-attacks as an adjunct to warfare, and by the growing rate of attempted intrusions into American systems from countries like China. In June 2008, “Secure Semiconductors: Sensible, or Sisiphyean?” discussed the growing realization within the US military that massive use of commercial electronics, coupled with the complexity of modern chip designs, made it very difficult to be sure that “backdoors” and other security flaws weren’t being inserted into high-end American defense equipment. It’s a difficult conundrum, because commercial chips offer orders of magnitude improvements in cost and performance. Hence DARPA’s “Trust in IC” program, which hopes to crack the problem and offer the best of both worlds.

On Oct 2/08, Business Week’s in-depth article “Dangerous Fakes” claimed that a key component of the silicon security threat might be even simpler:

“The American military faces a growing threat of potentially fatal equipment failure – and even foreign espionage – because of counterfeit computer components used in warplanes, ships, and communication networks. Fake microchips flow from unruly bazaars in rural China to dubious kitchen-table brokers in the U.S. and into complex weapons. Senior Pentagon officials publicly play down the danger, but government documents, as well as interviews with insiders, suggest possible connections between phony parts and breakdowns…. Potentially more alarming than either of the two aircraft episodes are hundreds of counterfeit routers made in China and sold to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines over the past four years. These fakes could facilitate foreign espionage, as well as cause accidents. The U.S. Justice Dept. is prosecuting the operators of an electronics distributor in Texas – and last year obtained guilty pleas from the proprietors of a company in Washington State – for allegedly selling the military dozens of falsely labeled routers…. Referring to the seizure of more than 400 fake routers so far, Melissa E. Hathaway, head of cyber security in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, says: “Counterfeit products have been linked to the crash of mission-critical networks, and may also contain hidden ‘back doors’ enabling network security to be bypassed and sensitive data accessed….”

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IqAF King Air 350
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It has been a long road for the Iraqi Air Force. According to Iraqi figures, the IqAF boasted more than 1,000 aircraft before the 1991 Gulf war – and around 300 after it. Over 5 years after Operation Iraqi Freedom began, and over 4 years after the first Iraqi Provisional government was formed, the once-mighty IqAF still operates just a handful of mostly-unarmed propeller aircraft and helicopters.

Unarmed aircraft can still offer value, of course. Surveillance is critically important to Iraq, especially surveillance of national infrastructure like telecommunications lines, pipelines, and other facilities. In addition to its Cessna “Bird Dogs” and handful of other light spotter planes, the IqAF is strengthening its fleet with an unlikely star of the Iraq War: Hawker Beechcraft’s propeller-driven King Air…

• King of the Air: From C-12 to 350ER-ISR
• Contracts and Key Events
• Additional Readings
  
  Continue Reading… »

RN CVF Concept
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In 1998, Britain’s Strategic Defence review (SDR) announced plans to replace the current set of 3 Invincible Class 22,000t escort carriers with 2 larger, more capable Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) ships that could operate a more powerful force. These new carriers would be joint-service platforms, operating aircraft and UAVs from all 3 services (Navy, RAF, Army) in roles that could include ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance), force projection and logistics support, close air support, anti-submarine/ anti-surface naval warfare, and land attack.

Once the new ships of the Queen Elizabeth Class are complete, Britain will possess a full-size carrier force for the first time in several decades. The 65,000t CVF carriers will be equipped with Harrier GR9 and F-35B Lightning II STOVL fighters, along with AEW aircraft and helicopters; but the ships will be upgradeable to handle conventional fixed-wing aircraft and/or unmanned UCAVs during their expected 40-50 year life span.

CVF, De Gaulle, and
Invincible Class
(click to add Nimitz)

The scale of the CVF effort relative to Britain’s past experiences means that the program structure is rather complex. It has passed through several stages already, and is being run and conducted within an industrial alliance framework. There is also a parallel international framework, involving cooperation with France on its PA2 carrier as a larger derivative of the CVF design.

This DID FOCUS article covers that structure and framework, ongoing developments, and the ships themselves as they round toward final design, construction, and fielding. Recent updates include a new sub-alliance for the ships’ propulsion systems, which has received GBP 235 million in contracts…

• The CVF Queen Elizabeth Class (“continue reading…”) [updated]
• Program Team: The Aircraft Carrier Alliance
• CVF Program Management
• The CVF Program: Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• CVF-Related Contracts and Events
• Additional Readings & Sources: The Program
• Additional Readings & Sources: The Ships
  
  Continue Reading… »

In November 2005, “Taiwan Orders F-16 Training in USA, But Larger Defense Buys Remain in Limbo” described the gridlock that had hampered key weapons sales of P-3 maritime patrol aircraft, Patriot PAC-3 missiles, and diesel-electric submarines to Taiwan – in some cases, since 1997. The opposition KMT party’s flip-flops and determined stalling tactics led to all manner of accusations, and eventually created a crisis in US-Taiwan relations. US spokespeople and political figures began to qualify America’s tradiional assertion that it would defend Taiwan, unless Taiwan showed that it would defend itself. Eventually, relations soured to the point that the USA refused a Taiwanese request for F-16C/D aircraft.

That seems to have brought things to a head. On Sept 12/07, Taiwan submitted a formal DSCA request for 12 P-3C Orion aircraft that could be worth up to $1.96 billion. On Nov 9/07, it was followed by an official request to upgrade their 3 existing Patriot fire units by adding PAC-3 elements, creating a setup similar to Israel’s ABM-capable PAC-2 GEM+ in a contract worth up to $939 million. These are must-have capabilities when facing a Chinese government that has vowed to take the country by force, and who has spent a great deal of time and effort in recent years building both an extensive submarine fleet and a large array of ballistic missiles.

ROC Seadragon sub
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Word is that the USA has asked Taiwan to hold off on the F-16 request for now to avoid a direct “no,” which implies that a strong lobbying effort from China has a chance of dooming that effort, as it has stalled the much more complicated effort to find a party who is (a) able to make diesel-electric subs; and (b) is willing to sell them to Taiwan. Will these orders help break the F-16 logjam? Can the broader relationship be saved? Those are questions for the future. This Spotlight article will focus on the here-and-now instead, chronicling key developments and purchases as they arise.

After a long delay, other major elements of Taiwan’s requested modernization program appear to be moving forward – via more than $6 billion dollars worth of official DSCA requests, that open the door for signed contracts…

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FMTV Family
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Amateurs discuss tactics, professionals discuss logistics. A military force can have all of the flashy combat vehicles it wants, but without a solid underpinning of medium and heavy trucks to handle logistics, that combat force is either dependent or hollow. This truth has been vividly illustrated in Iraq, where the priority level placed on raising the Iraqi Army’s combat power has made it dependent on the mature American logistics force in theater. Discussions of “independent operational capability” for Iraqi units revolve primarily around this logistics gap. While some units are capable now, Iraq is just beginning to implement the logistics tail that will give most of its units this ability to operate independently.

The 14 variants in the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) form the core of the USA’s new state-of-the-art medium military transport truck fleet. Which in turn forms the core of the “mature logistics capability” seen in the Iraqi theater and elsewhere. FMTV trucks are all automatic transmission, and rage from 2.5-ton cargo and van models to 5-ton cargo, tractor, van, wrecker, tanker, specialty, and dump-truck models in various 4×4 and 6×6 configurations. Some models also have attached trailers that increase their carrying capacity. Even so, the use of common engines, transmissions, drivelines, power trains, tires, cabs, et. al. create over 80% parts commonality between FMTV models. Where possible, commercial components are used for added savings.

In addition to their role as the backbone of the US Army’s truck fleet, FMTV trucks serve as the base for key weapons systems like the future MEADS air-defense system and the new HIMARS air-portable multiple rocket launchers. They also serve as the base for BAE’s Caiman MRAP blast-resistant vehicle, which adds armor and a blast-resistant capsule for carrying troops. As of June 1/08, the US military has ordered 2,862 Caimans for use on the front lines.

There have been 3 main phases of the FMTV program, including the last “SO23” open competition in 2003. All told, approximately 48,000 FMTV trucks in various models have been delivered to the US Army. Now, a multi-billion dollar order has been finalized, adding 20,000 more trucks by 2011. They will bridge the gap to the FMTV program’s next re-competed phase, and also inaugurate the US Army’s Long Term Armoring Strategy (LTAS) for its vehicle fleets. Now, that contract has finalized negotiations…

• FMTV Features and Developments
• FMTV Program: Past and Present
• FMTV Program: Long-Term Future
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
  Continue Reading… »

CBU-97 & BLU-108s
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Going after a vehicle such as a surface to air missile launcher, or a cluster of vehicles like a formation of enemy tanks, can be a tricky business for a fast jet pilot. Vehicles hide, they shut off their radars, or there are just too many of them to effectively target and destroy en masse. Weapons like ATK’s AGM-88E AARGM and MBDA’s Brimstone missile can help, but there’s another solution. Textron’s Sensor-Fuzed Weapon (SFW) bomb scatters 40 projectiles, to cover 30 acres. The “skeet” projectiles, which look like tuna cans, will search for targets and fire the equivalent of a tank shell through the target’s top armor. If no targets are found, 3 safety modes ensure that the area is safe for troops to move through within several minutes – which means it’s also safe for civilians years later. See “$108.1M for 13,280 ‘Cans of Whup-Ass’ ” for more.

On Sept 30/08, the US DSCA announced [PDF] India’s formal request for a variant of the SFW with GPS guidance… but which IAF aircraft will carry them?

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KC-135 & RNoAF
F-16, Afghanistan
(click to view full)

While Team Boeing and EADS Airbus/Northrop Grumman duke it out for the USA’s $20-30 billion KC-X order of about 175 aerial tankers with secondary cargo capacity, the existing KC-135 fleet still needs to be maintained. Based on the 707 airliner’s initial designs, the KC-135s first entered service in 1954, and they were delivered until 1965. Despite their age, they remain the mainstay of the USA’s aerial tanker fleet as it helps fighters make long-distance flights, keeps US and foreign combat air patrols on station, refuels transports on their way to remote destinations, and generally makes long-range force projection possible.

Unforseen mechanical issues and the accompanying fleet groundings would create a crippling bottleneck in this defining array of American airpower capabilities, which is why KC-X was designated as the USAF’s highest procurement priority. Meanwhile, the KC-135s need to be well and carefully maintained in order to avoid that bottleneck. Which is why Boeing has just received a $1.1 billion, 10-year contract to maintain the USAF’s KC-135 fleet. It doesn’t follow the advanced “we pay for flying planes” model being implemented for Britain’s 707-based E-3D Sentry AWACS fleet, its VC10 aerial tankers, et. al.

Even so, this contract’s size, the American fleet’s importance, and the convoluted contract history that led to the first GAO ruling overturning the award, all make attention to its details worthwhile. The USAF eventually awarded the contract to Boeing again, and this time the GAO sustained it. But Pemco/AAII took its case to Federal Court – and won…

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CF-18: which way?
(click to see clearly)

The Hornet is the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet’s predecessor, and the first models were introduced in the late 1970s as a spinoff of the USAF’s lightweight fighter competition. While the General Dynamics F-16 won, Northrop’s YF-17 eventually evolved into the McDonnell-Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet.

The F/A-18 Hornet is currently flown by the US Marine Corps as their front-line fighter, by the US Navy as a second-tier fighter behind its larger F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets, and by 7 international customers: Australia, Canada, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain, and Switzerland. The USA’s aircraft were expected to have a service life of 20 years, but that was based on 100 carrier landings per year. The US Navy and Marines have been rather busy during the Hornets’ service life, and so the planes are wearing out faster.

This is forcing the USA to take a number of steps and issue a series of contracts in order to keep their Hornets airworthy, replacing center barrel sections, re-opening production lines, and more. Some of these efforts will also be offered to allied air forces, who have their own programs and services to call upon.

The latest additions involve a $600+ million contract for engine support …

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Upgraded F-5BR
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In January 2008, a number of DID readers informed us that Brazil’s President Lula had authorized Brazilian Air Force Commander Juniti Saito to restart the long-delayed F-X fighter replacement program. “F-X2” aims to acquire 36 next generation fighters for the Brazilian Air Force, which is currently depending on Super Tucano/ALX surveillance and light attack turboprops, AMX subsonic light fighters, modernized F-5BRs whose design dates back to the 1960s era, and a squadron of 12 Mirage 2000s built in the early 1980s. A previous 2001 F-X competition was put on hold in 2003, and then canceled in February 2004 due to budget difficulties and political issues. The initial budget for the current iteration is said to be $2.2 billion, but the RFP leaves the door open for a fourfold increase over time.

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 aircraft under consideration are mostly the same set of 4+ generation fighters that were considered last time – but the competition may have become more important to at least one of the competitors.

Now Boeing and Lockheed Martin appear to have finalized their offers, which gives the competition more choices than it had before. DID reports on those decisions, and adds its assessment of their offers’ relative strengths and weaknesses. The competition is now moving into its final phase, with only 3 of the 6 candidates making the cut…

• A Stirring Giant?
• F-X2: The Competition
• Analysis: F-X2, The Competitors
• Updates and Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
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