Rapid Fire April 27, 2012: Amazon.com Goes B2B

• The Washington Times looks into where base closures may happen, if a 6th BRAC is indeed going to be allowed by Congress. But so far the House is not interested. Cynics may allow themselves to think that the Administration’s inclusion of a BRAC round during an election year was a red herring that they were ready to give up from the get-go.

• Meanwhile Joint Base Lewis-McChord will see the reactivation of the 7th Infantry Division.

• The National Defense University’s INSS(Institute for National Strategic Studies) reviews [PDF] the state of French military capabilities and explains France’s closer defense relationship with Great Britain after being disappointed by cooperation efforts with Germany that never met their stated ambition.

The US Navy’s Mobile Landing Platform Ships (MLP)

MLP concept

The Montford Point Class Mobile Landing Platform is intended to be a new class and type of auxiliary support ship, as part of the US Navy’s Maritime Prepositioning Force of the Future (MPF-F) program. They’re intended to serve as a transfer station or floating pier at sea, improving the U.S. military’s ability to deliver equipment and cargo from ship to shore when friendly bases are denied, or simply don’t exist. That’s very useful in disaster situations, and equally useful for supporting US Marines once they’re ashore.

It’s an interesting and unusual concept, one closely connected to the au courant concept of “seabasing”. The final MLP design changed substantially from the initial requirements, which lowered the platform’s cost along with its capabilities. Time will tell if the initial choices and tradeoffs were well-conceived or not. With contracts to build the ships underway, the remaining question is whether the ships can be built to meet the more limited promises that are being made now.

Up to $250M over 5 Years for US Army Cloud Computing

In January 2012, US Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO-EIS) issued 9 firm-fixed-price contracts, worth up to $249.8 million total over 5 years, for Enterprise Cloud Computing services. Cloud computing is a about providing computing applications and management as a service, rather than installing it as machine-specific software. Apple’s iCloud is one well-known example, and Google’s Gmail would be another, but cloud computing can encompass more than just 1 application. It’s connected to the phenomenon of virtualization, which improves back-end efficiency in data centers, but the 2 trends can exist independent of one another. The 7 contract winners are:

SSGN “Tactical Trident” Subs: Special Forces and Super Strike

Latest updates[?]: Combat debut; Will their successors be Virginia Class boats?

From these…

In the aftermath of the START-II arms control treaty, some of the USA’s nuclear-powered Ohio Class SSBN nuclear missile submarines were converted to become long range conventional strike and special operations SSGN “Tactical Tridents.” Four ultra-stealthy Ohio-class SSBNs had their 24 Trident II D-5 nuclear ballistic missiles removed. They were replaced with up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, plus space in the sub for 66-102 special forces troops, special attachments for new Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) or older Seal Delivery Vehicle (SDV) “mini-subs,” and a mission control center. Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, and even UAVs for aerial operations, are expected to become equally important options over the SSGN fleet’s career.

…to these

These modifications provide the USA with an impressive and impressively flexible set of conventional firepower, in a survivable and virtually undetectable platform, which can remain on station for very long periods of time. As surveillance-strike complexes make the near-shore more and more hazardous for conventional ships, and the potential dangers posed by small groups continue to rise, America’s converted SSGN submarines will become more and more valuable. This updated, free-to-view article covers their origins and timeline, the key technologies involved, contracts from the program’s inception to the present day, with all 4 submarines back in service.

Elbit & GD Create, Dissolve UAS Dynamics LLC for US Market

The UAV market’s low cost of entry is spurring manufacturers around the world to enter, or re-enter, the military aircraft market as prime contractors. That’s also true in the USA, where former aviation powerhouses Northrop and Grumman have a stable of high-end UAVs; and Raytheon unveiled the Killer Bee 4, which will become a full-spectrum UAV family.

Even former fighter manufacturer General Dynamics stepped back in for a while, via a May 2009 partnership between Elbit Systems of America, LLC and General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products…

The UAE’s F-16 Block 60 Desert Falcon Fleet

F-16F “Desert Falcon”

The most advanced F-16s in the world are not American. That distinction belongs to the UAE, whose F-16 E/F Block 60s are a half-generation ahead of the F-16 C/D Block 50/52+ aircraft that form the backbone of the US Air Force, and of many other fleets around the world. The Block 60 has been described as a lower-budget alternative to the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter – and has been treated as such in countries like India and the Netherlands, as they contemplate their future fighter needs.

The UAE invested in the type’s development, and with that investment comes inevitable fielding, training, and equipping needs. This DID article showcases the F-16 E/F “Desert Falcon,” and offers a window into its associated costs and life cycle, including dedicated equipment purchases for this fighter fleet.

Force Protection’s MRAPs to Stalk Mines on the Battlefield

Cougar 6×6, IEDed
- the crew lived.

The Cougar family of medium-sized blast-protected vehicles is produced in both 4-wheel (formerly Cougar H) and 6-wheel (formerly Cougar HE) layouts. Eventually, the wisdom of using survivable vehicles in a theater where land mines were the #1 threat became clearer, and these vehicles have gradually shifted from dedicated engineer and Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) roles to patrol and route-proving/ convoy lead functions as well. Related variants and blast-resistant designs are also produced in response to country-specific requirements (Wolfhound, Mastiff, Ridgeback, ILAV Badger) and other designs cover different operational needs (Buffalo mine-clearance, Cheetah, Ocelot, and JAMMA patrol vehicles). To date, the firm has received orders from Britain, Canada, France, Hungary, Italy, Iraq, and Yemen; and Poland operates some on loan from the USA. Front line testimonials offer evidence of their effectiveness.

Cougar orders predate the USA’s MRAP program to rush mine-resistant vehicles to the front lines; indeed, the performance of Force Protection’s vehicles on the front lines was probably the #1 trigger for the MRAP program’s existence. This FOCUS article describes Force Protection’s vehicles and corporate performance, which became an issue in recent years. It also covers key events and procurements around the world related to Force Protection’s Cougar (MRAP CAT I & II), Buffalo (MRAP CAT III), and related blast-resistant vehicle families.

With the acquisition of Force Protection by General Dynamics, future purchases will be covered under “General Dynamics MRAPs: Partners and Purchases.”

Up to $881M for Virginia Class Submarine Design Services

Virginia Class

Oct 26/11: Electric Boat Corp. in Groton, CT, received a $91.2 million cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract for lead yard services efforts related to the US Navy’s nuclear-powered Virginia Class fast attack submarines. If all options are exercised through 2014, the contract has a potential value of $881 million. Work will be performed in Groton, CT (91.1%); Newport News, VA (4%); Quonset. RI (3.5%); and Newport, RI (1.4%). Work is expected to be complete by September 2012, with possible options to September 2014. US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC manages this contract (N00024-10-C-2118, PO 0012).

Under the contract, Electric Boat will develop, maintain and update design drawings and data, including technology insertions, for each Virginia Class submarine throughout its construction and post-shakedown availability periods. This work will engage Electric Boat’s engineering and design organization, which is important to long-range American industrial policy, and comprises more than 3,000 employees. Still, it isn’t just busywork. GDEB will also perform research and development work required to evaluate new technology to be inserted in newly built Virginia Class ships, which has kept them busy with major modifications like the new Block III bow. As reports continue to surface that stretched Virginia Class boats might replace the US Navy’s SSGN special forces submarines, or even its SSBN nuclear missile submarines, those designers could find themselves busier than ever. See also GDEB release.

$78M for v+1 of GD’s Command Post of the Future

CPOF
(click to view larger)

General Dynamics C4 Systems in Scottsdale, AZ received a $78 million cost-plus-award-fee indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract, to develop the next iteration of their Command Post of the Future computing system. It’s actually more of a present-day reality than the name suggests, as the original CPOF contract was awarded in 2007. Over 3,000 systems have now been fielded, and over 1,200 systems deployed from Corps to Battalion. Work on this next major release will be performed in Scottsdale, AZ, with an estimated completion date of Sept 26/13. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received by US Army CECOM at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (W15P7T-11-D-C206).

CPOF operators have always operated on the idea of “See What You Think,” using customized screen displays, shared views, and information transfer without keystroke combinations of forced input. This development cycle looks to build on that…

GD Building DDG-115 Destroyer

USS Stockdale [DDG 106]

In 2009, a deal was struck that shifted most DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class work to Bath Iron Works, in exchange for Northrop Grumman’s Ingalls shipyard taking over lead-yard responsibility for the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Class destroyers, and receiving a greater share of orders for that ship type.

Bath Iron Works will still build some Arleigh Burke class ships, however, and will continue to receive contracts to that effect.