CF-18: which way?
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Canada’s Department of National Defense awarded Boeing a C$ 39 million contract for installation of the second and final phase the CF-18 Modernization Project. The upgrade will add a Link 16 system, a helmet-mounted sight system, new cockpit displays and a new flare-dispensing electronic warfare system to 78 CF-18 Hornet fighter aircraft. Two additional aircraft will be modified for the essential validation and verification of the planned upgrade, bringing the total to 80.

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AN/APG-77 Test

In yesterday’s issue, DID covered a request from Australia’s military for information re: combat ID and forward air controller equipment, in preparation for a procurement initiative in that area. Seems only fair that the sharing should go both ways. In “Elec Tricks: Turning AESA Radars Into Broadband Comlinks,” DID chronicled some very intriguing work by Northrop Grumman and L-3 that turns advanced AESA devices into secure broadband data and communications links, as well as extremely effective radars. Dr. Carlo Kopp of Air Power Australia recently wrote to DID with this interesting addendum:

“My PhD thesis project completed in 1999 involved the theoretical modelling required for the adaptation of AESAs as high speed long range datalinks and their adaptation to networking. It was a monster project involving around 1000 large scale simulation runs on a 60 CPU cluster (eq to a Cray) and ended up with a 480 page thesis…. In practical terms Northrop-Grumman and L-3 have yet to hit the really hard problems….”

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In a recent DID article covering the ‘merger’ of Thales Naval France into DCN, DID noted Thales’ bid for Bremen-based naval electronics firm and sonar specialist Atlas Elecktronik. Thales took great pains to insist that this naval merger did not make Thales’ naval business a creature of the French government, as German domestic political considerations were hindering the firm in its efforts to acquire Atlas from BAE Systems. There were even rumours that Thales was trying to entice a joint bid from ThyssenKrupp, a defense systems integrator and customer of Atlas Elektronik who is also an important builder of surface warships and submarines (as HDW) for the German Navy and others.

If so, Thales failed. ThyssenKrupp Technologies and EADS signed an agreement with BAE Systems on December 30, 2005 for the joint acquisition of Atlas Elektronik. In accordance with the agreement, ThyssenKrupp Technologies will hold 60% of Atlas and EADS 40%, creating a new “Maritime Electronics House.” Financial details remain undisclosed, but Thales was rumored to be offering EUR 300 million, while EADS-ThyssenKrupp were rumored to be offering EUR 250 million.

So, what does this mean? Perspectives vary.

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AN/USC-42 Mini-DAMA

L-3 Titan Systems Corp. in San Diego, CA received a not-to-exceed $5.9 million firm-fixed-price letter contract to procure 13 AN/USC-42A(V)2 Mini-DAMA terminals, 39 DSP II cards, 40 E-HUB COMSEC assemblies plus other ancillary Mini-DAMA hardware. This contract contains requirements for the Governments of Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, South Korea, and United Kingdom under the Foreign Military Sales program.

What’s a DAMA? For that matter, what’s a mini-DAMA? Glad you asked…

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E-4B NAOC
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The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a contract as Product Support Integrator (PSI) for the USAF E-4 National Airborne Operations Center fleet. These 747-200 derivatives serve as complete flying command posts for national and military authorities, and are hardened to resist the effects of nuclear attack.

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AVCATT

L-3 Communications Link Simulation and Training in Arlington, TX received a $33.4 million modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee contract (N61339-00-C-0002) to exercise an option for Lots 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT). Work will be performed in Arlington, TX and is expected to be complete in May 2007. The US Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in Orlando, FL issued the contract. See all DefenseLINK awards under this contract, beginning in 1999.

As DID has noted before, AVCATT-A creates a virtual wargaming world that provides an interactive, networked environment for five helicopter platforms, including the AH-64A Apache, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, UH-60 Blackhawk, CH-47D Chinook and AH-64D Longbow. The system lets Army aviation units conduct collective training on a real-time, computerized battlefield that includes land and helicopter forces. Link’s SimuView PC image generation system provides computer-generated images of the simulated battlespace, which pilots view through a helmet mounted display system. Training includes intelligent, semi-automated enemies. The result is a highly competitive battle scenario that maximizes training effectiveness, followed by a review of their mission performance in AVCATT-A’s After Action Review Theater.

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G550 AWACS
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In a December 11, 2005 article, DID noted that South Korea was looking to award its E-X airborne early warning aircraft contract and get on with the program. Their $1.1 billion choice was the G550 platform offered by an American-Israeli consortium of General Dynamics Gulfstream, L-3 Communications, and Israel Aircraft Industries.

Unfortunately, DID also noted that snags with tech transfer of basic equipment like Link 16 avionics risked holding up the program. While the $1.3 billion deal with Eurocopter that DID also mentioned in that article went through smoothly yesterday, The Chosun Ibo reports that the E-X program does indeed face a delay over US technology transfers until some time in 2006. Read DID’s earlier report for the full briefing re: the two contending E-X bids, and the list of “banned” items.

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E-737 Wedgetail
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South Korea appears to be leaning toward some clear choices for its Korean Helicopter Program (KHP) utility helicopter competition, and its E-X airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft acquisition program. The projects have a combined budget of 7 trillion Won (about $7 billion).

A deal with Eurocopter has now been confirmed for 245 helicopters, and an Israeli-American consortium based on the General Dynamics Gulfstream G550 is believed to be the front runner in the E-X competiton – if technology transfer approval from the US government doesn’t delay South Korea’s E-X program again.

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CC-130 Hercules
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DID has covered the extreme age of Canada’s CC-130 fleet, and the special challenges it posed while an emergency replacement competition got underway. L-3 SPAR Aerospace has been Canada’s sole C-130 Hercules Centre of Excellence for more than 44 years, dating back to 1960 when SPAR’s predecessor NWI first started working on Canada’s original B Model Hercs. It has accumulated extensive experience with the aircraft, launching numerous avionics and structural upgrades and even creating international services like Hercules 2020.

Its Canadian maintenance contract will end soon, but L-3 SPAR has negotiated a four-month, C$ 25 million (USD $21.6 million) extension of an ongoing federal government contract whose next five-year C$ 432.4 million (USD $375 million) OWSM Program phase went to Abbotsford, BC’s Cascade Aerospace. The scope of work under the L-3 SPAR extension includes:

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Mid-tier defense conglomerate L-3 Communications has signed an agreement to acquire maritime electrical and electronics system supplier SAM Electronics GmbH (SAM) for U.S. $150 million in cash, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. L-3 sees the sale as a fit with its existing power and controls business, and believes this will expand their opportunities in both new ship integration and power conversions as more ships migrate from mechanical systems to electric power. It also provides cross-geographic opportunities to SAM’s products in the USA, and some of L-3’s products in Germany and Asia – if the companies can execute.

The acquisition is expected to be completed in the first half of 2006 and to be slightly accretive to L-3’s earnings. SAM is expected to generate approximately $320 million of sales for the year ending December 31, 2006. No word yet on where SAM will fit into L-3’s revised corporate structure, though “Specialty Products” seems a good bet.

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