Nimrod MR2 at work

British naval theorist Sir Julian Corbett saw the navy’s proper role as “directly or indirectly either to secure the command of the sea or to prevent the enemy from securing it.” Airpower plays a prominent role in both of those missions. In 1996, Britain began a program to rebuild their existing Nimrod MR2 maritime patrol planes to the MRA4 standard with new wings, new engines, and new internal technologies and mission systems.

Unfortunately, that program has faced a series of budget cuts, stalls, and conditions that have reduced the program from 21 aircraft, to 12, to 9 – and then to 0. In 2010, Britain decided to give up fixed-wing maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft entirely, then scrapped all of its Nimrod MR2s. Its MR1 electronic eavesdropping planes followed, in June 2011. Leaving the burning question: now what?

• Hunters of Subs & Signals: Britain’s Nimrods
  • Nimrod’s Initial Upgrades
• MRA4 Program: The Next Nimrods [updated]
  • MRA4: The Upgrade Process
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Project HELIX & the Nimrod R1 ELINT Fleet [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources
  • Addendum: Correction Credit
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UH-72As: MEDEVAC

DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This is DID’s FOCUS Article regarding the US Army’s Light Utility Helicopter program, covering the program and its objectives, the winning bid team and industrial arrangements, and contracts.

The LUH will replace existing UH-1 Hueys and OH-58 Kiowa utility variants in a 345 helicopter, $3+ billion program between 2006-2015. “US Army LUH Competition: 4 Bids, New Partnerships” discussed the competitors, which included Team AgustaWestland’s AB139, Bell-Textron’s 412EP Twin Huey, Eurocopter’s EC145, and Team MD Helicopters’ 902 Explorer NOTAR (No Tail Rotor) design. Eurocopter’s winning LUH entry shifted from the provisional “UH-145” to “UH-72A Lakota” at a December 2006 naming ceremony, marking the first major US military program awarded to an EADS company. Both Eurocopter and its EADS parent have tried to build on that breakthrough, including an an armed scout AAS-72X entry to replace the canceled ARH-70.

• LUH Program: Objectives & Background [updated]
• LUH Winner: Eurocopter’s EC145/ UH-72A [updated]
  • Eurocopter: Anatomy of a Win
  • LUH Industrial Arrangements
• LUH Program: Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources
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• US Navy Vice Adm. Mark Harnitchek, Director of the Defense Logistics Agency since November 2011, published his revised 2012 guidance [PDF] that conveniently highlights where the changes are. Among them, improved support for reset and force drawdown processes in Afghanistan starts with optimized use of the Northern Distribution Network (NDN), a necessity pointed out on DID just two days ago. Airlift through the NDN (dubbed Northern Distribution Nightmare by Foreign Policy – see also this WaPo map which was drawn before options like use of the Ulyanovsk Russian airport were discussed) is way more expensive than using Pakistan’s GLOC (Ground Lines of Communication) and Karachi port. As in, as much as 3 to 5 times more expensive to ship out about 50,000 vehicles.

• As a side note, when USMC Lieutenant General Frank A. Panter, Jr. discussed options at a recent HASC hearing, he never said Indian but rather NDN, contrarily to bad transcripts floated in the Indian press. How would India even make sense if you glance at a map? It beats us too.

• The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission published a report [PDF] on indigenous weapons development in China’s military modernization. They conclude that many analysts have let themselves being misled and blindsided by trends from past decades that no longer apply. “U.S. analysts and policymakers should expect to see continued advancements in the ability of the PRC to produce modern weapons platforms, and an attendant increase in the operational capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army.”
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PAF F-16A drops Mk.82s

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, along with new weapons, engine modifications, and upgrade kits for Pakistan’s older F-16 A/Bs. The buy went through, and was accompanied by the supply of 26 older F-16s from USAF surplus stocks.

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:

• Item 1: 36 New F-16 Block 50/52s – $3 billion
• Item 2: Weapons for the New F-16s – $650 Million
• Item 3: F-16A/B Mid-Life Update Modification Kits – $1.3 billion
• Item 4: F-16A/B Engine Modifications & UP/STAR – $151 Million
• Deal Updates and Progress [updated]
• Potential Controversies (July 2006)
• Additional Readings [updated]
  Continue Reading… »

• The US Army will host [PDF] an industry day on April 24 in Sterling Heights, MI, to present its Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) program, a potential replacement for M113s with the goal of being both more survivable and more mobile. This one started in FY10 but is still really in the early stage. Following the Material Development Decision (MDD), the Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) is scheduled to be finished by FY13, starting the ramp-up of almost $500M in RDT&E spending over the FY12-17 period. See the latest published schedule at the bottom of this entry.

• Need to defend Japan? Call Gamera! Otherwise known as the J/FPS-5 radar, part of an interconnected set of air defense systems spotlighted by the Asahi Shimbun. Gamera is about to earn its keep again, as North Korea continues fueling a ballistic missile for mid-April launch.

• Market Opener: Raytheon has a 6-pound MCU that takes up less than 1/5 of a square foot, but will allow India’s “DARIN-II” modified Jaguar strike fighters to start using weapons like the firm’s GPS-guided AGM-154 JSOW glide bombs, AGM-65 Maverick missiles, Paveway laser and/or GPS guided bombs, and AIM-9M Sidewinder short range air-to-air missiles. All without massive changes to the plane’s wiring or software.
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Looking a little dated

In March 2010 the Navy awarded an $83 million contract for e-CASS development, production and testing. The AN/USM-636(V) Consolidated Automated Support System (CASS) is the US Navy’s standard automatic test equipment family. It provides intermediate, depot and factory level support, both ashore and afloat, for testing all Navy electronics, from aircraft to ships and submarines.

CASS has been around since 1990, and it’s time for an upgrade. The Navy is planning to replace the existing 5 CASS mainframe systems with the next-generation electronic CASS (e-CASS) system. US Naval aviation currently uses 713 CASS stations for testing of aircraft electronics. CASS is also used at the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and in 9 foreign countries. As of early 2012 events appear to proceed according to plan.

South African JAS-39D
c. Gripen International

As a neutral country with a long history of providing for its own defense against all comers, Sweden also has a long tradition of building excellent high-performance fighters with a distinctive look. From the long-serving Saab-35 Draken (“Dragon,” 1955-2005) to the Mach 2, canard-winged Saab-37 Viggen (“Thunderbolt,” 1971-2005), Swedish fighters have stressed short-field launch from dispersed/improvised air fields, world-class performance, and leading-edge design. This record of consistent project success is nothing short of amazing, especially for a country whose population over this period has ranged from 7-9 million people.

This is DID’s FOCUS Article for background, news, and contract awards related to the JAS-39 Gripen (“Griffon”), a canard-winged successor to the Viggen and one of the world’s first 4+ generation fighters. Gripen remains the only lightweight 4+ generation fighter type in service, its performance and operational economics are both world-class, and it has become one of the most recognized fighter aircraft on the planet. Unfortunately for its builders, that recognition has come from its appearance in Saab and Volvo TV commercials, rather than from hoped-for levels of military export success. With its 4+ generation competitors clustered in the $60-120+ million range vs. the Gripen’s claimed $40-60 million, is there a light at the end of the tunnel for Sweden’s lightweight fighter?

• JAS-39: The Gripen Program
  • Saab’s JAS-39A-D Gripens
  • Partnerships & Production
  • JAS-39NG: The Way Forward
  • Future Gripens?
  • Export Opportunities
• JAS-39 Gripen: Major Events [updated]
• JAS-39 Gripen: Contracts & Awards
• Additional Readings & Sources
  Continue Reading… »

(click to view larger)

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. 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 (Display And Sight Helmet) 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 offers insights into the rocky past, successful present, and competitive 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. It also details the game-changing effects of Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems on air combat, its production sets and known customers, and all contracts since full-rate production began:

• JHMCS: A Combat Multiplier [updated]
  • The HMD Revolution
  • JHMCS
  • JHMCS Improvements & Upgrades
• JHMCS: The Program to Date [updated]
• JHMCS: Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources [updated]
• Appendix A: JHMCS History & Challenges
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A-10A over Germany

The Precision Engagement modification is the largest single upgrade effort ever undertaken for the USA’s unique A-10 “Warthog” close air support aircraft fleet. While existing A/OA-10 aircraft continue to outperform technology-packed rivals on the battlefield, this set of upgrades is expected to make them more flexible, and help keep the aircraft current until the fleet’s planned phase-out in 2028. When complete, A-10C PE will give USAF A-10s precision strike capability sooner than planned, combining multiple upgrades into 1 time and money-saving program, rather than executing them as standalone projects. Indeed, the USAF accelerated the PE program by 9 months as a result of its experiences in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This is DID’s FOCUS Article for the PE program, and for other modifications to the A-10 fleet. It covers the A-10’s battlefield performance and advantages, the elements of the PE program, other planned modifications, related refurbishment efforts to keep the fleet in the air, and the contracts that have been issued each step of the way:

• A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II: Experiences on the Ground
• The A/OA-10 Precision Engagement Modification Program
• A-10 Fleet: Other Planned Improvements
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Research
  Continue Reading… »

CH-148 Cyclone

Canada’s Maritime Helicopter Replacement Program has been a textbook military procurement program over its long history. Unfortunately, it has been a textbook example of what not to do. While Canada’s Sea King helicopter fleet aged and deteriorated to potentially dangerous levels, political pettiness and lack of concern turned a straightforward off-the-shelf buy into a 25+ year long odyssey of cancellations, lawsuits, rebids, and more. Eventually, the Canadian military settled on Sikorsky’s H-92 Superhawk as the basis of its new CH-148 Cyclone Maritime Helicopter, which will serve from the decks of Canada’s naval ships and bases.

The civilian S-92 has gone on to some commercial success. To date, however, Canada has been the H-92’s only military customer – with all of the associated systems integration and naval conversion burdens. There are also deeper questions being raised concerning both the machines’ fitness, and DND’s conduct of the program as a whole. This article covers the rationale for, history of, and developments within Canada’s Maritime Helicopter Program:

• CH-148 MHP: Systems & Program
  • The MH-92/ CH-148 Naval Helicopter [updated]
  • The CH-148 Program & Timeline [updated]
  • CH-148 Industrial Partnerships
• CH-148 MHP: Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  Continue Reading… »