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F/A-18F over CV-63
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DID has covered the recent controversies over Australia’s involvement in the F-35 Lightning II program, amid criticisms that the F-35A will be unable to compete with proliferating SU-30 family aircraft in the region, lacks the required range or response time, and will either be extremely expensive at $100+ million per aircraft in early (2013-2016) production, or will not be available until 2018 or later. The accelerated retirement of Australia’s 22 long-range F-111s in 2010 has sharpened the timing debate in particular, with a recently retired Air Vice-Marshal and the opposition (now governing) Labor Party both weighing in with criticisms and alternative force proposals.

In December 2006, The Australian reported that Defence Minister Brendan Nelson was discussing an A$ 3 billion (about $2.36 billion) purchase of 24 F/A-18F Block II Super Hornet aircraft around 2009-2010. A move that came as “a surprise to senior defence officials on Russell Hill”; but is now an official purchase as requests and contracts work their way through.

Australia’s new Labor government’s decided to keep the Super Hornet purchase, and has now issued a request for follow-on support worth over $1 billion…

• RAAF Super Hornets: Variants and Variances
• Contracts & Key Events
• Additional Readings
  
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AH-64 in Afghanistan
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With the collapse of the RAH-66 Comanche program, and rededication of its funding into the ARH-70 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), the UH-145 Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), and other programs, the AH-64 Apache will remain the USA’s primary attack helicopter for several more decades.

On July 14, 2006, Boeing and U.S. Army officials signed a $619.3 million contract for Block III upgrades to the current and future Apache fleet via a virtual signing ceremony in Washington, DC, Huntsville, AL, and Mesa, AZ. Overall AH-64D Longbow Block III improvements, slated for 2008 on, incorporate 25 technology insertions as part of the Army’s future force plan. Previously signed and executed contracts for risk reduction engineering work were valued collectively at $66.1 million, and there has been some advance ordering and development of components like radar units.

So… how many helicopters will be modified under the AH-64 Block III program, and what do these modifications include?

• The AH-64 Apache Program: Sunrise, Sunset
• The AH-64D Block III
• Contracts and Key Events
• Additional Readings
  
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AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder
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July 29/08: Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Support in Syracuse, NY received an $84.3 million firm-fixed-price contract to accelerate the production and delivery of the 12 Enhanced AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder Initial Production Radar Systems currently listed as options within contract W15P7T-06-C-T004. Work will be performed in Syracuse, NY, and is expected to be complete by Oct 25/10. There was one bid solicited on March 23/08, and 1 bid was received by the CECOM Acquisition Center in Fort Monmouth, NJ activity (W15-P7T-06-C-T004)

Firefinder uses radar tracking to look at the path of incoming shells, rockets, mortars, et. al., and calculate the point they were fired from. It currently comes in 2 versions. The TPQ-36 radar is specifically designed to counter medium range enemy weapon systems out to a range of 24 kilometers, while the TPQ-37 can locate longer-range systems, and even surface launched missiles, out to 50 kilometers. Michael Yon, embedded with 1-24 (“Deuce Four”) in Mosul, offered a first hand description of counter-battery radars’ effect on enemy tactics in 2005.

In September 2006, Lockheed Martin announced a $120 million contract win to provide the U.S. Army with 5 Enhanced AN/TPQ-36 radars, otherwise known as the EQ-36 Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar, to be delivered within 36 months. The EQ-36 would include a number of improvements, including 360 degree coverage capability instead of the TPQ-36’s current 90 degrees. A prototype was unveiled in October 2007 following initial testing, and a successful program would replace many of the TPQ-36 radars currently in service. The July 2008 option raises the EQ-36’s order total to 17. Over the longer term, the potential exists for an $1.6+ billion order of more than 180 radars.

TCOM 17M RAID Aerostat
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The RAID program is a combination of cameras and surveillance equipment positioned on high towers and aerostats. Aerostats differ from blimps in that blimps are powered, while aerostats are anchored to the ground via a cranked tether that also supplies electrical power. Because the aerostats are not highly pressurized, bullets won’t burst them and they can actually remain buoyant for hours after suffering multiple punctures.

The RAID concept used a smaller TCOM 17M instead of the TCOM 71M JLENS aerostats used for cruise missile and air defense, and has sensors optimized for battlefield surveillance rather than powerful air defense radars. The result is a form of survivable and permanent surveillance over key areas that has been deployed to Afghanistan & Iraq. It can also be deployed as a tower system, and this “Eagle Eye/ GBOSS” deployment is turning out to be the preferred mode.

Raytheon recently received a contract from the US Marine Corps for more systems, which has now been followed by a pair of additional US Army orders. Other recent news includes a pair of sensor contracts…

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F-CK-1A/B Ching-Kuo
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The Taipei Times passes along a China Times bulletin noting that The Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC) based in Taichung has upgraded two of the Republic of China Air Force’s 130 F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo Indigenous Defense Fighters “to improve their combat-capabilities against China.” The modified parts include the Ching-Kuo’s avionics, fire-control system and landing gear, said the paper, and the two modified IDFs will make their formal debut on October 10, 2006. Upgrades of the other 128 aircraft will follow.

If the money to do so is approved. A recent Flight International report notes that this has not happened, even as a major Taiwanese arms request that includes 66 F-16C/D fighters remains stalled in Washington…

CEC Concept
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Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) is a sensor netting system that allows many ships to pool their radar and sensor information together, creating a very powerful and detailed picture that’s much finer, more wide-ranging, and more consistent than any one ship could generate on its own. The data is then shared among all ships via secure frequencies.

Yet CEC is far more than a mere data-sharing program, or even a sensor fusion effort. Indeed, it may well be the most revolutionary capability available to the modern US Navy. This DID FOCUS Article explains CEC’s mechanics and implications; it will also track ongoing research, updates, and contracts related to CEC capabilities from 2000 forward. The latest item is a an order from the US Navy…

• Co-operative Engagement Capability: How It Works (i.e. Continue reading…)
• CEC: Contracts and Key Events, 2000 – Present [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
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French Mirage F1s
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Morocco’s combat air force currently flies 2 squadrons of old F-5s, and 2 squadrons of only slightly newer Mirage F1s; T-37 light jets serve as key transitional trainers. Their neighbor and rival Algeria flies MiG-23s of similar vintage, but adds far more modern and capable MiG-29s. The Force Aerienne Algerienne also flies SU-24 Fencer and SU-25 Frogfoot strike aircraft, and is set to receive 36 multi-role MiG-29SMTs and 30 multi-role SU-30MKs as part of a multi-billion dollar weapons deal with Russia. Morocco is looking for replacement aircraft that will prevent a complete overmatch, and provide it with a measure of security.

Initially, they looked to France. France’s Rafale is part of a set of European 4+ generation fighters that were developed and fielded during the 1990s-early 21st century, with the aim of surpassing both existing offerings among America’s “teen series” fighters, and Russia’s Mig-29 Fulcrum and SU-27/30 Flanker family. “Dogfight at the Casbah: Rafale vs. F-16” discussed the French sales slip-ups that cost Dassault its first export order for the 4+ generation fighter. That outcome is now official. Just to make things worse, the final multi-billion dollar deal involves new-build F-16s, at a price comparable to the rumored figures for the Rafale. Not to mention an accompanying request to replace Morocco’s T-37 trainer fleet.

The latest development includes contract winners for fighter engines and reconnaissance pods…

• Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Why The F-16? DID Analysis – Dec. 2007
  
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ScanEagle launch
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ScanEagle was originally developed by Washington State’s Insitu, Inc. to track dolphins and tuna from fishing boats, in order to ensure that the fish you buy in supermarkets is “dolphin-safe”. It turns out that the same characteristics needed by fishing boats (able to handle the salt-water environment, low infrastructure launch and recovery, small size, 20-hour long endurance, automated flight patterns) are equally important for naval operations from larger vessels, and for battlefield surveillance. A partnership with Boeing helped take ScanEagle to market in those fields, and the rest has been making history.

Boeing has had field representatives in theater for a few years now to support and operate the Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle UAV from ships and ashore, receiving high battlefield praise and a fairly regular stream of contracts from the USA and Australia. ScanEagle has been demonstrated or used from 15 different vessels of various classes, including the USNS Fred G. Stockham [T-AK 3017] supply ship, HSV-2 Swift fast catamaran, USS Whidbey Island [LSD 49], Carter Hall [LSD 50] and Oak Hill [LSD 51] amphibious landing ships, and USS Oscar Austin [DDG-79] Flight IIA Arleigh Burke Class AEGIS destroyers. ScanEagle is currently being readied for deployment aboard the Flight II AEGIS destroyer USS Mahan [DDG-72]., and a number of specialty adaptations from sniper locator, to bio-warfgare agent detection are being tested.

This article covers recent developments with the ScanEagle UAV system, which is quickly evolving into a mainstay with the US Navy – and others as well. The latest news involves Boeing’s acquisition of its partner Insitu…

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VL Seawolf
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The Seawolf air defense missile was originally tested and fielded in the 1970s, and saw action in the 1982 Falklands War. It performed well in that conflict in a short range defense role, and was credited with several kills. Upgraded versions corrected many of the remaining issues with the system, and these still equip the Type 22 and Type 23 Class frigates in service with Britain, Chile and Brazil, and slated for Romania. It is also fitted to Malaysia’s newer Lekiu Class frigates. The Seawolf Mid-Life Update/ VL Seawolf Block 2 missile system was recently installed on the Duke Class frigate HMS Sutherland, and it will equip other ships of class as they, too, are upgraded.

Britain is slowly turning many of its defense support contracts into through-life “contracts for availability” that feature long term fixed costs and performance guarantee. Now Seawolf missiles have joined the list. In July 2008, BAE Systems announced the GBP 141 million SWISS (Seawolf In Service Support) Contract for Availability (CfA), which will sustain all of Britain’s Seawolf missiles in conjunction with a complementary contract to missile manufacturer MBDA. The contracts will last until the end of 2017, at which point the Seawolf system is expected to be phased out in favor of some of the systems being developed by Britain’s government-anointed “complex weapons team.”

BAE Systems has been providing in service support for the Seawolf radars and command and control systems since 1979. With the new contract, they are charged with ensuring that availability, as measured by successful firings, is maintained. They will also be responsible for refit activities in cooperation with MBDA, which can be used to insert new technologies that improve performance and/or reliability. BAE release.

RAF MQ-9, Kandahar
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On Jan 3/08, the US DSCA announced [PDF] the United Kingdom’s official request for:

“10 MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) aircraft, 5 Ground Control Stations, 9 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems (MTS-B/AAS-52), 9 AN/APY-8 Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target Indicator (SAR/GMTI) systems, 3 Satellite Earth Terminal Sub Stations (SETSS), 30 H764 Embedded Global Positioning System Inertial Navigation Systems, Lynx SAR and MTS-B spares, engineering support, test equipment, ground support, operational flight test support, communications equipment, technical assistance, personnel training/equipment, spare and repair parts, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $1.071 billion.”

The principal contractors would be General Atomics’ Aeronautical Systems (MQ-9) and Lynx Systems (Lynx ground scan radar) subsidiaries in San Diego, CA, and Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, CA (MTS-B/AAS-52). If the contract goes through. It may not; meanwhile, British Reapers have begun firing weapons, and a “whole life support” teaming agreement has been signed…

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