Smerch 9K58 firing

In February 2006, IANS reported that India had finally signed a $500 million deal with Russia for SPLAV’s Smerch-M BM 9K58 long-range 300mm multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS). SMERCH systems will offer a huge capability boost, relative to India’s older truck-mounted 122mm Grad rocket launchers.

So, what kind of capabilities does this weapon bring to the table? It sounds similar to the Soviet NKVD’s dreaded World War 2 SMERSH (“death to spies”) units, who sometimes acted to stiffen defenders’ resolve by waiting just behind the front lines with machine guns. The Smerch 9K58s may also stiffen resolve on the front lines, and end up being justly feared – albeit for different reasons…

“Frag 7” HMMWV w. OGPK

In early October 2011, BAE Systems Survivability Systems, LLC in Fairfield, OH received a $67.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for Overhead Gunner Protection Kit (OGPK) sub-assemblies. OGPK is an open gunner protection turret, which uses a combination of metal and transparent gunshields to stop small-arms fire. It’s mounted on patrol vehicles like HMMWVs and MRAPs, and won an Army award as #9 of the 10 best inventions of 2007. More recent versions are beginning to include some level of overhead protection. As OGPK kits have gotten heavier, however, they have triggered a companion buy: electric drive kits, to help the gunner move the turret quickly, or move it against gravity when the vehicle is on an incline.

Work will be performed in Fairfield, OH with an estimated completion date of Sept 28/12. One bid was solicited, with one bid received by U.S. Army Contracting Command in Warren, MI (W56HZV-11-D-0131).

Improved Sentinel

In September 2011, Thales Raytheon Systems in Fullerton, CA received a $162.7 million firm-fixed-price contract for 56 Sentinel AN/MPQ-64A3 radars, along with associated spares and fielding support. Work will be performed in Fullerton, CA, and Forest, MS, with an estimated completion date of June 1/14. One bid was solicited, with one bid received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL manages the contract (W31P4Q-11-C-0301).

Their Sentinel radar was to be an integral part of the SL-AMRAAM surface to air missile system, until the US Army decided to assume more battlefield risk and cancel it. Even so, the X-band Sentinel pulse-doppler 3D radars can detect a wide variety of aerial targets, and are being bought for forward area air defense units of the U.S. Army and USMC. Raytheon refers to this buy as Improved Sentinel radars (MPQ-64F1), and conversations with Raytheon personnel confirm that the Pentagon’s “MPQ-64-A3” is the same radar. They also confirm its ability to pinpoint the origin of mortar and artillery fire, and note that its effective range has tripled over the original Sentinel, to 120 km/ 75 miles. Cargo HMMWVs are used as the companion/ towing vehicle, and are equipped with the requisite generator to provide power for the radar.

Minehound VMR2

W.M. Robots, LLC in Colmar, PA already supplies their Vallon GmbH subsidiary’s hand-held mine detectors to the US military, and in September 2011 they added a $9.6 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract from the government of Afghanistan, plus options that could bring the cumulative value to $12.4 million. Afghanistan is clearly moving to beef up their mine-detection and removal capabilities; September also saw a buy of MMP-30 robots for these roles.

Work will be performed in Colmar, PA, and is expected to be complete by September 2012. $7.9 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/11. As this is a Foreign Military Sales program buy, the US military is acting as Afghanistan’s agent. This contract was synopsized as a sole-source buy, therefore, and is managed by the US Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division in Indian Head, MD (N00174-11-D-0015).

TCOM 17M RAID Aerostat

The RAID program is a combination of cameras and surveillance equipment positioned on high towers and aerostats, in order to monitor a wide area around important locations and bases. The RAID concept began with a smaller TCOM 17M aerostat as the base platform, instead of the TCOM 71M JLENS aerostats used for cruise missile and air defense. Its sensors were also optimized for battlefield surveillance, rather than JLENS’ focus on powerful air defense radars. The result is a form of survivable and permanent surveillance over key areas that has been deployed to Afghanistan & Iraq.

“Aerostats” has actually become something of a misnomer, however – RAID can also be deployed as a tower system, and this “Eagle Eye/ GBOSS” deployment is turning out to be the preferred mode. Raytheon continues to receive contracts from the US Marine Corps and US Army for new towers, as well as maintenance of existing systems:

• RAID: Components and Features
• RAID: Contracts & Key Events, FY 2006-2011 [updated]
• Additional Readings
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• The US Navy’s Program Executive Office (PEO) Integrated Warfare Systems (IWS) announces that it has made $50 million-worth of savings in procuring weapons for new construction amphibious ships between FY2009-2011.

• The British House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) publishes a report warning that until the Ministry of Defence (MoD) implements the Future Logistics Information Services project the UK’s Armed Forces remain reliant on a supply chain susceptible to a ‘critical risk of failure’.

• The US Army awards General Dynamics a $107 million contract for unspecified combat, assault and tactical vehicles.

• Meanwhile, the US Navy awards Federal Cartridge Company a $46.5 million contract for 5.56m frangible ammunition.

• Russia is to build its second Tupolev Tu-214ON aircraft for international aerial inspections under the Open Skies Treaty [PDF].

• Saab says its Skeldar V-200 unmanned helicopter will soon be on the market in its land-based and maritime versions.

• Boeing announces that it will use a Ryan Aerospace Helimod helicopter simulator to train Australian Army pilots to fly Bell 206B-1 Kiowa helicopters.

• The right-wing Heritage Foundation think tank raises concerns that the Budget Control Act will jeopardize the US solid rocket industrial base via the Administration’s reluctance to modernize strategic missiles to replace or expand on the likes of the Minuteman III ICBM and Trident II D-5 SLBM.

• Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Buck Mckeon (R-CA) is among senior Republican lawmakers to have written a letter to the White House and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta requesting disclosure of interim results of a comprehensive review of military spending.

• The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) confirms the launch of the Lockheed Martin developed Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2). DARPA indicates that the HTV-2 reached a speed of Mach 20 and provided nine minutes of data before crashing into the Pacific Ocean.

• DARPA awards a $10 million contract to General Atomics for post delivery services for the High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS) Phase 4, Demonstration Laser Weapons System (DLWS).

• The implications of US debt ceiling policies and China’s launch of its J-20 stealth fighter and first aircraft carrier have prompted academics to predict the future shape of the United States’ presence within the Asia Pacific region.

• Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and fellow members of the Defense Energy Security Caucus (DESC) send a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urging him to spare research into renewable energy solutions from budget cuts.

• Israel’s Defense Ministry is keen to purchase military equipment due to be retired from service after the US withdrawal from Iraq. Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) in particular are looking to replace their aging fleet of Humvee combat vehicles.

• Russia is expected to showcase a prototype Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation fighter at next week’s MAKS 2011 air show.

• Ukraine’s Prime Minister says the country may privatize some of its defense industries. However those deemed as ‘strategic defense companies’ are like to remain under state control.

• The US Army awards Cherokee Nation Red Wing a $20.5 million contract to provide helicopter rotor blades, drive mechanisms and components. Meanwhile Sikorsky wins a $23 million contract to provide the US Army with airframe structural components.

ZBV remote operation

June 29/11: The U.S. Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground’s Natick Contracting Division in Orlando, FL recently issued a 7-vendor, multiple-award contract for “non-intrusive” systems that can scan the inside of personnel, vehicles, and cargo containers; and Entry Control Point (ECP) systems for protecting bases in war zones. The ECP Hardware Sets will include day/night cameras, command and control stations, environmentally protected work stations, biometric systems, barriers, and protective shelters. Most of these systems will be used in Afghanistan, but some few systems will be bought for for training in the United States.

Up to $248.5 million in equipment will be bought, with the winning vendors competing for task orders. In several cases, the vendors listed below are actually leading teams of sub-contractors. The contract will run until August 31/14. Bids were solicited through the Internet, with 7 bids received. The winners were:

MCTAGS on Various Vehicles
(click to view larger)

$18.5 million order for MCTAGS kits and turret assemblies. (May 31/11)

US Marines deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan face numerous hazards in close-combat urban environments. Certainly, small arms fire and fragments from IED explosions are high on the list. To lessen those risks, the USMC turned to BAE Systems to develop a transparent, bulletproof shield that can be attached to gun turrets on a number of types of armored vehicles.

It is called the Marine Corps Transparent Armor Gun Shield (MCTAGS), and BAE Systems received a contract in 2005 to develop and produce MCTAGS to replace the Gunner’s Protection Kit used on most USMC armored vehicles…

• MCTAGS [updated]
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
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• The Chief Executive of Boeing’s defense, space and security unit says that the company is counting on growing demand in Asia and the Middle East for military aircraft to help offset possible spending cuts in Europe and the U.S.

• A Lockheed Martin Executive tells Reuters that the company is willing to outsource some production of its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to Japan if the country’s government decides to buy them as its next mainstay fighter aircraft.

• Saab receives orders from the Royal Thai Navy to upgrade two frigates with the latest generation of 9LV Mk4 and CEROS 200 combat management and fire control systems. The contracts will also supply data-link equipment which will allow communication between the frigates and Thailand’s existing Gripen aircraft and Saab 340s.
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