Just 5 in 2013? (Feb 1/12)

Northrop Grumman’s E-2C Hawkeye is a carrier-capable “mini-AWACS” aircraft, designed to give long-range warning of incoming aerial threats. Secondary roles include strike command and control, land and maritime surveillance, search and rescue, communications relay, and even civil air traffic control during emergencies. E-2C Hawkeyes began replacing previous Hawkeye versions in 1973; they fly from USN and French carriers, from land bases in the militaries of Egypt, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, and Taiwan; and in a drug interdiction role for the US Naval Reserve. Over 200 Hawkeyes have been produced.

The $17.5 billion E-2D Advanced Hawkeye program aims to build 75 new aircraft with significant radar, engine, and electronics upgrades in order to deal with a world of stealthier cruise missiles, saturation attacks, and a growing need for ground surveillance as well as aerial scans. It looks a lot like the last generation E-2C Hawkeye 2000 upgrade on the outside – but inside, and even outside to some extent, it’s a whole new aircraft.

• From E-2A Hawkeye to the E-2D
• E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: Program
  • American Budgets
  • Industrial Partners
• E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: Contracts & Key Events, Full History [updated]
• Additional Readings
  Continue Reading… »

ER/MP, armed

Support for front-line QRC detachments. (Jan 17/12)

In August 2005, “Team Warrior” leader General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. in San Diego, CA won a $214.4 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) of the Extended Range/ Multi Purpose Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System (ER/MP UAS). That was just the first step along the US Army’s road to fielding a true Medium Altitude, Long Endurance, armed UAV, modified from the USAF’s famous MQ-1 Predator. Now, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle has entered low-rate production as the Army’s high-end UAV.

The ER/MP program is part of the US Army’s reinvestment of dollars from the canceled RAH-66 Comanche helicopter program, and directly supports the Army’s Aviation Modernization Plan. ER/MP could be a $1 billion effort, and its position got a boost when a 2007 program restructuring cut the Future Combat Systems Class III UAV competition in favor of ER/MP. Now, in FY 2011, the MQ-1C “Gray Eagle” prepares to move into full production, following the first big “Key West” battle of the 21st century between the USAF and US Army…

• The MQ-1C Gray Eagle, and its Band of Brothers
• The Army’s ER/MP Program
• ER/MP UAS – Enter the Warrior: Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Appendix A: US Army et. al. vs. USAF Over UAVs
• Appendix B: Additional Readings – Who Controls the UAVs?
• Appendix C: Other Additional Readings
  Continue Reading… »

• The US Senate voted 86-13 for the FY12 defense bill which President Obama is now expected to sign. Congress is also on the verge of finding another midnight hour funding compromise to avoid a government shutdown, pending votes later today. Meanwhile Republicans and Democrats are putting stakes in the ground for or against rolling back the forthcoming sequester.

• Some senators worry about how more work at military depots may be moved to the private sector; others want the Pentagon to stop getting in a situation where it ends up paying millions of dollars in extra fees to shipping companies because of containers that are returned late.

• According to La Tribune [in French], the French defense sector looks about to go through a round of product portfolio shuffling, consolidation and privatization. Companies involved: Thales, DCNS, Nexter, but also potentially Safran, Renault Trucks Defense and Panhard.

• France is about to launch the Elisa project [in French]. It’s a constellation of 4 smaller satellites flying at 700km altitude, that aims to refine the collection of intelligence about opposing radars (SIGINT/ ESM) from space. The DGA is preparing for an operational effort called CERES, which aims to be up and running by 2020.

• SBIRS GEO-2 is done testing, and SBIRS GEO-1 has completed on-orbit checkout. They’re the USA’s new missile launch warning satellites.

• More reports that Taiwan is moving toward its own submarine program. The Taipei Times adds one expert’s recommendation that the money and time might be spent on fast-attack missile boats like the Chinese Type 022. Which makes industrial sense, but not military sense, since the Chinese PLAAF will control the air.

• US Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer dismisses his suit against BAE OASYS, which was allegedly triggered by corporate retaliation when he objected to selling thermal weapon scopes to Pakistan. The firm didn’t end up selling the scopes.

• The US GAO found that of the 40 former high-ranking Coast Guard officials who left the service from 2005 through 2009, 22 have been compensated by Coast Guard contractors.

• The Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) is going to test small fail robots to dispose of anti-personnel mines.

• Australia decommissions its H-3 Sea King helicopters. They’ll be replaced by the RAN’s 6 ordered MRH-90s (NH90 TTH).

• a preliminary report [PDF] on defense procurement procedures by the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee of the Australian Senate notes some improvements but oozes frustration about the bureaucratic mess it has to wade through: ”[i]t only takes a cursory glance at a Defence procurement chart to see the convoluted and incomprehensible web of documents, committees and milestones.”

Euro Hawk UAV
(clickto view full)

Euro Hawk formally accepted. (Oct 12/11)

Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV has gone from a developmental platform to the next generation of American aerial reconnaissance. Flying at 60,000 feet, the RQ-4’s use their advanced synthetic aperture radar and other sensors to provide high-resolution images, unaffected by clouds or similar impediments. A larger RQ-4B model has been developed, and forms the backbone of current deliveries.

The Euro Hawk project aims to produce an RQ-4B with additional capabilities in signals intelligence collection (SIGINT), to complement its native ground surveillance capabilities. Euro Hawk is a transatlantic collaboration, and its SIGINT system will provide the ability to detect and collect information from electronic intelligence (ELINT) radar emitters and communications emitters, and will be connected to ground stations that can receive and analyze the data. An MoU was signed in May 2006, followed by a firm system development contract on Jan 31/07. Several years later, the Euro Hawk is flying, but isn’t ready for operations just yet…

• The Euro Hawk Program & Platform
• Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  Continue Reading… »

PLGR & DAGR
(DAGR is on the right)

Saudi joint venture; Production update; 2011 order. (Sept 16/11)

Out in the field, one of the most important questions is also one of the simplest: where am I? Map-reading and orienteering remain critical soldiering skills, but the explosive growth of the GPS receiver market offers modern-day soldiers – and their opponents – new options. GPS has a military channel as well, of course, offering greater precision. These military-grade GPS receivers are becoming common among American units and their allies, often operating alongside civilian units from firms like Garmin that can include in-country roadmaps for front-line zones. Then again, you probably wouldn’t want to offer nearby airstrike coordinates based on a civilian unit if there was any choice in the matter.

Defense Advanced GPS Receivers (DAGRs) will serve as a smaller, lighter, replacement for the Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver (PLGR). Their electronics can be integrated into tanks, UAV drones, et. al., or serve as standalone handheld systems for both advanced and basic military GPS users. Authorized Department of Defense (DoD) and foreign military sales (FMS) customers receive a hand-held Precise Positioning System (PPS) with a dual-frequency (L1/L2) receiver that weighs less than a pound, and incorporates the next generation, tamper-resistant GPS “SAASM” (Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module) anti-jamming and security module….

• The Defense Advanced GPS Receiver
• DAGR: Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources [updated]
  Continue Reading… »

Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) has recently disclosed the following Requests for Proposals (RFP), modifications and notifications:

• The US Air Force releases a Statement of Work, Questions and Answers and additional documents in relation to the purchase and installation of a Lawful Intercept (LI) capability for the Government of Iraq (GOI). LI will provide the GOI with enhanced communications intelligence to support a range of security operations.
  Continue Reading… »

• A senior Russian defense official claims that the Sukhoi T-50/PAK-FA stealth fighter will be the ‘principal plane’ of the Russian and Indian Air Forces.

• A new Pike Research report predicts that the military fuel cell market will reach $1.2 billion by 2017, an increase from $9 million in 2011.

• Moscow’s MAKS 2011 air show has prompted a number of developments concerning Russia’s military and defense industry. Russia’s Air Force is expected to receive 450 helicopters this year, including the Kamov Ka-52 Alligator. The state-run United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) plans to provide the Air Force with 20 new aircraft a year. UAC is also keen on securing a contract to supply the military with 10 Antonov AN-124 freighters.

• Western aerospace contractors keep at low profile at Taiwan Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) 2011. Boeing and General Electric miss the show altogether.

• Elbit Systems’ Second Quarter 2011 Results show revenues at $691.6 million, as compared with $603.3 million for last year’s corresponding quarter. C4I and airborne systems were leading contributors to the increase.

• Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is considering aerial refueling options for the upgraded version of its Heron unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

• The US Army awards an Omnibus III $497 million indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for the provision of support to the US Navy Medicine Research and Development (R&D) programs.

• Meanwhile, the General Services Administration (GSA) awards N~Ask Inc., BIT Systems and CACI Technologies an IDIQ contract worth up to $40 million for Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Engineering Support Services (SESS II).

• Ukraine’s Arsenal Design Bureau claims to have developed a ‘world class’ infrared seeker for use on anti-ship missiles.

• The DoD Inspector General’s internal audit of DARPA contract awards will likely pay close attention to business conducted with RedXDefense, a bomb detection company co-founded by the current director of DARPA.

SOTECH

In August 2011, Special Operations Technology, Inc. in Annapolis Junction, MD receives a $79.5 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification “to install, operate, and maintain the lawful intercept equipment and support equipment at various locations around Afghanistan.” Wiretaps can be used for a wide variety of purposes, of course, and there’s an especially pointed history tied to US wiretaps within combat zones. Back in May 2007, American authorities trying to find 3 soldiers kidnapped in Iraq spent nearly 10 hours, during the critical initial phase of the operation, trying to get legal authority for wiretaps to help in the hunt. The soldiers were not found in time, and were murdered by al-Qaeda in Iraq. With respect to wireless taps in Afghanistan, Vanity Fair’s story of Operation Foxden pre-9/11 is an instructive might-have-been.

Work will be performed in Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Aug 3/13. One bid was solicited, with 1 bid received by U.S. Army Space & Missile Command, Huntsville, AL (W9113M-10-C-0084).

Nimrod R1 & E-3D AWACS

Prep for jointly-manned USAF/RAF missions; Nimrod R1s extended, then exit service; $1 billion support agreement. (July 8/11)

Land and sea surveillance, and electronic surveillance, are missions no government can ignore. To keep its capabilities, Great Britain launched a parallel set of efforts to update its Nimrod fleet. One multi-billion pound program sought to upgrade 12 of its unique Nimrod Mk2 maritime patrol aircraft to Nimrod MRA4 status. The other effort, named Project HELIX, sought to keep its related Nimrod R1 electronic and signals intelligence/ relay aircraft fleet flying until 2025.

Both failed. The Nimrod MR2 fleet was retired in 2010, with several almost-complete MRA4s scrapped, leaving Britain with no long-range maritime surveillance aircraft. The first sign of trouble for the Nimrod R1s was an October 2008 DSCA request, conveying Britain’s official $1+ billion request to field 3 RC-135V/W Rivet Joint ELINT/SIGINT aircraft. That, too, became final, and the R1s will now leave service in 2011 – to be replaced by a joint RAF/USAF program centered on the RC-135W Rivet Joint:

• The RC-135 Rivet Joint
• Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Other Options?
  Continue Reading… »

• The Pentagon is launching a preferred supplier program. Companies who receive high marks in the Defense Department’s performance-tracking system may see better performance payments and other rewards. The Pentagon will also encourage more use of contract provisions that provide companies a share of any savings they produce on existing programs, under its broader “Better Buying Power Initiative.” If they have not yet taken an in-depth look at Chrysler’s 1990s supplier initiatives, they ought to.

• Lockheed Martin’s net income fell slightly to $530 million for the first quarter of 2011, despite a 3% increase in sales.

• India is reportedly getting close to awarding $1 billion contract for intermediate trainers. Of course, “close” is a relative term when we’re talking about India. The contenders include turboprops like Embraer’s EMB-314 Super Tucano, Pilatus’ PC-7 Mk.II, KAI’s KT-1, and the side-by-side Grob 120TP; and Alenia Aermacchi’s M-311 jet.

• Botswana buys 5 Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II turboprop trainers for about $44.8 million, to replace its 6 old Pilatus PC-7 turboprops. They’ll be used as lead-ins for the country’s wider fleet, which includes F-5/CF-116 fighters.

• South Africa also flies PC-7 Mk.IIs, via upgrades. They’ll need those, and their recent Hawk trainer upgrades, to compensate for the inadequate flight hours available to their new JAS-39C/D Gripen fighter fleet.

• L-3 Communications plans to repurchase $1.5 billion worth of its common stock through April 30/13.

• Centurum gets $82.3 million contract to provide tactical cryptologic system support to the US and UK navies.

• Harris receives $20.4 million US Army order to supply the Falcon II AN/VRC-104(V)3 high-frequency vehicular radio system – which includes the Falcon II AN/PRC-150-C tactical radio – for use in multiple variants of MRAP vehicles.

• Raytheon gets $10 million contract to develop C2 technologies under DARPA’s Resilient Command and Control (RC2) program.

• Raytheon announces that they have delivered the 1st SM-6 naval air defense missile to the US Navy, but their announcement implies that the delivery actually took place in March 2011.

• Radar testing begins for the MFAS that will equip the US Navy’s MQ-4C BAMS UAV, a Global Hawk derivative.

• Syria deploys tanks, troops, and snipers to Deraa, killing 25.