The UAV market’s low cost of entry is spurring manufacturers around the world to enter, or re-enter, the military aircraft market as prime contractors. That’s also true in the USA, where former aviation powerhouses Northrop and Grumman have a stable of high-end UAVs; and Raytheon unveiled the Killer Bee 4, which will become a full-spectrum UAV family.

Even former fighter manufacturer General Dynamics stepped back in for a while, via a May 2009 partnership between Elbit Systems of America, LLC and General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products…

Rustom-H mockup

India has not been left out of the global UAV push. The country operates Israeli Searcher tactical UAVs, and Heron Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) UAVs, placing an additional Heron order in 2005. It has also undertaken development programs for a smaller UAV, the “Nishant”. With its “Rustom” program, however, India hopes to offer a UAV in the Heron/ Predator/ Watchkeeper class of MALE UAVs.

It had also hoped to begin to change a culture and tradition of wholly state-owned development of military hardware, which has not always performed well, or served India’s needs. A recent award has selected a winner, and moved the project forward. It may also serve as a reminder that bureaucracies are very difficult to change.

• The Rustom family of UAVs [NEW]
• Procurement & the Private Sector: India’s Struggles
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  Continue Reading… »

Iron Dome concept

On August 16, 2011, Rafael and Raytheon announced a partnership to market the Iron Dome system in the United States. This rocket interception system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has an all-weather range of up to 70 km (43.5 miles). To make the system mobile, the detection/tracking radar and battle management/control parts of the system are carried on trucks, while the missile firing unit is mounted on a trailer.

IL-76/A-50EI Phalcon:
first delivery

IAF ordering 2 more A-50EI Phalcons?; Article improvements. (Nov 8/11)

In recent years India has been shifting toward aircraft that would give it the ability to patrol and act at extended ranges. In January 2004, India and Israel signed a $1.1 billion contract for 3 Phalcon airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, as part of a $1.5 billion tripartite agreement with Russia. With the arrival of its first IL-76 Phalcon, India joined the global ranks of AWACS operators. The aircraft will monitor huge swathes of Indian airspace, intercept communications and log radar frequencies, add some ground surveillance, and help command IAF responses.

At the same time, India moved to implement AWACS capabilities on a 2nd, smaller, platform, in order to provide broader coverage. The goal there is to field a Tier 2 platform based on Embraer’s ERJ-145 jet, and Indian radar and electronics, allowing India to join the global ranks of AWACS designers. Just to make things interesting, their arch-rival Pakistan offers a contrasting case study, with quicker fielding of off-the shelf buys from China (Y-8 based ZDK-03) and Sweden (Saab 2000 Erieye)...

• India’s AWACS: Platforms & Programs [updated]
• Updates and Developments [updated]
• Video Briefings from Aero India 2009
• Additional Readings & Sources
  Continue Reading… »

• The US DoD acquisition office hosted the 1st Product Support Manager (PSM) Conference last week. Among the material presented there, we recommend this overview [PDF] of Open Systems Architectures (OSA) and data rights. “Data rights are rights granted to the government for technical data and computer software” which can help DoD maintain competition over the life of a program, among other benefits.

• Also of interest from the PSM event: sustainment metrics [PDF]; this primer [PDF] on the role of PSMs, a position created under Section 805 of the FY10 defense authorization bill. Per DTM 10-015 [PDF], all ACAT I/II major programs must have a PSM supporting them.

• Conundrums can arise when safety procedures meet environmental concerns in the life of a military base. For instance, US DoD policy requires periodic aircraft hangar fire suppression foam system nozzle discharge checks to make sure these systems will perform when needed. But these necessary checks generate nontrivial amounts of wastewater, a liability and another burden to deal with. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Engineering Service Center think they have an answer with their “NoFoam” design [PDF].
  Continue Reading… »

• Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions (IS&GS) announced a voluntary layoff program to reduce its headcount by 250 in February 2012, out of a 30,000 total worldwide.

• Northrop Grumman to supply AQS-24A airborne mine-hunting system to Japan for their MCH-101 helicopters.

• The Begin-Saadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA) in Israel released a preliminary evaluation of the Iron Dome anti-rocket system. Uzi Rubin, the author of the report [PDF in Hebrew], thinks it’s too early to assess the full impact of the system, but says it did save lives.

• An F-15C Eagle from Nellis Air Force Base crashed in Nevada yesterday without making any casualty.

• US DoD deputy chief information officer Robert J. Carey claims rapid IT acquisition programs often fail to scale.

• Son of Stuxnet: meet Duqu, apparently an iteration of the cyberweapon used to penetrate Iran’s nuclear plants in the last couple of years.

• Pantex in Texas is dismantling the last 9,000-pound B-53 nuclear bombs.

• In a letter [PDF] sent to the US Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC) Chairman last week, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) expresses its support for the version of the FY12 Appropriations bill approved by the SAC last month. The Senate still has to vote on the bill then go to conference with the House to agree on a common text for the bill.

• South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma appointed a Supreme Court of Appeal judge to probe the 1999 Strategic Defence Package (SDP).

• The US House Foreign Affairs Committee has a hearing today on the recent troop deployment in Central Africa. See video below:
  Continue Reading… »

• The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) reviewed its single-source contracts which account for about 40% of its total procurement. While sole sourcing often does make sense, MOD hopes to get standardized cost data from contractors to increase transparency within that contractual framework.

• Under pressure because he let his friend Adam Werritty present himself as an adviser, MOD chief Liam Fox made an apologetic statement to try and clarify how events unfolded. Werritty visited Fox 22 times at the Ministry, and also met him during trips abroad. More on this: The Guardian, The Telegraph.

• Recruitment headaches. Does it make sense for the MOD to award a large contract for civilian recruiters to handle Army recruitment? Meanwhile, in the US, can you touch healthcare and retirement benefits without detrimental effects on recruitment?
  Continue Reading… »

(click to enlarge)

In September 2010, Elbit Systems Ltd. announced a $280 million communications modernization contract from the Israeli Ministry of Defense. About $140 million will be invested in new communications equipment over the next 5 years, with the other $140 million paid over 20 years to upgrade and maintain existing systems. Per Israeli requirements, a key part of the project will be performed in a “development area” (here, the Southern Israeli city of Arad), as part of the Israeli Government’s policy to develop industries in the periphery. Elbit Systems.

Israel has been implementing its Tsayad/DAP next-generation communications system over the last few years, in order to enable its different military branches to communicate more easily. It is currently nearing the end of Phase 1, and Elbit is the main contractor. This is not formally part of DAP, but it is complementary. Elbit and its subsidiary Tadiran Communications offer a wide range of radios, military computers, satellite terminals, and even battlefield command and control systems to the global marketplace. While they may lack the size and heft of Harris or Thales, they compete aggressively across a very wide range of systems, and have received substantial foreign orders.

• The 1st USAF CHIRP (Common Hosted Infrared Payload) launches aboard SES SA’s Orbital Star 2.4 variant satellite, riding an Ariane 5 rocket from the spaceport in French Guiana. It wasn’t easy, but this is the 1st time the USAF has hosted a military satellite payload on a commercial satellite, and their 1st wide field-of-view infrared staring payload. CHIRP will power on in 30 days, and begin experiments.

• The USA’s 1st JHSV fast transport catamaran, USNS Spearhead, has been christened at Austal’s Mobile, AL yard.

• Alenia North America delivers C-27A tactical transports #12-14 to the Afghan Air force, from the 20-plane program.

• Pakistan has begun fielding Chinese Type 022/ Azmat Class Fast Attack Catamaran missile boats.

• Russia has reportedly given the go-ahead for full production of the SU-34 Fullback long-range strike fighter.

• Elbit Systems lands a contract for perimeter security systems at Haifa port, networked back to the Security Center. Israel has one of the world’s most advanced maritime surveillance systems – mostly based on shore.

• It’s done: United Technologies buys Goodrich for $16.5B ($18.4B counting net debt assumed). Meanwhile the Virginian-Pilot reports that General Dynamics plans to acquire the Metro Machine Corp. ship-repair facility in Norfolk.

• The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)’s Report on Security Clearance Determinations [PDF] states that 2.17M government employees held a confidential/secret clearance as of October 1st, 2010, and 666K were at the Top Secret level. Add private contractors and others gets you to 4.2M people, which the Federation of American Scientists notes is quite higher than previous estimates published by the GAO. Of course getting a clearance is different from keeping it.

• Barry Watts and Todd Harrison at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) look at how to sustain the US defense industrial base [PDF]. Step 5 – Acceptance: the US defense industry does not function like a free market. In order to maintain vital sectors of the industry, it is likely the government cannot rely just on private decisions and need to come up with its own strategy. This will involve defining what is and is not vital.

• The US House of Representatives did vote on a Continuing Resolution yesterday. It did not vote for it though: keeping the federal government funded through Nov. 18 failed 195-230. This stopgap measure will be looked at again tomorrow. Next week Congress will be on recess. Politico, The Hill, Bloomberg.

• In his list of recommendations [PDF] for the committee on deficit reduction, US Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) seeks $1.4T in savings over 10 years. In his recipe: cut the workforce by 10% through attrition, freeze civilian pay until 2015, and cut the contractor workforce by 15%. Many of these come from Tom Coburn (R-OK)’s Back in Black plan from last July.

• Video of the day: 1st hearing from the House Armed Services Committee panel on defense industry challenges, embedded below, worries about small business market access, barriers to entry and deterrents to even bother selling to DoD:
  Continue Reading… »

MiG-21 ‘Lancer’

The MiG-21 is reaching the end of its service life, but it can still be effective for a little while. India’s refurbished MiG-21 ‘Bisons’ combined Russian, Indian and Israeli technology* to excellent effect in the COPE India 2004 and 2005 exercises with the USAF, and there’s even a Russian-Israeli MiG-21 2000 variant that exists for general sale. Israeli companies have made something of a specialty of refurbishing both Western and Soviet fighters with modern radars, avionics, and Israeli weapons like the Python air-air missile, giving the systems new life. An all-Israeli effort was undertaken along those lines, in order to create Romania’s MiG-21 ‘Lancers’ via upgrade.

The question is what comes next. In 2005, rumor had it that the success of those efforts had led to a more ambitious fighter deal between Israel and Romania for upgraded Cheyl Ha’Avir F-16A/Bs – but that deal appears to have fizzled for unknown reasons. Other firms entered the mix, including Saab with its JAS-39 Gripen and, surprisingly, EADS’ Eurofighter. Then the USA appeared to have flown away with the fighter replacement deal – but, not so fast:

• Romania, Romania, Romania: Drivers and Options
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
  Continue Reading… »