RAAF C-130J-30, flares

$180M in contracts from USA, Norway. (Jan 31/12)

The C-130 Hercules remains one of the longest-running aerospace manufacturing programs of all time. Since 1956, over 40 models and variants have served as the tactical airlift backbone for over 50 nations. The C-130J looks similar, but the number of changes almost make it a new aircraft. Those changes also created issues; the program has been the focus of a great deal of controversy in America – and even of a full program restructuring in 2006. Some early concerns from critics were put to rest when the C-130J demonstrated in-theater performance on the front lines that represented a major improvement over its C-130E/H predecessors. A valid follow-on question might be: does it break the bottleneck limitations that have hobbled a number of multi-billion dollar US Army vehicle development programs?

C-130J customers now include Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, India, Israel, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Norway, Oman, Qatar, South Korea, Tunisia, and the United States. American C-130J purchases are taking place under both annual budgets and supplemental wartime funding, in order to replace tactical transport and special forces fleets that are flying old aircraft and in dire need of major repairs. This DID FOCUS Article describes the C-130J, examines the bottleneck issue, covers global developments for the C-130J program, and looks at present and emerging competitors…

• The (Private) Labors of Hercules: the C-130J
• The C-130J and the 20-ton Bottleneck
• Turbulent Flight: The C-130J Program
• Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources, incl. emerging competitors & Special Operations requirements
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WANTED: stuff like this…

US Army initiatives. (Jan 18/12)

On July 25/06 Al-Anbar commander and U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard Zilmer submitted an MNF-W priority 1 request. It pointed to the hazards inherent in American supply lines, and noted that many of the supply convoys on Iraq’s roads (up to 70%, by some reports) were carrying fuel. Much of that fuel wasn’t even for vehicles, but for diesel generators used to generate power at US bases. That is still true, and Afghanistan has even more daunting logistics. By some estimates, shipping each gallon of fuel to Afghanistan requires 7 gallons of fuel for transport.

A number of Pentagon projects use alternative energy at various installations, but Zilmer’s request is believed to have been the first formal request from a front-line commander. Not to mention the first formal request that acknowledges the security dimension of alternative energy sources, in response to the growth of “systempunkt” terrorism and the non-linear battlefield. It has not been the last.

• The Need on the Ground
• Options and Considerations
• Contracts and Key Developments [updated]
• Additional Readings
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• After the cremated remains of at least 274 fallen US service-members, and 1,762 other unidentified body parts, were unceremoniously thrown into a county landfill as waste, Tom Ricks says that “either the Air Force Secretary, its Chief of Staff, or both” need to resign; “It’s not a colonel’s problem”. He makes a strong case. Meanwhile Congresswoman Renee Ellmers [R-NC] wants to legislate.

• The US House of Representatives approved the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) after the White House lifted its veto threat. The bill should now sail through the Senate and be made into law within the next few days. Which means focus will shift to FY13 and beyond. HASC Chairman Howard McKeon (R-CA) is introducing a bill as he had said he would to avoid sequester in 2013. The Senate is also on it, as per the video at the bottom of this entry. Also, representatives Mark Critz (D-PA-12) and Mo Brooks (R-AL-05) created last week a congressional caucus for Army Aviation (AAC).

• L-3 Communications bought for $210M in cash Kollmorgen Electro-Optical (KEO), a $160M/year unit of Danaher Corporation that employs about 550 people in Massachusetts and Italy. KEO will complement’s L-3s existing Sensor Systems division.

• Boeing and KAI deliver the 2nd E-737 AEW&C “Peace Eye” plane to South Korea’s air force.

• Boeing’s CONECT upgrade for the B-52H bomber is done flight testing. Now it’s up to the USAF to decide if they want to move forward.

• Alenia & EADS Cassidian sign an MoU to explore MALE UAV and UCAV co-operation, as the Obama administration waffles on selling armed UAVs. Talarion is mentioned explicitly, but anything they come up with will have to face the BAE/Dassault team (Mantis/Telemos), as well as potential offerings from Thales. Looks like Europe will have multiple UAV nodes, after all.

• Lockheed Martin announces that they have delivered the next-generation GPS-III’s Non Flight Satellite Testbed (GNST) to Denver, CO, where they’ve opened their new GPS-III manufacturing line.

• The US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) has delayed the release of Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN) RFP by several weeks – it was originally due for next week.

• Here’s a short primer on the various types of issuances from the Pentagon: Memorandums (DTMs), Instructions (DoDIs), Manuals (DoDMs), and Administrative Instructions (AIs). DTMs are effective for just 180 days. DoDOs establish or implement policy, and provide general procedures. Manuals implement or supplement policy stated in the two previous types of document. Finally AIs provide administrative guidance.

• Sweden has expanded its military exports to 60+ countries at a $2B+/year pace.

• Italy shared its stats on its participation in Libyan operations, adding to the metrics collected on this conflict.

• The Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) offers an Indian perspective on China’s tentative presence in the Seychelles. (IDSA is funded by the Indian Ministry of Defence but functions autonomously.)

• In Australia, Kim Carr’s demotion from cabinet-level Minister of Innovation and Industry to (non-cabinet) Minister for Defence Materiel and Minister for Manufacturing as part of a larger reshuffle is getting some push-back both from within the left in power and from the right-wing opposition. Outgoing Jason Clare is promoted to Minister for Home Affairs.
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EFSS Concept

75 ITVs. (Oct 17/11)

The U.S. Marine Corps sees the 120mm Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS) mortar as the 3rd leg of its expeditionary fire support triad. EFSS will be the short-range but easily transportable counterpart to the reduced-weight M777 155mm towed howitzer, and the truck-mounted M142 HIMARS rocket system.

Accompanying Marine Air Ground Task Forces (MAGTFs) in expeditionary operations, EFSS will be the heliborne Ship-To-Objective Maneuver (STOM) force’s primary fire support, before the larger and longer range systems can move into position. As such, the EFSS launcher, its Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV) carrier, a portion of the basic load of ammunition, and a portion of its crew, must all be transportable by a single CH-53E Super Stallion or future CH-53K heavy lift helicopter, and/or a single MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. The program’s path has not been smooth, and its vehicle choice in particular has come in for criticism, as it heads toward full-rate production…

• EFSS and ITV [updated]
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
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Land-based SM-3 concept

Update re: overall progress to date. (Sept 15/11)

SM-3 Standard missiles have been the backbone of the US Navy’s ballistic missile defense plans for many years now, and are beginning to see service in the navies of allies like Japan. Their test successes and long range against aerial threats have spawned a land-based version that could prove to be even more important to the USA’s allies.

In July 2008 the US Missile Defense Agency began considering a land-based variant of the SM-3, largely due to specific requests from Israel. Israel currently fields the medium range Arrow-2 land-based ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) system, supplemented by Patriot missiles for point defense. Israel eventually elected to pursue the Arrow-3 instead of SM-3s. Once the prospect had been raised, however, the US government thought about the concept, and decided in 2009 that adding SM-3 missiles on land was a really good idea.

• EPAA & The SM-3 Option
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Appendix A: Israel’s Possible Rationales
• Appendix B: Additional Readings
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• Leadership. At last. As USMC Sgt. (then Cpl.) Dakota Meyer receives the Medal of Honor, a follow-up report affirms that his compatriot, Army Capt. William Swenson, has now been submitted as a Medal of Honor candidate for his own actions at the Ganjigal engagement. Thanks to Afghan theater commander Gen. John Allen (USMC!). In fairness, we should also note that 2 of the officers who refused Swenson’s fire support calls are looking for new lines of work now. Video embedded below.

• Britain’s GBP 30 million upgrade of its CVR-T light tracked combat vehicles has been fielded in Afghanistan.

• America’s Office of Naval Research has a new conflict of interest policy in place for contractors.

• Good news for Britain’s Type 26 frigates: their short-range CAMM air defense missile is coming along nicely. The rest of the ship is still being defined.

• Saab announces that they have delivered their 10,000th NLAW portable anti-armor missile; introduces the RBS-70 NG upgrade of its popular man-potable anti-aircraft missile. Most of the improvements are in the controller and operator sensors, but the company says the missile can also be used against ground targets like APCs.

• A year ago Ashton Carter published his “Better Buying Power” [PDF] memo. In its wake, a number of changes have been initiated in acquisition policy and documents. The latest is Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition Technology & Logistics Frank Kendall’s streamlining of the Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP), a document focused on product support and the cost drivers that impact long-term affordability. This makes sense given the fact total ownership costs over the life of a program go way beyond initial procurement. Every acquisition program is now expected to have its LCSP.

• USAF has completed its 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program.

• The Washington Times reports that President Obama has ruled out F-16 C/D sales to Taiwan, in line with reports surfacing up last month. There’s been no official confirmation yet but that should happen today (Friday). Earlier this week Reuters reported that for the 1st time in years the US State Department won’t have a representative to a forthcoming industry conference with Taiwan.

• The Senate Committee on Appropriations confirms its Defense Subcommittee’s markup for the FY12 bill. Highlights: JSF slower ramp-up, DWSS and JLTV cancellations, reductions to GCV, THAAD, JTRS components. There’s still ways to go to wrap up FY12 appropriations legislation. The House bill is $17B or 3.3% above the Senate’s.

• The House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security had a hearing on corruption related to trucking contracts in Afghanistan: video, POGO summary.
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• The US Army is looking to change its physical fitness test (shorter but harder), and may add a combat readiness test before deploying. Army readers, you may want to adjust your PT.

• Leadership failure: A Marine Corporal and a US Army Captain charge together into enemy fire, repeatedly, to retrieve their fellow soldiers’ bodies. The Marine is getting the Medal of Honor. The Army Captain… nothing?!? Wouldn’t want to make the officers in the TOC, who denied them fire support, look bad.

• Australia and Canada will now work together on mutual defense procurement issues (vid. Australia transcript | Canada release). The F-35 fighter program’s cost & schedule risks, and their respective problems with their unready Collins Class and Victoria Class submarine fleets, are obvious places to start.

• The UK’s DSTL introduces its latest research project: Super Bainite perforated armoring steel. It will be manufactured in Britain by India’s Tata Steel.

• Boeing hands Australia the keys to its 5th C-17A heavy airlifter, while L-3 assumes responsibility of RAAFB Amberley’s C-17 Training System for pilots, loadmasters and maintenance personnel.

• Who let the dogs out? Gen. Petraeus. Now the US Army (TEDD) and USMC (IDD) each have funded programs from 2012-2014, to put more K-9 teams on the front lines in Afghanistan. Canine PTSD remains a top issue.

• Portuguese Ministry of Defense José Pedro Aguiar-Branco told the local press that some programs were under review [in Portuguese], given the country’s fiscal difficulties. Last month, El Pais was reporting [in Spanish] that neighboring Spain’s Ministerio de Defensa was facing a tough financing hurdle in years to come to pay for committed armament acquisitions. Reflecting its stronger fiscal position, Germany’defense ministry is set for a modest 2012 budget increase, pending parliamentary approval.

• DoD Comptroller and CFO Robert F. Hale asked Congress to reprogram $3B of funding, in part in anticipation of likely delays with the FY12 OCO budget.

• The Aerospace Industries Association launched yesterday a public relations campaign dubbed “Second to None” (video below). Meanwhile POGO is not convinced by contractor math. Both organizations, among plenty of interested parties, will no doubt want to have the ear of the Defense Business Panel recently created by the House Armed Services Committee.

• The Deficit Supercommittee will have its first closed-door meeting today (Thursday).
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• The Commission on Wartime Contracting (CWC) formally submits Transforming Wartime Contracting – Controlling costs reducing risks [PDF] to Congress. The report says that at least $31 billion has been lost to contract waste and fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan, and offers 15 recommendations for contracting reform.

• General David Petraeus uses his retirement speech (see video at the bottom of this entry) to pay tribute to those who steered the US military through its ‘hollow force’ era. Petraeus also emphasized the importance of safeguarding gains made in Iraq and Afghanistan against a backdrop of change in the Middle East and reduced defense expenditure.

• Indian defence sources have outlined the ministry’s ‘flagrant violation’ of offset rules for a number of high-profile contracts. RAC MiG’s $964 million deal to upgrade India’s MiG-29 fighters and the purchase of Boeing C-17 Globemaster III heavy transport aircraft are among the contracts under the spotlight.

• With reports that the sea trials for its first aircraft carrier proceeded ‘as expected’, China declares that the modernization of its armed forces will not alter the nation’s defensive security policies. China also continues to refute the Department of Defense’s (DoD) recent report [PDF], this time citing improved defense ties with India and Vietnam.

• As the UK Ministry of Defence formally announces the first tranche of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme, Defence Secretary Liam Fox says the redundancies are the result of financial mismanagement by the previous Labour Government.

• The US Navy awards Sotera Defense Solutions a contract potentially worth up to $34 million for laboratory and sea based acoustic technique studies. The Navy also awards Canadian Commercial Corporation a contract with a potential value of $73.5 million for MX-15DHi and MX-15Di camera turrets. A $52 million contract was also awarded to FLIR Systems for a range of SAFIRE HD imaging systems.

• Australia releases a Request for Tender for the sale of the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) remaining Sea King helicopters. Closing date for tenders is the 1st November 2011, with the helicopters withdrawn from service the following month.

• Interest in China’s J-20 stealth fighter continues, with a video of the aircraft’s canopy and weapons bay opening prompting comparison to the F-22 Raptor.
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• The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) awards Teledyne Brown Engineering an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract worth up to $595 million for the development, deployment and sustainment of an Objective Simulation Framework (OSF).

• AeroVironment unveils its lightweight man-portable Shrike VTOL UAV. Shrike is the result of a contract from DARPA to develop a persistent perch and stare (SP2S) UAV.

• BAE Systems announces a successful testing of its Mk 38 MOD 2 Tactical Laser System (TLS) at Eglin Air Force base, Eglin FLA. The test system fired against air and surface maritime targets.

• The UK Ministry of Defence is preparing to announce its latest round of redundancies in line with the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) [PDF]. It is rumored that Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel supporting Libyan operations may be among the 1,000 troops to go.

• South Africa’s Defense Minister unveils the committee tasked with undertaking the country’s first defense review in thirteen years. The committee is in broad agreement that the 1998 review [PDF] no longer reflects the strategic environment of the African continent.

• Filippino media reacts favorably to comments made by right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation that the acquisition of the cutter Gregorio del Pilar demonstrates Manila’s commitment to safeguarding territorial integrity, and should result in the transfer of further excess defense articles from the United States.

• The President of South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development tells local media that the production of materiel like the K21 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) demonstrates that Seoul has come ‘a long way’ over the past decade in the development of cutting-edge weapons to counter North Korea.

• Bulgaria’s Defense Ministry is reportedly preparing to issue a tender for new handguns and sniper rifles.

• Zacks Investment Research’s Aerospace & Defense Stock Overview – Aug. 2011 maintains a ‘neutral’ stance on the US defense sector, while suggesting that international markets may help contractors to counter reduced Government spending.

• Two members of the Commission on Wartime Contracting say that $30 billion-worth of expenditure on contracts and grants in Afghanistan and Iraq have been wasted through poor planning, shifting requirements and negligence. As a result, federal agencies and contractors must do better.

• Flight Global/PricewaterhouseCooper’s (PwC) Top 100 Special Report: 2010 a year of rebound says that while the aerospace sector enjoyed a 2% growth in revenue, defense spending remains flat. The list of the 20 largest aerospace companies by revenues [PDF] remains relatively unchanged, with Boeing and EADS maintaining their top positions.

• China continues to refute the findings of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) annual report on its military and security policies. The deputy secretary of the China Society of Military Science labels the report as ‘groundless’ and a product of Cold War thinking.

• BAE Australia has delivered the 1st Hobart Class Destroyer ship block to project lead, ASC, but only after some very high profile problems at their shipyard.

• Dragon, Britain’s 4th Type 45 Air Defense Destroyer, is sailing to Portsmouth for acceptance by the Royal Navy.

• Indian media say that the freed ship MV Nafis-1 contained evidence that Pakistan is supporting some Somali pirates.

• Chile is set to receive its final batch of F-16 fighters from the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF).

• A French Mirage fighter and Lithuanian L-39 Albatross trainer collide midair during exercises.

• The first photographs emerge of Chinese aircraft on display at the Changchun First Aviation Open Day. The pictures come days after photographs suggesting that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF) J-11B heavy fighter is operational.

• Opinions vary as to the make and role of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that crashed over southwest Pakistan last week.