Adm. Gorshkov: Before.
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New Gorshkov, MiG-29K contracts; first MiG-29Ks inducted. (March 11/10)

This free-to-view DID Spotlight article offers an in-depth look at India’s troubled attempt to convert and field a full-size aircraft carrier, before time and wear force it to retire its existing naval aviation and ships.

Right now, there are 2 major concerns in India. One is slipping timelines. The other concern involves Vikramaditya’s 3-fold cost increase, including worries that Russia will raise it rates yet again once India is deeper into the commitment trap. The carrier purchase has now become the subject of high level diplomacy, involving a shipyard that can’t even execute on commercial contracts. An agreement in principle reportedly exists, but negotiations that began in 2007 have yet to lead to a revised contract. Recent Russian demands continued to raise the price, even as deliveries of India’s new MiG-29K naval fighters got underway. March 12/10 should see the signing of a new contract, which India hopes the Russians will honor.

• Waiting for Gorshkov – A History
• Gorshkov-Vikramaditya: Aerial Complement
• INS Vikramaditya: Updates & Contracts [updated]
• Appendix A: Additional Readings – Equipment Profiles
• Appendix B: Additional Readings – Related Developments
  
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Sachsen, sending SM-2
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Greek deal adds submarine construction capabilities. (March 1/10)

ThyseenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) recently announced a “close strategic partnership” and Memorandum of Understanding with the Abu Dhabi MAR group in the United Arab Emirates, but the move is much closer to a sale of key assets. The MoU stipulates a 50/50 joint venture to build naval surface ships, with TKMS retaining a lead role and know-how in all projects with the German Navy and NATO partners. Similarly, Abu Dhabi MAR Group will be responsible for the Middle East and North Africa. At the same time, however, Abu Dhabi MAR is acquiring 80% of TKMS’ key surface ship firms: Blohm + Voss Shipyards, Blohm + Voss Repair, and Blohm + Voss Industries.

The proposed sale follows other recent purchases in Germany by Abu Dhabi MAR, and other recent shipyard sales by TKMS. The net effect is a restructuring of Germany’s naval shipbuilding industry…

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• Incoming US Coast Guard Commandant Papp’s honest memo [PDF] re: operational impact of their 2011 budget causes a stir.

• The US Navy commissions the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer DDG-105 Dewey at the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach, CA.

• US Army’s “mad scientist” conference considers enemies’ ability to blend existing, future technologies to disrupt superior forces.

• UK MoD’s top civil servant tells panel that cost dispute prompted cuts in military equipment.

• UK awards K9 bravery citations. Iraq is reluctantly adding more K9 units, but may not be prepared for canine conscientious objectors and PTSD.

• UK institute condemns Cambodia’s plans for private businesses/ individuals to sponsor military units. The practice was widespread in Britain until 1871.

• Human face of PTSD, recovery: “Black Hawk Down” pilot Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant (ret.) speaks.

• Boeing develops 3-D camera for US military application.

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Up to $32 million to Lockheed Martin for submarine satellite communication prototype. (March 5/10)

An impressive 18 companies won indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contracts to develop integration and management technology for radio frequency (RF) radar and communications functions on future naval platforms. The contracts are being awarded by the Office of Naval Research for its Integrated Topside (InTop) Program, which will develop a scalable family of electronic warfare, radar and communication equipment to support multiple classes of ships and other Navy platforms. Each contract has an ordering ceiling of between $50 million and $800 million.

InTop plans to reduce the number of topside equipment on Navy ships through a modular/ open RF architecture…

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(c) DJ Elliott
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DJ Elliott is a retired USN Intelligence Specialist (22 years active duty) who has been analyzing and writing on Iraqi Security Forces developments since 2006. His Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle is an open-source compilation that attempts to map and detail Iraqi units and equipment, as their military branches and internal security forces grow and mature. While “good enough for government use” is not usually uttered as a compliment, US Army TRADOC has maintained permission to use the ISF OOB for their unclassified handouts since 2008.

This compilation is reproduced here with full permission. It offers a set of updates highlighting recent changes in the ISF’s composition and development, followed by the full updated ISF OOBs in PDF form. Reader feedback and tips are encouraged. This month’s developments include:

• Peshmerga
• Iraqi Army
• Iraqi Navy
• Iraqi Air Force
• Ministry of the Interior
• Additional Readings: Full ISF OOB
• Additional Readings: DID Articles
  
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Towed arrays create a longer baseline than other types of underwater sensors, which enhances detection capabilities. According to the 2002 edition of the US Navy’s Vision…Presence…Power: A Guide to U.S. Navy Programs, the TB-29A is a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) version of the legacy TB-29 towed array:

”[The TB-29A] arrays will be used for back-fit on Los Angeles (SSN-688 and SSN-688I) and Seawolf (SSN-21) submarines and forward-fit on the Virginia (SSN-774) class. TB-29A will also be used for the SURTASS [Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System] Twin-line towed array system. It will provide greater capability than the current TB-23 Thin Line towed arrays and achieve enhanced supportability through commonality. TB-29A uses COTS telemetry to significantly reduce unit cost while maintaining superior array performance. These arrays were recently tested with SURTASS ships and will support the IUSS [Integrated Undersea Surveillance System] community….Coupled with the submarine A-RCI system, TB-29A arrays are expected to provide the same 400-500 percent increase in detection capability against quiet submerged platforms in blue-water and shallow-water areas, as the current TB-29 has demonstrated recently.”

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USS Stockdale [DDG 106]
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In 2009, a deal was struck that shifted most DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class work to Bath Iron Works, in exchange for Northrop Grumman’s Ingalls shipyard taking over lead-yard responsibility for the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Class destroyers, and receiving a greater share of orders for that ship type. Bath Iron Works will still build some Arleigh Burke Class ships, however, and will continue to receive contracts to that effect.

Feb 26/10: General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath, ME receives a not-to-exceed $114 million letter contract for long-lead time material in support of the anticipated construction of DDG 115 under the DDG 51 class destroyer program. The contract will buy things like propulsion gas turbines, generators, air conditioning systems, controllable pitch propeller and other components, so they’ll be ready in time when construction of DDG 115 begins.

Work will be performed in Cincinnati, OH (32.6%); Indianapolis, IN (23.7%); Coatesville, PA (12.3%); Charlottesville, VA (10.9%); Erie, PA (6.9%); Walpole, MA (5.4%); Bath, ME (1.2%); Warminster, PA (1%); and various other locations (6%), and is expected to be complete by December 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured by US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC (N00024-10-C-2311). GD Bath Iron Works release

More advance models to speed integration. (Feb 25/10)

The US military’s JTRS program began in the late 1990s as an attempt to unify its underlying communications infrastructure. The program was visionary – and very ambitious. Ongoing requirements creep was thrown into the mix, and the result was major delays and cost overruns that eventually led to the complete restructuring of the program.

The part of the program that aimed to create radios for aircraft and ships – the Airborne, Maritime/ Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS) – saw pre-system development and demonstration contracts issued to Team Boeing (Boeing, BBN Technologies, Harris, L-3 Communications, Milcom Systems Corporation, Northrop Grumman, Rockwell Collins) and to Team Lockheed (Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon) back in 2004, with an extension in 2006 that brought the totals to about $75 million each. Team Lockheed won the $766.2 million AMF JTRS development contract in March 2008.

• AMF JTRS: Platforms and Prognosis
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
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• Raytheon team snags $886.4 million contract for GPS OCX advanced control segment.

• PWC reports that aerospace & defense mergers hit a record low in 2009. It wasn’t a good deal year for the chemicals sector, either, but transport and logistics was busy in Q4.

• Portsmouth becomes 5th of 6 UK shipyards involved in building Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, while Britain’s Conservative Party wants to know more about cancellation options. DID has in-depth coverage of the CVF carriers.

• Harris gets $78 million order for MRAP radios.

• Der Spiegel: A330 flight 447 from Rio to Paris may give new meaning to the term “software crash”; expect blowback into KC-X aerial tanker competition.

• General Dynamics NASSCO delivers USNS Matthew Perry, the 9th T-AKE supply ship, to US Navy’s Military Sealift Command.

• German Army report criticizes the NH90 helicopter for limited capabilities and other deficiencies.

• US Army releases RFP for next-generation armored vehicles.

• Frost & Sullivan: Indian Army’s land combat systems modernization to generate $33.76 billion in revenues.

USS McInerney, 2004
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On Feb 19/10, the US DSCA announced Pakistan’s official request to buy the Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigate USS McInerney [FFG 8], plus refurbishment, onboard spares, spare and repairs parts, support equipment, publications and technical data, and U.S. Government and contractor support. The prime contractor is unknown at this time, but the estimated cost of the initial transfer plus refurbishment and support is $78 million. Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any U.S. Government and contractor representatives to Pakistan.

In 2009, USS McInerney trialed the naval MQ-8B Fire Scout helicopter UAV in counter-drug operations around the Caribbean. It’s one member of a popular but declining ship class…

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