VL-ASROC test

Lockheed Martin Corp. in Akron, OH received a $16.7 million undefinitized ceiling priced order under a previously awarded contract, to build various components for the MK54 vertical launched ASROC (anti-submarine rocket) missiles. Work will be performed in Akron, OH, and is expected to be complete by August 2012. This contract was not competitively awarded by the US Naval Inventory Control Point in Mechanicsburg, PA (N00104-07-G-0726, #0006). See also FBO solicitation.

The Mk-54 is the USA’s newest lightweight torpedo, replacing the older Mk-46. The RUM-139 VL-ASROC can be crudely described as a rocket attached to a break-away torpedo, which offers a number of advantages. One is an expanded firing range of up to 15 nautical miles or so. Another is the ability to load VL-ASROCs into Mk.41 vertical launch systems. A loaded cell can give even ships without deck-mounted torpedo tubes a snap-response capability against enemy submarines.

• US House Armed Services Committee approves FY 2011 defense authorization bill with controversial provisions on F-35’s F136 engine and KC-X aerial tanker procurement, along with strong language re: continued Super Hornet buys. HASC summary [PDF]

• Will new UK coalition government cut Trident nuclear submarine program?

• Serial number on metal fragment sinks North Korea’s claim that it had nothing to do with sinking of ROKS Cheonan (PCC-772), a Pohang-class patrol combat corvette.

• Speaking of torpedoes, Australian National Audit Office report torpedoes their MU90 Eurotorp buy, A$ 397.5 million and 11 years later with nothing to show. In response, the government will… not re-compete or cancel the project. ANAO [PDF] | Australian DoD | Adelaide Now.

• Will Littoral Combat Ship’s cost spawn an export competitor? Israel may become the launch customer for TKMS’ modular MEKO CSL.

• USAF RFI to replace 1950s-era AN/SPQ-166 radars on 76 B-52H bombers. See also Flight International.

• Pakistan receives 2 Bell 412EP helicopters. That was fast.

• Launch of GPS IIF-01 satellite aboard a Delta IV rocket delayed until May 21 due to faulty launch tower equipment.

• DARPA, industry develop robot that can convert shubbery into electricity and travel 100 miles per 68 pounds of vegetation. Ni!

• Azerbaijan, Turkey to hold joint military training exercises and classes.

• UK MoD details latest defense RAF contracts and agreements, including maintenance for Hawk T Mk2 jet trainers, a cut in its A400M transport order, and a contract signing for its future CH-47F Chinook helicopters.

• UK parliamentary committee warns that MoD’s military hospitals might not be ready to handle an increase in casualties from more intense fighting in Afghanistan. Committee of Public Accounts report | Telegraph | Daily Mail | Mirror

• South Korea defense minister thinks mine may be responsible for explosion aboard ROKS Cheonan (PCC-772), the Pohang-class patrol combat corvette that sunk with 46 crew members aboard. Associated Press | Wall Street Journal | Reuters | Korea Times | BBC

• Teal Group: Worldwide Mission Model predicts 2,229 space payloads will be launched between 2010 and 2029, with 19% of those coming from the military; UAV market to reach $80 billion over 10 years.

• Russia may unveil its next-generation T-95 main battle tank in summer 2010.

• L-3 Wescam awarded $110 million contract to supply EO/IR MX-15Di imaging turrets for USAF fixed-wing aircraft. Equipped aircraft include the MC-12W King Air.

• Harris gets $74 million follow-on order for Falcon III AN/PRC-152-C handheld radios with RF-5980-SA001 vehicle adapters for use in M-ATVs. Original contract was worth $119 million.

• AAR snags $24 million order for US Army mobile shelters, bringing total to 1,500 under 10-year contract.

Dolphin with mine marker
(click to view larger)

Just as the dog’s keen sense of smell makes it well suited to detect land mines, so the US Navy has found that the biological sonar of dolphins, called echolocation, makes them effective at locating and marking sea mines.

To take advantage of these skills, the Navy Marine Mammal Program studies, trains, and deploys dolphins, as well as sea lions, to carry out various underwater tasks for the Navy.

As part of the program, the Fleet’s Marine Mammal Systems (MMS) use dolphins and sea lions to find and mark the location of underwater objects…

STS International in Berkeley Springs, WV won a $23.3 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for operational capabilities for the surface and subsurface surveillance system (Quad-S). Quad S is a multifunction surveillance system that can be used in both military expeditionary operations and homeland security missions.

STS will perform the work in Tampa, FL and expects to complete it by September 2014. This contract was competitively procured via Navy Electronic Commerce Online and FedBizOpps websites, with 3 proposals received by the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NAVSEA) Panama City Division in Florida (N61331-09-C-0020).

Quad-S integrates a range of maritime sensors…

Alion Science and Technology in McLean, VA received a task order (N00178-04-D-4066) from the US Navy valued at $48.5 million to research, design, develop, prototype, integrate and test a new torpedo detection system in conjunction with the Navy’s anti-torpedo countermeasure technology effort.

The task order, awarded under the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport’s Seaport-Enhanced (Seaport-e) contract, supports the Naval Sea Systems (NAVSEA) Undersea Defensive Warfare Systems Program Office with anti-torpedo torpedo defensive system (ATTDS) torpedo detection, classification and localization (TDCL) technology.

Seaport-e is a $5.3 billion multiple-award umbrella contract that lets the US Navy use an integrated approach to contracting for support services.

The ATTDS TDCL is a project [PDF] within the Navy’s Surface Ship Torpedo Defense (SSTD) program…

Sting Ray onto EH101
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The UK Ministry of Defence has signed a GBP 369.5 million (about $615 million), 10-year contract with BAE Systems Insyte to support and maintain the Royal Navy’s light Sting Ray and heavy Spearfish torpedoes. The availability-based Torpedoes Capability Contract consolidates 11 separate contracts into one, and will see BAE Systems and the MOD’s DE&S Weapons Operating Centre working together as “Team Torpedoes.” It covers all aspects of support and maintenance, as well as Spearfish development and upgrade work. BAE says that they expect this partnering approach to lead to savings of about GBP 65 million, or 20% over the traditional support approach.

The TCC agreement will directly secure around 120 posts at BAES Insyte in Portsmouth, as well as subcontractors who will receive about 33% of the contract’s total value. Sub-contractors and torpedo details follow:

AP-3C over Darwin

In November 2005, the Australian Government, Tenix Defence and Eurocopter subsidiary Australian Aerospace (AA) have signed the P3 Accord Master Agreement to provide capability upgrades and Through Life Support (TLS) for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The three parties have established a Joint Management Office (JMO) to supervise all Accord activities under a unique risk-sharing contractual arrangement. The JMO will develop and implement all RAAF AP-3C capability upgrades and TLS solutions through to the aircraft’s planned withdrawal date – at which point it will likely be replaced by the 737-based AP-8A MMA.

The combined value of the TLS and block upgrades to the aircraft is expected to be more than A$ 1 billion, and the project is moving on to a new phase – even as some of the efforts that led to the most recent announcement win Australian awards…

• Australia’s AP-3C Programs [updated]
• The AP-3 Accord
• AP-3 Accord Updates [updated]
  Continue Reading… »

Minding the Mine

Booz Allen Hamilton in Herndon, VA received a $19.3 million contract to provide the U.S. Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technical Division with survivability/vulnerability analyses, assessment and evaluations. The contract (SP0700-03-D-1380) is being awarded as part of the Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center (SURVIAC) program managed by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

The Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technical Division in Indian Head, MD provides engineering and technical services in support of Joint service explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) programs and other customer requirements. The division focuses its efforts in the following areas: developing EOD procedures to counter munitions threats; developing tools and equipment to meet EOD operational needs; and performing in-service engineering, depot level management and repair for EOD tools and equipment.

DID has more on the work being done under the SURVIAC program…

Sting Ray concept

BAE recently announced that the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation has selected BAE Systems Sting Ray MOD 1 lightweight torpedo for its Norwegian Antisubmarine Torpedo (NAT) program following an international competition, and issued a GBP 99 million (EUR 136.1M / $145M) contract. These pump-jet propelled, autonomous active-homing 324mm torpedoes will arm Norway’s new Fridtjof Nansen Class AEGIS frigates, NH90 NFH Anti Submarine Warfare helicopters, and its P-3C Orion maritime patrol planes.

“Lightweight” torpedoes are light only in comparison to their huge 533mm ship-killing counterparts, like the submarine-launched American Mk48 torpedo and BAE’s own Spearfish. Submarines are easier to sink than enemy destroyers, however, which allows warhead and torpedo size to be reduced for carriage and launch from smaller surface ship torpedo tubes, maritime patrol aircraft, and anti-submarine helicopters.

This is the first export success for the upgraded Stingray MOD 1…