• Airborne Mobility Command point to the increase in airdrops over Afghanistan over the past five years as evidence of the growing importance of  Joint Precision Aerial Delivery Systems (JPADS) to operations.

• The French Government’s agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Dassault for the production and purchase of Heron TP long range UAVs is expected to cost $500 million.

• Elbit announces that the Israeli Ministry of Defence has awarded the company with a $40 million follow-on order for the Digital Army Program (DAP) [PDF].  The announcement comes as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announces that it has embarked upon the follow-up phase of the DAP.

• A leaked memo written by the UK’s Chief of the General Staff appears to contradict assurances made by the Government that no more troops will be made redundant before the end of the Afghan campaign in 2015. The news comes after the United Kingdom National Defence Association (UKNDA) branded recent memo leaks as examples of deliberate disinformation from within the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

• Ahead of next month’s Operation Nanook 2011, Canada’s annual arctic military exercises, Defence Minister Peter MacKay reveals that the number of Canadian Rangers has increased since 2007.

• The US Navy deployment to Libya, counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and budget issues make a similar response to the growing problem of West African piracy problematic.

• Taiwan reveals that a People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Su-27 fighter crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait in late June. The Su-27 was in pursuit of a US U-2 reconnaissance plane. Taiwan responded by scrambling two F-16s to the area.

• Meanwhile China and South Korea will hold an inaugural defense dialogue in Seoul this week. News that Pyongyang tested its intercontinental ballistic missile prior to the attack on Yongpyeong Island may force North Korea onto the agenda.

• Reportlinker adds iCD Research’s Global Aerospace Industry Outlook Survey 2011-2012: Industry Dynamics, Market Trends and Opportunities, Buyer Spend and Procurement Strategies to its list of publications.

Strong’s JPADS,
Afghanistan

Ultralight JPADS contract awarded. (March 17/11)

The dilemma for airdropping supplies has always been a stark one. High-altitude airdrops often go badly astray and become useless or even counter-productive. Low-level paradrops face significant dangers from enemy fire, and reduce delivery range. Can this dilemma be broken?

A new advanced concept technology demonstration shows promise, and is being pursued by U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM), the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center at Natick, the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command (USAF AMC), the U.S. Army Project Manager Force Sustainment and Support, and industry. The idea? Use the same GPS-guidance that enables precision strikes from JDAM bombs, coupled with software that acts as a flight control system for parachutes. JPADS (the Joint Precision Air-Drop System) has been combat-tested successfully in Iraq and Afghanistan, after moving beyond the test stage in the USA… and elsewhere.

• JPADS Systems
• The JPADS Program & History
• JPADS: Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources
  Continue Reading… »

• NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen thanks General David Petraeus for his command of coalition troops, and hails the handing over of Bamiyan province to Afghan security forces as the beginning of full transition.

• UK Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox is set to unveil a radical overhaul of the British Army. It is expected that regular troop levels will fall from 101,000 to 82,000 by 2020. Dr Fox is also expected to endorse a review of the UK’s use of its reserve forces for frontline activities.

• L-3 uses the UK’s Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) to unveil its Spydr intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft. The Spydr is based upon Hawker Beechcraft’s King Air 350-ER with the potential to be equipped with L-3’s processing, exploitation and dissemination systems.

• Australia welcomes another 3 of its 24 ordered F/A-18F Block II Super Hornet fighters, bringing its fleet to 18.

• ‘First cut’ ceremony marks the beginning of Scorpene attack submarine construction in Brazil.

• Belarusian defense firms are to exhibit over 40 types of electronic equipment and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at next month’s MAKS-2011 air show near Moscow. Among the products on display will be the Strela target drone and Grif-1 UAV.

• Czech Republic’s Defense Minister warns that further budget cuts may bring into question the country’s ability to fulfil its commitments to NATO.

• Yemeni forces launch an offensive to recapture the southern town of Zinjibar. The town was captured by Islamist militants in May.

• As defense expenditure in the United States is set to decrease, Boeing’s KC-46A and Lockheed Martin’s F-35 projects may fall victim to Government reluctance to absorb cost growth.

F-16B & X-35

Basing at Nevatim; Delivery & cost slippage may mean more F-16s or F-15s. (June 30/11)

In an exclusive June 2006 interview, Israeli Air Force (IAF) chief procurement officer Brigadier-General Ze’ev Snir told Israel’s Globes publication that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was a key part of their IAF recapitalization plans, and that Israel intends to buy over 100 of the fighters to replace their F-16s over time. Since then, however, the expected cost of that purchase has more than doubled.

The necessary contract ad to deal with that sticker shock, with issues like the incorporation of Israeli technologies and industrial work, and with slips in the internal F-35 program. Israel was even contemplating delaying its purchase, which would have removed an important early adopter for the multi-national program. In the end, however, Israel decided to forego other fighter options, and became the first foreign contract for operational F-35s…

• F-35 for Israel: Key Issues
• Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  Continue Reading… »

• The Department of Defense (DoD) announces that Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn will leave the post later this year. A replacement is expected to be found by the autumn.

• Two House Foreign Affairs sub-committees held a joint session to consider the extent of Somalia’s piracy and crime networks, the influence of the Islamist al Shabaab group and the growing humanitarian crisis affecting almost 3 million Somalis.

• More and more shipping companies are ignoring the UN’s IMO, and hiring armed guards to fight pirate attacks. The IMO is expected to cave soon, and introduce vetting procedures for guards.

• Following Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s demands  for a report on the country’s defense order for 2011, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov confirms that contracts for the 2012 state defense order will be signed by the end of the year. Serdyukov followed up by accusing the missile designer Yuri Solomonov of having a grudge against the Defense Ministry.

• The Director-General of the UK’s Military Aviation Authority (MAA) says the organization has made ‘great strides’ in its mission to provide independent and autonomous regulation of the Defence Air operating and technical domains. The MAA was formed in the aftermath of an RAF Nimrod MRA2 crashing near Kandahar, Afghanistan.

• Italy follows its decision to scale back its overseas operations by announcing the withdrawal of its aircraft carrier the Garibaldi from NATO’s Libyan operation.

• Airbus Military signs a strategic agreement with Indonesia’s PT Dirgantara (PTDI) with the aim of revitalizing the Indonesian aerospace sector. The agreement is expected to result in Airbus placing more manufacturing work with PTDI. The Indonesian company is a supplier for the C212 transport and CN-235 surveillance aircraft.

• Michael J Pelosi and Dr Carlo Kopp assess the Chinese J-20 stealth, using a Physical Optics Radar Cross Section simulation program, and a RAM literature review. Overall verdict: it could become a full stealth fighter like the F-22A Raptor with changes, but currently shares some stealth strengths and weaknesses with the F-35.

C-27J Spartan

In July 2011, Finmeccanica subsidiary Alenia Aeronautica announced a $200 million contract with Mexico to supply 4 of its C-27J Spartan light tactical transport to the FAM (air force), plus spare parts and ground support equipment. Delivery will be fast. The first C-27J is slated for delivery at the end of 2011, and all 4 will arrive by the end of 2012.

The sale is a bit of a sting to EADS-CASA, which was recently folded into Airbus Military. The Spanish firm has traditionally seen Latin America as a strong market, and Mexico was already a customer. Mexico already operates or has ordered modified CN-235s and C-212s for naval surveillance, and larger C-295s are already operated as utility aircraft. The C-27J has been the C-295’s global rival, with the main difference involving better C-295 operating costs and endurance, vs. the Spartan’s ability to carry internal military loads like helicopters and tactical vehicles. Mexico will now operate both types, giving it some commonality with the globe’s largest C-27J operator next door. The Spartan beat the C-295 in the USA’s Joint Cargo Aircraft competition.

IqAF C-208B

June 29/11: The US DSCA announces [PDF] Iraq’s formal request to buy follow-on support and maintenance for “multiple aircraft systems” that include its Cessna TC-208 trainers and armed AC-208s, Cessna 172s; and HawkerBeechcraft’s T-6A advanced trainers and King Air 350ER twin-engine light transports and surveillance planes.

This set encompasses all of Iraq’s current fixed wing American aircraft types, except for its C-130E and future C-130J medium transports. The IqAF also flies Lasta-95 trainers from Serbia, as well as Seabird Seeker and CH2000 light aircraft from Jordan, and will soon begin inducting AN-32 light tactical transports from Ukraine. American Foreign Military Sales would be an unlikely venue for contracts to support them. This potential order includes…

KC-10 & F-22A

International CNS/ATM standards are currently in the beginning stages of a profound change. The FAA has mandated changes by 2015 that will tighten requirements for flying in civil airspace without a special permit, and the ICAO is working to a similar timeframe. Since the ability to fly in civil airspace significantly affects mission routes and fuel consumption, the US military is pushing to make its critical KC-135 and KC-10 tanker fleets fully compliant.

Boeing has been doing similar CNS/ATM work for the Dutch RNLAF’s 3 aircraft KDC-10 fleet, but lost its hold on the multi-billion dollar KC-10 long-term maintenance contract in 2009, putting its status for the KC-10 CNS/ATM project in question. Boeing won that contract, though, and will work with Rockwell Collins and ARINC….

• MBDA unveils the CVS401 Perseus concept missile system. Cast as MBDA’s “vision of a multi-role strike weapon system for 2030 and beyond”, Perseus is designed to be operated through advanced Operations and Mission Planning Systems across all platforms.

• MBDA also announces a successful underwater test launch of France’s SCALP/MdCN cruise missile, which will equip the future SSN Barracuda fast attack submarine. A 2006 French contract for 250 missiles covered both ship and submarine launched versions.

• Centurum wins a performance-based contract to provide command and control systems support for new Department of Defense (DoD) integrated systems and networks. The potential cumulative value of this contract is an estimated $77 million.

• Speaking to a media roundtable at the Paris Air Show, the President and Chief Executive of Boeing reflected on the company’s recent fortunes within Asia’s defense markets.

• US KC-46A 767 tankers will carry Raytheon’s AN/ALR-69 radar warning receivers, and their anti-jam GPS receivers.

• Israel Aerospace Industries subsidiary ELTA Systems announces that it has sold compact intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to an unnamed Latin American customer. The ELI-3120 is used for a number of homeland security tasks including the deterring of arms and narcotics trafficking.

• Research and Markets publishes the Syria Defense and Security Report Q3 2011.

• Three days after the completion of Operation Sea Breeze 2011, an unidentified diplomat tells RIA Novosti that Russia should not be surprised by talks between Ukraine and NATO that discussed “everything but membership”.

• Defense Legislation outlines the options to address Members of Congress’ concerns about the United States’ ability to acquire rare earth elements used in various defense weapons systems.

• Admiral Jonathan Greenert will be the next US Chief of Naval Operations. Information Dissemination  responds: “If we ignore ADM Greenert’s total failure at Fleet Forces Command, this is good news.”

• WikiLeaks cables reveal that elements in Japan are thinking about their own nuclear deterrence, as confidence in the USA’s alliance and nuclear guarantee weakens.

• “What Gates’ [NATO] speech shows more than anything is the strategic weakness of cooperative strategy… The value of burden sharing only exists when there are mutually shared threats to stability and security, not when there are mutually shared benefits of stability and security.” If so, what does that mean for the US Navy’s Seapower strategy?

• Deputy Defense Secretary William J Lynn tells the Aerospace Industry Association that it is important to preserve the manufacturing facilities, financial strength and durability of the defense industrial base in the face of spending cuts.

• In a news briefing on the eve of the Paris Air Show, the head of strategy and business development for Boeing’s Defense Space and Security Unit sees cyber-security and new unmanned aircraft programs as growth opportunities despite impending cuts to US defense expenditure. Sales to Asia, the Middle East and Latin America are also under consideration.

• Raytheon receives a contract from the US Air Force to produce the first airborne tactical hyperspectral sensor system. The Airborne Cueing and Exploitation System Hyperspectral (ACES HY) is an infrared sensor system developed to identify targets based on their spectral characteristics.

• As the US Department of Defense seeks greater energy efficiency across its operations, Honeywell and Safran sign a memorandum of understanding to create a joint venture to deliver a new electric green taxiing system for aircraft.

• Australia’s Ministry of Defence announces that the tender for a $300 million five-year contract for the repair and maintenance of the Navy’s eight Anzac Class frigates has been released.

• Research and Markets publishes its Iran Defense and Security Report Q3 2011.

• Following last week’s pledge to improve defense ties between Israel and China, Xinhua reports on the social, economic and political factors driving the Israeli defense industry.