Giuseppe Ceracchi:
“Minerva as the Patroness
of American Liberty”
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In this day and age, more people associate “Minerva” with a strict teacher at a fictional wizard’s school than with Rome’s incarnation of Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and war. As “WIRED: A Different Kind of Net-Centric Warfare in Iraq” revealed, however, Minerva’s ancient incarnation remains very relevant today. “The surge” in Iraq is best known for its increase in the number of American troops, but that was actually its least significant feature. Its most significant feature was a major shift in the way the Americans fought the war, using a counterinsurgency doctrine that acted on the lessons from successes like Malaysia – and on newer insights from social scientists embedded with the American military. See also General Petraeus’ December 2008 remarks in Washington [Transcript | Slideshow].

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has previously served as the president of Texas A&M University. Under his watch, the US DoD has unveiled The Minerva Initiative to foster longer-term research that’s relevant to the national security community. Now the first awards have been made under that program…

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USCG CN-235
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The Korean Times reports that South Korea is looking to improve its Coast Guard, which currently consists of 15 helicopters and just one patrol plane. To that end, a contract has been signed with Indonesia’s Digiranta for 4 CN-235-100 aircraft, at a cost of about $92 million. The CN-235-110 uses GE’s CT7-9C engines, but lacks features like the pressurized cabins, aerodynamic improvements, and range extensions found on subsequent versions.

The CN-235 turboprop is a joint venture between EADS-CASA of Spain and Indonesia’s IPTN, and either partner can take orders to produce them. It operates in a light transport role for a number of countries, including South Korea. A maritime patrol version has also been created. It been ordered by Indonesia, Spain, Brunei, Colombia, Ireland, Thailand, Turkey, and the UAE; and a modified version serves as the US Coast Guard’s new HC-144A Ocean Sentry. The CN-235 has a cruising radius of over 1,000 nautical miles, and the MP variant’s systems can detect and track more than 100 targets, up to 200 nautical miles away, in a wide variety of weather conditions.

Coast Guard missions often include border patrol, and these aircraft will have some value as surveillance platforms. In practice, however, that mission is too dangerous for South Korea’s Coast Guard to execute at sea. South Korea’s navy is tasked with handling incursions from North Korea, and an ongoing history of minor incidents and warning shots flared into significant naval skirmishes in 1999 and 2002. On the water, South Korea’s Coast Guard is more concerned with activities like illegal fishing by Chinese vessels, who murdered a Coast Guard official in September 2008. South Korea’s Coast Guard also provides a “softer” way of asserting sovereignty over the disputed Liancourt Rocks (Korean: Dokdo/ Japanese: Takeshima).

SSBN Vanguard Class
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SSBNs are nuclear missile submarines. The CMC sub-program would define the missile tubes and accompanying systems that would be used to launch new ballistic missiles, successors to the current Trident II/ D5 missile fleet used by both countries. Options include an increased diameter from 2.21m launch tubes to 3.04m, and the missile compartment will carry just 12 tubes, as opposed to the current Ohio class’ 24, or the Vanguard class’ 16.

At present, both France and Russia are already working on successor sub-launched ballistic missile systems and submarines. The USA’s Ohio/ Henry M. Jackson Class and Britain’s Vanguard Class SSBNs will begin experiencing age-related risks by the late 2010s, and military programs of this type can easily take 15-20 years from concept to fielding. The CMC will help to define one of these program’s most important constraints…

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Top Gun, redux
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In the 1980s movie Top Gun, the revolutionary “MiG-28s” operated by the enemy air force were actually F-5E Tiger IIs, derived from a family of fighters whose design concept dates back to the mid 1950s. The F-5 family of aircraft were produced in large numbers, as they were an extremely popular export item; many are still operated by countries around the world.

“F-5Ns” are routinely flown by American Navy and Marines “aggressor” squadrons in training exercises, where they simulate the small, low-cross-section (and hence hard to spot) enemies that gave American pilots such trouble in Vietnam…

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Ka-50 “Black Shark”
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When “Russia Commits to Multi-Year Buy of 67 Mi-28 Attack Helicopters” was published in July 2006, it appeared that the Mil design bureau’s product (NATO code: Havoc) had eclipsed Kamov’s more radical Ka-50 (NATO code: Hokum) as Russia’s future attack helicopter. A critical loss in Turkey’s attack helicopter competition, and conflicting promises concerning the Kamov machine’s future in Russia, left the platform’s very future in doubt. Russia’s 2005 defense budget, for instance, was supposed to include 12 Ka-50 helicopters – until that funding was cut.

At present, a handful of coaxial, single-seat Ka-50’s have been delivered to the Army Aviation Training and Conversion Unit at Torzhok. Some even saw action in Chechnya, where their high cruising speed (300 km/h), protection, and ability to carry either armaments or fuel tanks gained them respect as scout/ attack/ command helicopters. Many countries would consider that an odd combination, but it works quite well with Russian doctrines that emphasize durable combat punch for scouts, and central on-site direction of all combat aviation.

Fortunately for the VVS, growing Russian natural resource revenues, and the accompanying growth in Russian defense budgets, are creating new options…

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Our editor’s recent visit to Tucson paid off in a number of ways, from useful interviews and research at Raytheon to our annual conversations with the world’s most experienced intelligence professional. (How does he see us when we’re sleeping? Then again, we’re not sure we want to know.)

DID wishes our readers a Merry Christmas, and a happy holiday season.

Survivable Laser-guided Exactitude Integrated Gift Handling system
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Virginia Block I-II
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“Virginia Block III: The Revised Bow” explains the program history and cost targets for the USA’s future Virginia Class nuclear submarine fleet, while detailing the new “six shooter” bow design.

Now Christmas has come early for General Dynamics Electric Boat Corporation in Groton, CT, thanks to a $14.011 billion fixed-price incentive multi-year contract. Working with their partner Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, the firm will be the lead contractor for 8 new Virginia Class submarines, as the Navy orders SSN 784 – SSN 791 between FY 2009 – FY 2013. The USS North Dakota [SSN 784] will be the first fielded example of the new Virginia Class Block III configuration, which has been redesigned in ways that improve its flexibility while reducing its costs…

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Seahawk fires Penguin
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Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace recently announced a contract with the Brazilian navy for an unspecified number of Penguin Mk 2 MOD 7 anti-ship missiles and associated equipment, valued at about NOK 140 million/ $20 million. The missiles will be deployed on the Brazilian Navy’s maritime helicopters. Their “AH-11A” Super Lynx models are certified for the missile, but the official Dec 22/08 notice [PDF, Portuguese] refers to the Marinha do Brazil’s new S-70B Seahawks as the designated platform.

The Penguin Mark 2 Mod 7 is a relatively small anti-ship missile with a very distinctive profile. Its boost-sustain solid fuel rocket motor gives the 120 kg/ 260 pound sub-sonic missile a maximum range of 34 km/ 21 miles, using inertial navigation and a passive infared seeker for no-warning guidance. It can take an oblique path to the target, turning up to 180 degrees around a waypoint; and also can perform random weaves before striking the target at the waterline, or popping up and diving into it. The Penguin Mark 2 Mod 7 is operational with helicopters of the Norwegian, US (AGM-119B), Australian, Greek, Turkish, and South Korean navies.

F-35A rollout
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Over the past year, both Norway and the Netherlands have both held competitions for their F-16 fighter replacements. EADS pulled its Eurofighter out of the Norwegian competition in December 2007, amidst rumors that they believed the competition was fixed to a pre-determined outcome. Norway’s recent decision, and the follow-onpresentation by Saab’s CEO, certainly add credence to that perception.

On the southern shores of the North Sea, The Netherlands has been a Tier 2 Joint Strike Fighter partner for several years. With Dutch industry potentially headed to legal proceedings against the government over JSF program fees, Rekenkamer reports questioning the F-35’s final costs, and controversy over Dutch participation in the F-35A’s IOT&E program, political pressure forced the Dutch to open their competition again in 2008. Neither EADS nor Dassault believed this, and both refused invitations to participate. Despite the government’s ongoing efforts to deepen Dutch participation in the F-35 program, Saab did participate, submitting an offer in near-record time.

The Norwegian competition featured a simulation as an important centerpiece of the competition. The Dutch competition also featured simulations, alongside a comparative study of the F-16 Block 60+, JAS-39NG Gripen, and F-35A. A study whose findings have become a key milestone to the Dutch IOT&E decision, and to its future fighter choice. Those findings may become controversial, and so translations of key materials provide more insight for DID readers…

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Q-70 family
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Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors in Saint Paul, MN received a $525.6 million modification to a previously awarded contract for AN/UYQ-70V Advanced Display Systems.

These systems are part of the Q-70 family of naval displays, computing enclosures, and accompanying software solutions. The Q-70 family is widely used in U.S. Navy applications, and can be found on sea, land, and airborne military platforms. Q-70 gear is also used in naval systems operated by Australia, Germany, Japan, Norway, and Spain. There is also a Q-70 Technology Insertion program, which provides a framework to identify, monitor, and accelerate the introduction of improved commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies.

Work will be performed in Johnstown, PA (60%), Clearwater, FL (30%), and St. Paul, MN (10%), and is expected to be complete by August 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the US DoD’s current fiscal year. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Keyport in Keyport, WA manages the contract (N00024-05-D-5130).