Rapid Fire 2010-05-24: 5th Gen Fighters

• For Gates’ future Pentagon blueprint, look to his past?

• Just say no: Pentagon chief wants president to veto defense spending bill if “unwanted” projects are funded.

• Air dominance challenges: US intelligence analyst predicts China will have J-XX F-22 Raptor-like fighter by 2018 – several years earlier than originally forecast. You can also watch this recent video of a 5th-generation Russian PAK-FA fighter test flight.

Sweden To Get RQ-7 Shadow as Its Tactical UAV

Shadow 200

Sweden is a neutral country with forces in Afghanistan, who serve under the ISAF-led UN mission. In May 2010, their FMV procurement agency signed a contract to replace their existing Ugglan (Sperwer) UAVs with more modern systems. To that end, Saab AB received a SEK 500 million (about $70 million) contract to deliver 2 complete systems, along with 3 years of system operation, training, and full maintenance.

After holding a competition, Saab AB picked Textron subsidiary AAI’s Shadow 200 UAV, which it will modify with its own technologies for Swedish use…

French Navy’s RIFAN IP Networking Moves to Phase 2

Encore…
(click to view – Francais)

France’s RIFAN Operation stage 1 (Réseau IP de la Force AeroNavale) equipped 46 ships and 6 nuclear attack submarines with an IP-based, broadband networking capability. Over the next 5 years, the EUR 240 million RIFAN stage 2 phase aims to roll the full framework out to the entire fleet: 116 ships, plus helicopters, and naval patrol aircraft. It will also set up up key back-end management capabilities.

RIFAN is part of the French Marine’s overall Information and Combat System effort, and will be operated by DIRISI (Direction Interarmées des Réseaux d’Infrastructure et des Systèmes d’Information). It allows broadband information exchange between onboard business applications, is open to onboard staff information systems, and covers all levels of security from unclassified to NATO classified. The net effect is to create an intranet for the fleet. On the back end, RIFAN stage 2 will reportedly allow CMR (Capacité de Management de Réseau) supervision and management for the complete network of ships and aircraft from 2 land-based sites…

Rapid Fire 2010-05-21: House Approves FY11 Defense Authorization

• 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.

Rapid Fire 2010-05-20: AirSea Battle Concept

• US Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment’s releases “AirSea Battle: A Point of Departure Operational Concept”, (PDF Release | Full report | Slides) describing how the US Navy can respond to growing threats from surveillance-strike complexes and ballistic/ cruise missiles. See also DefenseTech summary.

• Russia, NATO to cooperate on developing a joint tactical missile defense system.

• Is the North Korean Navy becoming more aggressive because… it’s crab season?!?

• Rock phones in development – no, not MP3 players, devices to help troops talk to one another through rock. Good for huntin’ folks in caves, we’re told. Wonder who that might be…

• From Russia, with fuel: Tactical Air Defense Services leases 2 Russian Ilyushin IL-78 “Midas” and 2 Ilyusin IL-76 “Candid” aerial tankers from Air Support Systems to provide US and allied air-to-air refueling services.

• Mark Hamel, who co-authored “Want an Effective Kaizen Event? Don’t Forget the Human Side!” here, wins manufacturing’s Shingo Prize in the Research & Publications category for his Kaizen Event Fieldbook. Congratulations, Mark!

• MuCAR-3 [pdf] robot car could help save soldiers lives. MuCAR-3 Video

• Interview with Raytheon CEO: Defense firm expanding internationally.

• Harris sets up 1st US cyber integration center to provide military and commercial customers with manage hosting services in a secure environment.

• First Giraffe AMB radars pass acceptance testing for Britain’s LEAPP integrated air defense program.

• Investigation underway into a recent engine failure on one of Australia’s new NH90 helicopters.

• Dolphins & sea lions are the stars of the security show, during California’s annual, 2-day homeland security and disaster preparedness exercises.

• Naval Research Lab tests TEPCE satellite that uses electrodynamic propulsion, rather than fuel, to maneuver in space.

Australia Moves Closer to Performance-Based Contracts for Armored Vehicle Support

ASLAV, Afghanistan

The Australian Army has a fleet of more than 300 armored vehicles that include M1A1 Abrams tanks, M88A2 HERCULES recovery vehicles, and wheeled ASLAV armored personnel carriers. In response to maintenance cost concerns, and larger trends in the global defense industry, General Dynamics Land Systems Australia proposed a 5-year, performance-based support contract, with greater incentives for improved efficiencies and performance than are found in current contracts. Australia’s current Labor Party government is looking for over $1 billion from more efficient operations under its Defence Strategic Reform Program, so the proposal fell on receptive ears.

GDLS-Australia have now been announced as the preferred tenderer for the support contract. The value of the contract is likely to be in excess of A$ 100 million, and Australia’s DMO will begin negotiations with a view to negotiating a contract by October 2010.

Rapid Fire 2010-05-19: FDI Limits in India

• India mulls increasing foreign investment limits on domestic defense firms [PDF]. The current maximum is 26%.

• Federal Chief Information Officers (CIO) Council releases “Net Generation guide,” a 128-page report by the that focuses on preparing for changes in the Federal Information Technology (IT) workforce. See also DID’s “A Military of Milennials.”

• NY Times publishes an article criticizing the Navy’s SM-3 missile interceptors – but a DoD roundtable and written response says that the Times omitted key information it had been given, in order to push its version of the story.

ACH Helmet Recalls Hits 2nd Manufacturer

Advanced Combat Helmet

The ACH replaces the old PASGT helmet in the Army, and offers a number of improvements including exposed ears to improve hearing, a set mount for night vision gear, better protection against bullets in covered areas, and a system of internal pads that improve protection against blasts and their accompanying potential for brain trauma. That padding has been a source of controversy, as the US Marines’ Light Weight Helmets (LWH) have been criticized for lacking this feature.

In May 2009, the Army recalled helmets from Gentex. Now, on May 13/10, they have issued a recall notice for 44,000 ArmorSource helmets in the field…

Diesel Upgrade for Israel’s Achzarit Heavy IFVs

Achzarit

May 18/10: Small business qualifier Diesel Engineering, Inc. in Englewood Cliffs, NJ received a $20.8 million firm-fixed-price-contract for engine upgrade kits, to be installed in Israel’s Achzarit heavy armored personnel carriers. The Achzarit engine upgrade kits modify the engine, transmission and cooling systems, resulting in an increase in horsepower of approximately 20%, and an increase in acceleration of approximately 200%.

Work will be performed in Elizabeth, NJ (71%), and Prague, Czech Republic (29%), and is expected to be complete by June 2013. The contract was not competitively procured by the American contract representative, the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington Navy Yard, DC (N00024-10-C-4200).

The Achzarit is an unusual APC, in that it uses the hulls of captured Soviet T-54/ T-55 main battle tanks as its base. The Israelis had quite a few of those to work with, and found their level of protection to be quite useful in urban warfare scenarios. They sport 650 hp Detroit Diesel 8V-71TA or 850 hp 8V-92TA engines, and serve as ultra-heavy ambulances, or mount unmanned weapon turrets of various calibers on top to create heavy APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) or IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) variants. Achzarits can work alongside Israel’s unique and complementary Merkava main battle tanks, whose distinctive features include the ability to carry troops inside by removing ammunition, a sniper port in the rear access door, and a 60mm mortar in the turret top. Israel has also gone ahead and developed an even heavier IFV, the Namer, based on the Merkava’s chassis.

Jordan: Launch Customer for AH-6i ARH Helicopter?

Boeing’s AH-6 ARH

In October 2008, Boeing updated its AH-6J “Little Bird” Special Forces attack helicopter to create the AH-6i, an armed reconnaissance helicopter that seemed positioned to compete for Iraq’s ARH requirement. At the time, Boeing Rotorcraft Business Development director Dave Palm added that Boeing had been approached by several customers who needed a light helicopter/ARH solution. The AH-6 features a modern Electro-Optical day/night surveillance and targeting system, as well as twin mounts that can each carry options including 2 Hellfire missiles, the 7seven-shot M260 70mm rocket pod, or gun pods that integrate with its targeting system; plus a communications package.

Iraq later chose the Bell 407, and other manufacturers are entering this market segment after many years of neglect. First flight of the AH-6i came in September 2009, and in May 2010, Jane’s reported that Jordan had signed on as the AH-6i’s launch customer…