Oman Upgrading its Air Defenses

SL-AMRAAM from FMTV

Oman is located on the eastern Arabian peninsula, controlling the Strait of Hormuz’s western bank, and providing an overwatch position for both the entrance to the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean near Africa. The frequent effects of postings to one notoriously hot and bleak island off of its coast were the origin for the British expression “driven around the bend.”

Oman has traditionally had strong defense and foreign policy relationships with Britain, and its military equipment reflects this. In recent years, Oman has been considering its options, as it moves to modernize its fighter force of Jaguars and F-16s. It’s also taking wide-ranging, complementary steps to modernize its air defense systems, and an October 2011 DSCA request seems to place American equipment at the center of that effort.

Friend Me? France Upgrading Its Hawkeye AWACS

E-2C from FS CdG

Oct 19/11: The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces [PDF] France’s official request for up to $180 million in equipment to upgrade the Marine Nationale’s fleet of 4 E-2C Hawkeye-2000 airborne early warning planes, which fly from NAS Lann-Bihoue and FS Charles de Gaulle. The Hawkeye 2000s have already been through one major upgrade cycle, improving their mission computer, electronics throughout the aircraft, satellite communications, and propellers.

This is a less comprehensive upgrade, but it’s still important. France will be improving navigation and avionics. American hardware will include 5 AN/ALQ-217 ESM systems, which help the planes sense and then backtrack radio/radar emitters. The core of their upgrade, however, is Mode 5/S Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), which is also being added to their larger, land-based E-3F AWACS planes.

Rapid Fire 2011-10-20: Grasping for Real Options to Face Budget Music

• CSC’s Chairman and CEO Michael W. Laphen announced he’s retiring. He’s ready to stay around for up to a year until his replacement is found. Laphen started his career and CSC in 1977 and was appointed to his current position in 2007.

• Several US veteran groups are voicing their concerns about the damage defense budget cuts might do.

• To be able to meet budget constraints while avoiding crippling effects, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) is suggesting DoD to change the way it approaches [PDF] compensation/benefits, the use of unmanned systems, and the relative burden it takes relative to US allies.

• The US Senate’s Armed Services Subcommittee on readiness and management support had a hearing with acting Under Secretary of Acquisition Frank Kendall and other DoD staffers in the wake of the Commission on Wartime Contracting’s findings in Iraq and Afghanistan: archived webcast.

• US lawmakers are getting worried by the Deficit/Debt Supercommittee’s lack of apparent progress so far. Despite initial promises of transparency the committee has mostly met behind closed doors.

• Think Defence has a good round-up of UK Parliamentary question and answers from ministers relevant to defence issues.

• Starting Nov. 1, all US Airmen will have to be wearing the Airman Battle Uniform and ABU items.

• The video below shows some of the analytical work done by the Institute for the Study of War on how the rebellion in Libya unfolded: