ATAC’s Aerial Opponent Training

Kfir C2 w. ALQ-167

Over the last 13 years, ATAC has performed a wide range of flight training operations for the US Navy, US Air Force and Air National Guard, including participation in US Navy fleet training, acting as adversary fighters for the “TOPGUN” program, Red Flag exercises and F-22 Raptor training; participating in JTAC/ FAC-A/ CAS ground controller training; and even serving American research & development programs like the Ship Self Defense System and ALE-50 towed decoy. Under their agreement with US Navy, their services have also been used to train militaries in the UK, Canada, Japan, the Philippines, and others.

Unlike most other contractors, who operate Learjets and similar business aircraft, ATAC operates fighters and attack jets.

Lease and Learn: L-3′s EW Training Aircraft

L-3 Learjet, EW-Equipped

L-3 Flight International’s modified Learjets include uprated on-board power systems, internal electronics, and the ability to carry a range of external pods to help them simulate enemy radar and communications jammers in Navy training exercises. The modified business jets can also tow targets for gunnery training, and perform related tasks.

L-3 has performed this role for many years now, and chartered aircraft of various kinds play a significant role in US Navy exercises, within the commercial air services (CAS) program.

US Army Moves Ahead with V-Hull Strykers

M1126, post-IED

Under current plans, the 8×8 wheeled Stryker armored vehicle will be the future backbone of 8 US Army and 1 National Guard medium armored brigades. The 5th Stryker Brigade from Fort Lewis, WA was the first Stryker unit sent to Afghanistan, deployed in the summer of 2009 as part of a troop level increase. The brigade was equipped with 350 Stryker vehicles. In the first few months of deployment, they lost 21 soldiers, with 40 more wounded, to IED land mines. The losses prompted the Army to examine modifications to their Stryker vehicles, in order to make them more resistant to land mines.

One result is the Stryker hull redesign, creating the v-hulled Stryker DVH. The US Army is now on pace to order 2 brigades worth, as it moves toward the end of Stryker armored vehicle production.

Rapid Fire October 22, 2012: Of Unintended Consequences

• The USAF issued a solicitation for their 300-plane T-X trainer program, but don’t get excited yet. It isn’t even an RFI, just advance clarification re: Military Airworthiness Certification requirements. If Boeing really wants to invest in a new design, that will be just one of their challenges. IAI/ATG’s Javelin could give them a running start, but… this is a very high wall to climb without a proven design, no matter how you go about it.

• The US Navy christens their new escort carrier America [LHA 6] in a ceremony at HII’s Pascagoula, MS shipyard. Technically, she’s still “Pre-Commissioning Unit America”.

• Todd Harrison at the CSBA think tank published a paper on the effects of competition on defense acquisitions. “In some instances, the structure of the competition can actually incentivize contractors to bid higher and drive up costs.”