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C-23B Sherpa
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DID’s coverage of the WALRUS super-heavy cargo airship’s cancellation noted complaints from combat commanders that C-130s were not able to get equipment close enough to the front lines due to short airfield restrictions. Delays in buying a small cargo aircraft to fill that role, replace aging C-23 Sherpas et. al., and ferry troops, supplies, and/or small vehicles within a theater of operations were making that problem worse. “The JCA Program: Key West Sabotage?” looked at the different levels of urgency and priority in the US Army and US Air Force and the resulting Congressional SNAFUs, and covered early-stage developments leading up to the award.

JCA could be worth up to $6 billion before all is said and done, and the finalists were a familiar duo. After EADS-CASA’s CN-235 and a shortened version of Lockheed Martin’s C-130J were disqualified for failing to meet requirements, JCA became yet another international competition between EADS-CASA’s C-295M vs. Alenia’s C-27J. The decision was expected in March 2007, but it seems we now have a clear winner: the C-27J team. Oddly, we can’t quite tell yet how much they’ve won – and if you thought the joint decision and contract announcement would end the inter-service and Congressional politicking, think again. The contractor side of the equation has bee equally fractious, with Boeing pulling out of the partnership and EADS North America commenting on rumors of talks with Alenia Aerospace.

Two rare bright spots come from US SOCOM, who is about to turn a C-27J into a “Baby Spooky” gunship, and the US DoD’s recent SAR report…

• Canned Feud: The Transport of Seville vs. the Spartan Salesmen
• Hello, My Baby, Hello, My Honey…
• A Great Big Bunch Of You: Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Stop, Look, and Hasten: Additional Readings
  
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M777: dragon’s breath
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The M777 ultra-lightweight towed 155mm howitzer has an integrated digital fire control system, and can fire all existing 155mm projectiles. Nothing new there. What is new is the fact that this 9,700 pound howitzer saves over 6,000 pounds of weight by making extensive use of titanium and advanced aluminum alloys, allowing it to be carried by Marine Corps MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft or medium helicopters, and/or airdropped by C-130 aircraft. The new gun is a joint program between the US Army and Marine Corps to replace existing 155mm M198s, and will perform fire support for U.S. Marine Air Ground Task Forces and U.S. Army Stryker Brigade Combat Teams.

Britain is also an M777 LWH development partner, but Canada became the first country to field it in combat via an emergency buy before their 2006 “Operation Archer” deployment to Afghanistan. This is is DID’s new FOCUS article covering the M777 program. The latest news is a request from Australia, and more orders from the US military…

• M777: Capabilities and Upgrades
• M777: Program
• M777: Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources
  
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RAAF C-130J-30, flares
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Most American planes rely on the US market as their base, then seek exports. The privately-developed C-130J “Super Hercules” was different. Australia, Britain, Denmark, and Italy were all ahead of the curve, and have been operating this heavily redesigned upgrade of the popular C-130 Hercules transport aircraft for several years. By the time the C-130J finally reached “initial operating capability” for the US military late in 2006, these faster-moving foreign customers were already banding together to create a common upgrade set for their serving fleets. A number of variants are currently flying in transport (C-130J), stretched transport (C-130J-30), aerial broadcaster (EC-130J), coast guard patrol (HC-130J), aerial tanker (KC-130J), and even hurricane hunter weather aircraft (WC-130J).

Canada, India and Norway recently moved to join the global C-130J customer base. In America, meanwhile, some momentum is building. C-130J purchases are taking place under both annual budgets and supplemental wartime funding, in order to replace a US tactical transport fleet that’s flying old aircraft and in dire need of major repairs.

The C-130J program has been the focus of a great deal of controversy in America – and even of a full program restructuring in 2006. Some early concerns from critics were put to rest when the C-130J demonstrated in-theater performance on the front lines that represented a major improvement over its C-130E/H predecessors. A valid follow-on question might be: does it break the bottleneck limitations that have hobbled a number of multi-billion dollar US Army vehicle development programs?

This DID FOCUS Article describes the C-130J, examines the bottleneck issue, covers global developments for the C-130J program, and looks at present and emerging competitors. The latest news is a contract for heads-up displays…

• The (Private) Labors of Hercules: the C-130J
• The C-130J and the 20-ton Bottleneck
• Turbulent Flight: The C-130J Program
• Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources, incl. emerging competitors & Special Operations requirements
  
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TU-142: headed out?
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In November 2005 article, DID covered India’s $133 million deal for two P-3C Orion maritime-optimized patrol and surveillance planes. As it happens, that deal fell through on grounds of expense, support costs, and timing. Apparently, it would have taken 18-24 months for the US Navy to retrofit the two aircraft to the Indian Navy specifications once the lease had been finalized.

In December 2005, India’s navy floated an RFP for 8 new maritime aircraft. Subsequent statements by India’s Admiral Prakash indicate that they could be looking for as many as 30 aircraft by 2020. Lockheed was invited to bid again, and so were several other firms. The bids were submitted in April 2007. The plan was for price negotiations to be completed by 2007, with first deliveries to commence within 48 months.

India’s Ministry of Defence has extreme problems with announced schedules, but their existing fleet is wearing out, international requests for India’s maritime patrol help are rising, and some action is necessary. DID discusses the geopolitical drivers, the current fleet, and the known competitors.

Now that the bids have been submitted, technical evaluations have taken place, and price negotiations have reportedly wrapped up, we seem to be inching toward a winner…

• With Growing Naval Power Comes Growing Naval Responsibility
• The Competitors
• Listed, But Not Submitted
• UPDATES
  
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“Cost Pressures Force European Aerospace to Look Outside Europe” has discussed the effects of exchange rates on the European aerospace industry, while “EU Procurement Challenges & Defense Weakness Debated (updated)” offered some expert analysis of Europe’s shrunken defense budgets and the effect on industry. When set beside an American defense industry that continues to receive investment as a national priority, and a Dollar to Euro ratio that makes operations in a “dollar zone” attractive, European firms are looking across the Atlantic for complementary acquisitions. In recent months, EADS bought PlantCML, and moved to make Mobile, Alabama its assembly line for Airbus A330F freighters; meanwhile, Italy’s Finmeccanica bought DRS.

Now Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. has signed a definitive acquisition agreement to acquire the Manitowoc Marine Group (MMG), from its parent, The Manitowoc Company, Inc., for about $120 Million in cash. Lockheed Martin Corporation has agreed to be a minority investor with Fincantieri in the proposed acquisition.

Fincantieri is Italy’s leading shipbuilder, building a range of ships from aircraft carriers and frigates to offshore patrol vessels. MMG is a leading mid-tier American shipbuilder, who has worked on commercial, Coast Guard, and naval programs….

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C-27J 3-view
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Aviation Week’s aerospace daily and defense report notes that the Pentagon’s 2008 budget reprogramming request includes $32 million from Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), in order to buy a C-27J and convert it into a small prototype AC-XX gunship, using “proven/known” weapons and systems. Additions are certain to include defensive systems, electro-optical surveillance and targeting turrets, flight and/or ground surveillance radars, weapons, and computerized control systems. Based on known airframe and conversion costs for the C-27J and other platforms, further funding for the AC-XX effort will almost certainly be required in FY 2010.

AFSOC has become concerned about its AC-130 gunships’ long-term survivability, and is investigating a number of options [PDF format] including smaller aircraft and even stealth designs. The C-27J is certainly smaller, and an AC-27J would trade less firepower for the ability to operate from smaller airstrips closer to the action. It can also serve as a systems integration platform to help define the current state of the art, without sidelining in-demand AC-130s for a long refit period.

All of which may help to explain why AFSOC, who fields the $100+ million AC-130H/U gunships based on the larger C-130 Hercules tactical transport, also wants $11.5 million to execute an AC-XX feasibility study and engineering analyses. Overall:

“This prototype will serve as a risk mitigation effort to field a new platform to operate in austere locations, with increased operational flexibility and a smaller support tail of manpower and logistics.”

Future Lynx naval
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In 2006, Finmeccanica subsidiary AgustaWestland received a GBP 1 billion (about $1.9 billion at 02/07 rates) contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) for 70 Future Lynx helicopters. The Lynx is an extremely fast helicopter that entered service in the 1970s and has seen several versions and upgrades over the decades. Lynx helicopters have been used in a number of British Army [AH7 & AH9] and Fleet Air Arm [Mk 8] roles, from reconnaissance and attack to casualty evacuation & troop transport, logistical support, anti-submarine operations; and even command post functions.

The Future Lynx program reflects that. It will provide the British Army with 40 Battlefield Reconnaissance Helicopters (BRH), and the Royal Navy with 30 Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft (SCMR). An option for an additional 10 aircraft can be split in any way desired.

This will become the DID FOCUS Article for the Future Lynx Program, describing its improvements, schedules, and related contracts. Per DID practice, the most recent items will be highlighted in green for reader convenience. The latest developments include the beginning of full airframe production, following a successful design-to-cost program that had better than expected results…

• The Future Lynx Helicopters
• Future Lynx: The Program
• Future Lynx: Contracts & Key Events
• Additional Readings
  
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Saab concept
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In November 2005, DID noted a Forecast International report on the future UAV market that forecast trouble for the proposed six-nation nEUROn Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) project. In the end, however, Sweden signed on and the project is now rolling down the runway with committed funding of EUR 535 million and counting. The French DGA procurement agency is acting as program executive.

The Neuron project joins Britain’s Taranis UCAV, Russia’s MiG SKAT, and the US Navy’s X-47 UCAS-D program as UCAV projects with fighter-substitution potential. The Neuron program’s goals are threefold, and DID also offers details concerning the envisioned platform, the program structure, and its schedule. The 6-nation UCAV effort has just hit a milestone, via a completely autonomous flight from a scale demonstrator….

• Neuron: The Aircraft
• Neuron: The Program
• Contracts & Milestones
• Additional Readings and Sources
  
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C-27J Spartan
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Rolls-Royce has announced a 9-year, $900 million agreement with Alenia Aeronautica that makes them the exclusive provider of engine and propeller assemblies for these light transport aircraft. The C-27J uses Rolls Royce’s AE 2100D2 turboprop engine, and Dowty’s 6-bladed propellers. These 6,000 shp engines benefit from over 80% parts commonality with the Rolls Royce AE family of engines which includes the AE 2100D3 that equips the 4-engine C-130J Hercules, and the AE 1107C-Liberty that currently quips the USA’s V-22 Osprey tilt-rotors.

A 2006 contract between Alenia Aeronautica and Rolls Royce already covered 42 systems, which would be enough to equip 21 of the twin-engine C-27Js. The new contract raises that number, guaranteeing a new total of 155 systems. In addition, 78 C-27J aircraft and up to 180 engines were placed under contract by the US Armed Forces’ Joint Cargo Aircraft program, with potential volumes of up to 145 aircraft and a correspondingly higher number of engines. Rolls Royce release.

NH90: TTH & NFH
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The NH90 helicopter emerged from a NATO requirement that created NATO’s own helicopter development and procurement agency in 1992 and, at almost the same time, the consortium to build the hardware – NHIndustrie (62.5% EADS Eurocopter, 32.5% AugustaWestland, and 5% Stork Fokker). It was originally developed to fit between light naval helicopters like AW’s Lynx and Eurocopter’s Panther, and medium-heavy naval helicopters like the European EH101. A quick look at the NATO Frigate Helicopter design showed definite possibilities as a troop transport helicopter, however, and soon the NH90 project had branched into 2 versions, with more to follow. The nearest equivalent would be Sikorsky’s popular H-60 Seahawk/ Black Hawk family, but the NH90 includes a set of innovative features that give it some distinguishing selling points.

While battlefield damage to composite airframes can be more difficult to repair in the field, the combination of corrosion-proofing, lower maintenance, greater troop or load capacity, and the flexibility offered by that rear ramp have made the NH90 a popular global competitor. Orders currently stand at 507 machines, on behalf of 14 nations. This is DID’s FOCUS Article, offering an in-depth look at the multi-national NH90 program, its customers, and its chronology from 1995 to the present day.

During that time, the NH90 has become a sales success – but as many business people discover the hard way, success can be almost as dangerous as failure. NH Industries has had great difficulty ramping up production fast enough to meet promised deliveries, which has left several buyers upset at their lack of operational helicopters. The most recent announcement involves engine choices by 3 of the helicopter’s new orders…

• The NH90 Platform(s)
• The NH90 Production Program
• Contracts & Key Events, 1995-present [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources
  
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