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Archives by category > Boeing (RSS)

KC-46A Pegasus Aerial Tanker Completes Firsts

Jan 30, 2023 04:58 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: Boeing won a $2 billion modification for KC-46A Air Force Production Lot 9 aircraft, subscriptions and licenses. The contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional quantity of 15 KC-46A aircraft, data, subscriptions and licenses being produced under the basic contract. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2026.

KC-135 plane

KC-135: Old as the hills…

DID’s FOCUS articles cover major weapons acquisition programs – and no program is more important to the USAF than its aerial tanker fleet renewal. In January 2007, the big question was whether there would be a competition for the USA’s KC-X proposal, covering 175 production aircraft and 4 test platforms. The total cost is now estimated at $52 billion, but America’s aerial tanker fleet demands new planes to replace its KC-135s, whose most recent new delivery was in 1965. Otherwise, unpredictable age or fatigue issues, like the ones that grounded its F-15A-D fighters in 2008, could ground its aerial tankers – and with them, a substantial slice of the USA’s total airpower.

KC-Y and KC-Z buys are supposed to follow in subsequent decades, in order to replace 530 (195 active; ANG 251; Reserve 84) active tankers, as well as the USAF’s 59 heavy KC-10 tankers that were delivered from 1979-1987. Then again, fiscal and demographic realities may mean that the 179 plane KC-X buy is “it” for the USAF. Either way, the KC-X stakes were huge for all concerned.

In the end, it was Team Boeing’s KC-767 NexGen/ KC-46A (767 derivative) vs. EADS North America’s KC-45A (Airbus KC-30/A330-200 derivative), both within the Pentagon and in the halls of Congress. The financial and employment stakes guaranteed a huge political fight no matter which side won. After Airbus won in 2008, that fight ended up sinking and restarting the entire program. Three years later, Boeing won the recompete. Now, they have to deliver their KC-46A.

Continue Reading… »

V-22 Osprey: The Multi-Year Buys

Jan 27, 2023 04:58 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: Textron won a $113 million deal to provide for the production and delivery of 10 Multi-Engine Training System aircraft, initial spares, peculiar support equipment, instructor pilot training, and maintenance personnel training to provide intermediate and advanced training for accession into P-8, EP-3, KC-130, E-6, E-2, CMV-22 and MV-22 aircraft in support of the mission of Chief Naval Air Training for the Navy. Work will be performed in Wichita, Kansas (99%); and Corpus Christi, Texas (1%), and is expected to be completed in June 2024.

V-22 Cutaway

In March 2008, the Bell Boeing Joint Project Office in Amarillo, TX received a $10.4 billion modification that converted the previous N00019-07-C-0001 advance acquisition contract to a fixed-price-incentive-fee, multi-year contract. The new contract rose to $10.92 billion, and was used to buy 143 MV-22 (for USMC) and 31 CV-22 (Air Force Special Operations) Osprey aircraft, plus associated manufacturing tooling to move the aircraft into full production. A follow-on MYP-II contract covered another 99 Ospreys (92 MV-22, 7 CV-22) for $6.524 billion. Totals: $17.444 billion for 235 MV-22s and 38 CV-22s, an average of $63.9 million each.

The V-22 tilt-rotor program has been beset by controversy throughout its 20-year development period. Despite these issues, and the emergence of competitive but more conventional compound helicopter technologies like Piasecki’s X-49 Speedhawk and Sikorsky’s X2, the V-22 program continues to move forward. This DID Spotlight article looks at the V-22’s multi-year purchase contract from 2008-12 and 2013-2017, plus associated contracts for key V-22 systems, program developments, and research sources.

Continue Reading… »

Aging Aircraft: USAF F-15 Fleet Sees Renewed Interest

Jan 26, 2023 04:56 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: Israel has submitted a formal request to the US government for 25 F-15EX fighter aircraft, according to industry sources who spoke to Breaking Defense. An official letter of request was reportedly sent by the Israeli Ministry of Defense last week, marking the first step in the foreign military sale process. Jerusalem will now have to wait for an initial decision by the US before quantity and pricing are discussed.
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AIR F-15C Over Washington

F-15C over DC

“Array of Aging American Aircraft Attracting Attention” discusses the issues that accompany an air force whose fighters have an average age of over 23.5 years – vs. an average of 8.5 years in 1967. One of the most obvious consequences is the potential for fleet groundings due to unforseen structural issues caused by time and fatigue. That very fear is responsible for the #1 priority placed on bringing new KC-X aerial tankers into the fleet to complement the USA’s 1960s-era KC-135 Stratotankers.

It can also affect the fighter fleet more directly.

Following the crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C aircraft Nov 2/07 (see crash simulation), the US Air Force suspended non-mission critical F-15 flight operations on Nov 3/07. While the cause of that accident is still under investigation, preliminary findings indicate that a structural failure during flight may have been responsible. In response, Japan suspended its own F-15 flights, which left them in a bit of a bind – even as Israel’s F-15s joined them on the tarmac. As the effects continue to spread and the USAF and others continue to comment on this situation, DID continues to expand its coverage of this bellwether event. A conditional restoration of the American F-15A-D fleet to flight status was soon overturned by the re-grounding of that fleet as a result of the report’s conclusions – a status that remains only been partially lifted. Meanwhile, the accident report has been released (compete with video dramatization) and the status of the remaining aircraft will have significant implications for the USAF’s future F-15 fleet size. Not to mention its other procurement programs.

Then, too, this is America. Now there’s a lawsuit.

Continue Reading… »

JLTV: Oshkosh Wins, Lockheed Protests

Jan 23, 2023 04:58 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: The US Army has contracted Oshkosh Defense to deliver over 400 medium tactical vehicles for $141 million. The US Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command order is for 414 A2 (FMTV A2) Medium Tactical Vehicles and 56 FMTV trailers. The vehicles are expected to be delivered through November 2024.

Ultra APV

Ultra APV demonstrator

In an age of non-linear warfare, where front lines are nebulous at best and non-existent at worst, one of the biggest casualties is… the concept of unprotected rear echelon vehicles, designed with the idea that they’d never see serious combat. That imperative is being driven home on 2 fronts. One front is operational. The other front is buying trends.

These trends, and their design imperatives, found their way into the USA’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program, which aims to replace many of the US military’s 120,000 or so Humvees. The US military’s goal is a 7-10 ton vehicle that’s lighter than its MRAPs and easier to transport aboard ship, while offering substantially better protection ad durability than existing up-armored Humvees. They’d also like a vehicle that can address front-line issues like power generation, in order to recharge all of the batteries troops require for electronic gadgets like night sights, GPS devices, etc.

DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. JLTV certainly qualifies, and recent budget planning endorsements have solidifed a future that was looking shaky. Now, can the Army’s program deliver?

Continue Reading… »

Pave Hawks – New Combat Rescue Helicopter

Jan 18, 2023 04:58 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: The US Air Force has started phasing out one of its oldest and most reliable assets, the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. This move comes as the Air Force’s 55th RQS (Rescue Squadron) has just returned from a successful deployment, during which the Pave Hawk fleet played a crucial role in a variety of missions, including personnel recovery, casualty evacuation and on-call support to joint and coalition forces. The 55th RQS, based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, is now preparing to fully integrate the new HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter into its fleet. This newer helicopter model is expected to bring increased aircraft availability and newer technologies to the table, which will be leveraged by 55th RQS aircrews to continue the vital mission of combat search and rescue operations.

Pave Hawk, Afghanistan

HH-60G, Afghanistan

In 2006 the US Air Force awarded Boeing a contract worth north of $10 billion for 141 HH-47 combat search-and-rescue helicopters, but by mid-2009 the CSAR-X program was cancelled during its System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase by the Pentagon. At the time Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wrote that this program had “a troubled acquisition history and raises the fundamental question of whether this important mission can only be accomplished by yet another single-service solution.”

That cancellation may have been warranted, but the underlying operational constraints are increasing as years go by, with a tentative replacement for aging helicopters that keeps slipping. In 2012, the Air Force got the green light to take another crack at it. The competition narrowed to a single bidder, and after wobbly budgetary announcements, the program was greenlighted. By the end of 2014 it was officially designated as HH-60W.

Continue Reading… »

The USA’s DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class Program: Dead Aim, Or Dead End?

Jan 11, 2023 04:56 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has been awarded a $10.5-million contract for the modernization planning of the US Navy’s Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers. According to company president Kari Wilkinson, HII shipbuilders will provide the necessary support to upgrade the capabilities of the Zumwalts, particularly the USS Zumwalt and USS Michael Monsoor.

DDG-1000 2 Ships Firing Concept

67% of the fleet

DID’s FOCUS Article for the DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class “destroyer” program covers the new ships’ capabilities and technologies, key controversies, associated contracts and costs, and related background resources.

The ship’s prime missions are to provide naval gunfire support, and next-generation air defense, in near-shore areas where other large ships hesitate to tread. There has even been talk of using it as an anchor for action groups of stealthy Littoral Combat Ships and submarines, owing to its design for very low radar, infrared, and acoustic signatures. The estimated 14,500t (battlecruiser size) Zumwalt Class will be fully multi-role, however, with undersea warfare, anti-ship, and long-range attack roles. That makes the DDG-1000 suitable for another role – as a “hidden ace card,” using its overall stealth to create uncertainty for enemy forces.

Zumwalt parody

True, or False?

At over $3 billion per ship for construction alone, however, the program faced significant obstacles if it wanted to avoid fulfilling former Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter’s fears for the fleet. From the outset, DID has noted that the Zumwalt Class might face the same fate as the ultra-sophisticated, ultra-expensive SSN-21 Seawolf Class submarines. That appears to have come true, with news of the program’s truncation to just 3 ships. Meanwhile, production continues.

Continue Reading… »

Trident II D5 Missile: Keeping Up with Changing Times

Jan 09, 2023 04:58 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: Sauer Construction won a $37.6 million task order to provide construction of two additions to the Trident Training Facility, a Strategic Systems Program missile control center team trainer, and Naval Sea Systems Command weapons handling system team trainer at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. The contract also contains two unexercised options which, if exercised, would increase the cumulative contract value to $37,809,809. Work will take place in Georgia. Expected completion will be by March 2025.

Trident II D-5 Test Launch

Trident II D5 Test Launch

Nuclear tipped missiles were first deployed on board US submarines at the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, to deter a Soviet first strike. The deterrence theorists argued that, unlike their land-based cousins, submarine-based nuclear weapons couldn’t be taken out by a surprise first strike, because the submarines were nearly impossible to locate and target. Which meant that Soviet leaders could not hope to destroy all of America’s nuclear weapons before they could be launched against Soviet territory. SLBM/FBM (Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile/ Fleet Ballistic Missile) offered shorter ranges and less accuracy than their land-based ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) counterparts, but the advent of Trident C4 missiles began extending those ranges, and offering other improvements. The C4s were succeeded by larger Trident II D5 missiles, which added precision accuracy and more payload.

The year that the Trident II D5 ballistic missile was first deployed, 1990, saw the beginning of the end of the missile’s primary mission. Even as the Soviet Union began to implode, the D5’s performance improvements were making the Trident submarine force the new backbone of the USA’s nuclear deterrent – and of Britain’s as well. To ensure that this capability was maintained at peak readiness and safety, the US Navy undertook a program in 2002 to replace aging components of the Trident II D5 missile called the D5 Life Extension (LE) Program. This article covers D5 LE, as well as support and production contracts associated with the American and British Trident missile fleets.

Continue Reading… »

American AH-64D Apache: War Replacement Contracts

Jan 06, 2023 04:56 UTC

Latest updates[?]: The US Army’s AH-64E Apache attack helicopters have been equipped with a laser protection system against short-range, heat-seeking missiles. Called the Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM), the new system defends against surface-to-air missiles and those from man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). The CIRCM entered into full-rate production in 2021 and achieved operational capability in November 2022.
Latest updates: Total rises to 68.

AH-64 crash

Replacement required

War takes its toll on equipment, as well as men. In some cases, it wears out. In other cases, enemy fire or accidents destroy equipment. The USA has recognized this fact by funding wartime replacement expenditures as supplemental funding, which is outside the normal budgetary process. The intent is that this money will be spent on replacing equipment that has been worn out, damaged or destroyed, or will be used to provide specialized capabilities like MRAP mine-resistant vehicles that are directly related to front-line demands.

Admittedly, this hasn’t always been true. Politicians are what they are, and so are large organizations like the military. One area where this ethic has undoubtedly been honored, however, has been the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter fleet. This article covers US Army Wartime Replacement Aircraft (WRA) AH-64D Longbow buys, which are the only truly new attack helicopters in the America’s inventory. That will change with the new Block III model, which is more advanced than the WRAs.

  • AH-64D Program: Past and Present [updated]
  • AH-64D WRAs: Program Contracts [updated]
  • The AH-64’s Future
  • Additional Readings [NEW]

Continue Reading… »

The New Chinooks: Boeing’s Modern H-47 Heavy-Lift Helicopters

Jan 05, 2023 04:56 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: Boeing has secured a $426-million deal to deliver 12 CH-47F Chinook helicopters to the Egyptian Air Force. The deal comes more than seven months after the US State Department gave the Middle Eastern nation the green light to procure up to 23 “F” models of the heavy-lift chopper.

CH-47Fs Take-off

CH-47Fs take off

DII FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record; this FOCUS Article covers the CH-47F/MH-47G Chinook helicopter programs, in the USA and abroad. These helicopters’ distinctive “flying banana” twin-rotor design stems from the brilliant work of aviation pioneer Frank Piasecki. It gives Chinooks the ability to adjust their positioning very precisely, while carrying a large airframe whose load capacity has made it the world’s most popular heavy-lift helicopter. The USA expects to be operating Chinooks in their heavy-lift role past 2030.

The CH-47F looks similar to earlier models, but offers a wide range of improvements in almost every aspect of design and performance. While the related HH-47’s $10-15 billion CSAR-X program win was terminated, delivery orders continue for CH-47Fs and for MH-47G Special Forces configuration helicopters. International orders or formal requests have also come in from Australia, Britain, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the UAE, with India and other countries expected to follow.

Continue Reading… »

Up to $11.9B for B-52H Maintenance & Modernization

Jan 03, 2023 04:58 UTC

Latest updates[?]: Boeing won a $38.7 million modification for B-1 and B-52 bomber engineering services. This modification is for recurring and non-recurring engineering services to B-1 and B-52 aircraft. Work will be performed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Edwards AFB, California; Barksdale AFB, Louisiana; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is expected to be completed December 31, 2023.

B-52H low

B-52H: flyin’ low,
dyin’ slow…

Officially, it’s the B-52H Stratofortress. Unofficially, it’s the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat F–cker). Either way, this subsonic heavy bomber remains the mainstay of the U.S. strategic fleet after more than 50 years of service. A total of 102 B-52H bombers were delivered from FY 1961-1963, and 94 were still on the books as of May 2009, flying mostly from Barksdale AFB, LA and Minot AFB, ND. Of these, 18 are slated for retirement, leaving a planned fleet of 76. By the time that fleet retires in the 2030s, many will be around 70 years old.

The B-52H can’t be flown against heavy enemy air defenses, but a steady array of upgrades have kept the aircraft relevant to follow-on strikes and current wars, where its long time on station and precision weapons have made the BUFF beautiful. Those changes have included advanced communications, GPS guided weapons, advanced targeting pods, and more. The USAF isn’t done yet adding new features, and maintenance remains a challenge for an aircraft fleet that’s always older than its pilots. All of these things require contracts, and the B-52H fleet has several of them underway. So, how does 2010’s 8-year, $11.9 billion umbrella contract fit in…?

  • CONECT, ESP, SWING: How Does This One Fit In?
  • Contracts & Key Events
  • Additional Readings

Continue Reading… »
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