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Archives by category > R&D – Contracted (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… »

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… »

SSBN-X Subs: Congressmen Promote Refresh, Have Sub Bases in Districts

Jan 20, 2023 04:58 UTC

Latest updates[?]: BAE Systems won a $72 million deal for the manufacture and delivery of five Columbia-class submarine components. Work will be performed in Louisville, Kentucky (100%), and is expected to be completed by May 2030. Fiscal 2023 National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund funds in the full amount will be obligated at time of award, of which none will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Columbia-class program's goal is to design and build a class of 12 new ballistic missile submarines SSBNs to replace the Navy’s current force of 14 aging Ohio-class SSBNs. The Ohio-class submarines were designed to have a service life of 42 years (two 20-year cycles with a 2-year midlife nuclear refueling period). As the Ohio-class SSBNs were first deployed in 1981, they will start reaching the end of their service between 2027 and 2040, at a rate of about one boat per year. Starting in 2031, the Navy plans to replace each retiring Ohio-class boat with a new Columbia-class SSBN submarine.
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Early SSBN-X Concept

SSBN-X concept

The US Navy needs new SSBN nuclear missile submarines. Their existing Ohio Class boats will begin to retire at a rate of 1 hull per year, beginning in 2027, as they reach the end of their 42-year operational lifetimes. Hence SSBN-X, also known as the Ohio Replacement Program for now.

The first step toward recapitalization involved a new Common Missile Compartment and Advanced Launcher for current and future nuclear missiles. The next step involves finalizing a design that can serve effectively to 2080, without destroying the US Navy’s shipbuilding budget in the process. Good luck with that one, but they have to to try. The maintenance of the USA’s nuclear deterrent is too important, in a world where nuclear weapons are proliferating.

Continue Reading… »

JAGM: Joint Air-Ground Missile Again

Jan 02, 2023 04:58 UTC

Latest updates[?]: Lockheed Martin has made significant progress in the development of its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM). The company conducted a successful flight test of the JAGM Medium Range (JAGM-MR) on November 16 at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. The missile flew for 16 kilometers, twice the range of the JAGM. This longer range is seen as a major advantage for military operations, as it allows for greater standoff from enemy locations. The ability to operate out of range of enemy weapons systems is critical for the military’s efforts to protect its personnel and assets. In addition to the increased range, the JAGM-MR also features a tri-mode seeker that combines a low-cost imaging sensor with semi-active laser and millimeter wave sensors. This technology was originally required by the U.S. Army, but the requirement was later changed to a dual-mode seeker due to cost concerns. However, the price of tri-mode seeker technology has since become more affordable, and the Army is now looking to address its aviation strategy with a JAGM Increment 3 requirement that would increase the range of the missile and add the tri-mode seeker.

Raytheon/Boeing on JAGM

JAGM infographic

The AGM-114 Hellfire missile remains a mainstay for the US military and its allies around the world, and efforts to replace it have repeatedly stalled. The Joint Common Missile (JCM) was meant to offer new guidance options, and use on fast jets as well as helicopters and UAVs. It performed well, but was canceled. It returned from the procurement dead as JAGM, a program that has undergone several major changes within itself. While other air forces field fast-jet solutions like MBDA’s Brimstone, JAGM will initially be limited to helicopters and UAVs, as a dual-mode guidance upgrade to current model Hellfire missiles.

Continue Reading… »

From Dolphins to Destroyers: The ScanEagle UAV

Dec 30, 2022 04:56 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: Insitu won a $19 million modification, which adds scope for the production and delivery of 10 RQ-21A air vehicles, two RQ-21A turrets, support equipment, spares, tools, and training in support of RQ-21A Blackjack and ScanEagle unmanned aircraft platforms for the Navy, Marine Corps, and international partners. Work will be performed in Bingen, Washington; and various locations outside the continental US, and is expected to be completed in June 2026.

ScanEagle"

ScanEagle launch

ScanEagle’s base Insight UAV platform was originally developed by Washington state’s Insitu, Inc. to track dolphins and tuna from fishing boats, in order to ensure that the fish you buy in supermarkets is “dolphin-safe”. It turns out that the same characteristics needed by fishing boats (able to handle salt water environments, low infrastructure launch and recovery, small size, 20-hour long endurance, automated flight patterns) are equally important for naval operations from larger vessels, and for battlefield surveillance. A partnership with Boeing took ScanEagle to market in those fields, and the USMC’s initial buy in 2004 was the beginning of a market-leading position in its niche.

This article covers recent developments with the ScanEagle UAV system, which is quickly evolving into a mainstay with the US Navy and its allies. Incumbency doesn’t last long in the fast-changing world of UAVs, though. Insitu’s own RQ-21 Integrator is looking to push the ScanEagle aside, and new multiple-award contracts in the USA are creating opportunities for other competitors. Can Insitu’s original stay strong?

Continue Reading… »

MQ-9 Reaper: Unfettered for Export

Dec 23, 2022 04:56 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) successfully flew its new NATO Pod for the first time on November 23, 2022. The test flight took place at the Yuma Proving Grounds using a GA-ASI-owned MQ-9A aircraft. The NATO Pod is a joint development between GA-ASI and Sener Aeroespacial of Spain, and was designed to meet NATO airworthiness standards while increasing configuration and payload options for GA-ASI’s MQ-9A and MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA).

0Reaper Hellfires Paveways

Reaper, ready…

The MQ-9 Reaper UAV, once called “Predator B,” is somewhat similar to the famous Predator. Until you look at the tail. Or its size. Or its weapons. It’s called “Reaper” for a reason: while it packs the same surveillance gear, it’s much more of a hunter-killer design. Some have called it the first fielded Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV).

The Reaper UCAV will play a significant role in the future USAF, even though its capability set makes the MQ-9 considerably more expensive than MQ-1 Predators. Given these high-end capabilities and expenses, one may not have expected the MQ-9 to enjoy better export success than its famous cousin. Nevertheless, that’s what appears to be happening. MQ-9 operators currently include the USA and Britain, who use it in hunter-killer mode, and Italy. Several other countries are expressing interest, and the steady addition of new payloads are expanding the Reaper’s advantage over competitors…

Continue Reading… »

CH-53K: The U.S. Marines’ HLR Helicopter Program

Dec 22, 2022 04:58 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: Sikorsky won a $676.7 million deal for the supply chain management that includes 196 weapon replaceable assemblies/shop replaceable assemblies in support of the CH-53E and MH-53E helicopters. The contract will include a five-year base period with one two-year option. If the option is exercised, the contract will be a not-to-exceed amount of $752,324,052. Work will be performed in North Carolina Connecticut. Work is expected to be completed by December 2027.

Sikorsky: CH-53K from LHD

CH-53K concept

The U.S. Marines have a problem. They rely on their CH-53E Super Stallion medium-heavy lift helicopters to move troops, vehicles, and supplies off of their ships. But the helicopters are wearing out. Fast. The pace demanded by the Global War on Terror is relentless, and usage rates are 3 times normal. Attrition is taking its toll. Over the past few years, CH-53s have been recalled from “boneyard” storage at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ, in order to maintain fleet numbers in the face of recent losses and forced retirements. Now, there are no flyable spares left.

Enter the Heavy Lift Replacement (HLR) program, now known as the CH-53K. It aims to offer notable performance improvements over the CH-53E, in a similar airframe. The question is whether its service entry delay to 2018-2019 will come too late to offset a serious decline in Marine aviation.

Continue Reading… »

The JAS-39 Gripen: Sweden’s 4+ Generation Wild Card

Dec 20, 2022 04:54 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: Saab and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) inked a contract on December 16 for Saab to conduct upgrades to Swedish JAS-39C/D fighters. The contract is valued at approximately $414 million and will run from 2023 to 2029. The contract also includes options for FMV to place additional orders for capability enhancements during 2023. The upgrade to the JAS 39 Gripen C/D fighter aircraft will include installing a new engine version to improve flight performance and a more effective electronic warfare system.

SAAF JAS-39D, c. Gripen International

South African JAS-39D

As a neutral country with a long history of providing for its own defense against all comers, Sweden also has a long tradition of building excellent high-performance fighters with a distinctive look. From the long-serving Saab-35 Draken (“Dragon,” 1955-2005) to the Mach 2, canard-winged Saab-37 Viggen (“Thunderbolt,” 1971-2005), Swedish fighters have stressed short-field launch from dispersed/improvised air fields, world-class performance, and leading-edge design. This record of consistent project success is nothing short of amazing, especially for a country whose population over this period has ranged from 7-9 million people.

This is DID’s FOCUS Article for background, news, and contract awards related to the JAS-39 Gripen (“Griffon”), a canard-winged successor to the Viggen and one of the world’s first 4+ generation fighters. Gripen remains the only lightweight 4+ generation fighter type in service, its performance and operational economics are both world-class, and it has become one of the most recognized fighter aircraft on the planet. Unfortunately for its builders, that recognition has come from its appearance in Saab and Volvo TV commercials, rather than from hoped-for levels of military export success. With its 4+ generation competitors clustered in the $60-120+ million range vs. the Gripen’s claimed $40-60 million, is there a light at the end of the tunnel for Sweden’s lightweight fighter? In 2013 a win in Brazil started to answer that question.

Continue Reading… »

RIM-162 ESSM Missile: Naval Anti-Air in a Quad Pack

Nov 30, 2022 04:56 UTC DII

Latest updates[?]: Raytheon won a $397.7 million modification from the US Navy to exercise options for fiscal 2023 guided missile assemblies, shipping containers, and spare parts in support of the fiscal 2021-2023 Evolved Seasparrow Missile Block 2 full-rate production requirements. Work will take place in Arizona, Australia, California, Norway, Netherlands, Greece, New York, Turkey, Denmark and other locations. Expected completion will be by March 2027.

RIM-162 ESSM Sections

RIM-162: sections

The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) is used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft, and is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles. Compared to the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, ESSM is effectively a new missile with a larger, more powerful rocket motor for increased range, a different aerodynamic layout for improved agility, and the latest missile guidance technology. Testing has even shown the ESSM to be effective against fast surface craft, an option that greatly expands the missile’s utility. As a further bonus, the RIM-162 ESSM has the ability to be “quad-packed” in the Mk 41 vertical launching system, allowing 4 missiles to be carried per launch cell instead of loading one larger SM-2 Standard missile or similar equipment.

This is DID’s FOCUS article for the program, containing details about the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missile family, and contracts placed under this program since 1999. The Sea Sparrow was widely used aboard NATO warships, so it isn’t surprising that the ESSM is an international program. The NATO Sea Sparrow Consortium includes Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and the USA – as well as non-NATO Australia. Foreign Military Sales ESSM customers outside this consortium include Japan, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.

Continue Reading… »

AMDR: Raytheon Wins Dual-Band Radar, Pending Protest

Oct 03, 2022 04:56 UTC

Latest updates[?]: The Navy awarded Raytheon a $16 million contract modification for sustainment material and support for the AN/SPY-6(V) family of radars. The solid state, fixed-face and rotating SPY-6 variants provide integrated air and missile defense capabilities. Work will take place ein California, Arizona, Massachusetts and Virginia. Expected completion will be by September 2023.

Raytheon: AMDR testbed

AMDR testbed

The US Navy’s Dual-Band Radar that equips its forthcoming Gerald R. Ford class super-carriers replaces several different radars with a single back-end. Merging Raytheon’s X-band SPY-3 with Lockheed Martin’s S-band VSR allows fewer radar antennas, faster response time, faster adaptation to new situations, one-step upgrades to the radar suite as a whole, and better utilization of the ship’s power, electronics, and bandwidth.

Rather than using that existing Dual-Band Radar design in new surface combatant ships, however, the “Air and Missile Defense Radar” (AMDR) aims to fulfill DG-51 Flight III destroyer needs through a new competition for a similar dual-band radar. It could end up being a big deal for the winning radar manufacturer, and for the fleet. If, and only if, the technical, power, and weight challenges can be mastered at an affordable price.

Continue Reading… »
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