The Saudis’ American Shopping Spree: F-15s, Helicopters & More

Apr 14, 2014 16:40 UTC

Latest updates[?]: Hellfire buy; AH-64 support; F-15 training.

F-15S & weapons

In October 2010, talks that Saudi Arabia was negotiating a $30-60 billion arms package with the USA were made official with a full multi-billion request that included 84 F-15 Strike Eagles to replace the Kingdom’s Tornado strike aircraft and/or F-15A-D fighters, upgrades for another 70 planes, about 132 UH-60 Black Hawk utility and AH-64 attack helicopters, and armaments to equip them.

This article looks at those requests, their tie-ins, the issues that are part of these potential deals, and related follow-on requests. As is often the case with DSCA announcements, years can pass between the requests and the signed contracts, but these contracts have started to roll in, alongside other significant buys.

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JDAM: A GPS-INS Add-on Adds Accuracy to Airstrikes

Apr 03, 2014 17:45 UTC

Latest updates[?]: FY 2013 - 2015 budgets; DOT&E testing; R&D contract; Mods to Laser JDAMs; Additional Readings sections updated, and upgraded with key competitors.

B-2 drops JDAM

Precision bombing has been a significant military goal since the invention of the Norden bomb sight in the 1920s, but its application remained elusive. Over 30 years later, in Vietnam, the destruction of a single target could require 300 bombs, which meant sending an appropriate number of fighters or bombers into harm’s way to deliver them. Even the 1991 Desert Storm war with Iraq featured unguided munitions for the most part. The USAF some laser and TV-guided weapons like Paveway bombs and Maverick missiles, but they were very expensive, and only effective in good weather. If precision bombing was finally to become a reality throughout the Air Force, a new approach would be needed. The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) became that alternative, an engine of military transformation that was also a model of procurement transformation.

DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This DID FOCUS Article looks at the transformational history of the JDAM GPS-guided bomb program, the ongoing efforts to bring its capabilities up to and beyond the level of dual-mode guidance kits like Israel’s Spice and Raytheon’s Enhanced Paveway, and the contracts issued under the JDAM program since its inception.[updated]

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Paveway IV: British Dual-Guidance Bomb Exported at Last

Mar 26, 2014 18:50 UTC

Latest updates[?]: Saudis become 1st export buyer, as long-standing American protectionist interference breaks down; Eurofighter qualification; Planned SPEAR CAP 1 upgrades; Article reformatted.

Paveway-IV components
(click to view larger)

In 2003, Raytheon UK operation won the GBP 120 million pound contract to develop and produce Paveway IV, beating Boeing’s INS/GPS guided JDAM. The GPS/INS and laser-guided 500-pound bombs are a British project, and will add a number of other enhancements, including longer range than previous Paveway versions.

The British military had wanted to deploy Raytheon’s latest Paveway IV bombs in Afghanistan by September 2007, on board its newly-upgraded Harrier GR9 aircraft. Unfortunately, testing problems with Thales UK’s Aurora fuze removed that option. The MoD found a way to deploy the smart bombs with lesser capabilities by December 2007, and eventually deployed full Paveway IVs on its Harriers in Afghanistan. The weapon is now ready for use with its Tornado GR4 strike aircraft, which are replacing the Harriers, and has been qualified on the RAF’s Eurofighters.

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A Higher-Tech Hog: USAF A-10C Upgrades and Refurbishments

Feb 24, 2014 19:06 UTC

Latest updates[?]: Hagel's FY 2015 budget request would retire the A-10 fleet; Additional Readings section updated.

A-10A over Germany

The Precision Engagement modification is the largest single upgrade effort ever undertaken for the USA’s unique A-10 “Warthog” close air support aircraft fleet. While existing A/OA-10 aircraft continue to outperform technology-packed rivals on the battlefield, this set of upgrades is expected to make them more flexible, and help keep the aircraft current until the fleet’s planned phase-out in 2028. When complete, A-10C PE will give USAF A-10s precision strike capability sooner than planned, combining multiple upgrades into 1 time and money-saving program, rather than executing them as standalone projects. Indeed, the USAF accelerated the PE program by 9 months as a result of its experiences in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This is DID’s FOCUS Article for the PE program, and for other modifications to the A-10 fleet. It covers the A-10′s battlefield performance and advantages, the elements of the PE program, other planned modifications, related refurbishment efforts to keep the fleet in the air, and the contracts that have been issued each step of the way.

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Billions to Upgrade and Up-arm Pakistan’s F-16s

Feb 20, 2014 20:43 UTC

Latest updates[?]: Pakistan buying 13 F-16s from Jordan - where does that leave the respective fleets?; Article reformatted & background updated; Photos added; Additional Readings updated & upgraded.

PAF F-16A drops Mk.82s

On June 28/06, the US DSCA notified Congress via a series of releases of its intention to provide Pakistan with a $5.1 billion Foreign Military Sales package to upgrade the F-16s that serve as the PAF’s top of the line fighters. Some of these items had been put on hold following the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan & Kashmir, but the request for 36 new F-16 Block 50/52s is now going ahead, along with new weapons, engine modifications, and upgrade kits for Pakistan’s older F-16 A/Bs. The buy went through, and was accompanied by the supply of 26 older F-16s from USAF surplus stocks.

These items are detailed below, along with controversies the proposed sales have created, and some of the conditions attached to the sale by the US government….

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Top Falcons: The UAE’s F-16 Block 60/61 Fighters

Jan 26, 2014 20:22 UTC

Latest updates[?]: Next 30 F-16 "Block 61s" will be bought via Direct Commercial Sale, but a DSCA request covers ancillary items; Additional Readings sections upgraded.

F-16F “Desert Falcon”

The most advanced F-16s in the world aren’t American. That distinction belongs to the UAE, whose F-16 E/F Block 60s are a half-generation ahead of the F-16 C/D Block 50/52+ aircraft that form the backbone of the US Air Force, and of many other fleets around the world. The Block 60 has been described as a lower-budget alternative to the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, and there’s a solid argument to be made that their performance figures and broad sensor array will even keep them ahead of pending F-16 modernizations in countries like Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore.

The UAE invested in the “Desert Falcon’s” development, and the contract reportedly includes royalty fees if other countries buy it. Investment doesn’t end when the fighters are delivered, either. Money is still needed for ongoing training, fielding, and equipment needs – and the UAE has decided that they need more planes, too. This DID article showcases the F-16 Block 60/61, and offers a window into its associated costs and life cycle, including dedicated equipment purchases for this fighter fleet.

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France’s AASM Precision-Guided Bombs

Jan 23, 2014 15:38 UTC

Latest updates[?]: Sagem can't rest on their laurels - Raytheon test shows unfilled AASM niche.

AASM test from
Mirage 2000D

France’s Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) is similar in concept to the American GPS-guided JDAM bomb, but its execution includes several key differences. The global trend toward GPS-guided weapons makes a French entry important for industrial as well as operational reasons, and the Sagem/MBDA team hope AASM will earn them a market niche.

In order to become a true market success, however, Sagem and MBDA know that their AASM will have to find export markets beyond France. Will that place them in conflict with Dassault?

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New Options: Denel & Tawazun’s Precision Weapons Partnership

Nov 21, 2013 17:07 UTC

Latest updates[?]: Mirage integration done, now TD makes a nearly $500 million sale...

Al-Tariq

In September 2012, Denel Dynamics signed an important deal with the UAE’s Tawazun Holding. By creating a joint firm near Abu Dhabi to manufacture and develop guided weapons, the new Tawazun Dynamics partnership will be able to offer GPS-guided glide bombs and more to customers throughout the Middle East, and around the world. It’s another significant crack in a set of barriers that have given western countries a great deal of leverage with countries who buy their fighters.

Those cracks are appearing all around the world. New entrants like Brazil, Turkey, South Korea, and South Africa are introducing advanced systems for the global market. As alternatives proliferate, the environment that allowed America and European countries to use the continued supply of advanced weapons as a political bargaining chip is eroding quickly. Tawazun Dynamics has one barrier left to conquer, but their partnership has already chalked up 1 success in that area. Now, the question is how far they can take any export opportunities…

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Colombia’s Defense Modernization

Nov 17, 2013 14:31 UTC

Latest updates[?]: Colombia is looking for light attack jets, an AEW aircraft, and higher-end (used) air superiority fighters; Article reformatted; Additional Readings section updated & upgraded.

FAC Kfir C7
(click to view larger)

Years of unswerving pressure from the Colombian army wore down the narco-terrorist FARC. Much of that pressure was led by the popular (former) President Uribe, who ruled out a bid for constitutional amendments and an attempt at a 3rd term of office in 2009. His legacy continued, however, thanks to a special 2006 tax was set up to back those military gains with about $4 billion worth of military hardware.

Colombia’s El Tiempo newspaper reported that the deals were set to include a wide variety of equipment from American, French, German, Israeli, and Russian suppliers. Colombia is well into the delivery phase, and has added key equipment buys along the way.

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Moving Target: Raytheon’s GBU-53 Small Diameter Bomb II

Nov 05, 2013 15:07 UTC

Latest updates[?]: F-15E "Normal Attack" testing gets over its glitch, and finishes by hitting moving targets; The F-35 program's lateness is creating real difficulties for SDB-II; GAO Report; Article improvements, incl. videos, updated Program Dashboard, and Program Timeline; Additional Readings sections updated.

GBU-53/B, aka. SDB-II

The 250 pound GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb gives American fighters the ability to carry more high-precision GPS-guided glide bombs, without sacrificing punching power against fortified targets. The initial award to Boeing was controversial, and the Darlene Druyun corruption scandal ultimately forced a re-compete of the Increment II development program. Whereas the initial GBU-39 SDB-I offered GPS-guided accuracy in a small and streamlined package, the goal of the GBU-53 SDB-II competition was a bomb that could hit moving targets in any weather, using a combination of guidance modes.

For the SDB-II competition, Boeing found itself allied with Lockheed Martin, its key opponent for the initial SDB-I contract. Its main competitor this time was Raytheon, whose SDB-II bid team found itself sharing its tri-mode seeker technology with a separate Boeing team, as they compete together for the tri-service JAGM missile award against… Lockheed Martin. So, is Raytheon’s win of the SDB-II competition also good news for its main competitor? It’s certainly good news for Raytheon, who wins a program that could be worth over $5 billion.

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