Aviation Week’s Aerospace Daily reports that the U.S. Navy’s EA-18G electronic attack aircraft program is considering pursuing a next-generation jammer and other upgrades that could be fielded on the Super Hornet derivative after it enters service in a few years. Meanwhile, Boeing is starting to survey future users of the EA-18G “Growlers” to find out what upgrades they might like to see after the US Navy starts fielding the Super Hornet derivative in 2009.
While the AN/ALQ-99 radar jamming pod has received positive reviews and will initially equip the EA-18G, the US Navy’s EA-18G program manager says that it might eventually have to be replaced. The program is also exploring adding weapons and replacing the satellite communications receiver, as part of the FY 2008 budget planning process.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress [PDF format] that the Government of India wishes to lease 2 P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, plus training devices, support and test equipment, and other related training, support, and maintenance-related items and services. The two leased P-3 aircraft will replace two even older Soviet built IL-38 May aircraft, which are quickly reaching the end of their airframe fatigue life. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.
India’s rival Pakistan also operates the P-3 Orion, but this will be the first time India has done so. It’s also an indicator of India’s warming relations with the USA and increased military cooperation. The estimated contract value is $133 million, which will include the two aircraft and also the training and integration costs that accompany a new platform. The principal contractors will be:
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress [PDF format] that the Government of Finland has requested a possible sale of up to 150 AIM-9X Sidewinder Missiles, 11 AIM-9X Dummy Air Training Missiles, and 40 AIM-9X Captive Air Training Missiles. The estimated cost is $100 million, and the prime contractor will be Raytheon Systems Corporation of Tucson, AZ.
The AIM-9X is the latest version of the Sidewinder short-range air-air missile (SRAAM). Upgrades include has improved acquisition range and a higher-performance seeker dome, wide off-boresight capability that creates a bigger ‘targeting cone,’ better counter-countermeasures and background discrimination thanks to its 128 x 128 infrared focal plane array (instead of the AIM-9M’s single element IR detector), and day or night capability. It uses the same motor, warhead, and fuze as the AIM-9M and is of similar size and weight, but has a new airframe design with less drag, thrust vectoring for improved maneuverability, and field reprogrammability.
AIM-9X is comparable to other 4th generation SRAAMs like the Israeli Python 4, British ASRAAM, French MBDA MICA IR, German/European IRIS-T, and Russian R-73 aka. AA-11 Archer (The Israeli Python 5 may be in a class all by itself at the moment, though the ASRAAM shares a number of its unique features).
General Electric Co. in Lynn, MA received a delivery order amount of $160 million as part of a $2.43 billion firm-fixed-price contract for T-700 engine spare parts. The T700/CT7 engine family powers 21 types of rotary and fixed-wing aircraft for close to 130 customers in 55 countries. In the U.S. military arsenal, the T700 and its variants are the primary engines of the US helicopter fleet. They power the ubiquitous Blackhawk/Seahawk family of helicopters (UH-60, MH-60, SH-60, HH-60), other utility helicopters (SH-2G Super Seasprite, Bell UH-1Y Huey, US101 Marine One), and attack helicopters (AH-1W and AH-1Z SuperCobra, AH-64 Apache).
Work will be performed in Lynn, MA and is expected to be complete by Dec. 30, 2008. This was a sole source contract initiated on May 11, 2005 by the Army Aviation and Missile Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-04-D-0057).
General Dynamics Land Systems in Warren, MI recently received the final $41.6 million delivery order of a $70 million foreign military sales contract to provide 59 refurbished M1A1 Abrams Integrated Management (AIM) tanks to the Commonwealth of Australia. The M1A1 AIM tanks will replace the Australian Land Forces’ 90 aging Leopard 1A3 main battle tanks, and are scheduled for delivery to Australian Land Forces in two shipments: June 2006 and December 2006. The tanks are expected to be in service beyond 2020.
