DID has covered RAND’s Project Air Force before, and their lessons learned from the F-22 and F/A-18 Super Hornet programs attracted a lot of reader interest here. Now they shift their focus to China’s defense production capabilities, which are beginning to address previous weaknesses and turn out a range of increasingly advanced weapons (for instance, the YJ-62 anti-ship cruise missile). This study examines the current and future capabilities of China’s defense industry, as part of a larger RAND Project Air Force look at Chinese military modernization.
The study’s goals and foci include recent trends in China’s long effort to reform its defense industry, the individual strengths and weaknesses its missile, aircraft, shipbuilding, and information technology sectors, a look at variations in performance and structure among different Chinese defense-industry sectors, and the overall prospects for China’s defense industry and its ability to contribute to military modernization. China’s growing electronics industry and its contribution to defense modernization is also covered. Readers can skip into the HTML page covering this research to see the overview and buy the book, read only the summary [PDF], or download the whole report [PDF].
The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake, CA has awarded MathWorks Inc. of Natick, MA a $10 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract for MathWorks Software products. This includes MatLab, Simulink, and MathWorks toolboxes, plus maintenance, training, and consultation.
MatLab and Simulink provide a flexible software environment for model-based design, interpreting test data, simulating high-fidelity behavioral dynamics, and generating safety-critical flight computer code. The products also promote agility and communication along the supply chain, by providing a common software environment for sharing data, designs, and specifications across organizations.
MathWorks Inc.’s key products appear to be moving toward a status as a mainstream or even a default choice in the US aerospace and defense sector, and the China Lake contract is simply the latest illustration of the position it is building…
The government of Singapore has selected the GE F110 fighter engine to power its 12-20 new Boeing F-15SG Strike Eagle aircraft. Engine deliveries for the firm order of 12 aircraft will occur in 2008-2009. The Singapore selection of the F110-GE-129 (rated at 29,000 pounds thrust) is the second F-15 aircraft selection for the popular fighter engine. The Republic of Korea (ROKAF) selected the engine to power its 40 F-15K Slam Eagle aircraft and began taking deliveries in October 2005.
Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root Services in Arlington, VA received Modification 07 to Task Order 0023 at $16 million under a cost-reimbursement, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity emergency construction capabilities contract for recovery efforts in South Florida and Key West following Hurricane Wilma. KBR will focus on clean-up and repair to family housing units, and continued hurricane relief efforts. This modification brings the total task order amount to $90.5 million.
Work is expected to be complete by January 2006, and contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was competitively procured and awarded on July 26, 2004, with 59 proposals solicited and 3 offers received. The overall contract has a number of special conditions and requirements, and its amount over the base period and four option years is not to exceed $500 million. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic in Norfolk, VA issued the contract (N62470-04-D-4017).
The CBO also issued The Long-Term Implications of Current Defense Plans and Alternatives: Summary Update for Fiscal Year 2006 recently [2005/10/17 version, PDF format]. This report looks at the long term cost implications of the current US military budget, compares FY 2006 proposals in each major area with an “evolutionary alternative” and a “transformational alternative” force mix, then assesses long term costs and risks under each scenario.
That report has just been updated, and DID offers both a link to the revised report, and a few pointers re: some highlights worth a closer look…
