Japan Looking to Expand Missile Defense & Military Spending

DDG176 Chokai

In the wake of seven recent missile tests by North Korea, including what is now seen as the possible failure within 2 km of launch for the longest-range Taepodong-2 missile, Japan’s self-defense forces and the defense committee of the governing LDP party are proposing an expanded defense budget that includes a higher priority on and higher spending for missile defense.

Meanwhile, a February 2006 Armed Forces Journal article offers an interesting take on Japanese defense cooperation and procurement trends more generally. Other recent articles put the issue of Japanese defense spending into a larger context within that nation’s shifting security environment.

USMC Buying VBS Gaming-Simulation Engine

VBS1 USMC Screenshot

DID has covered the uses of modern video games by modern militaries, from the well-known America’s Army game (since adapted to become a CROWS weapon station trainer in addition to a recruiting/training tool), Britain’s use of the best-selling Half-Life platform in DIVE2 to train troops for Afghanistan, even DARPA’s request for a more realistic war sim and some hilarious specification suggestions.

Now the US Marine Corps is joining Australia and New Zealand in licensing the Virtual Battlespace gaming engine from Bohemia Interactive, the creators of the Operation Flashpoint series and the forthcoming Armed Assault. The USMC’s Enterprise License provides an unlimited number of VBS1 and VBS2 licenses to the Marines for use in tactical training, mission rehearsal and experimentation.

Founded in 1999, Bohemia Interactive is an independent game development company, with studios in Czech Republic and Australia. The range of features enabled by VBS goes significantly beyond many game options in use elsewhere, however…

Up to $686.1M Over 6 Years for USJFCOM Joint Warfighting Center Support

Northrop Grumman Space & Mission Systems Corp. in Fairfax, VA received a $218.8 million cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for technical services in support of the U.S. Joint Forces Command’s Joint Warfighting Center. This contract includes a base period of 2 years, plus a pair of additional 2-year options that would bring the total estimated value of the contract to $686.1 million if exercised.

With a manpower ceiling of almost 9 million man-hours, the contract will support various facets of the command’s joint training, exercise and rehearsal program. Northrop-Grumman will provide support on a local and remote basis for:

$8.5M for Programmable 40mm Grenades

Mk.19 40mm GMG/AGL

The US Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division in Crane, IN has awarded NAMMO Raufoss AS (Medium & Large Caliber Division) in Raufoss, Norway an $8.45 million firm-fixed-price contract for 39,776 rounds of MK 285 40mm programmable pre-fragmented, high explosive (PPHE) ammunition. The NAMMO AS 40mm PPHE cartridge utilizes an electronically programmable time fuze (Mk438), which has both point detonating and self-destruct functions. The programming allows the round to be fired from an automatic grenade launcher and detonate to hit targets hidden behind cover, on rooftops, behind corners, inside buildings or in trenches, etc. Work will be performed in Raufoss, Norway, and is expected to be complete by November 2007. The contract was not competitively procured (N00164-06-C-4879).

NAMMO was recently acquired by Patria Oyj of Finland, though it also remains partly owned by the Norwegian government. In addition to 40mm grenades, the firm also makes specialty sniper ammunition for US forces.

Sperwers Depart Denmark, Come to Canada

Sperwer launch

In December 2005 Denmark was moving to cancel their Sperwer/Kestrel program and dispose of the UAVs. That has now taken place – and the UAVs have been sold to Canada, which also flies them while it considers what comes next.