Pakistan and China have been cooperating for a number of years on the JF-17/ FC-1 Thunder, a low-medium performance, low-cost aircraft that has attracted interest and orders from a number of 3rd World air forces. In November 2009, a long-rumored deal was announced for China’s Jian-10/ FC-20 4+ generation fighter, whose overall performance compares well with the F-16C/D Block 52 aircraft that Pakistan has ordered from the United States.
The J-10 has been reported as a derivative of the 1980s Israeli Lavi project, and reportedly incorporates an Israeli fly-by-wire control base that was transferred in the project’s early years. The change in relations that followed the Tienanmen Square massacre hurt the J-10 project badly, however, forcing the replacement of planned Western avionics and engines with Chinese and Russian equipment. The required redesign was very extensive, affected all areas of the airframe, and took over a decade, amounting to the development of a new aircraft. The first operational J-10 unit entered service with the PLAAF in July 2004.
China has reportedly ordered 100 J-10s to date. The initial Pakistani order is for 2 squadrons, but could expand as technical cooperation and orders increase. The $1+ billion sale represents the J-10’s first export order… but almost certainly not its last.
The US Navy awarded a 4-year production contract to Rockwell Collins for AN/ARC-210 aircraft radios. The contract has a potential value of $450 million over the 4-year life of the program.
The ARC-210 provides 2-way, multi-mode voice and data communications over a 30-512 MHz frequency range. It also includes embedded Ultra High Frequency (UHF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) anti-jam waveforms and other data link and secure communication features.
As part of the contract, Rockwell Collins will produce the next-generation AN/ARC-210 radio, RT-1939-C, which will enter production in 2010. This fifth generation of the ARC-210 is software reprogrammable and brings new capabilities.
Kessler AFB, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, is the home of the 81st Training Wing – the electronics, computer and weather training center of the US Air Force. It is also home of Keesler Medical Center, the 2nd largest USAF medical facility.
Under the contract, W.G. Yates will build a 4-story, 141,000-square-foot medical facility…
A Raytheon team received a $28 million task order from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to develop network operations situational awareness (NetOps SA) across US Department of Defense (DoD) classified and unclassified networks.
Under the task order, part of the Raytheon’s Encore II contract (HC1028-08-D-2024), Raytheon and its team – General Dynamics, SAIC, Eye Street Software, and BCMC – will provide NetOps SA products that will, among other things, enable detection of network intrusions and assess the overall health of DoD networks…
