Rapid Fire: 2010-04-15

• US heavily reliant on China for supply of rare earth metals used in high-tech weapons such as radar, night vision devices, and smart bombs, GAO warns. GAO report [pdf] | Bloomberg | TechNewsDaily

• Foreign Policy magazine: “Time Is Of the Essence” to secure nuclear fissile materials around the world from terrorists. Meanwhile, Tehran’s own conference on nuclear proliferation isn’t reassuring many people.

• Fresh out of structural concerns, USAF F-15Cs with new APG-82 AESA radars will now shoulder 50% of the “air dominance” burden, to compensate for the F-22A’s production shutdown.

• US SOCOM cancels FBO solicitation for the Combatant Craft Medium Mk 1, which was supposed to replace naval special warfare’s Rigid Inflatable Boats.

• First 2 Romanian C-27J Spartan light transport aircraft land in Bucharest

• US governors, US reps send letter to Pentagon, USAF chiefs opposing USAF plan to take C-130 transport aircraft from the Air National Guard and Reserves to replace aging aircraft. Governors’ and US reps letters to Gates [pdf] | US reps letter to AF secretary [pdf] | Government Executive

• NSA Director Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, who appears Thursday for a Senate confirmation hearing as the first head of the Pentagon new Cyber Command, wants overhaul of laws to unshackle US ability to conduct cyber warfare. New York Times | Associated Press | Washington Post

• Pacific shifts: ITT opening offices in Canberra, Australia and New Delhi, India.

• Rolls-Royce completes first 33t Kamewa Adjustable Bolted Propeller and MT30 gas turbine tests for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier.

Senior Leadership Airborne Communications Program: Keeping US Officials Plugged In

“Air Force Two”
They try harder

The USAF is looking to help Vice President Biden communicate better. Now, that’s quite a challenge.

It’s not just the vice president, but many top level US officials, including Pentagon chief Gates, Secretary of State Clinton, the First Lady, as well as members of the Cabinet and Congress. The Senior Leadership C3 System – Airborne Communications program is upgrading the communications systems onboard 20 VIP specialty aircraft that fly top US officials around the world.

Currently, each type of VIP aircraft comes with its own unique communications suite. Through the VIP communications upgrade program, the USAF is procuring a standard communications architecture for all of the aircraft in the fleet.

$46.2M to Lockheed Martin for AH-64 Apache Arrowhead Sensors

AH-64 Apache
with Arrowhead sensor

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Orlando, FL received a $46.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of Arrowhead sensor systems for AH-64 Apache attack helicopter for several international customers.

Arrowhead is an advanced electro-optical and fire control system that AH-64 Apache helicopter pilots use for combat targeting of their Hellfire missiles and other weapons, as well as safe flight in day, night, or bad weather missions. Arrowhead’s forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensors use advanced image processing techniques to give pilots the best possible resolution to avoid obstacles such as wires and tree limbs during low-level flight.

The orders are destined for Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the Netherlands, which have all submitted requests to buy the Arrowhead systems with the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).