Rapid Fire 2010-07-01: Wind Farms Delayed

• Show Me the Money: Boeing is offering to buy Argon ST, a Fairfax, VA-based supplier of military C4ISR systems, for $34.50 per share, or $775 million, in an all-cash deal.

• In other news, Boeing averted a strike in St. Louis when workers voted to approve a new package, against their union’s recommendation. It also hailed the public release of a WTO ruling on Airbus subsidies, which will be a lobbying point in the $30+ billion KC-X competition. The WTO also has a case involving Boeing, but it hasn’t ruled on that one yet.

• FBI arrests 10 Russian intelligence agents.

Raytheon’s Lot-10 AIM-9X Missile Orders

F-16 launches AIM-9X
(click for AIM-9X zoom)

The AIM-9X is the USA’s newest short-range air-to-air missile, using an advanced array seeker that widens the missile’s “boresight” cone, and allows a TV-like “imaging infrared” picture that’s much harder to fool with decoys. The missile’s maneuvering fins are smaller than previous Sidewinders, lowering aerodynamic drag in flight, but the missile compensates with thrust vectoring in the tail for added maneuverability. The final piece of the puzzle is lock-on after launch capability (the key Block II improvement), which takes full advantage of the improved sighting cone, maneuverability, and low drag. By telling the missile to fly to a designated location and look for a target, kills have even been scored behind the firing aircraft.

That keeps up with modern 5th generation air-air missiles. What steps beyond, is the adaptations to give Sidewinders ground attack capabilities. Successful tests offer high-flying UAVs a dual threat that can protect them from aerial aggression, while offering a precision ranged ground attack weapon that can stand up to the bitter cold and conditions found at high altitudes.

In late June 2010, Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ received over $120 million in orders for Lot 10 (FY 2010) production of its AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile, and associated components. The AIM-9X has been bought by a number of countries around the world, but this order included only the US military and South Korea, plus minor orders for Australia and Singapore…

China’s K-8 Jets: A Killer for Myanmar

K-8, Zimbabwe

Burma’s air force relies heavily on Chinese weapons. A handful of Russian MiG-29s will grow to 30 in the wake of a 2009 order, but the rest of its fighter fleet is made up of Chinese MiG-21 (60 J-7s) and MiG-19 (12 J-6 and 36 Q-5) variants. Reports indicate that they are supported by about 6 Serbian Super Galeb trainer/ light attack jets, and 17 Swiss Pilatus PC-6/7/9 turboprop trainers that have been armed for counterinsurgency.

Recent reports indicate that some standardization may be on the way. In 1998, the Burmese air force bought K-8 Karakorum (export version of China’s JL-8) jet trainers and light attack aircraft, which are a cooperative venture between China and Pakistan. They are now stationed at Taungoo Air Base north of Yangon, and sources vary between 4-12 aircraft. In the wake of a November 2009 visit to China, Burma’s SLORC regime will be adding another 50 K-8s. As one might expect, this deal has a strong Chinese resource angle…

• The Technical End: K-8s for Myanmar
  
• The Strategic End: Qiud Pro Quo?
  
• Additional Readings & Sources
  

PanSTARRS: Astronomy & Asteroid Assessment

Bruce Willis missed…

Kirkland AFB, NM recently entered into a cooperative effort with the University of Hawaii of Honolulu, Hawaii under the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (PanSTARRS) multi-year program.

PanSTARRS will address numerous science applications ranging from the structure of the Solar System to the properties of the Universe of the largest scales. It will also be able to detect and catalog large numbers of earth-orbit crossing asteroids, or near earth objects (NEO) that present a potential threat to mankind. That last component to the mission is especially intriguing, as there is a long history of partial efforts in this direction within the US and elsewhere. So, where does this award fit in?

• PanSTARRS and its Predecessors [updated]
  
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
  
• Additional Readings [updated]
  

Rapid Fire: 2010-06-30

• Pentagon acquisition chief Carter issues guidance for “acquisition professionals” to reduce overhead costs associated with the $400 billion per year spent on contracts.

• Can We Talk?: In response to the Carter memo, the Aerospace Industries Association called on the US to implement a set of policy initiatives, including easing export controls, to enable the industry to improve productivity and efficiency.

• Across the Pond: Not to be outdone, the new UK government is looking to reduce its spending on defense, even though the nation’s defense spending has been steadily shrinking as a percentage of GDP since the 1980s.

• High casualties put Danish military under pressure to buy blast-resistant vehicles, but military says they can’t do it within their budget.

• US Defense Acquisition Board waffles regarding next steps for the RQ-4 Global Hawk program, after problems surface.

• Bigger Bang: General Dynamics snags $14 million in US Army contracts to supply 30mm M789 High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) ammunition for the AH-64 Apache helicopter and develop 25mm scalable fuze technology for the Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle and Marine Corps LAV-2.

• Crypto-philosopher: Cracking Plato’s code. Meanwhile, modern cryptologists are working on Quantum Decoys and Quantum interference.

• By Any Other Name: Vought Defense Systems, a Dunedin, FL-based maker of Minuteman and Borderguard surveillance UAVs, is changing its name to ALAS (Air Land and Sea) Defense Systems.

Carnegie Mellon Contracted for Software R&D

Carnegie Mellon has long been one of the USA’s best universities for computer science, and was well known in those circles long before Prof. Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture made it more broadly famous around the world. Platforms like Alice are gaining wide traction for teaching computer science, and their Capability Maturity Model for software development has become a certification goal for many defense industry systems integrators. On the security side, their Software Engineering Institute’s Computer Emergency Response (CERT) group remains one of top public resources in the world for computer security, and their CyLab is a multi-disciplinary cybersecurity education and research center, involving 6 colleges from Carnegie Mellon, over 50 faculty, and over 130 graduate students.

The SEI was established in 1984 at Carnegie Mellon University as a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) dedicated to advancing the practice of software engineering and improving the quality of systems that depend on software. Their CMMI defines 5 levels of proficiency under a Total Quality Management approach; most commercial organizations are at Level 1 or Level 2. Through its sponsor, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, the SEI carries out its mission by focusing on software engineering management and technical practices.

BAE Contracted for a Persistent Battlefield Infrared Stare

BAE Systems in Arlington, VA received a $49.8 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop an infrared system “that provides a real-time, high-resolution, wide area video persistent surveillance capability that allows joint forces to keep critical areas of interest under constant surveillance with high degree of target location accuracy.” At this time, $6.4 million has been committed by the US Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (FA8650-10-C-7044).

Common Transponders Perform Uncommon Role in Preventing ‘Friendly Fire’

APX-117, APX-118 transponders

Article closed.

Identification friend or foe (IFF) systems enable forces to recognize friendly aircraft, surface vessels, and submarines to avoid inadvertent firing on friendly forces. The technology, in use since World War II, has two main components: interrogators, which ask the questions, and transponders, which provide the responses.

BAE Systems supplies its AN/APX-117, AN/APX-118, and AN/APX-123 common digital transponders (CXP) for IFF systems, as well as associated equipment and components to the US Army, US Navy, US Coast Guard and a number of foreign countries. This article explains the products, and covers sales over a defined window from 2008-2010…

Rapid Fire 2010-06-29: Trainer Replacement

• Firms gearing up for American “T-X” competition to replace its supersonic T-38 Talon jet trainers.

• Israeli satellite service provider Gilat Satellite Networks is looking to expand into defense markets.

• 1st test flight for South Korea’s “Surion” utility helicopter.

Rapid Fire 2010-06-28: Bad UAV Billing

• Anosognosia: What does a bank robber who smears lemon juice on his face to defeat video cameras, have to do with Donald Rumsfeld and the management of complex engineering projects?

• Pentagon waking up to reality that having interest payments nearly the size of the defense budget just for America’s acknowledged debts might be a security problem; USAF debating cuts to existing fleets.

• Doesn’t Add Up: AeroVironment, maker of the Raven, Wasp, and Dragon Eye UAVs, discloses that the US Department of Justice is investing its billing practices for government contracts going back to FY 2006.