USSOCOM goes silent | New Delhi to be protected by NASAMS | France develops new air-to-air missile

Americas

• The US Navy is boosting its fleet of patrol boats for its near-shore operations. Gravois Aluminum Boats LLC, doing business as Metal Shark, is being awarded a delivery order for 40 Patrol Boats at a cost of $18.4 million. The Metal Shark 40PBX has been chosen as the Navy’s new standard patrol boat in October 2017. The boat is replacing the fleet of force protection boats currently in use with Navy Expeditionary Combat Command’s Coastal Riverine Forces (CRF). The PBX is a 40 ft, welded-aluminum pilothouse patrol boat characterized by a chiseled, angular profile and a faceted hull, and is powered by twin diesel inboards driving water jet propulsors. The jet drives allow the joystick-controlled boat to hit speeds up to 35 knots. In its standard configuration the boat is equipped with a variety of weaponry, including a pair of remotely operated and stabilized 25 mm chain guns and six crewed .50 caliber machine guns. Its C4SI suite allows for enhanced situational awareness, survivability and multi-mission support. The contract also includes basic boat equipment, long-term preservation, boat familiarization and crew training. Work will be performed at the company’s location in Jeanerette, Louisiana, and is expected to be completed by April 2021.

• Sierra Nevada Corp. is being contracted to support the KC-130J tanker aircraft platform. The awarded $10.8 million cost-plus-fixed-fee modification provides for the engineering and manufacturing of an outer wing station-430 to be installed on the aircraft. The KC-130J is a variant of the combat-proven C-130J and is used by the operating forces for aerial refueling, ground refueling, tactical transportation of personnel or cargo, and logistic support missions. The outer wing station, also known as rainbow panels are attached to the center wing and provide the aircraft with lift. The outer wing run from station 0 to 576. Work will be performed in Centennial, Colorado and Sparks, Nevada, and is scheduled for completion in July 2019.

• The US Special Operations Command is procuring upgrades for its M4A1 rifles. Sig Sauer is set to supply SOCOM with the Suppressed Upper Receiver Group (SURG). The five-year firm-fixed-price contract has a value of $48 million. The M4 Carbine is the latest member of the M16 family, offering a shorter weapon more suited to close-quarters battle, or to units who would find a full-length rifle too bulky. SURG is a 5.56mm, integrally suppressed upper receiver. This short stroke gas piston upper features a 6.75? barrel with a permanently attached 19 baffle, Titanium suppressor. It has two gas settings for use with sub and supersonic ammunition. Short stroke gas pistons eliminate carbon blow-back into the rifles chamber, and also reduce the heat problem created by the super-hot gases used to cycle the M4. The majority of work will be performed at the company’s location in Newington, New Hampshire and is expected to be completed by July 2023.

• The Navy is contracting L3 Technologies and Boeing to procure two EA-18G Tactical Operational Flight Trainers. The companies are respectively being awarded with a $9.5 million and $9.1 million contract. The EA-18G has a 90% commonality with F/A-18 Super Hornet, sharing its airframe, radar and weapon options. Only difference is that the Growler substitutes the Hornets 20mm Vulcan Gatling gun with advanced electrical equipment, providing US forces with an essential electronic attack capability. L3’s work will be performed in Arlington, Texas and is expected to be completed by November 2019. Boeing’s work will be performed in Arlington, Texas and St. Louis, Missouri, with an estimated completion expected by December 2019.

Middle East & Africa

• Turkey and Ukraine plan to jointly manufacture the new Antonov An-188 military cargo aircraft. Parties involved in negotiations include Turkey’s defense procurement office, TAI, Antonov and Ukraine’s umbrella defense entity Ukroboronprom. Turkish officials have made clear that for any co-production deal to go ahead the aircraft must be brought to full compliance with NATO standards. The An-188 multi-purpose military transport aircraft is a modification of An-70 medium-range transport aircraft, which was unveiled at the Paris Air Show in 2015. The plane will be equipped with four D-436-148FM three-shaft high by-pass turbofan engines and an advanced glass cockpit with the latest flight navigation and communication equipment. Featuring short take-off and landing (STOL) capability, the jet-powered aircraft will be able to perform take-off and landing on different airfields, including unpaved runways and short runways with a length of 1000 yards. The An-188 features a flight distance of up to 4784 miles, a cruising altitude of up to 40000 feet, and a speed of up to 497 mph depending on aircraft and engine type and variant.

Europe

• The French government is greenlighting the development of a new generation air-to-air missile. This program will renew the MICA of the Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighters in use by the Air Force and Navy. The MICA NG will be developed come in IR and electromagnetic variants and will replace the current MICA, whose withdrawal of service is expected between 2018 and 2013. The MICA NG is the first weapons program launched under France’s 2019-2025 Military Program Law. A Rafale can carry up to six Mica missiles. A Rafale pilot can release the MICA when intercepting an aircraft beyond visual range and can also fire the weapon from its rails when locked in a dogfight. The Rafale will also carry the Meteor missile to hit aircraft beyond visual range. The new missiles are scheduled for delivery between 2026 and 2031.

Asia-Pacific

• The Indian government is upgrading New Delhi’s air-defense systems. The capital will receive a new missile defense system, a reconfigured no-fly zone and refined protocols that regulate the termination of rogue planes. The new National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System-II (NASMS-II) will be procured from the US at a cost of roughly $1 billion. NASAMS is a medium-range, network-centric air defense system designed and developed jointly by Raytheon and Kongsberg. The system is armed with 3D Sentinel radars, short and medium range missiles, launchers, fire-distribution centers and command-and-control units. The system can identify, engage and destroy aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and UAVs. The system is network centric with an open architecture which increases survivability in case of electronic attacks. The missile system can engage 72 targets simultaneously in active and passive modes. The primary weapon of the system is the AIM-120 AMRAAM. If the purchase goes through India will join the RNoAF, the Dutch Army, the Spanish Army and the US Capital Region which are all currently deploying the NASMS.

Today’s Video

• Watch: USS Wichita will be delivered to the USN later this summer.

EA-18G Program: The USA’s Electronic Growler

The USA’s electronic attack fighters are a unique, overworked, and nearly obsolete capability. With the retirement of the US Air Force’s long-range EF-111 Raven “Spark ‘Vark,” the aging 4-seat EA-6B Prowlers became the USA’s only remaining fighter for radar jamming, communications jamming and information operations like signals interception [1]. Despite their age and performance limits, they’ve been predictably busy on the front lines, used for everything from escorting strike aircraft against heavily defended targets, to disrupting enemy IED land mine attacks by jamming all radio signals in an area.

All airframes have lifespan limits, however, and the EA-6B is no exception. The USA’s new electronic warfare aircraft will be based on Boeing’s 2-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighter, and has 90% commonality with its counterpart. That will give it decent self-defense capabilities, as well as electronic attack potential. At present, however, the EA-18G is slated to be the only dedicated electronic warfare aircraft in the USA’s future force. Since the USA is currently the only western country with such aircraft, the US Navy’s EA-18G fleet would become the sole source of tactical jamming support for NATO and allied air forces as well.

DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This article describes the EA-18G aircraft and its key systems, outlining the program, and keeping track of ongoing developments, contracts, etc. that affect the program.

The USA’s M4 Carbine Controversies

The 5.56mm M-16 has been the USA’s primary battle rifle since the Vietnam war, undergoing changes into progressive versions like the M16A4 widely fielded by the US Marine Corps, “Commando” carbine versions, etc. The M4 Carbine is the latest member of the M16 family, offering a shorter weapon more suited to close-quarters battle, or to units who would find a full-length rifle too bulky.

In 2006 an Army solicitation for competitive procurement of 5.56mm carbine designs was withdrawn, once sole-source incumbent Colt dropped its prices. The DoD’s Inspector General weighed in with a critical report, but the Army dissented, defending its practices as a sound negotiating approach that saved the taxpayers money. As it turns out, there’s a sequel. A major sequel that has only grown bigger with time.

The M4/M16 family is both praised and criticized for its current performance in the field. In recent years, the M4 finished dead last in a sandstorm reliability test, against 3 competitors that include a convertible M4 variant. Worse, the 4th place M4 had over 3.5x more jams than the 3rd place finisher. Was that a blip in M4 buys, or a breaking point? The Army moved forward with an “Individual Carbine” competition, but as the results started to show the M4 again lagging – even with ammunition changed to a round specially formulated to make the M4 shine – the Army abruptly stopped the process once again, stating that the performance superiority of the competing gun was not better to a degree making it worthwhile. The Army stated after the tests that only a result that was twice as good as the existing gun’s performance would signify an actionable performance difference.

More recently, the Marines have considered adding
various after-market upgrades to the platform in order to increase accuracy, learning from the private sector and competitive shooting circuit what appears to be providing the best bang.

US Army is bridging every gap | LANTIRN illuminates the night | IAF’s Jaguars get new fangs

Americas

• The US Army is contracting the Acrow Corporation to enhance its troop mobility. The awarded firm-fixed-price contract has a value of $19 million and provides for a 240-meter Line of Communication Bridge (Acrow 700XS) and one 280-meter wet gap float system. The contract includes the full spectrum of necessary equipment and materials such as bridge spans, floating pier assemblies and approach ramps. Those bridge systems are an essential part of mobility operations that enable land component forces to move freely and quickly across terrain. Mobility operations are designed to facilitate moving forces to achieve a position of advantage in relation to the enemy. Deployment of a Line of Communication (LOC) Bridge is not quite tactically focused but is used to establish semi-permanent or permanent support planned road networks that anticipate a high-volume of traffic. These bridges are typically placed in locations free from the direct influence of force on force combat operations. Work will be performed in Lafayette, New Jersey and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Work is scheduled for completion by July 26, 2019.

• The Air Force is tapping Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems to enhance the combat effectiveness of FMS customers. The awarded indefinite-delivery/definite-quantity contract provides for the procurement of Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) support equipment and sustainment work at a cost of $99.9 million. LANTIRN allows fighter aircraft to fly at low altitudes, at night and under-the-weather to attack ground targets with a variety of precision-guided and unguided weapons. The system consists of a navigation pod and a targeting pod integrated and mounted externally beneath the aircraft. The AN/AAQ-13 navigation pod provides high-speed penetration and precision attack assistance in all flying conditions, using a terrain-following radar and a fixed infrared sensor to display an image of the terrain in front of the aircraft on a heads-up display of cockpit viewscreen. The AN/AAQ-14 laser and infrared targeting pod assists in the delivery of precision weapons. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed by July 24, 2023.

• Elbit Systems of America is receiving a $7.2 million firm-fixed-price delivery order to support the Navy’s fleet of V-22 aircraft. The order provides for the procurement of 120 Slim Multi-Function Displays to be installed on the Common Configuration and Modernization retrofit aircraft. Of the 120 displays, 100 are reserved for the Navy, 4 for the Air Force and 16 will be delivered to Japan. The Slim Multi-Function Display is a digital system of flight information that is designed to reduce pilot workload and provide enhanced safety and includes a HUD on the cockpit canopy. Work will be performed at the company’s location in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in October 2019.

Middle East & Africa

• The US State Department is determined to provide the government of Bahrain with naval support as part of a foreign military sale. The potential deal has a value of $70 million and provides for items and services as part of a Follow-On Technical Support (FOTS) for the Royal Bahrain Navy Ship Sabha (FFG-90). The Sabha, formerly the USS Jack Williams (FFG-24) was transferred to the kingdom as Excess Defense Article on September 13, 1996. The FFG-7 Oliver Hazard Perry class was produced as a capable 3,600t – 4,100t anti-submarine platform, with some secondary air defense and anti-ship capabilities via its SM-1 Standard and RGM-84 Harpoon missiles, and which could be bought in large enough numbers to fill the US Navy’s needs. The Sabha was launched in 1980 and is now considered to be the lead frigate of the Royal Bahrain Navy. Bahrain is a key US ally in the Middle-East and is home to the US Navy 5th fleet.

• The Israeli Air Force is currently in negotiations with Boeing regarding a deal with a potential value of up to $11 billion. This deal would be the IAF’s largest-ever acquisition, considerably boosting its mobility and strike capabilities. Israel Hayom daily reports that the deal includes a squadron of F-15 jets with upgraded stealth features, a squadron of transport helicopters and KC-46 tanker aircraft. Israel’s outdated CH-53 Sea Stallions will likely be replaced by CH-47 Chinooks and V-22 Ospreys. The purchase will be funded from US military aid money, which comes to some $3.8 billion annually, over the next decade as the new planes and helicopters are delivered. If the deal goes through and Israel returns to purchasing F-15s, it would mark the first Boeing fighter jet acquisition by the Israeli Air Force in two decades. In the years since, Israel has bought 100 F-16s and another 50 F-35 stealth jets from Boeing’s chief competitor, Lockheed Martin.

Europe

• The government of Norway is set to receive communication support as part of a US foreign military sale. The $17.6 million firm-fixed-price contract provides for the acquisition of US Digital Data Link M1 systems to be installed on Norway’s RQ-20B Puma AE II and RQ-12A WASP Block IV unmanned air systems. The Puma AE designed for land based and maritime operations and is capable of landing in the water or on land. The Puma can stay in the air for over three hours using a battery and operates at an altitude of up to 500 feet. It weighs only 14 pounds and is less than 5 feet long, making it possible to launch by hand. The Wasp AE Micro Air Vehicle is man portable and can stay in the air for up to 50 minutes at altitudes of 500 feet. Both UAVs are designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and carry common ground control systems which include the Digital Data Link M1. Work will be performed in Monrovia, California, with an estimated completion date of July 25, 2019.

• Luxembourg is set to be the fifth customer of the Airbus H-145M multirole medium-twin helicopter. The battlefield support helicopter is primarily intended for use by military and law enforcement agencies. The helicopter can be deployed in transportation, special operations, ISTAR, SAR, fire support, and medical evacuation missions. The H-145M can seat up to 11 personnel including crew and troops. The large cabin space accommodates up to ten troops in a high-density air assault layout, or a fully-equipped force for special operations. The platform is compatible with seven- and 12-tube rocket launchers, a 20mm cannon pod, a 12.7mm machine gun pod, and air-to-surface missiles. It can also be configured to carry laser-guided rockets. Deliveries are scheduled to take place before the end of 2019 with an IOC expected in 2020. No details of the contract value have been disclosed, but the deal also includes a training and support package. Airbus Helicopters says it has now secured orders for 51 H145Ms.

Asia-Pacific

• The Indian Air Force is currently in the middle of a major modernization program of its 118 Jaguar ground attack fighters. The $3 billion program sees that the aircraft will be fitted with new engines, airframes and spares and will be upgraded with new avionics, communication and AESA radars. The effort will probably continue for the next 5-years and will extend the operational life of the aircraft for another 20-years. The Jaguar made its maiden flight in 1968 and was produced in 23 variants. The Indian Air Force placed a $1 billion order in 1978 to procure 40 Jaguars and license to build 120 Jaguar aircraft at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited under the local designation Shamsher. Main contractor will be India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited which will receive decommissioned Jaguar fighters from France and Oman free of charge and will buy more planes from the UK at a throwaway price.

Today’s Video

• Watch: H145M firing campaign equipped with HForce.

Boeing will deliver a new nuclear failsafe | The battlefield needs some management | Spain’s S-80 still having a siesta

Americas

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp. is being contracted for support work on the MV-22 and CV-22 platforms. The three-year long-term requirements contract has a value of $64.8 million and provides for repair work of the constant frequency generator (CFG) installed on the aircraft. The MV-22 is flown by the US Marine Corps. The newest Block C variant includes forward-mounted defensive systems, ice detectors, dust protection and a “Cabin Situational Awareness Device”. The US Air Force Special Operations Command operates the CV-22, which adds more sophisticated surveillance capabilities and beefed-up defensive systems. The CFG together with the auxiliary power unit and variable frequency generator is housed in the V-22’s mid-wing gearbox. The mid-wing gearbox transmits power between the left and right interconnecting drive shafts without changing speed or direction of rotation. This contract intends to enhance the CFG reliability and improve its overall aircraft operational readiness. Work will be performed in Rockford, Illinois, and is expected to be completed by July 2021.

• Boeing is being awarded a change order by the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. The change order is valued at $15.5 million and provides for the development, qualification and delivery of a Flight Termination Receiver 2.0 (FTR 2.0). For 50 years, land-based Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) have been part of the US primary strategic deterrence capability, the nuclear-armed triad that also includes submarine-launched ballistic missiles and long-range heavy bombers. Nuclear weapons have a devastating effect and a nuclear war has the potential to wipe out all life on earth. The FTR is an essential piece that allows for the missiles destruction after it has already been launched. The Flight Termination System can take a number of commands via Radio Frequency that range from safing and arming devices to terminating the missiles flight. Work will be performed in Layton, Utah, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2021.

• The US Army is contracting Raytheon to support its Electronic Warfare Program Management Tool (EWPMT). The contract modification provides for interim contractor support to maintain and field the EWPMT’s Capability Drop 3 through 4. Development of the tool was the Army’s answer to an ever-increasing amount of electromagnetic spectrum operations and electronic warfare. Rolle out in 2016, the EWPMT provides commanders with both greater understanding and awareness of the spectrum for better planning and decision making. Key tasks the tool provides the force with; include capabilities to plan, coordinate, manage and deconflict electronic warfare and spectrum management operations; integration of electronic attack in the targeting process to ensure electronic attack can meet the commanders’ desired effect, and synchronization of electronic warfare and spectrum operations. Work will be performed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with an estimated completion date by September 2022.

• The US Air Force’s fleet of E-8 JSTARS is earmarked for retirement by the mid-2020s. The National Defense Authorization Act endorses the Air Force’s plan to replace the E-8 JSTARS with a new network of sensors spread across unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft, called the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). The USA’s 17-plane E-8C Joint Surveillance Targeting and Attack Radar System fleet’s ability to monitor enemy ground movements over very wide areas, while seeing through problematic weather conditions, has made it an invaluable contributor to every US military ground campaign over the last 15+ years. In the future the E-8’s role will be filled by the MQ-9 UAV. The ABMS is a network of de-centralized systems, which fuses the data from hundreds of sensors to provide situational awareness for combatant commanders across the globe. The current NDAA provides $120 million for the accelerating the development of the ABMS and its integration onto the MQ-9.

Middle East & Africa

• The Israeli Air Force is receiving funds for construction work on of its bases under the US foreign military sales program. Conti Federal Services is being awarded a firm-fixed-price contract with a value of $69.4 million to build hardened aircraft shelters in Israel. This contract is part of a larger Israeli infrastructure project needed to accommodate the countries new F-35i ‘Adir’ fighter jets. Those hardened aircraft shelters are outfitted with cranes and underground pits, as well as air-conditioning, water, sewage, and compressed-air systems. Construction of those shelters is vital to protecting the multi-million fighter jets in light of the growing threat of large-scale rocket and missile attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah. Work will be performed in Tel Aviv, Israel and is scheduled for completion by September 2020.

Europe

• The Spanish S-80 submarine program is experienced further delays. The S-80 program had its genesis in 1989, but it wasn’t until 1997 that Spain’s Armada began defining its objectives more clearly. The S-80 contract between Spain and Navantia was signed in 2004 with the initial delivery planned to take place in 2011. The program was interrupted in 2013 due to excess weight problems that threatened the submarines buoyancy. Spain’s S-80 submarines will be an entirely new and larger ship class that builds upon Navantia’s recent submarine experience, rather than a modified version of the more well-known AIM 2000 Scorpene AIP boats. It will share some key technology developments, however, including Air-Independent Propulsion. At present, its seems that the first submarine will be delivered in 2023, over a decade later than envisaged.

• Poland will soon add Lockheed Martin’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to its inventory. The government has decided to obtain the weapon system directly from the US rather than procuring the same capability through a consortium led by the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ). The acquisition is part of Poland’s Homar program that seeks to obtain a squadron-level fire module of multiple rocket launchers. The program aims to provide the Polish Army with a capability of striking targets at distances of up to 180 miles. HIMARS is a highly-mobile artillery rocket system offering the firepower of MLRS on a wheeled chassis. HIMARS is operated by a crew of three – driver, gunner and section chief – but the computer-based fire control system enables a crew of two or even a single soldier to load and unload the system. In addition to the standard MLRS round, HIMARS is capable of launching the entire MLRS family of munitions, including the extended-range rocket, the reduced-range practice rocket and all future variants. HIMARS carries a single six-pack of MLRS rockets, or one army tactical missile system (ATACMS) missile.

Asia-Pacific

• The Philippine Navy (PN) is set to take delivery of its first two AW-159 ‘Wildcat’ helicopters in March 2019. The ‘Wildcat’ comes in an Army and Navy version. Both AW159 versions will share a common fully-marinized airframe, with provisions for a range of mission and role-based equipment with an estimated 90% commonality. The PN has opted for an anti-submarine warfare package to protect its frigates currently being constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries. The AW159 helicopters will be able to carry rockets and gun pods, and the naval version adds BAE’s Sting Ray light torpedoes. The helicopter is capable flying at a speed of 291 km/h and has a range of 777 km. The contract for the two anti-submarine helicopters is worth over $101 million and includes munition, mission essential equipment, and integrated logistic support.

Today’s Video

• Watch: The Islamic Republic of Iran has overhauled and upgraded 10 of its Su-22s.

JSTARS Replacement: Competition Opened Wide

The USA’s 17-plane E-8C J-STARS (Joint Surveillance Targeting and Attack Radar System) fleet’s ability to monitor enemy ground movements over very wide areas, while seeing through problematic weather conditions, has made it an invaluable contributor to every US military ground campaign over the last 15+ years. Other countries are finally introducing similar capabilities, but the JSTARS fleet size, maturity, and array of functions make it a unique class asset for America’s entire alliance structure. All Boeing 707 family E-8 Joint STARS aircraft are assigned to the Georgia Air National Guard’s 116th Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base, GA, a “total-force blended wing” with active-duty Air Force, Army and Air National Guard personnel.

An asset like that needs to be kept current, or replaced with something that is. E-8 planes have received both system upgrades and R&D work, in order to improve aircraft readiness and operating costs. A 3rd round of upgrades is beginning, but the USAF seems to be leaning toward a limited future for its battlefield surveillance and relay planes.

Adir Who? Israel’s F-35i Stealth Fighters

In an exclusive June 2006 interview, Israeli Air Force (IAF) chief procurement officer Brigadier-General Ze’ev Snir told Israeli media that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was a key part of their IAF recapitalization plans, and that Israel intended to buy over 100 of the fighters to replace their fleet of over 300 F-16s.

Since then, however, the expected cost of that purchase has more than doubled. Israel’s F-35 contract had to deal with that sticker shock, with issues like the incorporation of Israeli technologies and industrial work, and with major schedule slips in the core F-35 program. Israel was even contemplating delaying its purchase, which would have removed an important early adopter for the Lightning II. In the end, however, Israel decided to forego other fighter options, and became the first foreign buyer of operational F-35s. So, how is the “F-35i Adir” shaping up?

AW159 Wildcat: The Future Lynx Helicopter Program

In 2006, Finmeccanica subsidiary AgustaWestland received a GBP 1 billion (about $1.9 billion at 02/07 rates) contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) for 70 Future Lynx helicopters, and began a new chapter in a long-running success story. The Lynx is an extremely fast helicopter that entered service in the 1970s, and quickly carved out a niche for itself in the global land and naval markets. The base design has evolved into a number of upgrades and versions, which have been been widely exported around the world.

In Britain, Lynx helicopters are used in a number of British Army (AH7 & AH9) and Fleet Air Arm (Mk 8) roles: reconnaissance, attack, casualty evacuation & troop transport, ferrying supplies, anti-submarine operations, and even command post functions. The Future Lynx program reflects that, and British government and industry are both hoping that its versatility will help it keep or improve the Lynx family’s global market share. This is DID’s FOCUS Article for the AW159 Lynx Wildcat Program, describing its technical and industrial features, schedules, related contracts, and exports.

Multi-million contract for F-16 avionics support | Space Acquisition overhaul is underway | Javelins incoming

Americas

• Leidos Inc. is being contracted in support of the Air Force’s avionics intermediate shop product support integration program. The firm-fixed-price requirements contract has a value of $620 million and allows for independent product support and the provision of single-point solutions for the F-16 advanced avionics intermediate shop. Avionics is the science and technology of the development and use of electrical and electronic devices in aviation and is essential to keeping jets ready to fly at a moment’s notice. Line replaceable units processed through the AIS are returned quickly to the supply system, without having to use time and money for shipping to a centralized intermediate repair facility or being returned to depot. Transportation time would dramatically hinder asset availability. Using high-tech equipment, technicians are able to perform on-scene screening of the aircraft, which increases the return-to-service rate. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base and Robins Air Force Base as well as in 23 European countries that either host an US AFB or are foreign military sales customers. Work is expected to be completed by July 24, 2023.

• Management consulting firm McKinsey is being awarded a contract modification in support of the Air Force. The company will implement the Space Acquisition Transformation plan under this $8.4 million modification. The pivot towards space is part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, which lays the foundation towards a separate military department responsible for national security space. An interim report published in March was highly critical of the current acquisition system for space systems. It pointed out that today’s processes slow down modernization at a time when US access and use of space capabilities are being threatened by foreign adversaries. The 2018 NDAA calls for changes in the management of military space components, most of which are controlled by the US Air Force. Speeding up the acquisition process will require a sweeping review of how the Space and Missile Systems Center does business. This change will likely involve a change of management culture, essentially moving away from being mission/product focus towards managing space systems as an enterprise. Work will be performed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, California, and is expected to be completed by March 29, 2019.

• Pratt & Whitney Military Engines is set to continue its engine work in support of the F-35 platform. The company is being awarded a modification which is valued at $24.6 million and which provides for the procurement of F135 Low-Rate Initial Production 9. The contract also includes needed support equipment and associated labor for depot activities outside the continental US and fleet modernization efforts for the Navy, USMC, Air Force, foreign military sales customers and non-DoD participants. The LRIP 9 production contract include 53 conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) and 13 short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) propulsion systems for the United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps as well as five countries – Italy, Norway, Israel, Japan and the United Kingdom. The F135 engine maintains a 96 percent full mission capability requirement, and new production engine reliability is exceeding 90 percent, well ahead of key 2020 requirements. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut and Indianapolis, Indiana. It is expected to be completed in May 2021.

• Several US allies are set to receive a boost to their anti-tank capabilities as part of a US foreign military sale. Raytheon-Lockheed Martin Javelin JV is being awarded a contract modification that provides full-rate production of the Javelin system at a cost of $307.5 million. The FGM-148 Javelin missile system is a heavy fire-and-forget missile that will reliably destroy any enemy armored vehicle, and many fortifications as well. Javelin technically consists of 2 parts. The $80k Javelin missile that come in ready-to-fire tubes and the $125k Command Launch Unit that houses the weapons sensors, optics and electronics. In Iraq the weapon proved that it can fill the niche between high and low-intensity conflicts, which led to a rise in popularity with American and international customers. After work is completed at the company’s location in Tucson, Arizona, the Javelin will be delivered to Australia, Estonia, Lithuania, Turkey Taiwan and Ukraine by August 2021.

Middle East & Africa

• Alsalam Aerospace Industries is being tapped to convert six mission capable Saudi F-15S aircraft to a F-15SA configuration. The contract has a total value of $59.6 million, of which $17.8 million will come from the US foreign military sales fund. Services include program management, conversion labor and storage. The F-15SA can be considered to be the most advanced production F-15 Eagle that is being built today. In 2015 Saudi Arabia ordered 84 new build F-15SAs and close to 70 kits to upgrade their existing F-15S fleet to the SA configuration. This configuration includes a full fly-by-wire control system, a new AESA radar, a digital electronic warfare and radar warning suite, missile launch detection system, updated flat-panel display cockpits with helmet mounted displays and an infrared search and track system. Work will be performed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is expected to be completed by August 2020.

• The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is set to receive a boost to its UAV fleet as part of a US foreign military sale. Insitu Inc. is being awarded a modification to a previously issued firm-fixed-price delivery order, that provides for the production of 27 ScanEagle UAVs and 37 payloads at a cost of $10.8 million. In March Insitu had received a contract valued at over $47 million to support Afghanistan’s surveillance efforts. The payloads are housed in the nose section. The operators can swap the payloads in the field in a few minutes. The sensors installed in the turret allow the operator to track stationary or moving targets without having to re-maneuver the air vehicle. The payloads include electro-optical and infrared sensors, biological and chemical sensors, laser designators and a magnetometer for identification and locating magnetic anomalies. Work will be performed at the company’s location in Bingen, Washington, and is expected to be completed by December 2019.

Europe

• Jane’s reports that Swedish defense contractor Saab is intensifying flight trials for its newly developed Gripen E fighter jet. Prototype 39-8 has been flying since June 2017 and is mainly used to test the airframe and flight controls. Prototypes 39-9 and 39-10 have already left the production line at Linköping and are currently undergoing verification ahead of their first flights. The will be used as a tactical systems testbed and as first production-standard airframe respectively. The E-series is Saab’s latest answer to evolving threats in the modern battlespace. The E-series has a new and more powerful engine, improved range performance and the ability to carry greater payloads. It also has a new AESA-radar, InfraRed Search and Track system, highly advanced electronic warfare and communication systems readying the platform for the 21st century. The JAS-39 Gripen is an excellent lightweight fighter by all accounts, with attractive flyaway costs. Sweden is due to receive the first of 60 Gripen Es in 2019, with deliveries running through to 2026. The only international customer to date, Brazil, has ordered an initial batch of 28 Gripen Es and eight twin-seat Gripen Fs to be delivered between 2019 and 2024.

Asia-Pacific

• The Philippines is set to receive several retired turboprop light attack aircraft from the US Air Force. The aircraft to be delivered have been retired from the US military since the mid-1990s, will be provided to the Asian nation for free as part of a general assistance package to the country’s military. The aircraft will be a mixture of two OV-10A and two OV-10G+ aircraft formerly operated by NASA. Modifications to the aircraft include a L3-Wescam MX-15Di Electro-Optical turret, Link 16 tactical datalinks, full-motion video, a glass cockpit and the ability to fire the BAE’s APKWS GPS-guided rocket. Military applications for which the Bronco is particularly suited include anti-guerrilla operations, helicopter escort, close air support, armed reconnaissance and forward air control. In addition, it could be used for utility missions such as cargo paradrop — delivery of up to six paratroops, medical evacuation, smoke screening and psychological warfare with leaflets and loudspeakers. The Philippines is the last operator of the OV-10 Bronco, with its air force currently operating between eight and 10 aircraft. The new aircraft are expected to be operational in early 2019.

Today’s Video

• Watch: F35 engine upgrade could enable Directed Energy Weapons

The Saudis’ American Shopping Spree: F-15s, Helicopters & More

In October 2010, talks that Saudi Arabia was negotiating a $30-60 billion arms package with the USA were made official with a full multi-billion request that included 84 F-15 Strike Eagles to replace the Kingdom’s Tornado strike aircraft and/or F-15A-D fighters, upgrades for another 70 planes, about 132 UH-60 Black Hawk utility and AH-64 attack helicopters, and armaments to equip them.

This article looks at those requests, their tie-ins, the issues that are part of these potential deals, and related follow-on requests. As is often the case with DSCA announcements, years can pass between the requests and the signed contracts, but these contracts have started to roll in, alongside other significant buys.