Raytheon tapped for Silent Knight OFP development | Thales to deliver MMR to the Netherlands | India calls for EoI for NUH

Americas

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $27.3 million contract in support of Lot 9 and 10 P-8A production. The P-8A Poseidon is a military aircraft that conducts anti-submarine warfare (WSA), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and shipping interdiction, with an early warning self-protection ability. The deal includes integration, testing, delivery, and performance as the lead systems integrator for the AN/AAQ-24 Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures System and the ALQ-213 Electronic Warfare Management System. The AN/AAQ-24 system is a directional infrared countermeasure system. It consists of a missile warning system, an integration unit, a processor, and laser turrets. The ALQ-213 Electronic Warfare Management System controls a wide variety of equipment, including warning systems, jammers, countermeasures dispensers, and missile warning systems. In the last couple of years, production of the ALQ-213 has been revitalized by its selection to equip the US Navy’s Poseidon multimission maritime aircraft. The current contract for production is for the US Navy and various Foreign Military Sales customers like Australia and the UK. Work will take place in Illinois and is scheduled to be completed by February 2021.

The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) contracted Raytheon with a $15 million modification for Silent Knight Radar Operational Flight Program (OFP) development, field service representative support and engineering services in support of the USSOCOM fixed wing aircraft. The Silent Knight Radar system’s terrain following/terrain avoidance technology provides the pilot with terrain maps as well as climb or dive cues. The contract for the Silent Knight Radar system was originally awarded to Raytheon in 2007. The system’s projected platforms include the MH-47G Chinook, the MH-60M Blackhawk Special Operations helicopter, MC-130 transports, and CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. The modification completes OFP software delivery for the CV-22. The CV-22 is a multi-mission, tiltrotor aircraft with vertical as well as short takeoff and landing capabilities. Work will continue to take place at the Raytheon facility in McKinney, Texas, and is scheduled to be finished by December 2021.

Middle East & Africa

The Israeli Ministry of Defense and the Israel Innovation Authority granted Mobilicom $1.2 milliton to create a solution focusing on the development of cyber technologies using Artificial Intelligence as an add-on module for drones and unmanned platforms. Mobilicom Limited is a hi-tech company that designs, develops, and delivers various communication solutions for mission critical and remote mobile private networks. Its products and technologies are based on an approach that merges 4G and Mobile MESH technologies. Under this grant, Mobilicom is planning to develop an anti-hijacking and anti-spoofing system for commercial and industrial drones and robotics. It will enable autonomous drone cyber security without intervention by an operator in real-time.

Europe

Ahead of its first operational mission, Britain’s HMS Queen Elizabeth was bolstered with the Phalanx 1B Weapon System. The Phalanx is a rapid-fire, computer-controlled, radar-guided gun that is able to defeat anti-ship missiles and other close-in threats on land and at sea.The 1B variant’s configuration augments the Phalanx system’s proven anti-air warfare capability by adding a forward-looking infrared sensor. It allows the system to be used against helicopters and high-speed surface craft at sea while the land-based version helps identify and confirm incoming dangers. Because of the Phalanx’s distinctive barrel-shaped radome and its automated nature, it is sometimes known by the nickname R2-D2 – based on the Star Wars character. HMS Queen Elizabeth will boast three Phalanx 1B computer-controlled guns, which can empty a 1,550-round magazine at 4,500 rounds-per-minute.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense awarded Thales a contract for nine Multi Mission Radars (MMR) designed for artillery, air surveillance, air defense, and security applications. The MMR – marketed as the GM200 MM/Compact – is the latest version of the T- and S-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar family, developed for ground applications including air surveillance, weapon locating, and counter-battery missions. The MMR sees and records targets easily and in real-time. Its radar is fully automatic, designed to detect, track, and classify a large number of targets including rockets, artillery shells, mortar rounds, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), aircraft, helicopters, and cruise missiles. The value of the contract was not disclosed. The radars will be delivered to the Royal Netherlands Army starting 2021.

Asia-Pacific

The Indian Ministry of Defense called for Expressions of Interest (EoI) related to the planned procurement of 111 aircraft via its Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) requirement, leading up to a request for proposal. The Naval Utility Helicopter is set to replace the Indian Navy’s Hindustan Aeronautics Chetak helicopters. Potential candidates could include the Airbus Helicopters AS565, Bell 429 and the Sikorsky S-76. The expression of interest calls for 16 examples to be produced overseas, and the remaining 95 in India. Whilst Indian companies have been given two months to respond to the EoI, the foreign manufacturers get three months to respond due to the nature of inputs required.

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Watch: Royal Navy Considers Buying New Amphibs

India Selects S-70B as Its Naval Multi Role Helicopter… No more.

In September 2008, Flight International reported that India’s defence ministry has issued a tender for “advanced multirole naval helicopters” to several manufacturers around the world, including AgustaWestland, EADS and Sikorsky. The initial RFP reportedly covered 16 helicopters, with a potential expansion to 60 helicopters.

The problem, as usual, is that nothing happened for years, while critical Indian defenses were left rotting. India’s naval sphere of influence is growing, and the country purchased long-range P-8i jets to improve its territorial coverage. Unfortunately, that can’t paper over a glaring hole in India’s defenses. The Navy currently has many high-end ships without serious naval helicopter capability. Few of their Russian Ka-28s are still fit for service, and their small and aged Sea King fleet faces both technological and airframe limitations. It’s a terrible policy for a country that continues to add high-cost, high-value ships to its fleet, in a region with more and better submarines.

Finally, by the end of 2014 India indicated interest in expediting its initial naval multirole helicopter acquisition.