Raytheon to deliver Tomahawk Spares | ELTA to supply Radars for Israel’s Sa’ar-6 | BAE Systems delivers BvS10 to Austria

Americas

The Navy awarded a $25.2 million contract modification to Raytheon for delivery of Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile spares. Under the modification Raytheon will provide All-Up-Round spares to support the recertification effort for the Tomahawk missile system. The company initially won a $303.7 million in 2016 from the military branch to supply Tomahawk Block IV missiles and spares. The Tomahawk is a long-range, subsonic cruise missile that can be launched from a ship or submarine and is able to fly into heavily defended airspace more than 1,000 miles away to conduct precise strikes on targets. The US and its allied militaries used the GPS-enabled precision weapon more than 2,300 times in combat, and flight-tested it 550 times. The recertification program of the Tomahawk will expand the missile’s service life until 2040. Work under the contract modification will take place in various places around the continental US, Canada and the UK. It is expected to be completed by October next year.

Strategic Systems Programs contracted Lockheed Martin with a $846 million modification for large diameter rocket motors, associated missile body flight articles and related support equipment for the Navy Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Strike Weapon System flight test demonstrations. The modification includes design, development, construction and integration. The system allows the US to strike targets anywhere within an hour. The CPGS weapons are not substitutes for nuclear weapons, but supplement US conventional capabilities and serve as an effort at deterrence. The Navy conducted the first test of the system in 2017 on the Ohio-class submarines. They are nuclear-powered submarines and form the sole class of ballistic missile submarines currently in service with the US Navy. Four Ohio-class underwater crafts have been converted to guided-missile submarines to carry conventional weapons by modifying missile tubes. Work under the contract modification will take place in Littleton, Colorado and is expected to be finished on January 1, 2024.

Northrop Grumman offers to replace the obsolete radar on the US Air Force (USAF) Boeing B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers with its AN/APG-83 active electronically scanned array (AESA) system. The USAF wants to upgrade the entire B-52 fleet with a new radar system. It is looking at several options to satisfy its Radar Modernization Program to replace the B-52’s now obsolete Northrop Grumman AN/APQ-166 mechanically-scanned radar. The AN/APG-83 system is also known as the Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR). A version of SABR has been developed for the B-1B fleet. According to Northrop Grumman, SABR provides a reliable, cost-effective, off-the-shelf, low-risk radar upgrade solution for multiple platforms. The Air Force launched the Radar Modernization Program for its 76 aircraft bomber fleet in February 2016. A competition is set to be launched this year.

Middle East & Africa

The US Air Force contracted Cargo Transport System, Kuwait with a $10 million modification that provides continued stevedoring and related terminal services to the 595th Transportation Brigade. The modification includes vessel loading, vessel discharge, receipt of cargo, disposition of cargo, stuffing/unstuffing of cargo, intra-terminal transfer of cargo, inland transportation of cargo, customs clearance, yard management as well as management expertise. Cargo Transport operates as a freight forwarding and logistics company. It offers export services, such as freight forwarding and logistics, consulting, container stuffing, blocking and bracing, door to door service, export documentation and licenses, freight management, agent network, staging, inventory control, air and ocean charters, letter of credit processing and banking, and cargo insurance. Work will take place in ports of Kuwait from March 9 until September 8.

ELTA Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) won a contract with the Israeli Navy to supply four ELM-2248-Star radars for its four new Sa’ar-6 corvettes. The ELM-2248 MF-STAR Multi-Function Digital Radars are based on Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology. The Sa’ar-6 class corvettes are four German-made warships ordered for the Israeli Navy in 2015. They are tasked to protect Israel’s economic zone and secure its critical naval infrastructure, such as natural gas rigs against missiles, rockets and enemy aircraft. The MF-STAR is to be installed on the ship’s mast. It comprises four conformal phased array S-Band antennas providing 360 degrees coverage. The Israeli Navy expects the German-built corvettes to enter service by 2022.

Europe

BAE Systems delivered the first four BvS10 all-terrain vehicles to Austria. The delivery is part of a contract signed in 2016 for 32 armored personnel carriers. The vehicles were handed over during two ceremonies last week in the Austrian states Tyrol and Salzburg. Austrian Defense Minister Mario Kunasek attended the celebrations alongside representatives of the Swedish government and BAE Systems Hägglunds, the Sweden-based manufacturer of the BvS10. The first set of vehicles will be fielded by the Austrian Armed Forces’ 24th Infantry Battalion, a battalion of the 6th Mountain Infantry Brigade, which plays a leading role in the European Union Mountain Training Warfare Initiative as well as the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which can provide combat support in mountainous terrain. The BvS10 is an All Terrain Armored Vehicle. The Austrian APC variant of the BvS10 is fitted with a number of specific features including a 360 degree Observation Camera System with six Day/Infrared cameras and displays in the front and rear of the cabin for greater situational awareness. Also featured is the latest Remote Controlled Weapon Station, which can be operated by both the Gunner and the Commander. It is foldable to allow for swift transportation in the field. BAE Systems expects final deliveries to conclude later this year.

Asia-Pacific

CHC Australia completed the roll-out of six new generation Leonardo AW139 aircraft in order of replacing the S-76 SAR helicopter fleet of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The AugustaWestland AW139 is a 5-seat medium-sized twin-engined helicopter purposed for several different roles, such as VIP/corporate transport, offshore transport, fire fighting, law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical service, disaster relief, and maritime patrol. The AW139 aircraft are search and rescue configured with four-axis auto hover, allowing them to hover over water at night. The new AW139 aircraft will be in addition to the current AW139 night vision goggle capable, four-axis auto hover machine currently servicing the Australian Navy since May 2017.

Today’s Video

Watch: US Army releases first image of new M1A2C tank with active protection systems

SSGN “Tactical Trident” Subs: Special Forces and Super Strike

In the aftermath of the START-II arms control treaty, some of the USA’s nuclear-powered Ohio Class SSBN nuclear missile submarines were converted to become long range conventional strike and special operations SSGN “Tactical Tridents.” Four ultra-stealthy Ohio-class SSBNs had their 24 Trident II D-5 nuclear ballistic missiles removed. They were replaced with up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, plus space in the sub for 66-102 special forces troops, special attachments for new Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) or older Seal Delivery Vehicle (SDV) “mini-subs,” and a mission control center. Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, and even UAVs for aerial operations, are expected to become equally important options over the SSGN fleet’s career.

These modifications provide the USA with an impressive and impressively flexible set of conventional firepower, in a survivable and virtually undetectable platform, which can remain on station for very long periods of time. As surveillance-strike complexes make the near-shore more and more hazardous for conventional ships, and the potential dangers posed by small groups continue to rise, America’s converted SSGN submarines will become more and more valuable. This updated, free-to-view article covers their origins and timeline, the key technologies involved, contracts from the program’s inception to the present day, with all 4 submarines back in service.

Sons of Sa’ar? Israel’s Next Generation Frigates

The 1,227t/ 1,350 ton Sa’ar 5 Eilat Class corvettes were built by Northrop Grumman in the 1990s for about $260 million each. It’s a decent performer in a number of roles, from air defense to anti-submarine work, to coastal patrol and special forces support. In 2006, the Israelis went looking for a next-generation vessel with better high-end capabilities. Six years later, Israel had nothing to show for its search. In the meantime, massive natural gas deposits have been discovered within Israel’s coastal waters, adding considerable urgency to their search.

The USA is Israel’s logical supplier, but given Israel’s size and cost requirements, the only American option was the Littoral Combat Ship. Israel pursued that option for several years, conducting studies and trying to get a better sense of feasibility and costs. Their approach would have been very different from the American Freedom Class LCS, removing the swappable “mission modules” and replacing them with a fixed and fully capable set of air defense, anti-ship, and anti-submarine weapons. In the end, however, the project was deemed to be unaffordable. Instead, Israel began negotiating with Germany, and reports now include discussions involving both South Korea, and a local shipyard.

Double-Jointed & Popular: The Bv Family of Infantry Support Vehicles

The BvS10 is the successor to the wildly popular Bv206, 11,000 of which have been sold to 40 countries around the world – including the USA (M978). Readers may have seen these vehicles elsewhere, too, as a number of Bv206s have post-military careers at ski resorts, in industries like mining and logging, etc. The new BvS-10 is larger and more heavily armored; it’s in use in Britain, France and the Netherlands as a key armored vehicle for their respective Marines, has been bought by Sweden, and is under evaluation elsewhere. International interest includes imitators: Singapore’s Bronco ATTC is a BVS10 competitor, and Finland and Norway have their own local Bv206 variants.

What makes this unusual-looking vehicle family and design so popular? They aren’t like Humvees or similar wheeled mainstays. They aren’t full armored personnel carriers, either – they’re armored, but Bv family vehicles can’t take the kind of punishment that a Bradley or LAV can absorb. Instead, the secret to their success lies in a remarkable all-terrain capability, and their ability to fill a rare and critical role: air-portable and amphibious infantry enhancement. These success factors are discussed below, along with contracts and key developments related to this vehicle family.