BAE Systems Tapped For KC-130J Infrared Countermeasures System | AYS Launched Final Gowind For Egyptian Nay | South Korea Postpones Tri-Service Exercise

Americas

BAE Systems announced a $26.7 million Navy contract to fit its infrared countermeasures system onto KC-130J cargo and refueling planes. The contract calls for the installation of the Navy’s Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system, or LAIRCM, the aircraft. The system is a defensive warning package combining a missile warning system and infrared laser jammer countermeasure system to protect the aircraft from guided missiles. Up to 19 KC-130J planes of the Navy will receive the system, which will be installed in Crestview, Florida., in conjunction with Vertex Aerospace LLC. The KC-130 series, built by Lockheed Martin, is capable of aircraft carrier landings despite its size, and is in use by the militaries of 17 countries. France received its second, a refueling plane, in February.

More than 2900 sailors assigned to USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) have returned on board the ship and they have started simulating being at sea while moored at Naval Base Guam. The simulation, also known as fast cruise, allows the crew to test critical systems required to sustain the ship under normal underway conditions. The next important step is to go out to sea to commence carrier qualification flights for Carrier Air Wing 11. The exercise was announced as the branch also said over the weekend that 13 sailors aboard the carrier tested positive for COVID-19 after recovering from illness and one was diagnosed with tuberculosis. The ship has been in Guam since late March, after an outbreak of the virus forced the crew to be placed in isolation or quarantine at US Naval Base Guam. Personnel slowly returned to the ship until early May, when some displayed cough and fever, symptoms of the illness. Some also displayed body aches and headaches, which are expanded COVID-19 symptoms, slowing the crew’s return to the ship.

Middle East & Africa

Alexandria Shipyard launched the fourth and final Gowind 2500 Class corvette for the Egyptian Navy at its facilities. The 102 m ship, named Luxor (986), is the third corvette of the class to be built by the yard under a contract for four Gowind 2500 corvettes signed with French shipbuilder Naval Group in 2014. Under the terms of the agreement, the first of class was built by Naval Group at its yard in Lorient, northwest France, with the follow-on ships to be built at ASY under a transfer of technology arrangement. Gowind 2500 corvettes have a single mast offering 360° surveillance capability. They can accommodate an 11t helicopter and UAS on a helicopter deck. Each vessel has a displacement of 2,600t and is 102m in length. It can operate with a crew of 65 and can also simultaneously accommodate 15 passengers.

Europe

British Chinook helicopters have now completed 2000 hours of flying in support of the French military counter insurgency operation in Mali, West Africa. Chinooks began operating in Mali with the French military during July 2018 and since then have moved over one-thousand tonnes of freight and over twelve-thousand passengers. The Chinook helicopters bring a unique logistical capability to the operation, allowing French ground forces to operate more effectively across the region. Currently the helicopters are being flown by aircrew drain from 18(B) Squadron.

Asia-Pacific

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems won a $22.3 million Aegis Combat Weapon System development contract, which covers multiple Aegis Weapon System baselines and platforms. Under this modification, the contractor will continue performing engineering design support services necessary for continuation of planning efforts and risk reduction efforts required to maintain initial operational capability schedule to support the Aegis Ashore Japan Foreign Military Sales main case. The work will take place in Moorestown, New Jersey, with an expected completion date of July 31, 2020. Funds from the government of Japan in the amount of $22,300,000 are being obligated at the time of award.

South Korea says it has decided to postpone a tri-service maritime live-fire exercise this week due to unfavorable weather conditions. The biannual drill was suppose to take place off the southeastern coast of Uljin starting from today. Local media outlets however speculate that the decision was done so to appease North Korea which had reacted angrily to a Navy-Air Force joint drill in the Yellow Sea earlier this month.

Today’s Video

Watch: Fincantieri’s FREMM Wins US Navy FFG(X) Frigate Competition – Part 3: FMM Shipyard Expansion Plan

The C-130J: New Hercules & Old Bottlenecks

The C-130 Hercules remains one of the longest-running aerospace manufacturing programs of all time. Since 1956, over 40 models and variants have served as the tactical airlift backbone for over 50 nations. The C-130J looks similar, but the number of changes almost makes it a new aircraft. Those changes also created issues; the program has been the focus of a great deal of controversy in America – and even of a full program restructuring in 2006. Some early concerns from critics were put to rest when the C-130J demonstrated in-theater performance on the front lines that was a major improvement over its C-130E/H predecessors. A valid follow-on question might be: does it break the bottleneck limitations that have hobbled a number of multi-billion dollar US Army vehicle development programs?

C-130J customers now include Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, India, Israel, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Tunisia, and the United States. American C-130J purchases are taking place under both annual budgets and supplemental wartime funding, in order to replace tactical transport and special forces fleets that are flying old aircraft and in dire need of major repairs. This DID FOCUS Article describes the C-130J, examines the bottleneck issue, covers global developments for the C-130J program, and looks at present and emerging competitors.

The New Chinooks: Boeing’s Modern H-47 Heavy-Lift Helicopters

DII FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record; this FOCUS Article covers the CH-47F/MH-47G Chinook helicopter programs, in the USA and abroad. These helicopters’ distinctive “flying banana” twin-rotor design stems from the brilliant work of aviation pioneer Frank Piasecki. It gives Chinooks the ability to adjust their positioning very precisely, while carrying a large airframe whose load capacity has made it the world’s most popular heavy-lift helicopter. The USA expects to be operating Chinooks in their heavy-lift role past 2030.

The CH-47F looks similar to earlier models, but offers a wide range of improvements in almost every aspect of design and performance. While the related HH-47’s $10-15 billion CSAR-X program win was terminated, delivery orders continue for CH-47Fs and for MH-47G Special Forces configuration helicopters. International orders or formal requests have also come in from Australia, Britain, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the UAE, with India and other countries expected to follow.