Huntington Ingalls won an $18 million contract modification for the advance planning requirements to support the refueling complex overhaul of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) is the eighth Nimitz class aircraft carrier in service with the United States Navy. She was launched on September 7, 1996 by Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, and commissioned on July 25, 1998. Work will take place in Virginia. Estimated completion is in November 2022.
Sikorsky won a $31.2 million modification, which exercises an option to provide non-recurring engineering to include, investigation, systems engineering support, risk analysis and integration development in support of the Data Transfer Unit and Defensive Electronic Countermeasure System replacement within the CH-53K Super Stallion production aircraft. The Super Stallion can be fielded from amphibious assault ships for the transportation of personnel and equipment. It will also be used to carry external cargo loads. The aircraft can be operated from austere and remote forward operating bases. Work will take place in Connecticut, Maryland, Iowa, Texas, Florida and Vermont. Estimated completion will be in March 2025.
Middle East & Africa
Boeing won a $16.3 million modification for GOLDesp enterprise resource planning, Delta support equipment sustainment and survival radios sustainment in support of the 36 F-15QA aircraft. Work will be performed in Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, and is expected to be completed by November 30, 2024. Qatar signed a deal to buy 36 F-15QAs in June 2017, and in April 2020 the first jet took its maiden flight.
Europe
PZL Mielec, a Lockheed Martin company will build components and assemblies for the latest generation F-16 Block 70/72 starting next year. This will sustain around 200 jobs, with approximately 60 new jobs being created. This development marks a significant new milestone for PZL Mielec, which was last involved in the production of fighter aircraft in the 1960s, Lockheed Martin said in a release today.
MBDA Germany signed an agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to cooperate in the field of ground-based air defense system. Under the agreement, which was announced on November 24 at the Berlin Security Conference 2021, both companies will explore offering joint solutions in accordance with the needs of the German armed forces.
Asia-Pacific
The Philippine Air Force will have six T129 attack helicopters in the country next month. This was disclosed by Philippine Air Force (PAF) commander Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes. The T129 is a twin-engine, tandem seat, multi-role, all-weather attack helicopter based on the Agusta A129 Mangusta platform and is designed for advanced attack and reconnaissance missions in hot and high environments and rough geography in both day and night conditions.
Today’s Video
Watch: The Philippines to deploy T129 ATAK Helicopter at Trojans
Rolls-Royce won a $23.3 million deal, which provides for the depot repair of T56-A-427A engines installed on E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft for the Navy. The Allison T56 is a single shaft, modular design military turboprop with a 14-stage axial flow compressor driven by a four-stage turbine. The E-2D is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft. Work will take place in Texas, Canada and Indiana. Estimated completion date is in November 2022.
The MQ-25 has been undergoing ground testing at Naval Station Norfolk as the unmanned aircraft prepares to embark on board an aircraft carrier next month. The MQ-25 Stingray introduces unmanned aerial refueling and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to the air wing that will extend the range, operational capacity and lethality of the Carrier Air Wing and Carrier Strike Group.
Middle East & Africa
Turkey could become the first country to develop an aircraft carrier specifically designed for drones. “We see that the concept of an aircraft carrier is starting to change as Turkey also brought about a new concept of an ‘unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) aircraft carrier’– that has attracted global attention,” Ismail Demir, head of the Presidency of Defense Industries, told media.
Europe
Italy’s Air Force Chief of Staff told members of parliamentary defense committees that Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and Tempest fighter programs will have to merge into one project eventually. “But it is natural that these two realities will merge into one because investing huge financial resources in two equivalent programs is unthinkable,” Gen. Luca Goretti was quoted as saying. He also explained that Italy joined the Tempest program as it offers a larger share of work compared to the FCAS.
Asia-Pacific
Science Applications International Corp. won a $123.7 million contract for the production of MK 48 Mod 7 heavyweight afterbody/tailcones and warshot fuel tank torpedo equipment and support. The MK 48 heavyweight torpedo is equipped with advanced commercial-off-the-shelf technologies to provide superior reliability and performance against challenging threats in both littoral and blue water environments, and can support multi-band operation. Work will take place in Indiana and Rhode Island. Expected completion date is in July 2025.
South Korea’s National Defense Committee has cut back next year’s defense budget by $375 million. The budget of $12 million for the program to buy new attack helicopters was crossed out. It was reported in April that the defense project promotion committee has approved the purchase of around 36 attack helicopters. The committee also cut $279 million from the budget to buy more airborne early warning aircraft. The project to upgrade the F-35A lost $16.9 million in funding.
Today’s Video
Watch: Turkey could become the first country to develop an aircraft carrier specifically designed for drone
Latest updates[?]: Rolls-Royce won a $23.3 million deal, which provides for the depot repair of T56-A-427A engines installed on E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft for the Navy. The Allison T56 is a single shaft, modular design military turboprop with a 14-stage axial flow compressor driven by a four-stage turbine. The E-2D is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft. Work will take place in Texas, Canada and Indiana. Estimated completion date is in November 2022.
Northrop Grumman’s E-2C Hawkeye is a carrier-capable “mini-AWACS” aircraft, designed to give long-range warning of incoming aerial threats. Secondary roles include strike command and control, land and maritime surveillance, search and rescue, communications relay, and even civil air traffic control during emergencies. E-2C Hawkeyes began replacing previous Hawkeye versions in 1973. They fly from USN and French carriers, from land bases in the militaries of Egypt, Japan, Mexico, and Taiwan; and in a drug interdiction role for the US Naval Reserve. Over 200 Hawkeyes have been produced.
The $17.5 billion E-2D Advanced Hawkeye program aims to build 75 new aircraft with significant radar, engine, and electronics upgrades in order to deal with a world of stealthier cruise missiles, saturation attacks, and a growing need for ground surveillance as well as aerial scans. It looks a lot like the last generation E-2C Hawkeye 2000 upgrade on the outside – but inside, and even outside to some extent, it’s a whole new aircraft.
Latest updates[?]: The MQ-25 has been undergoing ground testing at Naval Station Norfolk as the unmanned aircraft prepares to embark on board an aircraft carrier next month. The MQ-25 Stingray introduces unmanned aerial refueling and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to the air wing that will extend the range, operational capacity and lethality of the Carrier Air Wing and Carrier Strike Group.
UCAS-D/ N-UCAS concept
The idea of UAVs with full stealth and combat capabilities has come a long way, quickly. Air forces around the world are pursuing R&D programs, but in the USA, progress is being led by the US Navy.
Their interest is well-founded. A May 2007 non-partisan report discussed the lengthening reach of ship-killers. Meanwhile, the US Navy’s carrier fleet sees its strike range shrinking to 1950s distances, and prepares for a future with fewer carrier air wings than operational carriers. Could UCAV/UCAS vehicles with longer ranges, and indefinite flight time limits via aerial refueling, solve these problems? Some people in the Navy seem to think that they might. Hence UCAS-D/ N-UCAS, which received a major push in the FY 2010 defense review. Now, Northrop Grumman is improving its X-47 UCAS-D under contract, even as emerging privately-developed options expand the Navy’s future choices as it works on its new RFP.
Latest updates[?]: Science Applications International Corp. won a $123.7 million contract for the production of MK 48 Mod 7 heavyweight afterbody/tailcones and warshot fuel tank torpedo equipment and support. The MK 48 heavyweight torpedo is equipped with advanced commercial-off-the-shelf technologies to provide superior reliability and performance against challenging threats in both littoral and blue water environments, and can support multi-band operation. Work will take place in Indiana and Rhode Island. Expected completion date is in July 2025.
Mk 48: Before and After
(click for full sequence)
The Mk-48 is the standard heavyweight torpedo used by the US military, and is mounted primarily on submarines. Surface ships use the smaller Mk46 or Mk50. The Mk-54, in contrast, stemmed from the need for a smaller, lighter, and cost effective advanced torpedo – one that could be dropped from helicopters, planes, and smaller ships. In recent years, the US has moved to modernize and maintain its Mk-48 inventory; the Mk-54 also requires servicing and spares.
Many of these contracts were issued under a total enterprise partnership between Raytheon and the US Navy called Team Torpedo, dedicated to meeting the needs of U.S. and allied naval fleets. Team Torpedo combines Raytheon’s manufacturing, design engineering, and support services expertise with the systems engineering and testing capabilities of Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) operations in Newport, RI, and Keyport, WA. Now, a new provider has entered the picture. DID has the complete set of contracts below… plus more details regarding the torpedoes involved, and the answer to the question “what the heck is CBASS standard”?
Lockheed Martin won a $114.6 million modification to exercise an option for AEGIS Combat System Engineering Agent efforts for the design, development, integration, test and delivery of Advanced Capability Build 20. The Aegis Combat System is the Navy’s most modern surface combat system. It was designed as a complete system: the missile launching element, the computer programs, the radar and the displays are fully integrated to work together. This makes the Aegis system the first fully integrated combat system built to defend against advanced air and surface threats. The word “aegis” comes to use from classical mythology. Aegis is the name of the shield of the sky god and war goddess of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Work will take place in New Jersey. Expected completion will be by December 2022.
Jo-Kell won a maximum $11.1 million deal for UH-60A helicopter special purpose electrical cable assembly spare parts. The UH-60 is a twin-engined medium-lift utility helicopter. It is the US Army’s primary medium-lift utility transport and air assault aircraft. The UH-60A was designed to carry 11 combat troops in addition to a crew of three.Work will take place in Virginia. Estimated completion date is November 29, 2026.
Middle East & Africa
The Moroccan military has acquired the Skylock Dome System from Israel to bolster its defense capabilities against enemy drones. Developed by Skylock Systems, the weapon can detect, verify, and neutralize unauthorized drones. It will reportedly be used to protect the country’s critical civilian and military facilities.
Europe
The French Navy has commissioned the first FREMM-DA multi-mission frigate with enhanced air defense capability, Alsace. Alsace was handed over to the Navy by French shipbuilder Naval Group in April. It is the first of the two air defense frigates with enhanced air defense capability and the seventh FREMM multi-missions frigate ordered by OCCAr for the French defense procurement agency.
Russia will finish state trials of T-14 Armata tank next year. “The annual Army arms show features the T-14 tank, the T-15 infantry fighting vehicle and the T-16 armored repair and evacuation vehicle being developed under the Armata project. This year, it has entered its final stage. The tank’s state trials are due to be completed in 2022,” acting Chief of the Defense Ministry’s Main Automotive and Armor Department Major-General Alexander Shestakov was quoted by the Defense Ministry’s newspaper on November 22.
Asia-Pacific
Australia formally started a programme to equip its navy with nuclear-powered submarines in a new defense alliance with the UK and the US. It is the first agreement on the technology to be publicly signed since the three countries announced in September the formation of a defense alliance, AUKUS, to confront strategic tensions in the Pacific where China-US rivalry is growing.
Today’s Video
Watch: Onboard the FREMM DA Alsace, first multimissions frigate with enhanced air defence capability
Latest updates[?]: Lockheed Martin won a $114.6 million modification to exercise an option for AEGIS Combat System Engineering Agent efforts for the design, development, integration, test and delivery of Advanced Capability Build 20. The Aegis Combat System is the Navy’s most modern surface combat system. It was designed as a complete system: the missile launching element, the computer programs, the radar and the displays are fully integrated to work together. This makes the Aegis system the first fully integrated combat system built to defend against advanced air and surface threats. The word "aegis" comes to use from classical mythology. Aegis is the name of the shield of the sky god and war goddess of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Work will take place in New Jersey. Expected completion will be by December 2022.
AEGIS-BMD: CG-70
launches SM-3
The AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense System seamlessly integrates the SPY-1 radar, the MK 41 Vertical Launching System for missiles, the SM-3 Standard missile, and the ship’s command and control system, in order to give ships the ability to defend against enemy ballistic missiles. Like its less-capable AEGIS counterpart, AEGIS BMD can also work with other radars on land and sea via Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC). That lets it receive cues from other platforms and provide information to them, in order to create a more detailed battle picture than any one radar could produce alone.
AEGIS has become a widely-deployed top-tier air defense system, with customers in the USA, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Norway, and Spain. In a dawning age of rogue states and proliferation of mass-destruction weapons, the US Navy is being pushed toward a “shield of the nation” role as the USA’s most flexible and most numerous option for missile defense. AEGIS BMD modifications are the keystone of that effort – in the USA, and beyond.
Latest updates[?]: Jo-Kell won a maximum $11.1 million deal for UH-60A helicopter special purpose electrical cable assembly spare parts. The UH-60 is a twin-engined medium-lift utility helicopter. It is the US Army’s primary medium-lift utility transport and air assault aircraft. The UH-60A was designed to carry 11 combat troops in addition to a crew of three.Work will take place in Virginia. Estimated completion date is November 29, 2026.
US Army HH-60Ms
In July 2012, the US military signed another huge contract with Sikorsky. With production of the Army’s HH/UH-60M, and the Navy’s MH-60S and MH-60R helicopters, all in full swing, there’s no question about the need for future orders. In that environment, multi-year contracts allow efficiencies in purchasing, and security of staffing, throughout Sikorsky’s supply chain. These new helicopter types are also available to Foreign Military Sales class customers, under the American contract’s advantageous pricing and terms. The UH-60M, MH-60S and MH-60R models have already inked export deals, and official requests indicate that more deals are in the pipeline.
The new multi-year 2013-2017 contract could be worth up to $11.7 billion, and follows a 5-year, multi-service “MYP-VII” contract in December 2007. Like its predecessor, it covers UH-60M Black Hawk troop transport and light cargo helicopters, Army HH-60M SAR (Search And Rescue) / MEDEVAC (MEDical EVACuation) helicopters, and the US Navy’s MH-60S and MH-60R Seahawk helicopters.
Sikorsky Aircraft won a $21.2 million contract modification, which increases scope and provides aircraft maintenance in support of the CH-53K data transfer unit and defensive electronic countermeasure system replacement phase three flight test. The CH-53K will replace the CH-53E, and its job with the Marines will include moving heavy equipment and supplies from ship-to-shore in support of amphibious assault and subsequent operations ashore, as well as lifting troops. Work will take place in Maryland, Florida and Virginia. Estimated completion is in June 2022.
Lockheed Martin won a $584.8, which adds scope to provide system integration engineering for the development of new ASQ-239 electronic warfare/counter measure hardware in support of the F-35 aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and non-US Department of Defense participants. The ASQ-239 system can provide fully integrated radar warning, targeting support, and self-protection capabilities that will enable pilots to engage, counter, jam, or evade threats to improve survivability and mission effectiveness. Work will take place in New Hampshire, Texas, Maryland and the UK. Estimated completion is in April 2026.
Middle East & Africa
During an exercise in Qatar, Qatari Rafale jets have conducted air-to-air refuelling sorties with a British Voyager tanker. It is the first time for the British Air Force to conduct AAR with the Qatar Emiri Air Force. The Voyager Tanker that refuelled the Rafale fighter jets of QEAF during the exercise is from the RAF’s 83 Expeditionary Air Group (EAG).
Europe
Navantia Shipyard started the diesel engine of S-81 Isaac Peral submarine being built for the Spanish Navy. Isaac Peral is the first S-80 submarine. It successfully passed the safety milestone of starting its diesel engines, which is part of its port testing process, Navantia said in a statement. The S-80 program follows a regulated Systems Engineering process, by means of which it is necessary to pass a series of technical reviews or quality doors in which it must be demonstrated that the submarine is ripe to move on to the next phase.
Asia-Pacific
Japan will proceed with a plan to launch three small satellites into space by this decade for the detection of hypersonic glide vehicle. The government is expected to spend $525 million to send these satellites into space. They are expected to orbit around 400 km above the ground and each satellite weighs between 100 to 500 kg.
The Indian Navy commissioned the first Project 15B stealth guided-missile destroyer, INS Vishakhapatnam, on November 21. In 2011, the government sanctioned four 15B ships at the cost of $4.4 billion. Visakhapatnam has been constructed using indigenous steel DMR 249A and is amongst the largest destroyers constructed in India with an overall length of 163m and displacement of over 7400 tons.
Latest updates[?]: Lockheed Martin won a $584.8, which adds scope to provide system integration engineering for the development of new ASQ-239 electronic warfare/counter measure hardware in support of the F-35 aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and non-US Department of Defense participants. The ASQ-239 system can provide fully integrated radar warning, targeting support, and self-protection capabilities that will enable pilots to engage, counter, jam, or evade threats to improve survivability and mission effectiveness. Work will take place in New Hampshire, Texas, Maryland and the UK. Estimated completion is in April 2026.
F-35B: off probation
The $382 billion F-35 Joint Strike fighter program may well be the largest single global defense program in history. This major multinational program is intended to produce an “affordably stealthy” multi-role fighter that will have 3 variants: the F-35A conventional version for the US Air Force et. al.; the F-35B Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing for the US Marines, British Royal Navy, et. al.; and the F-35C conventional carrier-launched version for the US Navy. The aircraft is named after Lockheed’s famous WW2 P-38 Lightning, and the Mach 2, stacked-engine English Electric (now BAE)Lightning jet. Lightning II system development partners included The USA & Britain (Tier 1), Italy and the Netherlands (Tier 2), and Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Turkey (Tier 3), with Singapore and Israel as “Security Cooperation Partners,” and Japan as the 1st export customer.
The big question for Lockheed Martin is whether, and when, many of these partner countries will begin placing purchase orders. This updated article has expanded to feature more detail regarding the F-35 program, including contracts, sub-contracts, and notable events and reports during 2012-2013.
