The $20 billion dollar recapitalization of Saudi Arabia’s eastern fleet is beginning to pick up steam again after several years of being a dormant U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, several U.S. shipbuilding industry officials have told USNI News.
The FMS case for the replacement of the Royal Saudi Navy’s Eastern Fleet of aging American warships – Saudi Naval Expansion Program II (SNEP II) – has been languishing for years as the Saudis and Americans negotiate the requirements for the ships.
But several industry officials have told USNI News there maybe some movement toward finalizing requirements for the ship deal that would be a welcome boon to U.S. shipbuilders faced with tight Pentagon budgets.
Other industry sources told USNI News they expect a RFP for the replacement of the Eastern Fleet in the coming months.
Potential movement on the FMS case follows a December contract award for Lockheed Martin MK-41 Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) that included a set-aside for Saudi Arabia in the amount of approximately $93.8 million. The launchers are used to fire missiles from U.S. guided missile cruisers and destroyers, the new Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense (BMD) installations and in U.S. allied navy ships.
The Saudi’s currently do not use the MK-41 systems in any of their ships.
The U.S. Navy International Program Office (NIPO) did not provide details on the MK-41 sale to USNI News saying the office wouldn’t comment on ongoing FMS cases.
Lockheed, Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) builder Austal USA, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) have all expressed interest in the SNEP II program.
What ships will be needed for the buy have yet to be determined.
Lockheed will likely offer a version of the Freedom-class LCS. In response to a question on SNEP II on Wednesday, company officials said they had recently met with unspecified countries to discuss the capabilities of an international Freedom variant.
Austal has previously told USNI News they were interested in the business with a version of the Independence.
USNI News understands that HII is pitching variant of its Legend-class cutter built for the U.S. Coast Guard – billed as a patrol frigate.
In 2011, reports indicated that the Saudis were interested in acquiring Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers (DDG-51), which would make BIW a competitor as well.
The program is not just ships and will likely include improvements to the Saudi Eastern Fleet’s homeport in Jubail on the Persian Gulf.
“This massive purchase could include destroyers, patrol craft, helicopters, ground vehicles and other platforms, as well as warehouses and substantial upgrades to port infrastructure,” read an October U.S. Army Corps of Engineers briefing.
L'Arabie Saoudite pourrait en fait envisager l'achat à la fois de LCS modifiées Mk41VLS d'origine US et de FREMM d'origine française comme telle était sa volonté affichée depuis 2010 :
The Navy's unmanned X-47B returned to carrier operations aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Aug. 17 and completed a series of tests, operating safely and seamlessly with manned aircraft. Building on lessons learned from its first test period aboard TR in November 2013, the X-47B team is now focused on perfecting deck operations and performing maneuvers with manned aircraft in the flight pattern.
The first series of manned/unmanned operations began this morning when the ship launched an F/A-18 and an X-47B. After an eight-minute flight, the X-47B executed an arrested landing, folded its wings and taxied out of the landing area. The deck-based operator used newly developed deck handling control to manually move the aircraft out of the way of other aircraft, allowing the F/A-18 to touch down close behind the X-47B's recovery.
This cooperative launch and recovery sequence will be repeated multiple times over the course of the planned test periods. The X-47B performed multiple arrested landings, catapults, flight deck taxiing and deck refueling operations.
A patrol boat renaissance of sorts is underway in the United States Navy. In the video below, the Coastal Command Boat, a one-off predecessor of the MK VI PBs coming online next year, goes through its paces in FIFTH Fleet. The CCB complements the Patrol Coastals (a much larger offshore patrol craft) and the Riverine Command Boats (RCB) which have operated quite successfully in the Arabian Gulf for some time now.
Dating back to the days of Jefferson’s gunboat navy, smaller craft (and we’re talking less than 100 feet in length here) have faced a number of operational constraints. Relatively short legs, limited-ranged weaponry, marginal sea-keeping, and most importantly, crew endurance, have confined most boats to inland waters and relatively calm coastal seas. These physical limitations will not change with the Navy’s new patrol boats, but what has evolved is the breadth and depth of missions combat craft can now accomplish. A shrinking fleet drives us to creativity with fewer ships. The Littoral Combat Ship has been sold as a replacement for a whole series of ships – FFGs, PCs, and MCMs; however LCS has still not successfully deployed forward with fully-operational mission packages to validate that vision. The reality is that PBs may be capable of supporting these missions too, and in some cases do a better job than a larger ship for a significantly lower investment. Equipped with some impressive remotely operated weapons and capable of carrying a VBSS team, the MK VI will conduct traditional force protection, coastal patrol, and interdiction missions. And with talk of arming the boats with missiles such as the Spike or Griffin, they could also support some low-end ASUW tasks. The boat's solid C4I package, combined with sensors and unmanned air vehicles, will quickly make them a preferred ISR platform, getting into areas where larger combatants might be constrained by draft or simply too visible. Arguably most unique is the boat’s ability to contribute to mine counter-measures operations using embarked unmanned undersea vehicles (and old-fashioned EOD divers). The MK VI can operate from a coastal base, a well deck, such as those on the LPD-17 class, or be craned aboard other ships. There are pros and cons with each option, but the key is versatility. Embarking on mother ships, as the RCBs have done in the Gulf, provides combatant craft the strategic mobility and logistics support required to operate in forward deployed patrol areas near critical choke points, surveillance targets, and notionally, mine fields. Perhaps what’s most interesting about this small boat renaissance was that the requirements for new and more heavily armed PBs in C5F was, at least by my estimate, driven by the former C5F commander, VADM Fox, an aviator, not a Surface Warfare Officer. Combatant craft are not a panacea for the surface warfare community's surface warfare deficiencies (though this and this might be). Nevertheless, now is the time for SWOs to get onboard and adequately fund, support, and recognize the unique capabilities of combatant craft as force multipliers. The importance of small US Navy combatant craft in both peacetime and future wartime distributed maritime operations will be proven out as it has been time and time again over the past two centuries.
The Navy is preparing to launch the first ship-board tests of a new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System designed to replace steam catapults and propel fighter jets and other aircraft off the deck of an aircraft carrier and into the sky over the ocean, service officials said.
The EMALS system, which uses an electromagnetic field to propel aircraft instead of the currently used steam catapult, is slated for the new Ford-class aircraft carriers. The first EMALS system has been under construction for several years aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the first in class of the new carriers expected to deliver to the Navy in 2016, Navy officials said.
This summer, the Navy will start incremental testing on board the USS Ford wherein “dead loads” placed on weighted sleds are catapulted by the EMALS system into the river, said Capt. Jim Donnelly, program manager for aircraft launch and recovery equipment.
“As things get connected they will increase the number of tests. The first aircraft launch will be after the ship gets to sea,” Donnelly said.
Ship integration and testing for the EMALS technology will mark a substantial milestone in a program which, until now, has largely been conducting land-based flight tests at a Navy facility in Lakehurst, N.J.
“We’ve conducted 452 aircraft launches and just finished up our second phase of aircraft compatibility testing,” Donnelly explained.
The ground-based EMALS catapult tests have launched EA-18G Growlers, F/A-18 Super Hornets, C-2 Greyhound planes and E2D Advanced Hawkeyes, among others. In fact, EMALS even launched an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter at Lakehurst, Donnelly added. The USS Ford has been under construction in recent years at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls.
Equipment for the EMALS system has been in development on board the ship for several years, Navy officials said. General Atomics was awarded a $573 million deal from the Navy in 2009 for EMALS development....
...
Metal decking is slated to be placed over the trough on the flight deck. Donnelly said cabling and linear induction motor sections are still being installed on board the USS Ford. The linear motors are engineered to help create a sequentially activated rolling magnetic field or wave able to thrust or propel aircraft forward, Donnelly explained.
“It is the same type of technology that you see in a rollercoaster except this one is designed for critical launch reliability. It has to work every time you press the launch button. You are getting an electromagnetic field by turning on linear motor sequentially so we don’t energize the whole field in one shot,” he explained.
The electromagnetic field acts on a large 22-foot long aluminum plate, he added. The aluminum plate runs in between stationary sections of 12-foot long linear motors. Electricity runs through the two sides of the motors, creating an electromagnetic wave, Donnelly explained.
“The aircraft motors are kicked in at the beginning. There’s a hydraulic piston that pushes a shuttle forward. The shuttle is what connects to the aircraft launch bar,” Donnelly said.
The EMALS system is engineered to be both steady and tailorable, meaning it can adjust to different aircraft weights and configurations, Donnelly said. For example, EMALS is configured such that it could launch a lighter weight aircraft, such as an unmanned aircraft system, he added.
HONOLULU — China plans to bring four ships to Hawaii this summer as its vessels participate in the world’s largest naval exercises for the first time.
China is expected to bring the Peace Ark, a navy hospital ship, as well as an oiler, a frigate and a destroyer, said Lt. Lenaya Rotklein, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Third Fleet, which is organizing the Rim of the Pacific exercises.
The drills are scheduled to begin on June 26 and last through Aug. 1.
The U.S. hosts the exercises, which are also known as RIMPAC, every other year. They began in 1971 and have since grown to become the world’s largest maritime exercises.
Twenty-three countries are expected to participate this year, including Canada, India, Japan and South Korea.
The Peace Ark will participate in medical exchanges with other participants, Rotklein said. The oiler, the frigate and the destroyer are expected to join a maritime interdiction operations task force.
The scenario for the exercise involves four fictitious countries — one of which is an aggressor — in an island region, she said.
Most of the drills will take place in and around the Hawaiian Islands. As in 2012, a small part of it will take place off Southern California, Rotklein said.
China sent military observers to watch the drills in 1998, but it has never sent ships before.
Chinese and U.S. naval vessels have only rarely exercised together in the past. Last year, China sent a guided missile cruiser, a frigate and a supply ship to Hawaii for a search-and-rescue exercise with the U.S.
The U.S. values such opportunities in part so the Navy and China’s fast-growing naval forces will learn to understand each other better and avert misunderstandings.
Last December, a U.S. Navy cruiser, the USS Cowpens, nearly collided with a ship accompanying China’s sole aircraft carrier in international waters of the South China Sea. The U.S. Navy said the Cowpens maneuvered to avoid crashing into the Chinese ship, in the two nations’ most serious sea confrontation in years.
Earlier this month, the U.S., China and two dozen Asia-Pacific nations adopted an agreement to improve communication at sea to reduce the possibility of incidents like that one and misunderstandings that could lead to conflict in the heavily trafficked sea lanes surrounding China, Japan and Southeast Asia.
The U.S. Navy’s plan to cut short a multi-year deal for maritime helicopters may have serious implications for Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., as well as the military and the broader defense industry, a company official said.
For instance, the deal doesn’t just include the sea service. In July 2012, both the Army and Navy inked the five-year, $8.5 billion contract with the subsidiary of Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies Corp.
The agreement called for the services to buy at least 653 helicopters through December 2017, including a mix of UH-60M Black Hawks and HH-60M medical evacuation variants for the Army and MH-60R and MH-60S Seahawks for the Navy. It also included options for an additional 263 aircraft, increasing the potential value of the deal to $11.7 billion.
“The impacts, no matter what the scenario, are very significant to us,” Tim Healy, director of naval helicopter programs for Sikorsky, said in a telephone interview. “That’s why we’re so concerned.”
Automatic budget cuts known as sequestration forced the Navy to take the surprising — some say unprecedented — step of canceling plans to buy 29 MH-60Rs in fiscal 2016, the last year of the contract. The service determined they won’t be necessary if it decides to decommission one of its 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the USS George Washington (CVN-73).
But the multi-year deal was based on both of the services buying the agreed-upon quantity, so if the Navy backs out, the Army would also be affected, Healy said. “It’s not just a multi-year contract, it’s a multi-service contract,” he said. “The contract is such that if you cancel the contract, you cancel it all.”
Like in other multi-year contracts, the company offered more favorable pricing terms in return for a longer-term commitment for orders from the government.
The Defense Department uses “multi-year procurement” (MYP) or “block-buy contracting” (BBC), as the deals are officially known, to purchase all sorts of weapons and equipment, from aircraft and ships to tanks and trucks to rifles and missiles. They’re estimated to save anywhere from 5 to 15 percent compared to annual contracts, according to an April 1 report from the Congressional Research Service.
“Our program — the Romeo, specifically — it’s even higher than that,” Healy said.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has said canceling the Navy helicopter contract would cost about $250 million. That appears to be only what’s listed in Navy budget documents as funding for advancement procurement in 2016, meaning the true cost of termination could be higher.
As part of the contract, Sikorsky still intends to deliver versions of the helicopter to the governments of Australia and Denmark, and is actively seeking other opportunities for international sales of the aircraft, Healy said. Under a so-called foreign military sale (FMS), the U.S. buys weapons or equipment on behalf of a foreign government.
“We’re looking forward to FMS sales but there aren’t many FMS sales that would involve 29 aircraft in a single year,” he said. “The U.S. Navy is unique in its position.”
While Navy officials and the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer have signaled they’re looking for ways to preserve the deal, the situation has spooked defense contractors and their suppliers.
“Industry and the government are going to be put into a very tough position about making those long-term cost-savings and investments, when the threat of cancellation becomes more predictable,” Healy said. “As a taxpayer, I fear the government is not going to get those cost-savings going forward if there’s not the confidence in the industry that the multi-year contracts will be followed through on.”
NORFOLK (March 20, 2014) An E-2D Hawkeye assigned to the Tiger Tails of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125 flies over Naval Station Norfolk. VAW-125 provides airborne early warning and command and control to Carrier Air Wing 1 and is assigned aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ernest R. Scott/Released)
The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye officially became ready for tasking with Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125 (VAW-125) during a ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk Chambers Field, March 27. "This is a revolutionary jump in capabilities," said Capt. Todd Watkins, commander, Airborne Command Control and Logistics Wing. "The E-2D serves as the eyes of the fleet. If it's out there, we will see it."
The "Tigertails" of VAW-125 are the first Navy squadron to become fully operational with the Advanced Hawkeye, the newest, most technologically capable variant of the venerable E-2 airborne early warning command and control platform. The E-2D is expected to be instrumental to how the Navy will conduct battle management command and control. Able to sweep ahead of the strike, the E-2D can manage the mission and keep carrier battle groups out of harm's way.
The E-2D's advanced technology makes it a multi-mission platform through its ability to coordinate concurrent missions which may arise during a single flight. These missions can include airborne strike, ground force support, rescue operations and managing a reliable communications network capable of supporting drug interdiction operations.
L’E-2D est un avion de guet aérien modernisé avec des capacités C2, embarqué sur porte-avions. Développé par Northrop Grumman, l'E-2D Advanced Hawkeye est une version améliorée de l'E-2C Hawkeye actuellement en service. Pour mémoire, le programme a été lancé à la fin des années 90 et le premier prototype de l'avion a effectué son vol inaugural en 2007. En tout, l'US Navy prévoit de se doter de 75 Advanced Hawkeye. Plus performant que son prédécesseur et doté d'une avionique de dernière génération, l'appareil est, notamment, doté du nouveau radar APY-9. L'E-2D sera, ainsi, capable de surveiller une plus grande zone et de détecter de plus petits mobiles, tout en renforçant les capacités de l'avion dans son rôle de coordination des raids aériens.
Le Hawkeye E-2D Advanced dispose d’un grand nombre de nouveautés : outre le radar AESA AN/APY-9, l’appareil dispose également d’une nouvelle motorisation, soit le Rolls-Royce T-56-A-427A, un cockpit entièrement numérique, un nouveau système d’identification ami /ennemi, de nouveaux postes de travail tactique ainsi que d’une nouvelle architecture électronique et de communication couplée à une liaison de données.
Photo : Test de résistance d'un alliage d'aluminium au sein de l'université du Michigan, l'un des principaux partenaires du nouvel institut américain dédié aux métaux et alliages légers. (DR)
Le ministère américain de la Défense vient, au nom de la Maison blanche, de constituer un institut dédié à la mise au point de métaux légers pour l’industrie, l’American Lightweight Materials Innovation Institute.
Cet institut sera mené par des équipes issues des universités du Michigan et de l’Ohio ainsi que par l'EWI, un organisme de recherche public basé dans l'Ohio. Il répond à une politique menée par le président Obama, destinée à conforter les positions de l’industrie américaine en misant sur l'innovation.
La construction navale est l’une des applications des recherches menées dans des métaux et alliages légers, tout comme l'automobile et l'aéronautique. Une cinquantaine d’entreprises et de laboratoires publics et privés sont associés aux universités sélectionnées pour mener l’ALMII, qui compte bien s’appuyer sur le savoir-faire développé dans l’industrie automobile de Detroit. L’US Navy participe à son soutien.
L’État fédéral allouera 70 millions de dollars à l'ALMII, auxquels s’ajouteront 78 millions issus des partenaires privés. Cet institut passera ensuite pour une centaine de millions de dollars de contrats de R & D.
MORÓN AIR BASE, Spain – As part of a larger effort to increase international cooperation, U.S. Marines with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response conducted a bilateral carrier qualification with their Spanish counterparts from Maneuver Helicopter Battalion #4 (BHELMA IV) aboard USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44), Feb. 25, 2014.
The carrier qualification gave the pilots from SP-MAGTF Crisis Response and BHELMA IV a dedicated opportunity to practice fundamental skills associated with operating carrier-based aircraft and demonstrate acceptable levels of proficiency. Positioned out of Morón Air Base, Spain, the approximately 500 personnel of SP-MAGTF CR come from various elements of the Marine Corps: aviation, ground combat arms, and logistics. As a part of their mission, SP-MAGTF CR conducts military-to-military training with African and European nations. “We did this to expand our bilateral comfort zone,” said Capt. Matthew “Hayseed” Hayden, a pilot training officer with SP-MAGTF CR and action officer for the carrier qualification. “With the conduct of bilateral training, we better ourselves at working with a host nation and expose the Spanish to working with U.S. Navy ships.” Landing MV-22 Ospreys on carriers and working with foreign or host nation partners is regular work for the Marines and sailors of SP-MAGTF CR. The Marines created the unit as part of the Department of Defense’s continuing effort to improve its crisis response capability around the globe. SP-MAGTF CR is a self-deployable and highly mobile force designed to respond to missions such as U.S. embassy reinforcement, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, theater security cooperation, and other missions in the U.S. Africa Command and U.S. European Command areas of responsibility. “Maintaining various skills and proficiency allows us to react to the demands of a crisis response environment,” said Hayden. “This provides us with the flexibility to know that if we need to land on a carrier in the Mediterranean or off the coast of Africa, we have the ability to meet that mission.” Various aircraft were used during the training. The Marines flew the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, while BHELMA IV flew both the H-47 Chinook and the AS532 Cougar helicopters. During the carrier qualification, take-off and landing were performed in mixed sections, meaning that American and Spanish aircraft were paired together for alternating landings.
Le centre de recherche US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) a procédé en décembre 2013 au lancement d’un drone de surveillance aérien encapsulé Oceaneering Sea Robin XFC depuis un tube lance-missile Tomahawk du submersible en plongée USS Providence (SSN-719). Le drone est libéré et expulsé de sa capsule étanche à la surface. Il prend alors son envol et devient autonome. Ce test final valide les possibilités de surveillance aériennes offertes à un submersible via un drone. Après un vol de plusieurs heures durant lequel il a transmis des vidéos en temps réel au submersible en plongée périscopique tout comme à des navires et à des installations à terre, le drone a atterri sur la piste d’Andros dans les Bahamas. Le Sea Robin XFC est un drone à ailes cruciformes utilisant une pile à hydrogène Protonex et mû par une hélice propulsive. De l’étude jusqu’à l’essai opérationnel, moins de six ans se sont écoulés, ce qui est peu dans de tels programmes militaires.
WASHINGTON — The reality of finalizing the fiscal 2015 budget submission is driving top US defense officials and the White House to quickly make major decisions, and indications are growing that the elimination of one carrier and one carrier air wing could be among the defense request’s key features.
Pentagon officials would not confirm or deny the matter, citing the fluid nature of budget discussions. But numerous sources — in the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill, in the defense industry — agreed that the prospect is picking up steam.
“It’s quietly being socialized,” one source said, and others agreed.
Others emphasized that no decisions have been reached, and talks are being held in strict confidence.
“Stuff is in churn,” one source said.
That the US Navy and the Pentagon, faced with the need to come up with drastic budget cuts, have contemplated reducing the fleet’s vaunted carrier strength is nothing new — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned as much last summer.
“We would trade away size for high-end capability,” Hagel said July 31. “This would ... reduce the number of carrier strike groups from 11 to eight or nine.”
Hagel was discussing one scenario put forth in the Strategic Choices Management Review, an internal Pentagon effort to identify budget-cutting approaches and tactics.
The basic tradeoff, he explained, would be one of reducing capacity for “our ability to modernize weapons systems and to maintain our military’s technological edge.”
The Navy’s top leadership has said repeatedly over the past year that “all options are on the table” to reduce costs.
Asked for comment, the Navy declined to address the carrier issue directly....
...The carrier most often targeted is the Japan-based George Washington. Commissioned in 1992, GW is scheduled in 2016 to begin a three-year midlife refueling and complex overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia — where all active carriers were built — that is expected to cost well over $3 billion.
The Navy already has announced the carrier Ronald Reagan will replace the George Washington in Japan. Any move affecting the decommissioning of a carrier would have no effect on the American commitment to maintaining a forward-based carrier in Japan, Navy officials said.
Carriers are designed for a 50-year lifespan and undergo only one refueling overhaul, during which nearly every major system in the ship is rebuilt, renewed or replaced.
A reduction of the carrier force has been analyzed on many occasions. A 2011 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report looked at a 10-ship, nine-wing fleet, achieved by decommissioning the George Washington.
The report noted the Navy could save “about $7 billion over the 2012-2021 period,” when GW would be returned to service. The report did not include anticipated savings over the 2021-2042 period, during which a refueled George Washington would be operating.
Decommissioning GW would cost about $2 billion, CBO estimated, although those costs would be spread out at least through 2021.
Numerous internal and external studies have concluded the Navy could carry out its missions with a reduced carrier force, although many of those same studies acknowledge that a 15-ship force would be necessary to meet most regional combatant commander requirements.
Dans le cadre du renforcement des moyens aéronavals américains déployés dans la zone Asie-Pacifique, l’US Navy a annoncé le repositionnement de l’USS Theodore Roosevelt. Le porte-avions, jusqu’ici basé à Norfolk, sur la façade atlantique, va rejoindre San Diego, sur la côte ouest...
...A cela s’ajoute, pour le Pacifique, le porte-avions basé au Japon, à Yokosuka. Il s’agit depuis 2008 de l’USS George Washington mais ce navire va être remplacé par l’USS Ronald Reagan le temps de sa refonte à mi-vie...
Lire l'intégralité de l'article sur Mer et Marine :
The United States next year is slated to begin reducing launch tubes on each of its Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, a new independent report states.
The elimination of four operational launch tubes on each of the 14 submarines that make up the Navy's Ohio submarine fleet will be the first substantial reduction in U.S. strategic weapon delivery capability since the 2011 New START accord went into effect, according to Hans Kristensen, who co-authored an assessment on the current status of U.S. nuclear forces. The report was published in the January/February edition of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
Nearly three years after the New START pact with Russia entered into force, implementation of the treaty has "been going very slowly," Kristensen said in a brief Monday phone interview.
The treaty requires Russia and the United States by 2018 to each reduce their fielded stockpiles of strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 and to cut their arsenals of long-range delivery vehicles down to 700 apiece, with an additional 100 systems allowed in reserve on each side.
"The way that the U.S. military has approached implementation of the New START treaty so far has not done anything that has actually affected the actual number of nuclear [delivery vehicles] that are in the war plan," said Kristensen, who directs the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists.
Instead, the Pentagon has focused on reducing the nuclear-delivery capability of selected vehicles, such as heavy bombers, that have already been retired, he said.
The Defense Department has the latitude to pursue that approach because the treaty allows so many years -- seven, specifically -- before each side must carry out all mandated reductions, Kristensen said.
Once all of the Ohio-class submarines have had their launch tubes capped at 20 each -- a project that is to take place in the 2015-to-2016 time frame -- the United States will be able to deploy no more than 240 submarine-launched ballistic missiles at any time, according to the report written by Kristensen and Robert Norris, who is also with the Federation of American Scientists.
The submarine set to replace aging Ohio-class vessels -- dubbed "SSBN(X)" -- is expected to have only 16 missile tubes, which will reduce further the number of sea-launched ballistic missiles that the United States can deploy. The replacement fleet is also envisioned to be smaller -- only 12 submarines instead of the current 14. The Navy is not expected to begin building the first boat before 2021, and could field the vessel a decade later, according to the Bulletin report.
WASHINGTON — On President Barack Obama’s first day in Beijing at the start of a weeklong swing through Asia, the US State Department published new language in the Federal Register to reflect a change in its policy to allow exports of lethal defense items to Vietnam. The changes were first announced in early October when Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh met in Washington with National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Secretary of State John Kerry. But the official revision of the State Department’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) didn’t come until Nov. 10. The notice said that it is “in the best interests of U.S. foreign policy, national security, and human rights concerns that exports of lethal defense articles and defense services to Vietnam may be authorized on a case-by-case basis when in support of maritime security and domain awareness.” Despite the language about human rights, however, the government of Vietnam maintains a spotty track record in respecting international norms for the treatment of its civilians. The State Department’s own 2013 annual report on human rights maintained that Vietnam placed “severe government restrictions on citizens’ political rights, particularly their right to change their government.” Still, experts have said they expect Vietnam to be interested in maritime surveillance aircraft, likely excess P-3 aircraft that the US Navy is looking to retire as it brings more advanced P-8s online, as well as surveillance equipment. In 2013, Kerry announced an agreement to provide Vietnam with five fast, unarmed patrol vessels. After spending time in Beijing at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, Obama will travel to Burma and Australia to meet with leaders there.
Tokyo (AFP) - Japan and the United States will jointly develop a fuel-cell powered submarine that can run for a month under the sea on a single charge, a report said on Friday.
The top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the unmanned, 10-metre (33-feet) long sub would be able to chart a pre-programmed course before returning to base.
The story, citing unnamed Japanese defence ministry officials, comes as Tokyo and Washington look to beef up their security alliance as they warily eye an increasingly assertive China.
Defence ministry officials could not immediately confirm the deal.
The submarine would be used for patrolling with sonar capable of detecting potential threats, but it would not be equipped with torpedos or other weaponry, the Yomiuri said.
Japan's defence ministry would earmark about 2.6 billion yen ($25 million) over the next five years to develop the high-performance fuel cell, it added.
The US military reportedly got involved when it heard about its Japanese counterparts' plans for a fuel-cell sub.
Fuel cells generate emissions-free energy through a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, and are most commonly associated with environmentally friendly vehicles.
Japan is a leader in the technology while the US a major player in hydrogen storage development.
In June, Japan and Australia announced a possible submarine development deal as they stepped up their defence ties.
TUCSON, Ariz., June 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a $115.5 million contract to remanufacture, overhaul and provide upgrades to Phalanx Close-in Weapon Systems (CIWS). The CIWS is an integral element of the Navy's Fleet Defense In-Depth concept and the Ship Self-Defense Program.
Work under the contract, which was signed during the second quarter 2014, is expected to be completed by September 2017.
Close-in Defense Solutions Phalanx is a rapid-fire, computer-controlled radar and 20 mm gun system that automatically acquires, tracks and destroys enemy threats that have penetrated all other ship defense systems. More than 890 systems have been built and deployed in navies around the world.
Intended to enlarge Phalanx's keep-out range against evolving anti-ship missiles, rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft and other threats, SeaRAM Anti-ship Missile Defense Systems use advanced Phalanx Block 1B sensors and replaces the gun with an 11-round Rolling Airframe Missile guide. SeaRAM is aboard the Independence-class of the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ships.
The US Navy (USN) plans to equip the Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout rotary-winged unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with an electronic warfare (EW) capability through the development of a new external pod, the Department of Defense (DoD) disclosed on 1 May.
Under a contract listing, Northrop Grumman is being given USD10.8 million to develop and integrate the new Multi Capability Pod (MCAP) onto the MQ-8C. The MCAP will provide the UAV with "multiple electronic warfare sensors for employment in the littorals", the DOD listing said.
Work is scheduled to be completed in June 2015.
Developed from the Bell 407 manned helicopter, the MQ-8C Fire scout will provide an enhanced capability over its smaller MQ-8B namesake, which is modelled on the smaller Schweizer Aircraft model 330 helicopter.
A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was recently spotted at the Boeing headquarter's in Seattle conducting tests (including flight tests) with Raytheon's Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS) fitted under the aircraft. Based on the existing AN/APS-149 Littoral Surveillance Radar System (LSRS), the AAS is designed to detect moving targets both on the surface of water and on land.
LSRS is currently operational on U.S. Navy P-3C Orions. According to Raytheon, the AAS will provide airborne radar surveillance with next-generation line-of-site capability.
According to several sources, the AAS/Poseidon combo would provide the U.S. Navy with a capability similar to the US Air Force's dedicated E-8 Joint STARS platform. It is an airborne battle management, command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform. Its primary mission is to provide theater ground and air commanders with ground surveillance to support attack operations and targeting that contributes to the delay, disruption and destruction of enemy forces. Link to P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft technical datasheet
WASHINGTON, Apr 11, 2014 – The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Germany for P-3C aircraft upgrades and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $250 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on April 11, 2014.
The Government of Germany has requested a possible sale for the procurement, integration, and installation of hardware and software to upgrade the aircraft mission computer and acoustic systems, and non-integrated simulator equipment on 8 P-3C aircraft. The hardware and software include A (structural and electrical) and B (Weapon Replaceable Assemblies) kits for future integration into the simulator. Also included are the design, development, integration, testing and installation of a ground-based mission support system (which includes the Portable Aircraft Support System and Fast Time Analyzer System); validation and acceptance; spare and repair parts; support equipment; personnel training and training equipment; publications and technical documentation; U.S. Government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $250 million
This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the military capabilities of a NATO ally and enhancing standardization and interoperability with U.S. forces.
This proposed sale will update hardware and software to ensure the P-3 aircraft maintain operational capability. The upgrades will enhance Germany’s ability to participate in future coalition operations and will promote continued interoperability. Germany will have no difficulty absorbing this upgraded equipment into its armed forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Owego, New York; General Dynamics in Bloomington, Minnesota; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Marietta, Georgia; and Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Manassas, Virginia.
The Navy's MQ-4C Triton completed its initial flight test phase at Northrop Grumman's Palmdale, Calif., facility March 13, bringing the unmanned air system one step closer to introduction to the fleet in 2017.
The flight testing, called Initial Envelope Expansion, is designed to measure the air vehicle’s performance under a variety of speeds and altitudes. The combined Navy and Northrop Grumman team completed this phase of testing in 13 of the 14 scheduled flights for the test.
"The system performed exceptionally well during flight test, which is a reflection of years of hard work and dedication by our team," said Capt. Jim Hoke, Triton UAS program manager. "Our job is far from over with fleet delivery still a few years away, but each of our team members should reflect on how far we have come and be proud of this accomplishment."
During IEE, the MQ-4C flew a total of 81 hours, reached a maximum altitude of 59,950 feet and executed 568 data points.
The Triton’s software and sensor systems are being tested separately on a surrogate aircraft. This includes a multi-function array sensor (MFAS), configured to function in a maritime environment.
After testing completion at Palmdale, the team has a planned maintenance period to prepare for the system's transition to Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The MQ-4C will take its first cross-country flight in the June/July timeframe, followed by the second test aircraft shortly after. Sensors will be integrated onto both aircraft before resuming flight test this summer.
As an adjunct to the manned P-8A aircraft, the Triton will cover more than 2.7 million square miles in a single mission. Its ability to perform 24/7 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance with a range of 2,000 nautical miles will allow P-8A, P-3C and EP-3E aircraft to focus on their core missions, adding the capability the Navy's Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force.
The Navy plans to hold a competition for an anti-ship missile that could be used from the air or ships and possibly submarines to beef up the service’s ability to take on surface threats, service officials told USNI News this week.
The Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW)/Increment 2 anti-ship missile will follow an authorization earlier this year for an air-launched missile currently being developed by Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency.
Towards the effort, the service will update an existing analysis of alternatives for the new weapon to deal with, “the advanced 2024 threat.”
The analysis will be used to guide the Navy’s investments in Fiscal Year 2016 and beyond. Service officials did not specify a planned timeframe for the completion of the updated analysis or subsequent requests for proposals from industry.
“Surface and air-launched material solutions will be assessed,” the Navy said in a statement provided to USNI News.
The OASuW Increment 2 would be a follow-on to DARPA’s Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), which is based on Lockheed Martin’s AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range.
The Pentagon authorized the Navy to put the LRASM into production for the OASuW/Increment 1 requirement on Feb. 3.
The Navy will complete the development, test and integration of the Increment 1 weapon onto the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the U.S. Air Force’s Rockwell International B-1B Lance strategic bomber.Even though DARPA has been developing the LRASM as a weapon capable of being launched from the air or vertical missile launch tubes on the service’s ships, the Navy will use it strictly as an air-launched missile, Navy officials told USNI News on Thursday.
“Production of air-launched LRASM is planned to commence in FY 2017 to support employment of an early operational capability to both the Air Force and Navy,” Navy spokesman, Lt. Rob Myers, told USNI News in a statement.
The Pentagon was forced to embark on developing the LRASM as an urgent capability because the existing Harpoon missile does not have the range or survivability to defeat emerging surface threats.
The Navy has not prioritized defeating enemy warships at sea since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The degradation of the Soviet fleet following the end of the Cold War ended the last major peer threat to American naval dominance until the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy began a rapid modernization program in the late 2000s.
Now the Navy is scrambling to counter what it sees as a rising threat.
But LRASM is merely a stopgap for the Navy until it can develop a more comprehensive solution in the form of the OASuW Increment 2—which will be used by aircraft, surface warships and possibly submarines.
In the last few months Navy officials have indicated the service needed to improve the offensive power of its current fleet.
The U.S. administration plans to cancel participation in the Northern Eagle and FRUKUS naval exercises as part of political and economic measures against Russia following the recent events in Ukraine.
Joint exercises and military cooperation are among the expected casualties of a diplomatic fallout between the U.S. and Russia over recent events in Ukraine, U.S. officials say.
The administration will cancel the biannual Northern Eagle exercise, which involves the U.S., Norway and Russia, a military official says to web site Stars and Stripes. A planning conference for the exercise on April 13 is expected to be cancelled.
Northern Eagle, held every two years in the Barents and Norwegian seas, focuses on anti-terror and anti-piracy operations, coordinated maneuvering, joint air defense drills, communications and search and rescue operations. It was first held in 2004 as a bilateral Russian-U.S. exercise but was opened to Norway in 2008.
In Northern Eagle 2012 the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer “USS Farragut”, the Russian Northern Fleet’s destroyer “Admiral Chabaneko” and the Norwegian coast guard vessel “KV Andenes” participated.
Officials are also discussing pulling out of the annual FRUKUS naval exercise between France, Russia, the United Kingdom and U.S. A planning conference for the exercise that is scheduled for April 22-23 can be cancelled, the military source says.
FRUKUS, held last year in France, was created by the four nations in 2003 to improve interoperability. It is the largest international exercise Russia’s Northern Fleet takes part in.
At Defexpo, US Company General Atomics showcased its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). Navy Recognition learned that eventhough the technology would have to be cleared for export by the US congress, General Atomics is activelly seeking to export the system to potential customers such as India, Brazil and even France in the future.
Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) is a complete launch system designed to replace the existing steam catapult currently being used on aircraft carriers. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the first ship of the CVN-21 Future Aircraft Carrier Class, will use electromagnetic launch systems.
Potential Markets During Defexpo 2014, a General Atomics representative explained to Navy Recognition that EMALS would have been fitted on the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, should UK have retained the CATOBAR (catapult) configuration.
The representative explained to us that export markets for EMALS consisted in current and future CATOBAR aircraft carrier users including Brazil, India (the reason for the company's presence at Defexpo) and potentially France in the future. We also learned that General Atomics and DCNS representatives met during Defexpo to discuss possibilities of fitting EMALS onboard DCNS future aircraft carrier designs. Finally, we were told that General Atomics would attend Euronaval 2014, the leading naval defense exhibition which will be held in October 2014 in Paris.
Vice Adm. Robert Thomas, commander, 7th Fleet, flew over Japan with Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 in the Navy’s newest maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon, Jan. 9 and praised the crew for their mission skills and hard work.
The “War Eagles” of VP 16 are making their inaugural deployment with six P-8As in support of 7th Fleet maritime domain awareness efforts in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. According to Thomas, the P-8A deployment brings increased capability to 7th Fleet’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force.
“I am extremely impressed with VP-16 and the P-8A Poseidon’s performance during their inaugural deployment to Seventh Fleet,” Thomas said. “Across every mission set, from anti-submarine warfare to maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), P-8A capability represents a significant improvement over the P-3C, providing the opportunity to detect, track and report on more targets than ever before. This continues to be validated throughout the course of the aircraft’s time here. I had the opportunity to fly with the squadron and witnessed their capabilities firsthand . . . this aircraft is a game changer.”
The P-8A is the most advanced long-range anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare aircraft in the world. A true multi-mission aircraft, it also provides superior maritime ISR capability. Built on the proven Boeing 737 airframe, the transition to P-8A brings with it enhanced safety and reduced maintenance. The P-8A is significantly quieter than the P-3C, requires less maintenance, and provides more on-station time. The P-8A remains fully interoperable with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force’s P-3C force.
The new P-8A Poseidon is part of the Navy’s commitment to the Pacific rebalanced, bringing latest technology to 7th Fleet to ensure the U.S. is best postured to honor its security commitments to regional security and stability.
The United States Navy kept a close eye on the recent sea trials conducted in the South China Sea by the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, according to a report published on US military affairs website Strategy Page.
The Liaoning and its escort group of two Type 051C destroyers, two Type 054A frigates and a supply ship, returned to base on Jan. 1 after 37 days at sea, with state media declaring it a successful sea trial the next day.
The Xinhua news agency said the carrier "attained the anticipated objectives," including testing its combat system and conducting a formation practice. All tests and training programs went well, as scheduled, it said.
The Jan. 7 Strategy Page report claimed that the final month of Liaoning's seal trials were particularly important to the US Navy as the aircraft carrier was operating as part of a task force on the high seas for the first time.
"There were some days of bad weather and how well the Chinese ships performed under these adverse conditions was a good indicator of how effective the Liaoning task force would be in combat," the article said.
To monitor the Liaoning's task force during the sea trials, the US Navy employed aircraft, satellites and submarines, the report claimed, adding that it was also important to observe all activities from the surface using the USS Cowpens, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser which was confronted by the PLA Navy.
On Dec. 5, one of the Liaoning's escort ships cut in front of the USS Cowpens while it was observing the carrier from a distance of 40 kilometers, a move that was condemned by US officials as a "dangerous maneuver."
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On avait parlé en décembre dernier de l'autorisation donnée par le Pentagone pour l'exportation de systèmes de lancement vertical Mk 41 VLS :
http://sco.lt/78krz7
http://sco.lt/5zodIf
L'Arabie Saoudite pourrait en fait envisager l'achat à la fois de LCS modifiées Mk41VLS d'origine US et de FREMM d'origine française comme telle était sa volonté affichée depuis 2010 :
http://www.tacticalreport.com/view_news/Saudi_Navy_LCS_and_FREMM_%E2%80%93_Update_1/1371