DEFENSE NEWS

Bakou. Rachad Suleymanov – APA.  La Russie va démarrer l'année prochaine, la livraison des missiles « Uran-E » qui avaient été ordonnés par l’Azerbaïdjan.

Selon les sources militaires, l’Azerbaïdjan a posté une commande en 2010 à la corporation « Missiles tactiques » de la Russie, sur l’achat de systèmes de missiles « Uran-E » de 75 millions USD. La livraison des systèmes en Azerbaïdjan devrait être terminée jusqu’à 2014.

Rappelons que les sociétés de Turkménistan et Kazakhstan avaient également commandé un des complexes similaires. La somme de la première commande du Turkménistan était de 79,8 millions de dollars, le montant de second ordre de la même - 40 millions de dollars. La livraison pour la commande principale au Turkménistan a pris fin 2012. Faire un second ordre doit être achevé en 2014. Le montant du même ordre au Kazakhstan est de 30 millions de dollars.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Australia, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The MK45 guns used on ships of the Royal Australian Navy are being overhauled by BAE Systems under a five-year contract.

BAE Systems, which did not disclose the value of the award, said it will be the sole source provider of gun in-service support, removal, replacement and overhaul services to the country's navy.

The contract follows the recent overhaul of a naval gun system for a navy ship.

"Our Technical Services team demonstrated its capability by overcoming the challenges the project presented, including major realignment requirements when fitting the gun and loader on HMAS Stuart," said BAE Systems Director of Maritime Bill Saltzer. 'The overhaul of the remaining guns for the ANZAC fleet will be carried out at the BAE Systems shipyard in Williamstown, Victoria and then installation of the guns will be done in conjunction with the ASMD upgrade when the ships are dry berthed at the BAE Systems shipyard in Henderson, WA.

"Accomplishing the gun overhauls concurrently with the ASMD upgrade will ensure these vital assets will not be out of service for any additional length of time.

"It also means the Navy can also be confident that when the ships resume operation they will have both the benefits of the ASMD upgrade and a fully re-conditioned gun with an extended length of service," he said.

ASMD is an acronym for anti-ship missile defense, which includes phased array radar and combat management system upgrades.

The New Zealand MoD has confirmed its preferred tenderers for the Royal New Zealand Navy’s (RNZN) ANZAC Frigate Systems Upgrade project to include MBDA as the provider of Sea Ceptor for the Local Area Air Defence (LAAD) system; subject to the New Zealand (NZ) Government’s final approval to proceed. Sea Ceptor will equip frigates HMNZ Te Kaha and Te Mana with the latest generation naval air defence system capable of protecting not only the host ship but also combined joint allied forces in the vicinity.

Following a meeting in Wellington on 4th October 2013, Mr Des Ashton, the NZ MoD Deputy Secretary of Defence (Acquisition), said: “The primary objective of the ANZAC Frigate Systems Upgrade project is to restore the ship’s combat capability and utility to a comparative level to that of a current generation, new release Combat System. This is required to counter the combined challenges of an increased level of threat sophistication coupled with obsolescence of some of the current systems. We also want to leverage off advances in technology over the past 20 years and incorporate additional functionality and performance through the selection of modern Combat System Elements. The LAAD Sea Ceptor system is a key component of the overall project ensuring that crucial constituents of the RNZN fleet are best equipped to respond to the emerging threats and protect not only the frigates themselves but also high value units in company.”
Commenting on the New Zealand selection of Sea Ceptor, Dr Andrew Murrison MP, UK Minister for International Security Strategy, said: "The UK Government is pleased that the New Zealand Ministry of Defence is pursuing the procurement of Sea Ceptor, the same system that the Royal Navy has procured for their Type 23s and plans to cross deck onto the Type 26 Global Combat Ship. The UK is immensely proud of this product - it is a real example of UK innovation and will form the bedrock of air defence for the Royal Navy for decades to come. This decision by New Zealand further demonstrates the strengthening of our maritime security cooperation."

Steve Wadey, Managing Director MBDA UK, said: “I am delighted that New Zealand has selected Sea Ceptor. The NZ Government’s procurement of Sea Ceptor for the ANZAC FSU project will be the first export success for this highly capable weapon system and proof that MBDA is able to meet such challenging requirements. This success has been supported by the UK Government during discussions with the New Zealand Ministry of Defence, a cooperation that will continue through the life of the project.”
The appeal of Sea Ceptor is creating significant interest in a number of markets around the world and its versatility makes it the ideal choice for the ANZAC upgrade. As an active radar system, Sea Ceptor does not require the dedicated tracker/illuminator radars on which semi-active systems depend. Sea Ceptor deploys the CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) which, due to its soft launch technology, requires no efflux management system. This minimizes the system’s mass and footprint thereby allowing for greater flexibility regarding ship installation positions. CAMM missile canisters are compatible with a wide range of vertical launch systems.
On the 9th September 2013, the United Kingdom’s (UK) Royal Navy contracted with MBDA for the manufacture of the Sea Ceptor system for its frigate fleet. The UK will replace the Seawolf missile system in their Type 23 frigates with Sea Ceptor before migrating it to their new build Type 26 frigates.

The SeaFLIR 280-HD maritime EO/IR (electro-optic/infrared) sensor turret from FLIR Systems Inc. Government Systems has been selected as the basis for the Patrol Boat Electro-Optics System (PB-EOS) for the US Navy and US Coast Guard. On 19 September the US Navy's Surface Warfare Center awarded the company a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract worth USD49.8 million.

The SeaFLIR 280-HD, which made its international debut at the DSEI defence and security exhibition in London on 10 September, is similar in configuration to the airborne Star SAFIRE 380-HDc variant launched at the Paris Air Show in June 2013, but is smaller (a 280 mm gimbal diameter) and lighter (weighing about 25 kg).

Bangalore, Sept 23:  

The Indian Navy has received the first of 17 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers, becoming the third naval operator of the Hawk along with the US Navy and the Royal Navy.

The 17 Hawk aircraft ordered by the Indian Navy form part of a contract for 57 aircraft signed in 2010 of which 40 are for the Indian Air Force.

Among its 18 customers worldwide, India is the largest operator of the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer with 123 aircraft ordered to date, of which over 70 have been delivered to the Indian Air Force. Hawk trainers already in service with the Indian Air Force are performing well.

Adding to the Indian Navy’s fleet of aircraft, the Hawk provides the ideal platform for pilots to transition smoothly to the Navy’s frontline aircraft. Hawk effectively integrates air and ground based elements offering the most efficient and cost-effective method of training pilots.

A J-15 fighter jet completed a series of difficult take-off-and-landing tests on the Liaoning aircraft carrier, state media reported yesterday.

"The tests were complicated. The test items ranged from easy to difficult levels," the Xinhua report said, adding that the practise runs served as a "foundation for the Liaoning to continue with more in-depth training and experiments".

The development of the J-15 is a key step in the PLA Navy's ambitions to build a "blue water" carrier battle group. Two J-15 jets made successful landings on the Liaoning last year.

Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie was quoted on the website of the People's Daily as saying the various J-15 load-outs would aid understanding about the compatibility of the carrier.

Retired People's Liberation Army colonel Yue Gang said real ammunition might be used in the next stage of training.

"More missions can be carried out if the fighter jet can carry more types of weapons on board," he said. "So far, the tests conducted for the aircraft carrier have achieved satisfactory results and the progress is substantial."

Last month, President Xi Jinping observed a training session on the carrier, and called on the military to continue improving its capabilities.

Xi, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, called on the Liaoning's captain and commissar to help build a strong navy.

In 2010, MBDA launched CWSP (Compact Warfare System Package) to provide fast patrol boats and logistics ships with an integrated combat system for both self-defence and the means to secure sensitive coastal zones. In this respect, CWSP’s common architecture has up to now incorporated MBDA’s automated, twin turret Mistral missile SIMBAD-RC air defence system and a twin launcher Marte Mk2/N missile system for the anti-ship role. However, in recognition of the growing complexity of operations in the littoral, MBDA is now offering CWSP with an additional capability, namely that provided by Brimstone to counter agile high speed craft operating in potentially large numbers often in well  co-ordinated formations. These Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC), when operating together, can overwhelm the defences of well armed naval craft equipped with medium calibre gun systems.

In May 2013, MBDA successfully carried out a surface-to-surface, rapid salvo firing of three Brimstone missiles in a trial scenario representing just such a FIAC attack. Each of the missiles hit its intended target. This trial followed on from two previous Brimstone successes against FIAC targets. With its all-weather, fire-and-forget, single button push salvo firing capability, Brimstone is therefore both a logical and significant addition to the capability already offered by CWSP.

Brimstone, in its air launched version, has proven its unerring accuracy during UK RAF combat operations in Libya and Afghanistan. This level of accuracy is now being offered in a surface-to-surface version in which Brimstone is deployed within sealed canisters in a modular launcher (single to six pack configurations are possible) housed on a vessel’s weather deck. In its maritime version, Brimstone’s on-deck footprint is minimal making it suitable for installation on a wide range of craft.

CWSP, which has been self-funded by MBDA, benefits from the company’s extensive experience in air defence C2 systems as well as in air defence and anti-ship guided weapons. This experience has enabled MBDA to offer its customers a turnkey combat system solution providing the high fire power of missiles and guns combined within a modular architecture incorporating radar and EO sensors, user friendly C2 as well as air and surface engagement and mission planning modules.

The UK has signed a contract for the naval MBDA Sea Ceptor air defence missile, UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond announced at DSEI 2013 on 10 September.

In total the order is worth some GBP250 million (USD391.7 million), and will provide a new short-range surface-to-air missile capability for the UK Royal Navy's (RN's) Type 23 frigates, and future Type 26 Global Combat Ships (GCS).

Capable of travelling at speeds of more than 2,000 miles per hour, it will be able to intercept multiple targets and protect an area out to a range of 25 kilometres.

It will complement the longer range Sea Viper system on the Type 45 destroyers, providing the Royal Navy with a full range of missile systems to defeat current and future threats.

Speaking at the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition at London’s ExCeL Centre, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the contract to manufacture Sea Ceptor will sustain around 250 jobs at MBDA sites in Stevenage, Filton and Lostock.

It is also estimated that a further 250 jobs will be secured in companies in the supply chain.

The contract was placed, Hammond stated during his keynote event on the first day of DSEI, after the completion of the assessment phase of the CAMM programme. In January 2012 the UK had announced the launch of a five-year demonstration phase for the Sea Ceptor programme.

The Coalition has backed away from its earlier promise to fast track the acquisition of a Global Hawk/Triton UAV if elected to government on Saturday. In launching the coalition’s defence policy on Monday, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the Coalition would now “consider closely the need for unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles” as part of a new Defence White Paper, a reversal on its previous promise to fast track such an acquisition.

“The acquisition of unmanned aerial vehicles will be dependent on the advice of the Chief of the Defence Force and service chiefs, as well as a clear cost-benefit assessment that demonstrates the value of these aircraft,” the Coalition’s Defence policy document reads.

“We believe there is merit in acquiring new state-of-the-art unmanned aerial vehicles – such as the Triton or equivalent capability. Australia lost its pre-eminent position in the Triton program and delivery schedule because of Labor’s ill thought-out decision in 2009 to delay this program [AIR 7000 Phase 1B] to 2022-23.”

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An Iranian military official said the Navy has set up a project to install an advanced phased array radar system on one of its locally-manufactured destroyers in the near future.“The phased array radar with very long range, dubbed ‘Asr’ (era), is at the test stage and will soon be installed on one of the navy’s destroyers,” Head of the Iranian Navy's Industrial Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization Rear Admiral Ali Gholamzadeh told reporters on Tuesday.Iran is now using the most recent achievements in the sphere of radars and smart systems.

Among the new achievements is a modern radar system dubbed the Rejal (men), which is said to be capable of detecting, tracking and processing nearly 100 targets simultaneously.

Some other domestically-developed systems are the Rafee (lofty) – a modern digital altimeter - and ‘Passive’ radar system, as well as locally-developed phased array radar systems.

New passive phased array radars are capable of detecting stealth targets and cruise missiles.

Iran has, on different occasions, announced that its military might is in line with the country's defense doctrine of deterrence and poses no threat to other countries.

Boeing a annoncé le 28 août que le démonstrateur Advanced Super Hornet avait effectué son premier vol le 5 août dernier, marquant ainsi le début d’une campagne d’essais en vol pour cette version améliorée du F/A-18 Super Hornet.
Entre le 5 et le 27 août, l’avion a effectué 15 vols, soit 25 heures au total, autour de l’usine de Boeing de St Louis mais également autour de la BAN de Patuxent River. Il s’agissait surtout de tester et de valider les performances aérodynamiques de l’avion, destiné à opérer à partir de 2030 dans un environnement « A2/AD » (anti-access/area denied).
Le premier bilan après trois semaines est plutôt positif, selon Boeing, qui communique sur deux aspects principaux : une furtivité accrue et un rayon d’action plus étendu, soit une plus grande survivabilité et une puissance accrue des moteurs. En effet, l’avionneur américain dévoile que la signature radar (nacelle d’emport d’armement comprise) a été réduite de 50% comparée aux caractéristiques du Super Hornet actuellement en service dans l’US Navy. De plus, les réservoirs conformes (Conformal Fuel Tanks - CFT) ont permis un accroissement de 130 nautiques du rayon d’action de combat, sur un rayon d’action de plus de 700 nautiques.

L’Advanced Super Hornet devrait également bénéficier par la suite d’un cockpit de nouvelle génération, ainsi que d’un radar AESA amélioré et d’un système IRST (Infra-Red Search and Track).
Au niveau de l’emport d’armement, le « futur Super Hornet » sera capable d’emporter un peu plus d’une tonne d’armement. Plusieurs combinaisons sont possibles, selon Boeing, qui les présente dans le graphique ci-dessous :
Il s’agit avant tout pour Boeing de proposer un « kit », qui peut tout aussi bien être intégré à des F/A-18 Super Hornet Block II rétrofités ou à un nouvel avion, afin de pouvoir exploiter la flotte au-delà de 2030. Ces modifications pourraient également être incorporées aux EA-18G Growler, ce qui leur permettrait - avec l’ajout des CFT - de conserver les mêmes performances en utilisant moins de carburant. Les prospects à l’étranger ne sont pas oubliés, et notamment au Canada, qui exploite une flotte de CF-18 Hornet (64 selon les données Flightglobal) et qui étudie actuellement des alternatives au F-35 de Lockheed Martin.

Helen Chachaty

MOSCOW, October 22 (RIA Novosti) – Russian aircraft maker MiG has started flight tests of series-produced MiG-29K/KUB carrier-based fighter jets slated for delivery to the Russian Navy, the company said Tuesday.

The Russian Defense Ministry signed a contract with MiG in February 2012 for delivery of 20 MiG-29K single-seat and four MiG-29KUB two-seat carrier-based fighter aircraft.
MiG is expected to deliver the first four aircraft by the end of 2013.The aircraft will operate from Russia's sole serving carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, based in Murmansk with the Northern Fleet.

The Admiral Kuznetsov currently operates Sukhoi Su-33 naval fighter aircraft.

The MiG-29K is a naval variant of the MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jet, and has folding wings, an arrester tail-hook, strengthened airframe and multirole capability thanks to its Zhuk-ME slotted array radar, MiG says. Unlike the Su-33, which is capable of air defense missions only, the MiG-29K can be armed with a wide variety of air-to-surface as well as air-to-air weaponry and laser-designation systems.

The aircraft is also capable of “buddy” refueling other MiG-29Ks using the PAZ-1MK refuelling pod.

So far, the aircraft has only entered service with India, for use on refitted Russian-built carrier INS Vikramaditya, due to be handed over to the Indian Navy on November 15.

BETHPAGE, N.Y., Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The French Navy's E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft are being upgraded with an identification friend-or-foe system from Northrop Grumman.

Included in the upgrade of the three aircraft will be installation of AN/APX-122A IFF Mode 5/Mode S interrogators and AN/APX-123 IFF Mode 5/Mode S transponders.

"Northrop Grumman has had a long and collaborative partnership with the French Navy, extending back to October 1997," said Bart LaGrone, vice president, E-2/C-2 programs, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "Through that partnership, we've observed the proactive and innovative approach the French Navy takes to maintaining relevancy of its E-2 Hawkeye fleet and personnel."

The IFF system, for distinguishing between friendly and enemy aircraft, will increase the French planes' commonality with U.S. Navy E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft and interoperability.

The value of the contract was not disclosed, nor was a contract performance timeline.

The E-2C Hawkeye is manufactured by Northrop Grumman. The French Navy has operated the aircraft since 2000.

WASHINGTON — Raytheon’s years of trying to break Lockheed Martin’s near-stranglehold on the top rung of US Navy radar programs paid off Thursday with the service’s announcement that the electronics giant has won the contract to build a new radar for the Aegis Combat System.

Raytheon beat out Lockheed and Northrop Grumman to build the Air Missile Defense Radar (AMDR), a new dual-band system that will provide the electronic eyes for the Lockheed-produced Aegis system. The AMDR will replace SPY-1D radars in new-construction Aegis ships.

Plans call for the first AMDR ship to be ordered in fiscal 2016. AMDR-fitted Flight III ships will replace Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyers now in production.

Raytheon’s AMDR uses an existing X-band radar horizon search radar and a newly developed S-band integrated air and missile defense radar designed for long-range detection and engagement of advanced threats. The radars are brought together through a radar suite controller (RSC) to integrate, coordinate and manage the system.

The AMDR suite also will be integrated with SPQ-9B radars onboard Flight III destroyers.

Raytheon will receive up to $1.63 billion to develop, test and deliver the AMDR. The initial contract announced Oct. 10 is a $385.7 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract, using $157 million in fiscal 2013 funding already appropriated.

The Navy is asking for $240 million in AMDR research and development funding in the 2014 budget request.

It is not yet clear what effect sequestration budget cuts could have on the Navy’s AMDR plans. Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations, testified to Congress on Sept. 18 that with sequestration, “the new Air and Missile Defense Radar would be delivered on only four ships, as compared to seven under our PB-14 [President’s Budget for FY2014] submission, between 2021 and 2024.”

A key requirement for the AMDR is to be scalable. The version to be fitted on the Flight III destroyers, for example, is to have a diameter of 14 feet, while a larger and more powerful version can be fitted on bigger ships.

Controversy about the AMDR has focused on the basic Burke-class’s ability to supply enough electrical power and have the right stability characteristics to mount the sensors. Precise details of the system’s characteristics remain classified.

This year, Lockheed withstood a challenge from Raytheon and Boeing to take over management of the Aegis system. The Combat System Engineering Agent (CSEA) contract awarded March 4 gave the company — which along with the Navy developed the system starting in the 1970s — management rights over Aegis through May 2018.

As a sub-contractor, Raytheon also produces key components of the Aegis system. The company also makes the Standard surface-to-air missiles that equip all Aegis cruisers and destroyers.

The CSEA contract is part of a series of reforms led by Sean Stackley, the Navy’s top acquisition official, to inject more competition into the service’s business relationships. Strenuous efforts to turn previously proprietary systems like Aegis into open architecture configurations also are a major aspect of that effort.

The AMDR competition was fought by Lockheed, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. Stackley — by all accounts a stern task master — has been routinely upbeat when discussing what he’s seen from the AMDR competition.

The victory by Raytheon impressed at least one Wall Street analyst, who noted a trend after July’s win of the Next Generation Jammer development contract, a key element in the Navy’s airborne electronic attack mission. Raytheon won over BAE, Northrop Grumman and ITT Exelis. BAE is protesting that decision.

The Chilean navy is evaluating a possible procurement of Elbit Systems' Hermes 900 tactical unmanned air vehicle for maritime patrol tasks.

In 2011 Elbit won a contract to supply Hermes 900 systems to the Chilean armed forces, with the nation's air force currently operating three UAVs on strategic reconnaissance missions. One of these is equipped with a maritime search radar. Santiago selected the type after a competition also involving the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron.

A larger system based on Elbit's combat-proven Hermes 450, the Hermes 900 has a maximum take-off weight of 1,100kg (2,420lb), including a payload capacity of up to 300kg. With a 15m (49.2ft) wingspan, the type can be flown to an altitude of more than 30,000ft (9,140m).

From www.meretmarine.com-

Le nouveau canon télé-opéré de Nexter est en cours d’installation sur la seconde frégate multi-missions de la Marine nationale. Actuellement en achèvement à flot sur le site DCNS de Lorient, la Normandie débutera ses essais en mer dans les prochaines semaines. Elle sera la première FREMM à mettre en œuvre le Narwhal, avec deux systèmes logés de part et d’autre du hangar hélicoptère.  

Développé par Nexter avec des briques de technologies éprouvées (tourelle de l'hélicoptère Tigre, affûts manuels marine), ce nouveau système, doté d'un affût de 20mm, est gyrostabilisé et dispose d'une fonction de poursuite automatique couplées à un télémètre laser. Conçu pour la lutte contre les menaces asymétriques, le Narwhal offre, selon Nexter, une grande précision quelque soient les conditions de mer, une puissance de feu bien supérieure à des systèmes de 12.7mm et une capacité de réponse dans la frappe quasi-identique à du calibre 30 ou 40mm. Le Narwhal peut fonctionner en mode totalement automatique, sans servant et sans obligation d'intégration au système de combat du bâtiment porteur (il ne sera d'ailleurs pas couplé au SDC des FREMM). Pour se faire, le système dispose de sa propre conduite de tir et d'un ensemble de caméras jour/nuit (TV/IR)....

Lire l'intégralité de l'article :

http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/le-narwhal-en-cours-dinstallation-sur-la-fremm-normandie

Thales has signed the first contract to provide through-life support for six MRR (Multi-Role Radar) systems aboard Royal Norwegian Navy Skjold-class corvettes. The five-year contract with the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation (NDLO) highlights the company’s excellent relations with its Norwegian customer.

The Royal Norwegian Navy acquired six Thales MRR radars for a fleet of six Skjold-class corvettes delivered between 2010 and 2013. MRR radars provide long-range 3D air and surface surveillance combined with vessel self-defence and threat evaluation capabilities. This is Thales's first support contract for this type of radar.

The contract is tailored to the exact maintenance requirements of the customer and brings NDLO access to the full range of Thales skills and experience in naval defence and radar systems. It is based on a business model that ensures optimal system performance from service entry and throughout the equipment life cycle.

For Thales, this partnership with NDLO sets up the first worldwide reference for this equipment.

According to reports coming out of Russia Media, Mig corporation is all set to start training Indian Mig-29k pilots for aircraft carrier operations onboard Ins Vikramaditya soon, Indian Mig-29k pilots who have been flying from Naval air base INS Hansa in India for past few years have been closely watching Naval Mig-29 operations on board INS Vikramaditya for past few months.

Till now Russian MiG Corporation Test pilots Mikhail Belyaev, Sergei and Andrei Rybnikov Shishov have been carrying out all the required tests on INS Vikramaditya but also have been constantly interacting with Indian Mig-29k pilots on board the INS Vikramaditya giving them a chance to observe Takeoffs and landings from the deck of the ship, flight tests began on 5 August of this year.

Commodore Surendra Ahuja who is overseeing flight operations on board INS Vikramaditya, was in 2007 became first Indian pilot who graduated in United States and was certified for aircraft carrier operations on T-45 Goshawk aircraft. He has already mastered flying the MiG-29k in India and will be among first group of pilots who will carry out operational landings and takeoff from the carrier soon.

Mig-29k has been dubbed by Russian test pilots has “ Modern aircraft” compared to Su-33 operated by Russian navy over Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, Pilots commented that landing a Mig-29k on Ins Vikramaditya is much easier then Su-33 over Bigger Kuznetsov aircraft carrier . On November 15 Ins Virkamaditya will be handed over to Indian Navy formally in Russia.

MBDA and Lockheed Martin demonstrated the first launch of a Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) from Lockheed Martin’s MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) launcher using the host variant of the Extensible Launching System (ExLS).

This is the first test by MBDA and Lockheed Martin since the May 2013 announcement of cooperation between the two companies to offer MBDA missile systems for use with the MK 41 and ExLS family of launchers. The test used MBDA’s soft vertical launch technology to eject the CAMM from its canister and position the missile for main motor ignition. The trial is the first in a series to demonstrate that the CAMM can be installed using ExLS in vessels that use the MK 41 launcher or on the 3-cell stand-alone ExLS CAMM launcher.

Announcing the result of the trial, Paul Mead, Business Development Director for MBDA said, “This first CAMM trial is an example of how MBDA and Lockheed Martin are offering the global MK 41 customer base a real choice in which missile they use. The missile offers a wide range of benefits, not least its active seeker, as well as low impact of installation on-board due to the soft vertical launch method. This is the start of what we hope will be a wider range of MBDA missile systems available to Lockheed Martin vertical launcher users.”

“The multi-missile MK 41 VLS has fundamentally changed the way world navies think about sea-launched weapons by providing the flexibility to respond to numerous threats," said George Barton, vice president of business development of Ship & Aviation Systems for Lockheed Martin's Mission System and Training business. "Our partnership with MBDA allows us to grow the MK 41 multi-missile capability and offer our customers an outstanding VLS launcher alternative.”

Lockheed Martin, in collaboration with MBDA, is developing a 3-cell stand-alone ExLS CAMM launcher for those navies whose ships cannot accommodate the larger MK 41 VLS but desire the superior missile packing density, survivability and reliability that the 8-cell MK 41 launcher has been offering for over 30 years to 13 navies worldwide.

The trial was carried out on the 10th of September near Bedford, England, using a MK 41 launcher outfitted with a host ExLS.

MOSCOW, September 11 (RIA Novosti) – A naval variant of the Pantsir short-range air defense system will enter service with the Russian Navy in about two years, one of the system’s developers said Wednesday.

“The Defense Ministry showed great interest in the naval variant of the Pantsir. It has been decided that several destroyers and other large warships will be modernized to accommodate the system,” said Dmitry Konoplev, managing director of the KBP Instrument Design Bureau.

“I think that it will be done in the near future, in the next year or two,” Konoplev said.

The ground version of the Pantsir is a combined gun-missile air defense system featuring a wheeled vehicle mounting a fire-control radar and electro-optical sensor, two 30-mm cannons and up to a dozen 57E6 radio-command-guided short-range missiles.

The system is designed to take on a variety of targets flying at low level, including cruise missiles and aircraft, and can effectively engage targets at up to 20 kilometers.

A maneuverable track-bearing variant is currently being developed by Russia’s High Precision Weapons corporation, to be put in service with the Russian Ground Forces and Airborne Troops in the near future.

Meanwhile, the High Precision Weapons corporation has started work on the development of a next-generation Pantsir system, expected to be completed in 2017.

“I think we will see a completely new Pantsir in about three years. Its technical characteristics will be absolutely superior to those that the existing system has,” the company’s general director, Alexander Denisov, told RIA Novosti.

09/04/2013

(Infodefensa.com) Madrid - Spain for the first time will use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Somalia , Canarian waters after completing integration testing helicopter Skeldar V-200 of Saab on board maritime action Lightning .

The Spanish Navy reported that it is expected that since mid-September this unmanned aerial system becomes operational in Atalanta , fighting piracy in the Indian Ocean, aboard the ship Meteoro , patrol in the same class as the Relámpago .

"Thus, we conclude one of the milestones included in the first phase of the recruitment of unmanned aerial systems in the Navy," said Defense. According ahead Infodefensa.com , the Navy awarded the use of the UAV program embarked Swedish company Saab last June 26 by a negotiated procedure without publication. The resolution for the award, which involves your rent until the end of the year, noted that the total amount was 2.5 million euros. ( see news )

With the experience gained in the use of these systems during these tests and area of operations, the Navy plans to begin the second phase of the recruitment through the acquisition of ownership of a specific model of unmanned helicopter.

The U.S. Navy is working with NATO allies and other countries to develop a next-generation ship-based Sea Sparrow missile engineered with an improved, high-tech guidance system, service and industry officials explained.

The Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile Block 2, or ESSM, is a new version of an existing Sea Sparrow currently protecting aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers, and other vessels against anti-ship missiles and other short-range threats to ships, Navy officials said.

Navy officials have upgraded the missile to counter threats expected in the 2020s, said Lt. Kurt Larson, a Navy spokesman. These threats include short to medium range missiles, small fast-boat attack, enemy unmanned aerial vehicles as well as air-launched munitions.

The ESSM Block 2 will be designed to be compatible with existing systems and replace the baseline ESSM weapon on many platforms, Larson added.

The Block 2 is engineered with what’s called a semi-active, active guidance system, meaning the missile itself can achieve improved flight or guidance to its target by both receiving and actively sending electromagnetic signals, said Daniel M. Lambert, an official with Raytheon missile systems.

The ESSM baseline missile uses radar technology to locate and then intercept a fast-approaching target while in flight using what’s called a “shipboard illuminator,” Lambert explained.

“The illuminator is an RF signal that bounces off the target. The antenna in the nose in the guidance section [of the missile] sees the reflected energy and then corrects to intercept that reflective energy,” said Lambert.

The current ESSM missiles use what’s called a semi-active guidance system, meaning the missile itself can receive electromagnetic signals bounced off the target by the shipboard illuminator. The ESSM Block 2’s active, semi-active guidance includes illuminator technology built onto the round itself such that it can both receive and send important electromagnetic signals, Lambert explained.
ESSM Block 2 can use shipboard illumination or its own active seeker, he added.

The missile will be designed to intercept threats fired in bad weather as well as what’s called the “high-diver” threat from an enemy aircraft and “sea-skimmer” threat wherein an incoming projectile flies close to the water, said Lambert.

The ESSM Block 2 program is a NATO cooperative development effort for which the U.S. share is 40% of the total development cost, Larson explained.

The most recent ESSM Block 2 development contract was issued by the Navy to Raytheon Missile Systems on Dec. 27, 2012.
“The contract has a period of performance from the award date through the Milestone B decision leading to Engineering and Manufacturing Development,” Larson added.

Australia, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the United States are all currently reviewing an ESSM Block 2 Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, designed to solidify the developmental path for the missile system through it next phase, Larson said.