The U.S. Navy is pursuing a massive, fleet-wide upgrade of its shipboard defensive weapon designed to intercept and destroy approaching or nearby threats, the Phalanx Close in Weapons System, service officials said.
The Phalanx, or CIWS, is an area weapon engineered to use a high rate of fire and ammunition to blanket a given area, thus destroying or knocking threats out of the sky before they reach a ship. The Phalanx CIWS, which can fire up to 4,500 rounds per minute, has been protecting ship platforms for decades.
The weapon is currently on Navy cruisers, destroyers, aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, among other vessels. The upgrades are designed to substantially increase capability and ensure that the system remains viable in the face of a fast-changing and increasingly complex threat environment, Navy officials said.
The overhaul includes numerous upgrades to the weapon itself, converting the existing systems into what’s called the Phalanx 1B configuration. At the same time, the CIWS overhaul includes the development and integration of a new, next-generation radar for the system called the CIWS Phalanx Block IB Baseline 2, Navy officials explained.
The Navy is currently installing both Phalanx CIWS upgrades on ships. The plan is to have an all CIWS Phalanx Block IB fleet by fiscal year 2015 and an all CIWS Phalanx Block IB Baseline 2 fleet by fiscal year 2019, said Navy spokesman Lt. Kurt Larson.
An upgrade and conversion of an older CIWS Phalanx configuration to Phalanx Block IB averages around $4.5 million per unit and a Block IB Baseline 2 radar upgrade kit averages $931,000 per unit, Larson said.
The Phalanx Block IB configuration incorporates a stabilized Forward-Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) sensor, an automatic acquisition video tracker, optimized gun barrels (OGB) and the Enhanced Lethality Cartridges (ELC), Larson said.
“Block IB provides ships the additional capability for defense against asymmetric threats such as small, high speed, maneuvering surface craft, slow-flying fixed and rotary-winged aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles,” Larson said. “The [forward-looking infrared sensor] also improves performance against anti-ship cruise missiles by providing more accurate angle tracking information to the fire control computer.”
The OGB/ELC combine to provide tighter dispersion and increased first hit range, he added.
“The Phalanx 1B fires Mk 244 ammunition, the Enhanced Lethality Cartridge specifically designed to penetrate anti-ship cruise missiles,” said Al Steichen, Business Development, Raytheon Naval and Area Mission Defense.
The Mk 244 ammunition is engineered with a 48 percent heavier tungsten penetrator and an aluminum nose piece, according to information from General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.
The Phalanx Block IB Baseline 2 radar upgrade is a new digital radar that provides improved detection performance, increased reliability and reduction in sailor man-hours for system maintenance, Larson said.
“It mitigates obsolete components inherent in the existing analog radar by introducing COTS-based signal processing coupled with a new signal source and mixer,” he said.
The Baseline 2 radar also provides the Phalanx CIWS with “surface mode,” meaning it adds the ability to track, detect and then destroy threats closer to the surface of the water compared with previous models of the weapon, Steichen explained.
“It now gives the warfighter the ability to address surface threats which we have not had before,” he said.
In practice, this means the Phalanx equipped with Baseline 2 radar will have an increased ability to defend against fast-attack boats and low-flying missiles, projectiles and aircraft.
Two F-35B Lightning II jets (BF-01 and BF-05) touched down aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) Monday, August. 12th, kicking off a week of Development Testing II (DT-II) where Wasp Sailors and Integrated Test Force (ITF) team members are testing and further validating the F-35B.
DT-II is the second of three test phases encompassing numerous milestone events including the first night operation at sea as well as the first launch and recovery of the F-35B at sea by a U.K. test pilot. The goal of this testing is to further define F-35B operating parameters aboard amphibious ships such as Wasp.
The F-35 Lightning II is the next generation strike aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force, as well as eight international partners. The jet combines advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Wasp is testing the F-35B, which has short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) capability, enabling it to operate from a wider range of ships and in support of expeditionary operations.
"It's a significant milestone for the F-35 program," said Capt. Erik Etz, Director, Test & Evaluation F-35 Naval Variants. "We're providing an envelope that will be utilized by Marine Corps and U.K. aviators when they go out and employ the aircraft in a real environment. The ability to operate at night is critical and so certainly the testing we're doing here will provide a significant amount of data so we can clear the envelope and clear the aircraft to operate day and night, when the Marine Corps takes the F-35B to initial operating capability in 2015."
Wasp and the ITF completed a major milestone when Lt. Col. C. R. Clift launched from the flight deck and landed safely, marking the first successful night launch and recovery of the F-35B at sea.
The pilots were pleased with the progress that the first night landings at sea represent. "It all went extremely well," said Clift. "Throughout the night we conducted eight successful launches and landings, so we're on target and quickly gaining experience with F-35B night operations at sea."
Launch and recoveries filled the first, second and third days at sea creating smooth, synchronized daytime operations. Wasp flight deck crew members were trained in advance of DT-II to prepare them for F-35B operations at sea, ensuring all those involved were ready to support DT-II.
"The crew itself has spent quite a bit of time up at PatuxentRiver working with the F-35B understanding how the aircraft operates," said Capt. Brian Teets, Wasp's commanding officer. "What we've been able to bring is a consistent platform to the F-35B to support their testing. It's the same ship with the same capabilities, providing consistency and stability as a reliable test platform. Employing a consistent test platform allows the team to find ways to optimize this new aircraft in the Marine Air Combat Element."
U.K. Squadron Leader Jim Schofield, a Royal Air Force pilot became the first international pilot to conduct sea-based launch and landing in the F-35B.
"It's exciting to see the integration of this new plane with the amphibious assault ships," said Schofield. "After a year leading up to this evolution, it's awesome to get here and start. And the crew has been especially accommodating and efficient at running these tests smoothly."
The historical milestones were not lost on Wasp crew members, but for most it was "business as usual", focusing on safety and effectiveness during flight operations at sea. Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 1st Class Ashley Geary gave the signal to launch BF-05 for the first night flight operations.
"It was fun knowing we're making history," said Geary. "We worked with the test team at PatuxentRiver for a week, learning about the F-35B and its operations. They took our suggestions on flight deck procedures, ensuring we were one team working together towards a successful mission. The launch went well, without a hitch."
The F-35 Lightning II is scheduled to replace 13 different legacy aircraft in the current U.S. defense inventory. Sea trials for the Navy's F-35C aircraft carrier variant are scheduled at the end of 2014.
The Navy’s MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter wrapped up its Afghanistan mission earlier this month after more than 5,000 flight hours, the program’s top officer said Tuesday at an unmanned-vehicle symposium.
The three MQ-8Bs have been “packed up and shipped out of [Regional Command-North] on their way home,” said Fire Scout program manager Capt. Patrick Smith, in remarks during the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s Unmanned Systems 2013 conference. It was the first land-based deployment for the aircraft in U.S. Central Command, and it spanned 28 months.
While deployed, the unmanned helicopters supplied real-time video to ground-based units, assisted in efforts to root out improvised explosive devices and offered other surveillance services to U.S. and coalition forces, according to a news release from its manufacturer, Northrop Grumman. Northrop contractors deployed with the system, providing maintenance and serving as operators, Smith said.
Next up for the Fire Scout:
■ Continued deployments aboard frigates similar to the one ongoing aboard the Samuel B. Roberts — where four MQ-8Bs recently set a new benchmark with 333 flight hours in a month. The Navy announced the news Aug. 6, while the frigate was in the Mediterranean Sea.
■ Improvements to the aircraft’s radar capability with a Telephonics AN/ZPY-4 radar system — a lightweight design that will expand “area of surveillance capability,” Smith said, helping operators “put eyes on targets faster, and also to determine which targets they’d like to see presented first.” Twelve of the systems, including three spares, reportedly will be delivered by December 2014.
■ More time on littoral combat ships of both types. It’ll go out to sea with the Fort Worth, a Freedom-class variant, in November, Smith said, and will be on the Freedom as part of “integration with additional ships” in 2014. He said he’s also “tracking to get onboard LCS 2 [Independence] or LCS 4 [Coronado] in 2014.”
Of the 30 MQ-8Bs ordered, including those for testing, Smith said he expects 24 to be used in support of LCS operations.
Bigger brother
Smith also addressed the development of the MQ-8C, which is 10 feet longer than the B variant’s 31.7 feet, can fly 30 knots faster (140 vs. 110) and has a 400-pound edge in internal payload (1,000 vs. 600).
It can also stay in the air 14 hours — three more than the B variant. That will allow 24 hours of coverage, what Smith called a “full orbit.” The B variant completed 17-to-18-hour “fly days” during recent action aboard the frigate Bradley, Smith said.
Tests are ongoing with the fleet’s lone MQ-8C at Point Mugu, Calif., Smith said. Flights could begin in October, with initial at-sea test aboard the destroyer Jason Dunham in 2014, he said.
Between the variants, Smith said, the Navy plans to buy 96 Fire Scouts.
Raytheon Co has to stop work on the next-generation electronic jamming system, having received an order from the U.S. Navy to do so, according to Reuters.
Raytheon was awarded the electronic jamming system contract on July 8th, but BAE Systems formally objected the award.
The next generation jammer is a program aimed to develop an airborne electronic warfare system, as a replacement for the AN/ALQ-99 found on the EA-18G military aircraft.
The AN/ALQ-99 is currently mounted on EA-6B Prowler and EA-18G Growler aircraft of the U.S. Navy and, in the case of the EA-6B Prowler only, U.S. Marine Corps.
Two weeks ago, BAE Systems protested against the USD 279 million jamming system contract assigned to Raytheon questioning the award process.
The Navy issued a stop-work order on the contract on July 18th after the protest, Navy spokeswoman Captain Cate Mueller said.
Nevertheless, she did not provide any further details on BAE’s claims.
The U.S. Navy recently completed four successful tests of its new 155mm AGS (Advanced Gun System) cannon. The LRLAP (Long Range Land Attack Projectile) GPS guided shell performed as expected and was fired out to 83 kilometers. It was only two years ago, after six years of development, that the first successful test firing of the 155mm AGS took place. The navy would like to replace existing 127mm guns on some warships with the AGS, if only because the 127mm gun has a much shorter range (24 kilometers) and uses only unguided ammo.
Designed for use on the new DDG 1000 ("Zumwalt") destroyers, the AGS fires GPS guided shells up to 190 kilometers. So far test firing has only been to about half the planned range. The GPS guidance enables the shells to land inside a 50 meter (155 foot) circle. The AGS shells carry 11 kg (24 pounds) of explosives. The AGS uses a water cooled barrel, so that it can fire ten rounds a minute for extended periods. Each AGS carries 335 rounds of ammo, which is loaded and fired automatically. The AGS shell was originally supposed to enter service in 2015. That has now been delayed at least three years.
The U.S. Army has a similar round, the Excalibur, which entered service six years ago. Excalibur has a max range of 50 kilometers and will land within a 20 meter (62 foot) circle. In practice, Excalibur will land within a few meters of where it's aimed. Each Excalibur shell carries 9 kg (20 pounds) of explosives. The AGS shell has a longer range because it is fired from a longer barrel using a more powerful propellant charge. AGS rounds are also capable of the same accuracy as Excalibur, but it depends on the quality of the GPS signal in the area.
The new AGS round replaced an earlier project, that ended in 2005, after twelve years of effort, and two billion dollars, to develop a GPS guided round for a five inch (127mm) naval gun. This ERGM (extended range guided munition) system never worked reliably. So the navy went looking for another solution. Taking note of the success of the 155mm Excalibur, the navy ended up using that technology for its AGS. The navy wanted to use AGS on new warship designs, in order to get more effectiveness out of the limited amount of ammo a ship can carry. Accuracy is the key. A "dumb" (unguided) artillery shell will land with 75 meters (or more, depending on range) of the aiming point, while the laser guided Copperhead (an older army 155mm design that was too expensive) would land within a meter or two. GPS guided shells will land within 3-25 meters of the aiming point.
Excalibur has proved very popular with army troops, but with so many other guided weapons available (especially the 227mm GPS guided rocket), not many are used. In Afghanistan 5-10 Excalibur shells are fired a week. For this reason, AGS may never be heavily used for supporting troops ashore. Adding a terminal guidance system to the AGS shell would make it suitable to attacking other ships. Some naval officers have urged the adoption of the army 227mm MLRS rocket but there’s too much support for AGS for that to happen, at least not yet. Meanwhile, Italy has put into service a GPS guided 127mm shell (Volcano) that has a 100 kilometer range and works. The Italian 127/64mm gun is a bit longer than the U.S. 127mm/54mm models, but that would not reduce range of the rocket assisted Volcano shell by much. While there is resistance to buying foreign weapons for U.S. ships, there have been several exceptions in the past few decades and Volcano may be another one. The AGS is really too big and power hungry to fit on existing American destroyers and cruisers.
The Excalibur technology could be adapted for use on the 127mm gun most American destroyers carry, as could an even cheaper (and less accurate) technology that uses a larger fuze (the device that is screwed into the front of the shell to handle detonation) containing the GPS receiver and some movable fins to guide the shell. But the navy guided shell effort has burned up so much cash, and failed so many times, that growing budget cuts may just cause the effort to be halted, for now. Or at least until the Chinese reveal they are working on a similar shell for their warships.
Chilean Navy Aviation is reviewing the possibility of acquiring several light maritime patrol aircraft from Indra. The new aircraft would replace the Navy's aging Cessna O-2As, which are being withdrawn from service after nearly two decades of use.
Based on Tecnam's P2006T, the MPI aircraft would be used to patrol the Chilean coastline along its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ. The MPI is equipped with a SELEX Galileo Seaspray 5000E Synthetic Aperture radar and electron scanner, which also has electro-optical night vision.
The radar range allows for observation up to 5,000 square miles, and depending on the mission, the aircraft can stay in flight for 3.5-4.5 hours patrolling an area 150 miles offshore.
Although the Chilean Navy is interested in acquiring up to eight MPI aircraft, an initial procurement may only involve three or four.
The Navy announced July 2 that it successfully conducted four Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) guided flight tests at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.
All four missions accurately guided the projectile to the target approximately 45 nautical miles from the launch site. These flights, conducted in June, demonstrated; successful gun launch, GPS acquisition, navigation and guidance, height of burst fuzzing, accuracy and warhead function.
“This test not only successfully demonstrated the LRLAP capability, which is pretty substantial with respect to accuracy, but also built on the successes of previous tests toward the demonstration of a reliable gun-launch land attack projectile,” said Capt. Mike Ladner, Navy Surface Ship Weapons, major program manager, Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS).
LRLAP is a 155mm rocket-assisted guided projectile designed to support land-attack and naval surface fire support operations in conjunction with the Advanced Gun System (AGS) on DDG 1000-class destroyers. Live-fire testing is part of land-based flight qualification during the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase.
“We couldn’t have asked for a more successful day,” said Ladner. “This is going to be a great capability for the fleet. We’re looking forward to completing the qualification and working to integrate this capability aboard the DDG 1000.”
PEO IWS is an affiliated Program Executive Office of the Naval Sea Systems Command, which manages surface ship and submarine combat technologies and systems, and coordinates Navy Open Architecture across ship platforms.
La munition Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP), mise en oeuvre par l'AGS, guidée par GPS, est développée conjointement par Raytheon et Lockheed Martin.
L'AGS est un système d'artillerie de 155 mm monté sur une tourelle stabilisée. Il a été spécifié pour fournir un appui-feu terrestre transhorizon aux forces de débarquement (portée estimée 160 km).
Ce système d'armes va équiper les DDG-1000 type Zumwalt en construction actuellement
The German Ministry of Defence (MoD) has contracted Selex ES to develop and deliver Titan 385ES-HD enhanced stability high-definition turrets in support of the German Navy (Deutsche Marine) Sea Lynx Mk88A helicopters.
Under the €5m contract, Selex will deliver the turrets for installation onboard Sea Lynx Mk88A helicopters to enhance surveillance capabilities at night and in poor visibility conditions for German Navy pilots.
Selex ES Optronics & Communication Systems marketing vice-president Mark Byfield said: "The stabilised, high-definition image that the Titan provides can really give crews an edge when it comes to situational awareness."
Combining high-performance sensors into a single line replaceable unit (LRU) solution, the Titan 385ES multi-sensor turret system is designed to meet current operational airborne observation, surveillance and reconnaissance requirements.
The turret payload comprises a cooled, high-definition thermal imaging camera, in addition to cameras for uncooled thermal imaging camera and low-level light.
Fitted with an embedded auto-tracker, Titan 385ES is capable of operating on any of the imaging sensor channels, and can provide forward-looking IR capabilities for the Lynx helicopter.
The German Navy is currently upgrading seven Lynx Mk88A helicopters to naval Super Lynx, which are capable of conducting anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, search-and-rescue and utility operations.
Each helicopter features an L-3 Communications AN/AQS-18 active dipping sonar, Sea Skua all-weather anti-ship missile, and Seaspray Mark 3000 alongside accommodating a range of depth charges.
Selex is scheduled to deliver the first 385ES-HD turret to the navy later this year.
- Platform : The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has ordered the Titan 385 for its C-130K Hercules C.1 airlifters. Titan 385ES has been Ordered for RAF Chinook HC.2 and Merlin HC.3 helicopters, Malaysian Navy Super Lynx 300 and German Navy Super Lynx helicopters. Titan 385ES-HD has been selected for the RAF Chinook upgrade under Project Julius in November 2009. - Payload weight : 48kg (System Controller additional 3kg) - Dimensions : 385 mm diameter - Field of view :
Thermal Camera on Titan 385ES :
Narrow FoV: 3.6° × 2.8° (on 640 × 512 FPA) Wide FoV: 18° × 14.4° (on 640 × 512 FPA); Colour TV camera Titan 385ES and 385ES-HD: 18° to 0.9° (automatched to thermal camera field of view) - Range :
Thermal camera Spectral range for 385ES and 38ES-HD 3 to 5 μm Low Light TV camera Spectral Range for 385ES and 38ES-HD 450 to 1,100 nm - Stabilisation applications : three-axis gyro-stabilized
RUAG Aviation has delivered the first Dornier 228 New Generation aircraft to the Bangladesh navy. The second unit is scheduled to be delivered at the end of this month.
Bangladesh's Dornier 228 NG aircraft will be used for maritime air patrols and rescue missions along that nation's extensive coastline. The aircraft has been fitted with a 360° Telephonics RDR-1700B surveillance radar and operator console as well as HF, VHF/UHF and VHF FM radios. Additionally, the aircraft are equipped with a search-and-rescue (SAR) radio direction finder, six observer seats and two bubble windows.
Since the OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel) L´Adroit was officially made available to the French Navy in October 2011, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) was able to prove its highly efficient maritime capability repeatedly.
The Gowind Class L’Adroit, build by DCNS, has been designed to operate, amongst other capabilities, a UAS, and by installing the appropriate cabling and supporting equipment during build, has been fitted out to operate the maritime proven CAMCOPTER® S-100 from day one. The French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) purchased a S-100 and qualified its integration aboard L’Adroit in the frame of an experimentation ordered by the French Navy.
At the moment the French Navy is the only European Navy capable of operating a UAS VTOL from a surface ship. Embarked on board the OPV L’Adroit, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 has been operating in the Indian Ocean and Asia. Thanks to S-100, the French Navy has been able to evaluate the contribution of UAS during missions assigned to L’Adroit (preventing illegal practices at sea like terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal fishing and illegal immigration, ensuring maritime safety). Over 120 flight hours and 190 take-offs were conducted since the beginning of 2012, with much more to come in the next two years.
The tight integration achieved by DCNS between the ship and the S-100 provides highquality information, alerts and decision aids at any time. This project is unique in Europe and helps the French Navy to understand the movements and actions by potential threats at sea, expanding the area of influence and providing high-definition observation and surveillance in real-time.
Schiebel has taken the experience and knowledge gained from this exciting opportunity of operating the CAMCOPTER®S-100 from OPV L’Adroit, and is now working with world class sensor manufacturers to integrate maritime radar, Electronic Support Measures (ESM) and EO/IR sensors into the S-100 system. This will for the first time, provide maritime commanders with an organic, persistent, ISR capability unparalleled for a UAS in this class.
According to the updated plans for protecting Israel’s offshore gas rigs, the Israeli Navy will equip the rigs with Barak missiles for defense against Yakhont missiles. The gas rigs are located at a distance of nearly 80 miles from the coasts of Israel, and near the coasts of Lebanon. The plans additionally include the acquisition of four new missile boats, as well as naval observation and collection measures, including UAVs. The use of the Barak missiles is intended to solve the severe problem troubling the Israeli Navy – the Russian missile Yakhont that Russia sold to Syria and which according to assessments will also be transferred to Hezbollah (if it has not been transferred already). In the past year, the supply of the missile to Syria has become a done deal. The Yakhont can hit naval vessels at a distance of up to 300 kilometers with considerable precision, and it is equipped with a warhead containing 200 kilograms of explosives. The missile flies towards its target at a speed twice the speed of sound. The Yakhont’s characteristics make its interception very difficult: at a distance of several kilometers from the attacked target, the “sea-skimming” missile descends to a cruise altitude of roughly ten meters above sea level, making it difficult for radars to detect it. The Yakhont’s homing head is build so that it is very difficult for electro-optic defense systems to get a lock on it while in flight. The Israeli Navy presently possesses the Barak-1 missile, jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael a decade ago. The intent is to equip the rigs with Barak-8 missiles, which are in advanced development stages at IAI. The system is intended to protect not only the rig or the vessel carrying the missiles, but also fleets of vessels sailing together in a given expanse. The objective is to supply comprehensive perimeter defense to the entire navy, with command and control (C2) systems receiving data from the radar systems of the different vessels and integrating them to create a shared combat and threat picture. The Barak-8 system includes an advanced C2 center, developed by IAI’s Mabat Missiles factory. The system integrates mission management towards managing an individual fire system or managing fire from several units in parallel. The Barak-8 has a radar system that presents a 360-degree hemispheric picture, above the vessel or the vessel layout. It has a high resolution and can detect missiles with a very low radar cross section area. The system is also suitable for countering naval “seaskimming” cruise missiles, as well as threats to aircraft or helicopters.
The Barak-8 missile is single-staged: the missile has fixed stabilizers in its lower section and driving surfaces in its bow. The interceptors are stabilized with carrying and launch containers, which are fixed vertically below the deck of the missile boats. Once a target is received, the missile is launched vertically and immediately transitions to horizontal flight in order to hit and destroy the target, while receiving indications and data from the vessel’s guidance system. Once the target is within range of its self-detection systems, it locks on it and destroys it. The interceptor possesses advanced homing capabilities, suitable for intercepting aircraft and missiles flying at a low altitude above the water, in all weather conditions. The Barak missile family also includes an surface-to-air variant for protecting against aircraft. IAI has thus far sold the system to foreign countries (primarily to India) at billions of dollars, and it is anticipated that additional sales in the scope of billions will take place.
The Indian Navy is set to receive the first four of its order of 17 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) aircraft in next month.
The aircraft, manufactured under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will be delivered to INS Dega at Visakhapatnam and will eventually take over the role of the eight Kiran Mk II training aircraft operated by the Indian Navy at INS Hansa at Goa.
These aircraft are part of a batch of 57 Hawks ordered jointly by the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF) for around 700 million pounds.
The second of eight Boeing P-8I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft will also be delivered to the Indian Navy’s base INS Rajali next month. The first aircraft was delivered last month.
The IAF also plans to acquire an additional 20 aircraft for their Surya Kiran aerobatic team.
The delivery of a 2004 IAF order of 66 Hawk aircraft to the IAF was completed last year, with 42 being license-produced by HAL.
A Kiran Mk II of the Indian Navy’s Sagar Pawan aerobatic team crashed at Hyderabad during the Indian Aviation 2010 air show on in March, 2010, killing both crew members.
The first ten of the IAF order for 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mk II aircraft in an order worth around USD 600 million, were delivered last month, which will replace the indigenous HAL HPT-32 basic trainer aircraft, grounded last year following a number of crashes.
The U.S. Navy has identified “several specific initiatives on the flight deck” of landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships the service says the vessels will need to accommodate the F-35.
Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations, acknowledged Wasp-class ship modifications have been designed for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) vertical lift-and-takeoff variants.
“We did some mods on the Wasp,” Greenert said at a media briefing during the International Maritime and Defense Exhibition (Imdex) Asia 2013 in Singapore.
Navy officials say the modifications “are intended to offset the increased stresses associated with JSF exhaust. The exhaust patterns and flight characteristics of the F-35 required the shielding, relocation and removal of vulnerable systems that could sustain damage during flight operations, such as antennas, life rafts, life rails, safety nets and JP-5 fuel stations.”
Additionally, the Navy says, “The unique heat signature of the F-35 has required reinforcement of the flight deck to alleviate stresses from the heat of the jet, as well as modifying the flight deck coating to reduce erosion caused by jet exhaust associated with increased thrust. Specific system modifications that are unique to F-35 will also require the installation of new voltage regulators and rectifiers. Expanded mission capabilities of the F-35 have also required enhanced munitions throughput and systems capabilities to facilitate increased ordnance delivery and aircraft associated support equipment.”
Some of the detailed modifications include relocating or shielding features such as the Phalanx close-in-weapon system and Rolling Airframe Missile and NATO Sea Sparrow missile launchers, and protecting fueling stations.
The WSC-8 satcoms antenna will also be moved, and the aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) system is being expanded.
The changes confirm that Lockheed Martin and the Marine Corps issued erroneous statements in early 2010 regarding the environmental effects of the F-35B’s exhaust. At that time, a company spokesman said that “extensive tests” had shown that “the difference between F-35B main-engine exhaust temperature and that of the AV-8B is very small, and is not anticipated to require any significant CONOPS changes for F-35B.”
The Navy has not disclosed how long it will take to implement the modifications across the LHD/LHA fleet. The F-35 program schedule calls for the first Marine F-35B unit, VMFA-121, to be ready for a “contingency deployment” by late 2015. However, there is no firm date for a second squadron.
The mission for VFA-121 and other early F-35B units is uncertain. Out of the weapons cleared in the Block2B/3I software standard, only the laser-guided bomb is considered useful for close air support (CAS), which is the primary mission of embarked AV-8Bs, and none of the 2B weapons are suitable for use against quickly moving targets or for a situation in which the risk of collateral damage is high. (The centerline gun pod is not included in 2B/3I.)
The F-35B lacks the Rover (remote video receiver) technology, developed since the requirement for the aircraft was written. Rover has been defined as minimum essential equipment for CAS in some theaters; according to some military sources, the Marines have explored the idea of adding a Rover-equipped external targeting pod to the F-35B until an internal solution is available.
At the same time, the Navy has slowed its planned F-35B/C production rate by 20%, according to the latest Pentagon Selected Acquisition Report, resulting in a longer planned lifetime for the AV-8B. According to a Boeing briefing last week, “a majority” of the 134-strong Marine Corps Harrier force will be in service in 2027, and the type will not be retired before 2030. Radar and other upgrades are being studied to keep the aircraft combat-worthy and avoid obsolescence.
Indian MoD has decided to expand the number of aircraft requested under its medium-range maritime reconnaissance (MRMR) requirement as well as mandating Indian-sourced content on the contract. New Delhi released the long-awaited request for proposals (RFP) for the patrol aircraft on 8 August. Originally anticipated in mid-2012, the reasons for the delay are unclear. Additionally, the original solicitation to manufacturers called for six aircraft, which has since increased to nine.
The MRMR aircraft will be operated by the Indian navy. Aside from the aircraft, says a source familiar with the requirement, the RFP calls for weapons, defense countermeasures, spares, test equipment, ground support equipment, and training. Although the aircraft will not be required to perform anti-submarine warfare (ASW) tasks, New Delhi appears to be placing a significant emphasis on the platform's electronic warfare capabilities. India is also asking for several locally-produced mission systems to be integrated.According to Indian media reports, the RFP was sent to eight contractors: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Airbus Military, Dassault, Saab, Bombardier, Embraer and ATR.
At TADTE 2013, the Chung-Shan institute of science and technology of the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence unveiled a new short-range automated defense weapon system for naval use called XTR-101.
The new naval turret is armed with one T-75 20mm gun and includes day/night sight mounted on right side of the system.
This short-range automated defense weapon system features precision, maneuverability and fire power. The whole system includes optical imagery identification, target tracking, fire control, fire concentration and accurate servo motors to ensure the system ability of providing “fast, fierce, aggressive precision" fire power and the efficiency of decreasing casualty.
The XTR-101 turret can rotated on 360 ° at a maximum speed of 60 ° per second with an elevation from -15° to 85°.
The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a $617 million contract for five full-rate production Lot 1 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. "Moving from low-rate production into full-rate production is a significant milestone for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye program," said Bart LaGrone, vice president, E-2/C-2 programs, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "We look forward to manufacturing and delivering a mature and effective airborne early warning, battle management, command and control system."
"Attaining E-2D full-rate production is the culmination of years of hard work," said Capt. John S. Lemmon, program manager, E-2/C-2 Airborne Tactical Data System Program Office (PMA-231). "The E-2D team continues to work together with one vision and goal – deliver a solid product to the fleet." On Aug. 3, 2007, the first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye took to the skies over St. Augustine, Fla. Since then, Northrop Grumman has delivered 10 new production E-2Ds to the U.S. Navy, on cost and on schedule. An additional 10 aircraft are in various stages of manufacturing and predelivery flight testing at the company's St. Augustine Aircraft Integration Center. Initial operational capability with the Navy remains on track for 2015.
The E-2D program continues to find ways to reduce costs and provide best value to the customer through improving aircraft delivery processes, standardizing repair methods and looking for opportunities to improve spares timing to increase the overall program affordability. "We've got the right people and processes in place to make a seamless transition into full-rate production," LaGrone said. "With the Navy's E-2D program of record at 75 aircraft, full-rate production enables the production of the remaining 55 aircraft over the next 10 years and provides the opportunity for a cost-effective, multiyear procurement."
The Barak 8 medium range missile is designed to intercept airborne threats, including enemy aircraft, UAVs, anti-ship missiles and cruise missiles • System could be operational on Saar 5 missile boats within the coming months.
Israel's Navy has begun installing a new defense system on its missile boats which would protect them from the feared Russian Yakhont anti-ship missile.
The Barak 8 medium range missile is designed to intercept airborne threats, including enemy aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, anti-ship missiles and cruise missiles. "History has never seen ships capable of controlling territory as well as Israel's Navy using the Barak 8 missile," according to a source familiar with the weapon.
The Barak 8 would provide Israeli naval craft with a defense against the Russian Yakhont missile, a potent anti-ship weapon which Israel sees a threat to its navy, especially if fallen into the hands of Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah. A Russian shipment of the Yakhont missiles was allegedly destroyed in Syria by Israel a few weeks ago.
The navy has decided to install the Barak 8 systems on its Saar 5 missile boats for the time being. It is believed that the system will be operational on the boats within the coming months.
The UK manufacturer MSI-Defence Systems Ltd. owns a comprehensive expertise in naval gun system technology, including its SEAHAWK range of stabilised naval weapon systems that attracted the interest of worldwide naval customers. They are the primary armament of patrol craft and mine countermeasures vessels, but are also carried as a secondary armament aboard larger surface combatants like frigates, fast attack boats, and support ships. Over 200 systems have been ordered and produced for several countries. MSI-Defence Systems' newest concept is the SIGMA system, a combination of the 30mm cannon with the new Lightweight Multirole Missile (LLM) from THALES. This provides the system with an Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) and Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) capability out to 3.2nm (6km). SIGMA contains all the attributes of the SEAHAWK range of naval gun systems, enabling a layered defence capability for today's surface combatants. SIGMA is the weapon of choice for those customers who address on-board efficiency (efficient use of valuable above-deck space) connectivity (interfacing to any shipboard C3 System), and extended-range self-defence against the spectrum of modern (asymmetric) threats. SIGMA provides its user an option for autonomous operation when combined with the SEAHAWK EO fire control system (EOFCS). With the use of stabilised, multi-band sensors and a laser rangefinder, coupled to multi-target autotracking and a sophisticated ballistics predication system, the EOFCS is a compact, lightweight solution that can be fitted to a wide variety of platforms, providing a rapid, accurate, and effective gun system augmentation.
La Direction générale de l'armement (DGA) a réalisé avec succès le premier tir de qualification du missile de croisière naval (MdCN), le 1e juillet 2013. Ce tir, effectué sur le site de Biscarrosse (Landes) du centre « DGA Essais de missiles », est représentatif d'un tir à partir d'une frégate. Le thème de tir retenu était particulièrement exigeant puisque, outre les objectifs de portée, il a contribué à valider les performances de navigation autonome et de guidage terminal par reconnaissance infrarouge. Cette réussite est le fruit d'un travail intense et coordonné de nombreux acteurs étatiques (les centres d'expertise et d'essais de la DGA, le service de la qualité de la DGA et la Marine Nationale notamment) et industriels (MBDA France). Le MdCN équipera à terme les Frégates multi-missions (FREMM) et les sous-marins Barracuda. Doté d'une portée de plusieurs centaines de kilomètres, le MdCN est destiné à frapper des objectifs situés dans la profondeur du territoire adverse. Il est complémentaire du missile de croisière aéroporté Scalp dont il est dérivé. Embarqué sur des bâtiments de combat positionnés, de façon prolongée, à distance de sécurité dans les eaux internationales, ostensiblement (frégates) ou discrètement (sous-marins), le MdCN est adapté à des missions de destruction d'infrastructures de haute valeur stratégique. La DGA a notifié le marché MdCN à la société MBDA fin 2006.
BEIJING - China's first group of five pilots and landing signal officers received their certifications in the latest sea trials of the Liaoning, the country's first aircraft carrier.
The Liaoning finished its 25-day test and training mission on Wednesday and returned to a navy port in the east China city of Qingdao. During the training, pilots executed several continuous take-off and landing exercises, making China one of the few countries in the world that can train its own carrier-borne jet pilots.
Using the J-15, China's first-generation multi-purpose carrier-borne fighter jet, pilots finished China's first training mission stationed aboard the carrier as well as the first 105-meter short-distance ski-jump takeoff exercises, an important breakthrough in the sea trials.
Pilots and landing signal officers were tested on a range of skills. They passed the certification process following expert reviews and a flight data assessment.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy also performed exercises related to the carrier's operations, system guarantees and logistics. Based on the smooth operation of staff, jet fighters and the carrier, as well as the sound cooperation between fighters and the carrier, the Liaoning is now considered capable of carrying carrier-borne jet fighters.
Zhang Yongyi, deputy commander of the PLA Navy and commander-in-chief of the aircraft carrier tests and sea trials, said these results show that China has fully mastered the skills needed for taking off from, and landing on, the aircraft carrier and that it has successfully established a training system for carrier-borne jet pilots.
RUAG Aviation has delivered the first Dornier 228 New Generation aircraft to the Bangladesh navy. The second unit is scheduled to be delivered at the end of this month.
Bangladesh's Dornier 228 NG aircraft will be used for maritime air patrols and rescue missions along that nation's extensive coastline. The aircraft has been fitted with a 360° Telephonics RDR-1700B surveillance radar and operator console as well as HF, VHF/UHF and VHF FM radios. Additionally, the aircraft are equipped with a search-and-rescue (SAR) radio direction finder, six observer seats and two bubble windows.
PARIS — The V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor is set to see 100 export orders over the next nine years, the program manager predicted at the Paris Air Show on Monday.
US Col. Greg Masiello said that more than three potential customers are “at paperwork stage.”
“I could see a scenario of 100 export sales over nine years,” he added.
Among the three potential customers for the Bell-Boeing Osprey are Israel and probably the United Arab Emirates. “In one year we will have multiple countries named,” as possible customers,” he said.
In a presentation, Masiello listed a series of countries he said were discussing sales, had been briefed on the program or who were discussing “cooperative agreements” with the US, the latter including the landing of Ospreys on vessels.
The UK, France, Canada, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Italy, Colombia, Brazil, Israel, India, Japan and Singapore were on the list.
Last week, Ospreys in the Pacific made demonstration landings on the Japanese naval vessels Shimokita and Hyuga, with an Osprey folding its wings and descending on the elevator of the latter vessel.
France had discussed clearance for the V-22 to land on its Mistral vessels and Italy had held talks about the aircraft landing on its Cavour carrier, Masiello said.
The V-22, whose unit price averages US $70 million and costs around $10,000 an hour to fly, secured a $6.5 billion, 99 aircraft order on June 12 from the US. The second, multi-year order for the aircraft includes 92 MV-22s for the Marine Corps and seven CV-22s for the US Air Force. There are 214 V-22s in service and 40 are due to be delivered in 2013.
The Pentagon aims to order 48 for the Navy, and test landings have been made on the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman, Masiello said.
The third of 12 aircraft was delivered this month to the Marine Corps’ White House support group, albeit not to fly the president himself. Masiello said the US fleet has seen a 28 percent increase in readiness and a 19 percent decrease in maintenance costs since 2010.
This year, he added, an Osprey flew from New Mexico to stage a demonstration rescue mission from a submarine in the Pacific.
The Department of the Navy has kicked off its second multi-year buy for 99 V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft with option for 22 more, a NAVAIR official told USNI News on Thursday.
The Pentagon issued a $4.89 billion contract for the Ospreys on Wednesday with Textron’s Bell Helicopter division and Boeing.
Of the 99 aircraft The U.S. Marine Corps will operate 92 of the Bell-Boeing aircraft as MV-22s and seven will be operated by the U.S. Air Force as CV-22s.
The multi-year sheds an estimated $1 billion in costs over buying the aircraft individually, according to Jim O’Donnell from Naval Air Systems Command.
The Pentagon’s goal is for a planned total of 458 Ospreys, split between 360 for the Marines, 50 for the Air Force and an eventual 48 for the Navy.
This will be the second multi-year deal for the V-22, following a $10.4 billion deal with Bell Boeing for 167 of the aircraft in 2008.
The Osprey has been in operational use since 2007 in both Afghanistan and Iraq with a total of 214 in service with the Marines and the Air Force.
The news of the multi-year follows an announcement from Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel Israel planned to buy the aircraft for the countries special operations forces. Estimates indicate Israel would by five of the aircraft for $70 million a copy.
Raytheon Co. (NYSE:RTN), a defense and aerospace technology giant, recently won an $80.5 million contract with the U.S. Navy for the procurement of its Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW) missiles, which are a group of air-to-ground weapons that use an integrated GPS navigation system and terminal imaging infrared seeker, which guides the weapon to the target.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Waltham, Mass.-based company’s order includes 200 units of full rate production of the missiles and all the equipment associated with the bombs.
The JSOW is defined by the Navy as a precision strike weapon. The air–to-surface missile weighs approximately 1,000 pounds and it can carry several different lethal packages while traveling a 78-mile distance using GPS signals.
Raytheon will perform 44 percent of the work at its Dallas facility; 24 percent will be completed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; 22 percent in Tucson, Ariz. and 10 percent on McAllester, Okla. The order is scheduled to be completed by July 2015.
In addition, the defense company will also deliver one test round to the Navy to be used in a performance test.
According to Raytheon more than 400 JSOWs have been used in combat operations to this date, including more than 300 in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In January 2004 the Navy signed a $139.7 million contract to make more of this glide-bombs.
ITT Exelis has completed its technology maturation phase of the next-generation jammer (NGJ), installed onboard the US Navy's EA-18G electronic attack aircraft. During the 33-month technology maturation phase, the company designed, developed and demonstrated various subsystems, including advanced receiver controlled jamming, digital radio frequency memory and mid-band aperture, critical to the NGJ.
The NGJ will enable US Navy's EA-18G aircraft to defeat integrated air defence systems and disable an enemy's electronic communications, command and control capabilities.
ITT also tested the electronically steerable array transmitter technology as well as multiple critical technology elements such as digital beam-forming, mid-band power amplifiers and high-band power amplifiers and validated its high levels of technical maturity and performance.
Exelis Electronic Systems president Rich Sorelle said that the company has worked closely with the US Navy during the phase to ensure the technology is ready for the next stage of the programme.
In addition, wind tunnel testing validated power generation and control capability of the concept demonstrator pod's ram air turbine (RAT), designed to generate electrical power for the electronic attack payload, at Nasa's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, US.
Technology maturation phase has validated the NGJ's ability to transmit broadband, high-power RF energy directly at targets without unintended effects or disruptions even under dynamic environmental conditions.
"The NGJ will provide US and allied fighting forces with the tool they need to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum on even the most advanced battlefield," Sorelle said.
Work under the technology maturation phase was carried out at Exelis facilities in Clifton, New Jersey and at Amityville and Bohemia, New York, US.
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