The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense
Stryker Strike. HAC-D Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.) says he broached concerns that Stryker vehicles aren’t well suited for use in southern Afghanistan when he visited the war-ravaged nation Thanksgiving week. “I’ll tell you, Strykers work very well in Iraq, in Afghanistan they weren’t working as well,” Murtha tells reporters Dec. 2. “So I talked to the British general who had responsibility for the south. He said we’re going to change the way that the Strykers operate.” Murtha says “equipment is a big worry” for U.S. troops in the escalating war, noting the high percentage of casualties from improvised explosive devices and poor transportation system.
Target: Contractors. Former Clinton administration Pentagon acquisition chief Jacques Gansler says there is buzz in Washington about the government engaging in a “global war on contractors” in the defense realm. He blames recent government initiatives including “more barriers, more rules, more regulations in instead of the flexibility that’s required to achieve efficiency and effectiveness.” During a Dec. 1 Lexington Institute-sponsored conference on Capitol Hill, Gansler also cites “attacks on profits,” as well as what he calls overreaching efforts to: increase competition, clamp down on organizational conflicts of interest, increase the use of fixed-price development contracts, cut contract spending, and insource acquisition workers.
Hill Wants Roadmaps. HASC member Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) still wants Defense Secretary Robert Gates to say why the Pentagon didn’t submit longterm shipbuilding and aviation plans to Congress this year, as required by law. Gates tells Forbes during a Dec. 3 hearing: “With respect to the 30-year aviation plan and shipbuilding plan, it was important for us to be able to get a five-year defense plan from the administration so that we had some predictability. And we are in the process of doing that. The five-year defense plan has been put forward; it was not for FY ’10.” Gates says he can give lawmakers the plans, yet said they would be “meaningless” lists because “we don’t know what the resources will be until we get the five-year defense plan.” Forbes insists the ship and aircraft roadmaps must be sent to lawmakers, regardless of how complete they are, as Congress weighs in on the Pentagon budget.
Climate Monitor. A critical sensor for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environment Satellite System (NPOESS) has successfully completed all testing at Raytheon and is ready for delivery, the company says. NPOESS, manufactured by prime contractor Northrop Grumman, is the U.S. next generation low-Earth orbiting operational weather and climate monitoring system. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor completed testing in late October, including 112 days of thermal vacuum and post-thermal vacuum testing. VIIRS was installed in a shipping container, where it is being stored until it is shipped to Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. for integration onto the spacecraft of NPOESS’ precursor mission, the NPOESS Preparatory Project. Thermal vacuum is the final major test in the instrument’s development process and is the last in a series of environmental tests that also includes electro-magnetic interference and vibration testing. Following the thermal vacuum testing, VIIRS also underwent polarization, electro- mechanical interference and mass properties testing. A second VIIRS flight unit is currently in production. Important components have been built and tested. This unit will be deployed on NPOESS C1, the first operational NPOESS satellite. VIIRS will collect visible/infrared imagery and radiometric data on the atmosphere, clouds, Earth radiation budget, clear-air land/water surfaces, sea surface temperature, and ocean color, as well as low-light visible imagery.
SBIRS Test. Lockheed Martin has successfully completed thermal vacuum testing of the first Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous (GEO-1) satellite, the company says. SBIRS is designed to provide early warning of missile launches, and simultaneously provide important capabilities to other missions, including missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness. Conducted inside Lockheed Martin’s Dual Entry Large Thermal Altitude (DELTA) chamber, the test verified spacecraft functionality and performance in a vacuum environment where the satellite was thoroughly tested at the extreme hot and cold temperatures it will experience in space. With the completion of environmental testing, Lockheed Martin will now perform final factory work on the satellite and execute a series of integrated spacecraft and system tests to ensure the vehicle is ready for flight. The first SBIRS GEO spacecraft is planned for delivery late next year to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where it will then undergo final processing and preparation for launch aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle.
Plug & Play. Northrop Grumman will help the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) design a spacecraft “bus” with plug-and-play capability to reduce cost and schedule in developing future space systems, the company says. Northrop Grumman has been awarded an initial $500,000 task order for a six-month study under the AFRL’s Plug-and-Play Spacecraft Technologies program. The company will deliver the study to the AFRL’s Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland AFB, N.M. The task order was awarded under an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract with a ceiling of $200 million. The spacecraft “bus” is the infrastructure that serves as the platform for carrying the payload and other mission-oriented equipment. Payload components could be changed in and out without a major spacecraft redesign.
In Defense of Europe. Deploying Aegis BMD capable ships to Europe will bring a number of benefits and challenges, says a panelist at a NDU symposium on sea based missile defense. The mobility of ships means they can provide flexibility in stationing, the panelist says. “It’s easier to do with a ship without interrupting [its] mission,” the panelist adds. “If you use the ships properly they can be on station very quickly.” Additionally, the panelist notes the Navy already operates in the region and the logistics are already there to support sea-based BMD. But as others at the event pointed out, the Navy’s inventory of BMD-capable ships is a definite challenge.
…No Communications. One issue that needs to be grappled with, the panelist adds, is doing BMD in a communications degraded environment. “As we build operational plans, we have to build them so they are robust in the communications capability,” the panelist says. “We have to have a way to talk.”
…Pulling The Trigger. The planning and decision of who gets to shoot what has to be centralized and then made up front, and then that authority has to be delegated down to the tactical level, a speaker at the NDU events says. “That gentleman or lady pulling the trigger has to have a complete understandable set of instruction of when he or she fires that weapon.” Because the engagement period is short, he adds. “You don’t have enough time for the really smart people elsewhere to decide whether or not this is the shot we want to take. The smart people are going to have to get together and come to that decision first and then push that authority down to the lowest possible level,” the speaker adds. “They need to be able to see just about what that person on the ship sees. They need to be able to monitor compliance with the weapons release authority. They need to know when something starts going south.”
On Display. As the USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) undergoes advanced capability build 08 (ACB08), some of the new hardware fire control officers will see includes new flat screen plasma displays and headphones with surround-sound. “In the legacy system you had a large black screen with a projector behind it projecting white lines on the screen. I had somebody in the school house tell me it is like going from Atari to Playstation 3,” says Lt. j.g. Ryanne Amodei, fire control officer aboard the Mobile Bay. “Now we are going to get full color.” Moving to color displays will enable operators to differentiate land from water, she adds. “I believe we are even going to have the capability to split the screen and show different cameras from throughout the ship,” Overall this entire system is going to give the crew a lot more situational awareness with not only what’s going on around the ship but out wherever the Mobile Bay is operating, Amodei says. “The bridge is going to get a couple of those, too, so that we can communicate better with the bridge.”
…Can You Hear Us? The new headphones operators will use will provide four channels, two in each ear, Amodei adds. “They are incredible. It sounds like somebody is right behind you talking to you, and you could be talking to another ship. They are very, very clear.” Adding four channels (one channel forward in the right ear and one behind the right ear; one forward in the left ear and one behind in the left ear) to the headphones does present some challenges, she adds. “For me, coming from a legacy system where you have one in the left ear and one in the right ear, it took a little getting used to,” Amodei explains. “Now having to juggle four different conversations in two ears and remembering to turn the mic on for the [correct] one…we are going to have to practice that a little bit. There will be a bit of a learning curve, but we have a lot of training that is going to be in place so that we can get used to that and get a good handle on that.”
Alpha Trials. PCU New Mexico (SSN-779), the Navy’s newest Virginia-class submarine, successfully completes its initial sea trials, or Alpha Trials, last month, the Navy says. Alpha Trials included diving to test depth, executing an emergency surfacing, and testing the ship’s propulsion plant performance. Successful completion of these sea trials is a significant step towards ensuring that New Mexico meets all specifications and is ready for delivery to the Navy, which is anticipated by the end of 2009, following completion of Bravo Sea Trials and the Navy’s INSURV trials, the Navy says. New Mexico is the sixth submarine of the Virginia class and third that Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding will deliver. Delivery of the ship prior to the end of the year would be four months early to its contract delivery date.
Successful TLAM Test. The Navy last month completed a successful operational test launch of the tactical Tomahawk missile from the USS Princeton (CG-59) at the San Nicolas Island Sea Test Range off the coast of California, the Navy reports. During the test launch, a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile successfully exited Princeton’s launch platform’s VLS and impacted the target. The major objective of this mission was to demonstrate the capability of the Tactical Tomahawk Weapon System’s precision in hitting a direct-entry target, the Navy says. This test was highly significant as it marked several firsts, the Navy notes. It was a planned mission utilizing Joint Strike Planning and Execution Auto Router (JSPEAR) portable units, and it involved short mission planning, as well as real-time mission planning and execution using third party targeting, the Navy says. This was the first use of Special Operations Forces as a Tasking Authority and was the first Block IV missile launched from a cruiser configured with Tactical Tomahawk Weapon System Version 5.
…Engage. During the test, the Special Operations Forces team utilized commercial satellite imagery to identify a simulated emergent target. They used JSPEAR, a new functionality of the Tomahawk Command and Control System, to create a Tomahawk mission in the field, the Navy says. This mission was then sent to Commander 2nd Fleet, who forwarded the mission to Princeton in an Electronic Strike Package for a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile engagement. The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile has a number of benefits over other weapon systems, including reduced missile alignment time, an improved anti-jam Global Positioning System, improved accuracy, expanded vertical dive angles, and the ability to receive and transmit in-flight Mission Modification Messages and imagery. The missile may also be redirected in-flight to new or emerging targets, the Navy adds.
Cyber School Challenge. NDU’s Information Resources Management College (NDU iCollege) hosted its first “Cyber Security Challenge” competition last month. The exercise pitted government agency teams against each other to test their ability to defend their information infrastructure against an onslaught of cyber attacks, NDU says. Participants included DISA, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, and the Army’s Intelligence and Security Command. The exercise, led by Air Force Maj. Steve Mancini and aided by Air Force Capt. Veronica Williams, was conducted using a “live” but isolated computer and communications network, NDU adds. This enabled participants to exploit vulnerabilities both against each other and against a centralized server repository. Network penetration tools such as Backtrack 4.0 were available to the teams, NDU says. The exercise capitalized upon knowledge gained from other similar competitions such as the Cyber Defense Exercise held annually among the military service academies, and competitions held at conferences such as “Black Hat” and “DEFCON,” NDU adds.
More COCs For USMC. General Dynamics C4 Systems will produce 24 additional Combat Operations Centers (COCs) for the Marine Corps under a new $54 million contract modification. The COCs will enable command and control operations for Marines deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, from division or air-wing headquarters to the regimental level, GD says. The COCs also support pre-deployment training at locations in the United States. Each of the new COCs includes critical technology upgrades for greater command, control and communications interoperability that deliver improved networked communication among Marine Corps and Joint command-and-control systems, the company adds. This award modifies a contract initially granted to General Dynamics in 2002; the total value to date of that contract is now $741 million.
Cold Gas Demo. U.K.-based Cobham successfully demonstrates a new, cleaner, reusable technology capable of ejecting light stores from bomb racks, the company says. The Cold Gas Cartridge was successfully demonstrated last month at the Overberg Test Centre in South Africa. The Cold Gas Cartridge was fitted to Cobham’s Carrier Bomb Light Stores (CBLS) on a South African Air Force Hawk light attack jet. Four 12.5 kg practice stores were released from the aircraft flying at a speed of 450 knots in both level and dive flight profiles, Cobham reports. The Cold Gas Cartridge has been designed to be reusable and will achieve the equivalent performance of traditional single-shot pyrotechnic cartridges, the company notes. The system is “inherently clean” because without pyrotechnics to eject the stores, acidic debris does not accumulate, thus reducing the need for launcher maintenance and associated spares consumption, Cobham adds. This has the advantage of significantly reducing the lifecycle cost of the system, the company says. Added benefits of the Cold Gas Cartridge include simplified logistics support in comparison with pyrotechnics. Installation of the Cold Gas Cartridge into an ejector release unit is a simple and quick process requiring no modification to the aircraft while offering weight and space saving compared to compressor and accumulator systems, Cobham says.
Tests Complete. Tests are complete with the electro-optical/infrared sensor turret for EADS North America UH-72A Lakotas that will be operated by the Army National Guard in Security and Support (S&S) missions. The L-3 Wescam MX-15 turret’s chin-mounted centerline installation was validated during flight tests with an EC145-the helicopter on which the UH-72A is based. Completing these tests marks a major milestone in the integration of the Army National Guard’s full mission equipment package. The Army National Guard will be a major operator of UH-72A Lakotas, receiving aircraft configured for the S&S mission, as well as for use in medical evacuation and multi-role transportation.
Communicating. Iridium Communications and ITT Corp. announce that ITT has received a contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren Division to supply 1,450 Iridium-based handheld tactical satellite communication devices for use by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Under the $9.7 million, firm, fixed-price contract, ITT will manufacture and deliver the Distributed Tactical Communications Systems-Radio Only (DTCS-RO) transceivers by March 2010. The DTCS-RO handheld push-to-talk radios use the Iridium satellite network to provide over-the-horizon, beyond-line-of-sight tactical networks for warfighters on the move.
Improve, Consolidate. A General Dynamics C4 Systems-led team wins the Consolidated Product-line Management (CPM) contract by the Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) Program Manager for Training Devices (PM TRADE). The contract will improve the Army’s ability to consolidate and efficiently manage the diverse elements of its live combat training system product lines and streamline the process for rapidly adapting systems and equipment to changing missions and threats. The five- year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract has a maximum value of $200 million if all options are exercised. Benefits of the CPM contract include reducing fielding time, minimizing acquisition costs, lowering total ownership costs and promoting the reuse of software and hardware components for training systems. The contract also provides a framework for the management and delivery of products and support to homestation and combat training centers worldwide.
Log Trucks. Oshkosh Defense announces two delivery orders to an existing contract with the Marines for nearly 200 Logistics Vehicle System Replacements (LVSR). The two delivery orders, valued at more than $76 million, lift the total number of LVSRs under contract to 854. With improved survivability, mobility and performance, the next-generation LVSR expands on the original Logistics Vehicle System (LVS) produced by Oshkosh in the early 1980s. The Oshkoshr LVSR is used by the Marines for the on- and off-road transportation of heavy payloads, such as munitions, fuel, water and heavy equipment. The vehicle, equipped with the Oshkosh patented TAK-4r independent suspension system for superior off-road mobility in the most severe environments, began arriving in Afghanistan in September. The LVSR comes in three variants–cargo, wrecker and fifth-wheel–and features an on-road payload capacity of 22.5 tons and an off-road payload capacity of 16.5 tons.
…Awards. Oshkosh Defense announces it received two 2009 Defense Manufacturing Excellence Awards from the National Center for Advanced Technologies (NCAT). Donald Verhoff, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president of technology, won in the Individual category, and the Oshkosh MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) launch team won in the Large Business- Small Team category. “At Oshkosh Corporation, our employees fully embrace the importance of supporting our military in extremely difficult circumstances. It is truly an honor to have the defense industry recognize their outstanding achievements,” says Charles Szews, Oshkosh Corp. president and CEO.
Santa Social Networking. The NORAD Tracks Santa Web site, http://www.noradsanta.org, is now live, available in seven languages, and features games and activities that change daily. On Dec. 24, the website will stream videos, captured by NORAD “Santa Cams,” from numerous cities along Santa’s journey. This year, you may track Santa through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and TroopTube.mil. Follow along on any of these Web sites: type in @noradsanta into the search engine and start tracking. New this year, OnStar is partnering with NORAD to provide OnStar subscribers with live Santa updates as they travel in their vehicles on Christmas Eve. Subscribers simply push the blue OnStar button to get status reports on Santa’s whereabouts. Also new this year, at midnight MST Dec. 24, website visitors can watch Santa as he prepares his sleigh, checks his list, and goes through all his preparations to ensure he has a successful journey. When Santa takes off, he can be tracked with up-to-the-minute Google Maps and Google Earth reports. Santa trackers will begin answering phones and replying to email at 4:00 a.m. MST (6:00 a.m. EST) on Christmas Eve. Call: 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) or e-mail [email protected]. Partners include Booz Allen Hamilton, Verizon, Time Warner, Avaya, PCI, OnStar, 5 Star Bank, Pepsi Distributing and First Choice Awards and Gifts.
Night Vision. Vision Systems International, LLC (VSI), a joint venture between Elbit Systems of America, and Rockwell Collins, receives a $6.7 million contract for Night Vision Cueing and Display (NVCD) units, including hardware and associated support equipment. The contract was awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Md. Under the agreement, VSI will provide image intensified night vision with symbology insertion, significantly expanding the capability of the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System for 24-hour operations. The NVCD system provides 40 degree field-of-view night vision capability in a lower profile and lighter weight package than traditional aviator night vision goggles.
Work Begins On Egyptian Ships. Fabrication of the first of three Egyptian navy Fast Missile Craft (FMC) began Nov. 30 at VT Halter Marine in Pascagoula, Miss., NAVSEA says. The FMC will conduct independent and joint operations, primarily against armed surface adversaries. The Egyptian navy has a requirement for a ship with the capabilities of an FMC to combat these threats, and to patrol and defend its coastal waterways of the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and, in particular, the Suez Canal. To counter armed foes, FMCs will be equipped with effective anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and electronic warfare capabilities, NAVSEA says. Each of the 63-meter craft will carry a 76mm Super Rapid Gun, Harpoon Block II missiles, Mk 49 Rolling Airframe Missiles, and the Close-In Weapon System, Block 1B. These high-speed, agile ships will reach speeds of greater than 34 knots. They will provide berthing for a crew of up to 40 Sailors and will be able to operate up to eight days independently at sea, NAVSEA adds. Egypt signed an FMS case for the purchase of three FMCs in September 2004. After extensive functional design and long-lead item procurement and design efforts, the construction contract was placed with VT Halter Marine in September 2008. The first FMC is scheduled to join the Egyptian fleet in 2012. PEO Ships will continue to assist with acquisition and oversight efforts throughout the construction process, and will also provide follow-on technical and training support to the Egyptian navy upon delivery of the vessels, NAVSEA adds.