US Armed Forces

[Khafee]

Raytheon awarded $96.6M for Silent Knight Radar system
24 June 2019

Raytheon is developing the Silent Knight Radar systems for several aircraft, including the CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Photo by Spc. Glenn M. Anderson/U.S. Army


June 24 (UPI) -- Raytheon was awarded a $96.6 million contract for the initial production of the Silent Knight Radar system for U.S. Special Operations Command.
The contract modification increases the ceiling to $300 million for continued low-rate initial production of the radar system for rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, the Defense Department announced Friday.

The work will be performed at Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems plants in McKinney, Texas, and Forest, Miss. It is scheduled to be completed by October 2022.
The ordering period is valid for five years.

Fiscal 2019 procurement funds in the amount of $54.7 million are being obligated at time of contract modification. The remaining costs will be funded from delivery/task orders, and might be procured using research, development, test and evaluation; procurement; or operations and maintenance funding.

The work was initially funded at $28.5 million in 2006 and one year later Raytheon was awarded $135.4 million to develop a new tactical radar for the aircraft.
The Silent Knight radar is designed to help warfighters navigate safely through low altitudes at night or in bad weather.

"Whether an operation involves a strike aircraft penetrating heavily defended national airspace or special operations forces covertly inserting personnel, these flights require highly capable radar equipment designed to guide pilots over and around terrain they cannot see," according to an article in AFCEA International's Signal magazine.

The system will also provide navigation support, ground mapping and weather information to air crews.
Compared with other systems, the radar is lighter and requires less power, according to Raytheon.

"For our special operations forces customer, that means the expertise and experience to provide a low-risk, high-performance radar that meets its demanding mission requirements," Mike Proch, vice president of Raytheon Precision, Attack and Surveillance Systems, said in 2007 in a Raytheon news release.

Silent Knight eventually will be outfitted on the MH-47G Chinook and MH-60M Blackhawk helicopters, MC-130 transports and CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

The Silent Knight TF/TA radar is designed to operate in a variety of aircraft, such as the CV-22 Osprey, with little or no modification.

Silent Knight is the latest in radar development dating to the late 1950s.

Raytheon awarded $96.6M for Silent Knight Radar system - UPI.com

Raytheon was awarded a $96.6 million contract for initial production of the Silent Knight Radar system for U.S. Special Operations Command.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

Navy takes delivery of littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati
24 June 2019
By Ed Adamczyk

The U.S. Navy formally took delivery of its newest littoral combat ship, to be named USS Cincinnati, in ceremonies in Mobile, Ala., on Friday. Photo by MCS1 Carlos Gomez/U.S. Navy

June 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of its newest littoral combat ship, to be named the USS Cincinnati, in ceremonies in Mobile, Ala.
The ship, designated LCS 20, is a relatively small surface vessel designed for near-shore Navy operations, and is the 10th in the Navy's Independence class.

The delivery on Friday marks the official transfer of the ship from its builder, Austal USA, to the Navy. It will be commissioned and officially named in ceremonies later this year in Gulfport, Miss.

"This is a great day for the Navy and our country with the delivery of the future USS Cincinnati," said Capt. Mike Taylor, LCS program manager. "I look forward to celebrating the commissioning of this great ship alongside the crew later this year. This ship will play an essential role in in carrying out our nation's maritime strategy."
Five additional LCS ships are currently under construction at the Austal shipyard, with four more planned.

In addition to operating in littoral, or nearshore, zones of waterways, the ships are capable of open-ocean tasks dealing with coastal threats including submarines, mines and swarming small craft, and can provide forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence.

Navy takes delivery of littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati - UPI.com

The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of its newest littoral combat ship, to be named the USS Cincinnati, in ceremonies in Mobile, Ala.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

Leidos awarded $72.8M for Navy's TRAPS sub detection system
24 June 2019
By Ed Adamczyk

Leidos Inc. received a $72.8 million contract for work on a seafloor sonar system prototype. Photo courtesy of Huntington Ingalls industries/U.S. Navy/Chris Oxley

June 24 (UPI) -- Leidos Inc. was awarded a $72.8 million contract for work on submarine detection sonar for the U.S. Navy, the Defense Department announced.
The company, based in Reston, Va., will perform work on the Transformational Reliable Acoustic Path System, or TRAPS, one of two prototypes developed by the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Defense Department agency responsible for the development of emerging technologies military applications.

Leidos' Leidos' work on TRAPS comes under an indefinite quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract with a three-year ordering period and no options, the Defense Department announced on Friday.

The TRAPS system uses a fixed sonar mode placed on the ocean floor, exploiting advantages of operating from the seafloor, to achieve large-area surveillance of the area surrounding the submarine. Each node communicates back to a floating "stationary surface node" through a wireless acoustic modem when the ocean floor node detects a sound.

The other prototype, called Submarine Hold at Risk [SHARK], has an unmanned underwater vehicle as a mobile platform to track enemy submarines. Both are part of DARPA's Distributed Agile Submarine Hunting [DASH] program.

Leidos' work on the contract will be done at the company's Long Beach, Miss., facility, with an expected completion date of June 2022.

Leidos awarded $72.8M for Navy's TRAPS sub detection system - UPI.com

Leidos Inc. was awarded a $72.8 million contract for work on the Transformational Reliable Acoustic Path System submarine detection sonar for the U.S. Navy, the Defense Department announced.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

Lockheed nets $16.2M contract for Virginia-class sub masts
24 June 2019
By Ed Adamczyk

Lockheed Martin's Rotary and Mission Systems division was awarded a $16.2 million contract to built multifunction modular masts for Virginia-class submarines. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy


June 24 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin's Rotary and Missions Systems division received a $16.2 million contract to build elements of Virginia-class submarines, the Defense Department announced.

The company will manufacture multifunction modular masts for the submarines' Block V hull, which can be extended by sections, depending on the requirements of the vessels' strike capabilities. Virginia-class submarines with Block V armaments are capable of carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The vessels typically carry eight masts, which include a snorkel mast, two photonic masts as replacements for periscopes, high-data-rate satellite communication masts, a radar mast and an electronic warfare mast.

The contract was competitively procured through the Federal Business Opportunities website and announced on Friday. It specifies options which can boost it value to $97.8 million.

Work on the contract will be done at Lockheed Martin facilities in Nashua, N.H., and Syracuse, N.Y., and is expected to be completed by June 2020. If all options are exercised, the deadline will be extended to June 2024.

The Naval Sea Systems Command at Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., was the contracting agent.

Lockheed nets $16.2M contract for Virginia-class sub masts - UPI.com

Lockheed Martin has received a $16.2 million contract for multifunction modular masts for new Virginia-class Block V hulls, spares and repairs, the Defense Department announced.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

BAE awarded $90M to upgrade, maintain Navy's communications and combat systems
24 June 2019
By Allen Cone

Command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, or C5ISR, are embedded within vehicles, watercraft and specialized communications platforms. Photo courtesy BAE Systems

June 24 (UPI) -- BAE Systems was awarded a five-year, $90 million contract to modernize and maintain critical communications and combat systems.

The systems, which are embedded within vehicles, watercraft, and specialized communications platforms, integrate command, control, computers, communications, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and are called C5ISR.

Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Md.; Little Creek, Va.; and Fayetteville, N.C., BAE said in a news release.

The systems are integrated and networked to improve the situational awareness of military operators and decision-makers, according to BAE.

"Technology is constantly evolving and the mission needs of our customers can change," Mark Keeler, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems' Integrated Defense Solutions business, said in a news release. "As systems integrators, we are providing agile engineering, testing and field support to help our military customers adapt and maintain a tactical edge."

For more than 25 years, BAE Systems has been supporting Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Special Communications Mission Solutions Division with mobile deployable systems.

These systems are also used by Special Operations Forces, Homeland Security, and other Department of Defense and non-defense agencies.

"Our engineers specialize in providing custom, tailor-made C5ISR solutions to help close communications capability gaps for the U.S. military," Keeler said. "BAE Systems takes pride in keeping the lines of communication open for those on the front lines of national security."

Navy Information Dominance Forces team ensures those systems work and are ready to go to sea as part of the Deploying Group System Integration Testing.

"The best way to validate performance of C5I systems is to test interoperability and integration in a stressed operational environment," Mike Caldwell, the DGSIT Atlantic program manager, said in a Navy news release. "The systems and sailors are under pressure because of the tactical exercise demands. It is probably the first time that collection [of sailors] has worked together, and it may be the first time those ships have worked together. But the team is there to make sure everything works for both advanced training and deployment."

BAE awarded $90M for Navy's communications and combat systems - UPI.com

BAE Systems was awarded a five-year, $90 million contract to modernize and maintain critical communications and combat systems.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

US Navy’s NSWC White Sands Detachment starts testing electromagnetic railgun
25 June 2019

Illustration. Electromagnetic Railgun (EMRG) at terminal range located at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD). Source: US Navy

Engineers and technicians at the US Navy’s Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division’s (NSWC PHD) White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) Detachment have begun testing an electromagnetic railgun (EMRG).

The test, that commenced on May 15, was the first firing series of the newly installed weapon at the site. Subsequent tests will be scheduled, including the post-performance data analysis, to advance the weapon’s commissioning.

“The installation of the railgun began earlier this year and required a large effort for the mount, gun, power controls, displays and functional ties into the range,” Site Manager John Winstead said.

“The object of the test was essentially a shakedown of the newly-installed mount with accompanying power containers, controls and a fully functional execution team.”

A total of four rounds were fired with full diagnostics and verification. Initial estimated test dates were reduced from three to two days due to the success of the firings.
“The tests were very successful and alleviated the need to have further installation and check-out testing required for verification,” Winstead added.

As explained, EMRG is viewed as an innovative warfighting capability fulfilling the navy’s requirement for a long-range, multi-mission weapon. The gun was moved to WSMR to conduct more advanced testing at an optimal range capacity.

Collateral achievements during initial research, development and testing of the weapon system have resulted in the hyper-velocity, precision-guided projectile designed for the railgun to be operationally viable in other weapons, such as the navy’s 5-inch, 155mm, and other guns, according to NSWC.

US Navy's NSWC White Sands Detachment starts testing electromagnetic railgun

Engineers and technicians at the US Navy’s Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division’s (NSWC PHD) White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) Detachment have begun testing an electromagnetic railgun (EMRG). The test, that commenced on May 15, was the first firing series of the newly installed...

navaltoday.com

 

[Khafee]

U.S. Army Awards Lockheed Martin $561.8 Million Contract For ATACMS® Missiles

DALLAS, June 25, 2019 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) received a $561.8 million production contract for Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS)missiles for the U.S. Army and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers.

The two-year effort contract calls for new ATACMS rounds, as well as upgrading several previous-variant ATACMS as part of the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP III).

"The new-build ATACMS rounds under this contract will include sensor technology that provides the recently qualified Height-of-Burst capability," said Gaylia Campbell, vice president of Precision Fires & Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "This new feature will allow Soldiers to address area targets at depth on the battlefield."

Both the SLEP and new ATACMS rounds will be produced at Lockheed Martin's Precision Fires Production Center of Excellence in Camden, Arkansas. To meet the increased demand for ATACMS, Lockheed Martin is expanding its Camden manufacturing facilities to include the capability to produce ATACMS and other upcoming missiles.

For more than 40 years, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has been the leading designer and manufacturer of long-range, surface-to-surface precision strike solutions, providing highly reliable, combat-proven systems like MLRS, HIMARS, ATACMS and Guided MLRS to domestic and international customers.

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin

U.S. Army Awards Lockheed Martin $561.8 Million Contract for ATACMS® Missiles

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) received a $561.8 million production contract for Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles for the U.S. Army and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. The...

news.lockheedmartin.com

 

[Khafee]

SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches 24 satellites in government mission
JUNE 25, 2019
By Paul Brinkmann

The SpaceX Falcon 9 Heavy rocket launches the STP-2 early Tuesday from Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The STP-2 payload consists of a cluster of 24 satellites for the U.S. Air Force, NASA and private industry. Photo by Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell/UPI | License Photo

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., June 25 (UPI) -- SpaceX's third-ever Falcon Heavy rocket launched early Tuesday from Florida, carrying 24 satellites in a complex government mission from Kennedy Space Center.

It was the first time the military used the world's most powerful rocket, the first nighttime launch for the Falcon Heavy and the first time such a government mission used two SpaceX boosters that have been flown before.

The space company also made history by catching one half of the rocket nose cone -- or fairing -- in a net on a fishing boat at sea, as the fairings fell out of the sky. The other half fell into the ocean nearby. Catching the fairings is part of SpaceX's reusability strategy.

The rocket's twin boosters flew back to landing pads at Cape Canaveral, providing a never-before-seen nighttime spectacle, and creating sonic booms in the wee hours of the night. The center core booster failed to make its landing on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean.

The rocket originally was scheduled to lift off at 11:30 p.m., but launch directors set that back to 2:30 a.m. Tuesday to conduct "additional ground system checkouts."
SpaceX founder Elon Musk had called it the most challenging launch ever for SpaceX. The rocket was to release the satellites in three different orbits over a period of hours.

A primary mission, called COSMIC-2, includes six spacecraft that could help improve hurricane forecasting. They are designed to measure atmospheric distortion of satellite signals to improve severe weather forecasting.

The satellites will orbit Earth near the equator, taking measurements of the tropics and subtropics, and monitoring the ionosphere for the effects of solar storms.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organization, the new satellites could improve accuracy of weather forecasts up to four days in advance. They will "collect water vapor data that will help meteorologists observe, study and forecast hurricanes and other severe storms."

In addition to NOAA, the satellites are to be operated by the Defense Department and NASA. Some are intended to conduct space environmental monitoring, communications and advanced space technologies. The Green Propellant Infusion Mission will test a less toxic, more efficient fuel that could replace highly toxic hydrazine, and there's also an advanced atomic clock for navigation improvements on board.

"It's an exciting partnership with NASA, NOAA and SpaceX to provide space access for important military and civil experiments while demonstrating the Falcon Heavy launch vehicle capabilities," Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, Air Force program executive officer for space, said in a statement.

Another government satellite on board will research technologies to improve spacecraft operation in the harsh radiation environment of medium-Earth orbit.

Monday night's mission, known as STP-2, for Space Test Program-2, included four unique NASA experiments, five small satellites, 11 CubeSats -- miniature satellites for space research -- as well as other experiments.

SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches 24 satellites in government mission - UPI.com

SpaceX's third-ever Falcon Heavy rocket launched early Tuesday from Florida, carrying 24 satellites in a complex government mission from Kennedy Space Center.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

Lockheed nets $561.8M for tactical missiles for Bahrain, Poland, Romania
Updated June 25, 2019
By Allen Cone

June 25 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin was awarded a $561.8 million contract to produce Army tactical guided missiles for Bahrain, Poland and Romania.

The contract for the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, includes guided missiles and a launching Service Life Extension Program, or SLEP III, as part of foreign military sales, the Defense Department announced Monday.

The SLEP and new ATACMS rounds will be produced at Lockheed Martin's Precision Fires Production Center of Excellence in Camden, Ark., the company said in a news release Tuesday. Lockheed Martin said it is expanding the Camden manufacturing facilities to produce ATACMS and other upcoming missiles.

Work also will be conducted in Grand Prairie, Texas; Boulder, Colo.; Clearwater, Fla.; St. Louis, Mo.; Lufkin, Texas; Windsor Locks, Conn.; and Williston, Va., and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2022.

The Pentagon has obligated fiscal 2018 and 2019 missile procurement, Army and foreign military sales funds in the full amount of the contract to Lockheed at the time of the award.

"The new-build ATACMS rounds under this contract will include sensor technology that provides the recently qualified height-of-burst capability," Gaylia Campbell, vice president of Precision Fires & Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said a statement. "This new feature will allow soldiers to address area targets at depth on the battlefield."

ATACMS includes a long-range, guided missile packaged in a multiple launch rocket system look-alike launch pod, and is fired from the MLRS family of launchers.

For more than 40 years, Lockheed has designed and manufactured long-range, surface-to-surface precision strike solutions.

The multiple rocket launcher, which was developed in the late 1990s for the United States Army, is mounted on a standard Army M1140 truck frame.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HMARS, can launch six guided rockets with a range of 37 miles or a single ATACMS missile up to a range of 187 miles, according to Lockheed. The solid-fueled missiles can carry a 160-247 kg payload.

More than 540 ATACMS have been fired, and ATACMS is the only long-range tactical surface-to-surface missile ever employed in combat by the U.S. Army, that has "demonstrated extremely high rates of combat accuracy and liability," says Lockheed.

The three nations have been on a missile buying spree in recent years.

In 2017, the State Department approved a estimated $1.25 billion purchase of the HMARs systems for Romania.

Lockheed Martin in March was awarded a $1.14 billion contract for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, or GMLRS, for Bahrain, Poland and Romania.

The United States is also considering setting up a major military base in Poland, on top of radar and other defense systems set up there in recent months.

In March, the U.S. Army awarded Northrop Grumman a $713 million contract to provide a missile system for Poland. The contract is for the first phase of Poland's Wisla Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System. Patriots are deployed in the system.

the U.S. State Department in May also approved two possible contracts with Bahrain worth more than $2.2 billion to support weapons for its F-16V aircraft fleet and Patriot missile systems.

Lockheed nets $561.8M for tactical missiles for Bahrain, Poland, Romania - UPI.com

Lockheed Martin was awarded a $561.8 million contract to produce Army tactical guided missiles for Bahrain, Poland and Romania.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

L3 awarded $73.7M for Navy submarine photonics mast programs
25 June 2019
By Allen Cone

The Virginia-class attack submarine USS North Dakota transits the Thames River en route to reaching its homeport at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn. Photo by Cmdr. Jason M. Geddes/U.S. Navy

June 25 (UPI) -- L3 Technologies Inc. was awarded a $73.7 million contract for repair, upgrades and overall services for the U.S. Navy's submarine photonics mast programs.

Ninety-eight percent of the work will be performed at the company's plant in Northampton, Mass., the Department of Defense announced Monday, and is expected to be completed by June 2025.

Naval fiscal 2019 other procurement funding in the amount of $2.1 million will be obligated on the first delivery order at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

A photonics mast is a sensor on a submarine that functions much like a periscope but without requiring a periscope tube. This prevents water leakage in the event of damage.

Virginia-class submarines include two photonics masts that host visible and infrared digital cameras atop telescoping arms, allowing the ship's control room to moved down one deck and away from the hull's curvature, according to the Navy.

The non hull-penetrating device significantly reduces the signature of the periscope, "making it less identifiable as a U.S. Navy submarine because it appears similar to existing periscopes," according to L3.

In 2013, L-3 was awarded a $48.7 million contract from the Naval Sea Systems Command to develop and build a new, slimmer version of its photonics mast for use on Virginia-class submarines. L-3 was contracted to produce up to 29 photonics masts over a subsequent four-year period, as well as engineering services and provisioning item orders with a contract maximum ceiling value of $157 million.

The newest variant is the Block 4, including the Vermont, which was christened in 2018 and became the 19th in the Virginia class. Nine other subs are currently under construction, according to the Navy.

L-3, which is one the leading submarine imaging providers in the world, will officially merge with Harris Corporation in an all-stock deal that will close on Saturday after receiving regulatory approval.

"Receiving these approvals marks the successful completion of a thorough regulatory review process - clearing the way for one of the largest mergers in defense industry history," William M. Brown, Chairman, CEO and president of Harris, said in a statement.

The company will be named L3Harris Technologies, Inc.

Harris provides services in three business segments: communication, electronic, and space and intelligence.

L3 awarded $73.7M for Navy submarine photonics mast programs - UPI.com

L3 Technologies Inc. was awarded a $73.7 million contract for repair, upgrades and overall services for the U.S. Navy's submarine photonics mast programs.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

Littoral Combat Ship 17 - Indianapolis, Completes Acceptance Trials
U.S. Navy to commission ship in October
26 June 2019
View attachment 8551

MARINETTE, Wis., June 26, 2019 -- Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 17, the future USS Indianapolis, completed Acceptance Trials in Lake Michigan. This is the ship's final significant milestone before the ship is delivered to the U.S. Navy. LCS 17 is the ninth Freedom-variant LCS designed and built by the Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)-led industry team and is slated for delivery to the Navy this year.

"LCS 17 is joining the second-largest class of ships in the U.S. Navy fleet, and we are proud to get the newest Littoral Combat Ship one step closer to delivery," said Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager, Small Combatants and Ship Systems. "This ship is lethal and flexible, and we are confident that she will capably serve critical U.S. Navy missions today and in future."

Unique among combat ships, LCS is designed to complete close-to-shore missions and is a growing and relevant part of the Navy's fleet.

• It is flexible — with 40 percent of the hull easily reconfigurable, LCS can be modified to integrate capabilities including over-the-horizon missiles, advanced electronic warfare systems and decoys.
• It is fast — capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots.
• It is lethal — standard equipped with Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) and a Mark 110 gun, capable of firing 220 rounds per minute.
• It is automated — with the most efficient staffing of any combat ship.

The trials included a full-power run, maneuverability testing, and surface and air detect-to-engage demonstrations of the ship's combat system. Major systems and features were demonstrated, including aviation support, small boat launch handling and recovery and machinery control and automation.

"I am extremely proud of our LCS team including our shipbuilders at Fincantieri Marinette Marine," said Jan Allman, Fincantieri Marinette Marine president and CEO. "These are complex vessels, and it takes a strong team effort to design, build and test these American warships."

Littoral Combat Ship 17 (Indianapolis) Completes Acceptance Trials

Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 17, the future USS Indianapolis, completed Acceptance Trials in Lake Michigan. This is the ship's final significant milestone before the ship is delivered to the U.S....

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[Khafee]

US Army conducts operational testing of Version 6 configuration AH-64E Apaches
Gareth Jennings, London
26 June 2019

View attachment 8558
The US Army plans to field 491 Version 6 AH-64E Apaches out of a total force of 691 helicopters. A Version 6 helicopter is seen here conducting operational trials at Fort Hood in June. Source: US Army

The US Army has conducted operational trials of the Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian upgraded to the new Lot/Version 6 configuration, the service announced on 24 June.

The tests at Fort Hood in Texas saw the upgraded Apache operate alongside unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and ground units to test the helicopter's upgraded target acquisition and interoperability capabilities.

"The operational test collected data on the ability of an AH-64E Version 6-equipped unit to conduct attack, reconnaissance, and security missions in land and maritime environments," Larry Hood, a Supervisor Military Test Plans Analyst with the US Army Operational Test Command's Aviation Test Directorate, was quoted by the service as saying.

The Version 6 upgrade for the Apache was launched as part of a wider USD1.5 billion effort to remanufacture the army's current AH-64Ds into AH-64Es. As noted by the US Army, the Version 6 upgrade comprises a Modernized Day Sensor Assembly (MDSA), "which greatly extends standoff and is a game-changer against a complex and hybrid threat", an improved cognitive decision aiding system (CDAS), software upgrades, and an upgraded mission processor.

The service has previously told Jane's that the Version 6 configuration specifically includes a new maritime targeting mode, as well as aided target detection/classification; multimode laser image blending; a radar frequency interferometer (RFI); passive ranging/range extension; fire-control radar enhancements; Longbow integrated maintenance support system ground analysis software improvement; an interactive electronic technical manual upgrade; and Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW)-embedded diagnostics.

Janes | Latest defence and security news

Janes | The latest defence and security news from Janes - the trusted source for defence intelligence

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U.S. Navy tracking movement of advanced Russian frigate in Cuba
The Admiral Gorshkov arrived in Havana on Monday, with the U.S. Northern Command confirming Wednesday it is tracking the frigate and two support vessels.
June 26, 2019
By Ed Adamczyk
View attachment 8568
The USS Jason Dunham, pictured, is tracking the Admiral Gorshkov, an advanced Russian frigate, as the Russian ship arrived on Monday in Havana. Photo by MCS Spec. Tommy Lankin/U.S. Navy

June 26 (UPI) -- A U.S. Northern Command tweet confirmed on Wednesday that it is tracking a new and advanced Russian vessel as it travels near Cuba.

The Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command [NORAD] "are taking steps to actively track" a convoy of three ships led by the frigate Admiral Gorshkov as it arrived in Havana on Monday, a statement on Wednesday said.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham was about 50 nautical miles north of Havana on Tuesday tracking the Russian ships, which are believed to be heading to Venezuela.

The Admiral Gorshkov left its home port of Severomorsk, in the Arctic's Barents Sea, in February, for its first around-the-world voyage.

The first of its class of ships, Gorshkov employs stealth technology and a naval version of an electro-optic countermeasure system which fires a beam similar to a strobe light that makes it difficult for enemy combatants to aim weapons. The ship also carries conventional anti-ship and land-attack missiles.


The Russian Navy said only that the convoy's visit to Cuba is to "perform tasks in accordance with the long-range cruise plan and make business calls to the ports of some island states in the region."

Moscow has explained that "maintenance technicians" have been sent to Venezuela under preexisting military treaties with Caracas.

The arrival of the Admiral Gorshkov in Havana prompted a complaint from Elliott Abrams, U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela.

Abrams noted "a very troubling dichotomy where the United States is bringing humanitarian aid, bringing doctors and medicine and the Russian government, guided missile frigates, and military personnel to Venezuela."

"That speaks to some of the hypocrisy that we've seen with both Russia and Venezuela where they've said they don't want foreign troops in Venezuela," he added. "There aren't any U.S. foreign troops there, but there are certainly Russian foreign troops there. Right now, the USS Comfort hospital ship is heading into the Caribbean and South America, and will dock at a number of ports to bring medical care to Venezuelan refugees and locals, while Russia is sending its warship, the Gorshkov, and more military technicians to Venezuela."

The USS Comfort embarked on a visit to several Caribbean countries, to aid Venezuelan refugees, in June.

U.S. Navy tracking movement of advanced Russian frigate in Cuba - UPI.com

U.S. Northern Command confirmed on Wednesday that it is tracking the first-in-class advanced Russian vessel Admiral Gorshkov, which arrived in Havana, Cuba, on Monday.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

U.S. Navy prepares for 'Sea Breeze 2019' naval exercises in Ukraine
June 28, 2019
By Ed Adamczyk

View attachment 8622
A helicopter of the Ukrainian Navy lands aboard the USS Ross during last year's Sea Breeze naval exercises. Sea Breeze 2019, a 12-day,19-nation training drill, begins in Ukraine on Monday. Photo courtesy of Exercise Sea Breeze/Twitter

June 28 (UPI) -- A 19-nation naval exercise hosted by Ukraine begins on Monday, and the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet announced its participation this week.

Sea Breeze 2019, which has been held annually since 1997, is a multinational maritime exercise with land, sea and air components. Its intent is to "build combined capability and capacity to ensure maritime regional security and foster stronger friendships among partnering nations," the Navy said in a statement this week.

Ukraine and the United States will host the 12-day event, meant to enhance interoperability and capabilities among participating forces. Field training exercises, with a focus on protecting critical infrastructure, force protection, and maritime security operations, will be performed.

Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States will participate in the event, which will bring together 32 ships, 24 aircraft and over 3,000 troops.

"It is assumed that international exercises will take place in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, in Mykolaiv, Kherson and Odessa regions," the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The exercise will also include a simulation of hostile forces blocking the Danube River, which will involve the Ukrainian Border Guard Service to escort civilian vessels from the Danube to the Black Sea. Border guard services of Ukraine, Georgia and Romania will also patrol the river. The river element is new to the exercises this year.

U.S. Navy prepares for 'Sea Breeze 2019' naval exercises in Ukraine - UPI.com

A 19-nation naval exercise hosted by Ukraine begins on Monday, and the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet announced its participation this week.

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[Khafee]

General Atomics gets $21.9M Army contract for work on Gray Eagle drone
June 28, 2019
By Ed Adamczyk

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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. received a $21.9 million contract for work on the MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system, the Defense Department announced Thursday. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army

June 28 (UPI) -- General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. was awarded a $21.9 million contract for support services on the Gray Eagle drone, the Defense Department announced Thursday.

The contract with the U.S. Army calls for procurement of performance based logistical support services on the MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system, a 3,600-pound, 28-foot-long drone with a 56-foot wingspan. It has a range of 2,500 nautical miles and a ceiling of 25,000 feet, and can carry up to four AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.

In a profile of the system, the Army said the Gray Eagle addresses a need for a long-endurance, armed, unmanned aircraft system that offers greater range, altitude and payload flexibility over prior systems.

The contract announced on Thursday is a modification of a previous contract. Work will be performed at General Atomics' facility in Poway, Calif., with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2020.

The U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting agent.

General Atomics gets $21.9M Army contract for work on Gray Eagle drone - UPI.com

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. was awarded a $21.9 million contract for support services on the Gray Eagle drone, the Defense Department announced.

www.upi.com