US Armed Forces

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U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (April 2020) Marines assigned to Fox Company, Battalion Landing Team 2/8, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), conduct platoon-level training on Karan Island, Saudi Arabia, in the Arabian Gulf.

The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and 26th MEU, supported by air power from the Aviation Combat Element of the ARG/MEU, including AV-8B Harriers and attack helicopters, are conducting routine sustainment training in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in order to enhance the Navy-Marine Corps team’s ability to employ low-signature, operationally relevant and strategically mobile crisis response forces to project power over key maritime terrain.

 

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The Army is moving forward with its electronic warfare pod
29 April 2020

Lockheed Martin's "Air Large" electronic warfare pod is moving on to the second phase, (U.S. Army)

The Army has moved the Lockheed Martin-made electronic warfare pod to the build and evaluation phase of the operational system, as it bolsters its electronic warfare capabilities.

The second phase agreement is worth nearly $75 million, according to the Consortium Management Group’s Jan. 30 award listing, which made the award on behalf of the Army.

Lockheed Martin’s electronic warfare pod, known as the “Air Large” piece of the Army’s Multi-Function Electronic Warfare family of systems program, is mounted on an MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone. It provides commanders with jamming capabilities as well as electronic support, or sensing of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The defense contractor developed a prototype as part of the first phase of the project it won in January 2019 under an $18 million contact.
“Our internal research & development programs have resulted in first-of-its-kind converged technologies that are at the forefront of realizing our customers’ urgent need and vision for combined cyber and electronic warfare (EW) capability and dominance,” Deon Viergutz, vice president of Lockheed’s Spectrum Convergence division, said in a statement.

The company has been testing the pod as part of the Army’s Cyber Blitz exercise. Army officials plan to have the capability deployed to combat aviation brigades in 2022.

The pods are expected to play a critical role on the battlefield with near-peer adversaries, such as Russia and China.
“The air pod solutions are very important, especially when you start going against a near-peer competitor. The main reason why is because you start now dealing with more of an [electronic intelligence] ELINT threat than with a strictly commercial threat,” Col. Kevin Finch, program manager for electronic warfare and cyber within Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors, told C4ISRNET in October last year.

 

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Boeing gets another $827M charge on the KC-46 program
29 April 2020

Capt. Wade Gallup, 7th Airlift Squadron pilot, approaches a KC-46 Pegasus during refueling training over central Wash., Jan. 30, 2019. (A1C Sara Hoerichs/U.S. Air Force)

WASHINGTON — Boeing took a $827 million hit as cost overruns continue for the KC-46 tanker program, the company announced Wednesday.
About $551 million of the pre-tax charge was caused by new expenses associated with designing and integrating a new Remote Vision System for the tanker as part of an April agreement with the Air Force.

The remainder of the charge reflected “productivity inefficiencies and COVID-19 related factory disruption,” according to a news release. KC-46 production stopped for about three weeks over the past month due to a temporary shutdown at Boeing facilities in the Seattle area — including the factory in Everett, Wash., where the tanker is produced.

With the new charge, Boeing has now racked up about $4.6 billion in cost overruns over the life of the KC-46 program. Those expenses must be completely paid by Boeing under the terms of the $4.9 billion fixed-price firm contract it agreed to in 2011.

The bill comes as Boeing contends with the continued grounding of the 737 MAX and instability to the air travel market posed by COVID-19, which has led to lost orders and disruptions throughout the company’s production lines.

But the RVS deal struck in April could potentially mark a new chapter for the tanker program, which has been mired in disputes between Boeing and the Air Force for years.

The RVS — integrated by Boeing with cameras and sensors from Collins Aerospace — feeds live video and other data to the boom operator, who is able to use those cues to pump gas into another aircraft. But the Air Force has complained that the system does not work properly in all lighting conditions, leading to an increased risk of the KC-46 accidentally scraping the aircraft receiving fuel.

Under the terms of the new deal, Boeing will make incremental hardware and software improvements to the existing system, but it will also design a new “RVS 2.0” with high-definition color cameras, better displays and improved computing systems not on the market when the first RVS was developed.

During an earnings call with investors on Wednesday, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said the defense market continues to be healthy with solid demand.

Overall, first quarter revenue for Boeing’s defense sector decreased to $6 billion, down from about $6.6 billion in 2019. Most of that reduction was due to the KC-46 charge, according to the company, but a number of other defense programs were also impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, leading to reduced margin.

 

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Mark Esper moves overseas DoD construction funds to domestic projects
APRIL 29, 2020

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, center, shown here at an April 1 White House briefing, has proposed shifting funds from overseas military construction in order to finance domestic construction projects paused in favor of the border wall. Photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI | License Photo

April 29 (UPI) -- Defense Secretary Mark Esper is restoring funding for domestic military construction projects that were postponed in order to fund construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border -- by diverting funds from military construction projects overseas.

According to a memo obtained by Politico and The Hill, Esper plans to shift $545.5 million in previously withheld funds with award dates in 2020 for suspended U.S. construction projects.

The projects listed in the memo include two projects at West Point -- totaling $160 million -- and a $62.6 million middle school project at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky.

Democrats have criticized the diversion of funds, saying it makes an end run around Congress' fiscal oversight powers, and on Wednesday unveiled a bill limiting the president's ability to alter Congressionally appropriated funds.

"The President falsely takes credit for 'rebuilding' the military, when in reality his theft of DoD dollars has led to the cancellation of 128 military construction projects both at home and abroad," House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., said in a statement sent to UPI.

"Now -- despite Congress' refusal to endorse this theft -- the Trump Administration is attempting to backfill these projects by cutting funding for the European Deterrence Initiative and other overseas projects. Our partners and allies rely on the support of EDI funds to prevent Russian aggression in the region and these cuts will have real, lasting effects on our national security," Smith said.

House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., chairwoman of the subcommittee in charge of military construction, also said many of the canceled European Deterrence Initiative projects were designed to prevent "Russian aggression against American allies and partners in Europe."

 

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USS Bunker Hill sails through Spratly Islands to contest China's maritime claim
APRIL 29, 2020

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An SH-60B Sea Hawk helicopter lifts off from the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in this 2010 photo. Photo by Daniel Barker/U.S. Navy


April 29 (UPI) -- The guided missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill sailed through the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea Wednesday, according to the the U.S. 7th Fleet.

The transit marks the second U.S. Navy maneuver this week, following the expulsion of the USS Barry from the Paracel Islands by China's military.

According to the Navy, the cruiser transited the region to test "excessive maritime claims" of China, Vietnam and Taiwan -- all of which have overlapping claims in the contested chain of islands.

"Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight and the right of innocent passage of all ships," said a statement from the 7th Fleet.

The transit was one of a series of recent challenges to what the United States considers "unlawful claims" in the South China Sea.

On Wednesday the People's Liberation Army's Southern Theatre Command accused the USS Barry of entering waters around the Paracel Islands without permission and sharply rebuked the move.

The Barry, based in Japan, had transited the Taiwan Strait twice earlier this month, both of which also drew criticism from the Chinese government.

The Barry, the Bunker Hill and the amphibious assault ship USS America had been operating off the coast of Malaysia near an ongoing dispute over mineral exploration near Malaysia and China this month.

 

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The Space Force’s next missile warning satellite is one step closer to a 2021 launch
29 April 2020

An artist's rendering of the fifth geosynchronous Space Based Infrared System on orbit. (Lockheed Martin)

With thermal vacuum testing having begun April 16, the next space-based missile warning satellite has reached a major milestone, the Space and Missile Systems Center announced April 24.

The Space Based Infrared System, or SBIRS, satellites use infrared surveillance to provide global missile warning capabilities for the U.S. military. The system currently consists of four satellites in geosynchronous orbit and two active satellites in highly elliptical orbits that provide full coverage of the Earth’s surface.

Lockheed Martin was awarded a $1.86 billion contract in 2014 to produce the fifth and sixth geosynchronous SBIRS satellites, which will replace the first two in the constellation. The two new satellites are derivatives of the third and fourth geosynchronous satellites and are expected to improve overall system resiliency.

Lockheed Martin began thermal vacuum testing — which simulates the effects of the vacuum of space — on the fifth geosynchronous satellite, or GEO-5. The test cycles through hot and cold temperature ranges to ensure that the satellite will work in the harsh environment of space. According to SMC, the testing is a major milestone that drives final testing and assembly.

“TVAC testing represents the culmination of hundreds of thousands of hours of work by both the government and Lockheed Martin Space ensuring that we are giving the warfighter a national asset. I am proud of the men and women of the SBIRS program and their families for the years of sacrifice to get us to this point.” said Lt. Col. Ryan Laughton, SBIRS GEO-5/6 program manager.

SBIRS GEO-5 is expected to launch in 2021.

The fifth and sixth geosynchronous satellites will be the final additions to the SBIRS constellation. Plans for two additional geostationary satellites were scrapped in 2018 in favor of a new system — Next Gen Overhead Persistent Infrared. Next Gen OPIR will consist of three satellites in geosynchronous orbit and two covering the polar regions. Lockheed Martin was selected to build the former while Northrop Grumman was selected to build the latter. Next Gen OPIR is expected to be delivered in 2025.

 

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Construction starts on second US Coast Guard offshore patrol cutter
April 30, 2020

Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group has cut the first steel for the US Coast Guard’s (USCG) second offshore patrol cutter (OPC).

The ship, to be named Chase (WMSM-916), is scheduled for delivery in 2023.

The cutting of steel started the fabrication and assembly of the cutter’s hull, and ESG is to complete keel laying of Chase in 2021.

Additionally, ESG has commenced the placement of orders for long lead time materials for Ingham (WMSM-917), the third OPC.

“Today’s (April 27) success is the start of serial production of the OPCs at ESG by our dedicated team of shipbuilders and subcontractors for our customer and partner, the United States Coast Guard. We are excited for what will be a great 2020 for Eastern Shipbuilding Group and Bay County, Florida,” Joey D’Isernia, Eastern’s President, commented.

The OPC is designed to conduct multiple missions in support of the nation’s maritime security and border protection. It will provide a capability bridge between the national security cutter, which patrols the open ocean in the most demanding maritime environments, and the fast response cutter, which serves closer to shore.

The OPC design includes the capability of carrying an MH-60R or MH-65 helicopter and three operational Over The-Horizon small boats. The vessel is also equipped with a highly sophisticated combat system and C4ISR suite that will enhance capabilities to execute the service’s missions.

On September 15, 2016, the USCG exercised the option for detail design on Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s OPC contract. Eastern Shipbuilding will construct OPCs to replace the Medium Endurance Cutters currently in service. The contract includes the production of up to four vessels.

The lead OPC is currently in production at ESG’s shipyard in Panama City, Florida. Production of the lead cutter, Argus, commenced on January 7, 2019. The 360-feet-long newbuild is scheduled for delivery in 2022.

 

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The US Air Force wants to develop a hypersonic cruise missile
30 April 2020

View attachment 12506
The X-51A Waverider, shown here under the wing of a B-52 Stratobomber, is a scramjet-powered hypersonic vehicle that demonstrated speeds in excess of Mach 5 in the early 2010s. (U.S. Air Force graphic)

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force is seeking information from industry about hypersonic cruise missile technology, with the hopes of starting up a new prototyping program in the near future.

The service issued a sources sought notification on April 27 asking companies to submit information about air-breathing conventional hypersonic cruise missiles that could be launched from fighter jets and bombers.

The responses will help the Air Force determine whether to begin funding a new program of record and figure out how quickly it will be able to field the new weapon, said Air Force acquisition executive Will Roper.

“In the case of how fast we could go with the scramjet technology getting into cruise missile and missionizing it, I think we can go fast,” he told reporters April 30. “I don’t know how fast — that’s why we’re reaching out to the street. But given how far scramjet technology has matured, I’d expect that we’ll be able to go pretty quickly on this.”

According to the solicitation, the service would aim to conduct a preliminary design review in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. The technologies offered should feature ramjet, scramjet or dual-mode propulsion — a major difference from the hypersonic weapons currently under development by the Defense Department, which are all boost glide missiles.

There are multiple advantages to fielding air-breathing and boost glide hypersonic weapons, Roper said. Boost glide missiles fly just below space, above the “thick atmosphere” where scramjet missiles would fly. That allows scramjet missiles to take on certain missions and targets that boost-glide systems cannot engage.

“In the world of competing technology, we can’t afford to have any blind spots or cede any ground. So we’re preparing to make sure we don’t cede ground on scramjet technology and hypersonic cruise missiles as a whole,” Roper said.

“We will have greater flexibility with this as a whole. That’s one reason we’re interested in accelerating the technology. It’s mature, it’s ready. It will give our operators greater flexibility.”


It will also allow the Defense Department to diversify the number of companies that can produce hypersonic weapons, he said.

“In the case of boost glide technology, a lot of our major programs in the department go to the same suppliers,” in part because those companies have pioneered materials and components that have not been replicated throughout industry, Roper said. “One of the reasons I’m excited about starting a hypersonic cruise missile program is that we will have different suppliers. It’s a very different technology.”

Roper said the hypersonic cruise missile effort would involve inputs from the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

In particular, DARPA’s Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept, or HAWC, effort could inform the new program. As part of the effort, a Raytheon-Northrop Grumman team and a Lockheed Martin-Aerojet Rocketdyne team are building scramjet-powered hypersonic vehicles.

“Scramjet technology has come a long way. I have been exceptionally impressed by what new manufacturing techniques are enabling,” Roper said. “I entered this job thinking scramjet will probably be a step behind boost glide. I am delighted to say that I was wrong. Scramjet is much more mature and ready to go than I originally thought.”

The Air Force may be embarking on a new hypersonic weapons program just months after canceling one of its two development efforts, the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon, or HCSW. Although HCSW showed promise and was on track for flight tests, the service killed it the fiscal 2021 budget rollout this February in favor of the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon.

Both ARRW and HCSW are boost-glide weapons made by Lockheed, but the Air Force decided to pursue ARRW because it was more affordable and could be carried in larger quantities by the B-52 and F-15 aircraft, Roper said.

 

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U.S. Army Awards $6.07 Billion Contract to Lockheed Martin for PAC-3 MSE Production, Associated Equipment

DALLAS, April 30, 2020 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) received a $6.07 billion contract from the U.S. Army for the production of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors and associated equipment, to be delivered across FY21, FY22 and FY23 contract years.

The contract calls for the production and delivery of PAC-3 MSE interceptors, launcher modification kits, associated equipment and non-recurring efforts to support the United States and global customers.

"This contract demonstrates our customer's continued confidence in our ability to deliver unmatched Hit-to-Kill technology that defeats the ever-expanding global threats of today and tomorrow," said Scott Arnold, vice president, Integrated Air & Missile Defense at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "PAC-3 MSE is one of the most capable multi-mission interceptors, enabling our customers to defend against advanced tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft."

To meet customer demand and increase production capacity, Lockheed Martin is currently building an 85,000-square-foot expansion at the Camden, Arkansas, facility where PAC-3 MSE interceptors are assembled. The building is expected to be complete by fourth quarter 2021, with operations beginning in first quarter 2022.

Ten nations – the United States, Qatar, Japan, Romania, Poland, the United Arab Emirates, Sweden, Korea, Bahrain and Germany – have signed agreements to procure PAC-3 MSE interceptors.

 

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First Q-53 Radar Equipped with Gallium Nitride Delivered to U.S. Army

SYRACUSE, N.Y., APRIL 30, 2020 – Not only is the AN/TPQ-53 system the most modern radar deployed by the U.S. Army, it is now poised to be the first and only Army radar system operating with Gallium Nitride (GaN).

“Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) recently delivered the first Q-53 system to the U.S. Army equipped with GaN,” said Mark Mekker, director, Lockheed Martin Army radar programs. “This critical upgrade will enable the Army to continuously grow and enhance the system’s capabilities to meet changing mission needs.”

GaN transmit-receive modules will provide the radar with additional power, reliability and the possibility for enhanced capabilities, including extended range, counterfire target acquisition (CTA) and multi-mission, which delivers simultaneous CTA and air surveillance. The systems upgraded with GaN are part of the Lot 3 contract awarded in 2018.

“We realize how critical it is to develop and build these radars so they will be responsive to the evolving operational demands and threats our deployed troops face every day,” said Mekker. “Lockheed Martin’s open, scalable radar architecture is the cornerstone of the systems’ designs and will allow for future upgrades that will not only extend the lives of the radars—but evolve their capabilities over the next 40 years.”

About the Q-53

The primary mission of the Q-53 is to protect troops in combat by detecting, classifying, tracking and identifying the location of enemy indirect fire in either 90 or 360-degree modes. The Q-53 has protected warfighters around the world since 2010.

Proven Radar Experience

With broad and deep experience developing and delivering ground-based radar solutions to our customers, our high-performing, high-reliability, solid state radar (SSR) systems specialize in counter target acquisition, early warning, situational awareness, and integrated air and missile defense. Our radars are designed with the highest degree of commonality and fully integrated SSR systems. They can operate in all environments, are available in highly mobile configurations, and are deployed worldwide. It’s why Lockheed Martin’s ground-based radars are the choice of more than 45 nations on six continents.

 

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Lockheed Martin's PrSM Proves Reliability in Third U.S. Army Flight Test
Achievement advances missile closer to early Army acquisition of new long-range capabilities

DALLAS, April 30, 2020-- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) successfully tested its next-generation long-range missile designed for the Army's Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) program at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. All objectives were achieved in the third and final flight demonstration as part of the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction phase of the program. Today's flawless performance follows a highly accurate inaugural flight last December and equally successful March 10 test event.

PrSM was fired from Lockheed Martin's High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS™) launcher and flew approximately 85 kilometers to the target area, culminating in a highly accurate and lethal warhead event.

"Today's PrSM test, a highly stressful short-range shot, represents the third successful flight test proving the effectiveness, survivability and reliability of the tactical baseline missile," said Gaylia Campbell, vice president of Precision Fires and Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

Test objectives included confirming flight trajectory, range and accuracy from launch to warhead event, as well as warhead lethality, HIMARS launcher integration and overall missile performance.

Last month, the success of PrSM's test flights, program execution and overall performance resulted in Lockheed Martin earning the privilege to move to the next phase and continue maturation of the next-generation long-range precision fires solution for the U.S. Army.

"We've validated the design and performance of our baseline tactical missile and are already working with our Army partner on Engineering Design Testing, production readiness and fielding requirements to support the future needs of the Soldier," Campbell said.

The next-generation precision-strike, surface-to-surface weapon system will deliver enhanced capabilities for attacking, neutralizing, suppressing and destroying targets at depth on the battlefield and gives field artillery units a new long-range capability while supporting brigade, division, corps, Army, theater, Joint and Coalition forces.

 

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U.S. Army’s Sentinel A4 Radar Program Quickly Achieves Key Milestones
Lockheed Martin’s open scalable radar architecture a critical factor in meeting aggressive schedule

SYRACUSE, NY, April 30, 2020 – Just four months after the initial contract award, the U.S. Army’s Sentinel A4 radar program already achieved several key milestones. In January, the U.S Army approved the program’s Systems Requirement Review (SRR), Systems Functional Review (SFR), and the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for one of the subsystems.

“Traditionally, the SRR and PDR take place several months apart, but thanks to Lockheed Martin’s (NYSE: LMT) preparation, investment and our technically mature radar solution, we are able to support the Army’s need to field the system more rapidly,” said Mark Mekker, director, Lockheed Martin Army radar programs. “We have achieved every milestone while working on a very aggressive timeline in order to deliver the radar on schedule.”

Lockheed Martin’s open scalable radar architecture is the cornerstone of the radar system’s design and will allow for future upgrades that not only extend the life of the radar, but address threats to our warfighters that will evolve over the next 40 years.

The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $281-million contract to develop the Sentinel A4 system in September 2019. The new air and missile defense radar will provide improved capability against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems, rotary wing and fixed wing, and rocket, artillery, and mortar threats.

The radar will also provide enhanced surveillance, detection, and classification capabilities against current and emerging aerial threats in order to protect U.S. Army maneuver formations and high-value static assets to include: command and control nodes, tactical assembly areas and geo-political centers.

 

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US Navy will host RIMPAC exercise, but with these modifications
April 30, 2020

Builder 2nd Class Aaron Brown, assigned to Underwater Construction Team 2, enters the water for a dive on the USS Arizona Memorial at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam during the Rim of the Pacific exercise on July 13, 2018. (MC1 Arthurgwain L. Marquez/U.S. Navy)

HONOLULU — The U.S. Navy said Wednesday it will host the world’s largest maritime exercises in Hawaii again this year, but the drills will only be held at sea because of the coronavirus.

The Navy has held the Rim of the Pacific exercises in Hawaii every two years since the early 1970s. Hawaii Gov. David Ige earlier this month asked the military to postpone the drills “until the COVID-19 situation here in the islands subsides.”

The Pacific Fleet said in a statement RIMPAC 2020 would not include social events on shore. Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam will host a “minimal footprint” of staff for logistics and support functions.

It said the modified exercise was a way to “conduct a meaningful exercise with maximum training value and minimum risk to the force, allies and partners, and the people of Hawaii.”

The drills will also be held over two weeks, from Aug. 17-31, instead of the usual five weeks of events from late June to early August.

Ige said in a statement he was pleased the Navy agreed to postpone the exercise and would conduct it at sea. He said he would reassess and respond appropriately if conditions changed.

Two years ago, RIMPAC brought 46 surface ships and 25,000 personnel from 25 nations to the islands.

The U.S. has the most coronavirus cases in the world, while an outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier infected nearly 1,000 sailors. Other RIMPAC participants including Japan have also experienced outbreaks.

Hawaii has had 613 cases of the virus as of Wednesday, though only four new ones including three on Oahu. Kauai County has had more than two weeks without a new case.

Residents have been adhering to a statewide stay-at-home order since late March to limit the spread of the virus. The state has also imposed a 14-day quarantine on all travelers arriving in the islands.

On Wednesday, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said golf courses, car dealers and pet groomers would be allowed to resume some operations so long as they followed social distancing requirements.

Caldwell said the city, the governor and the other county mayors were working to determine how to keep everyone safe.

“Together, we are taking the first steps towards a more open way of life,” Caldwell said in a statement. "Getting people back to work is a priority right now and we will continue to make decisions based on all available data and sound science,” Caldwell said in a statement.

The mayor made his announcement after the state governor approved the rule changes.

Ige told a news conference that officials were discussing allowing hair salons to resume operations but noted it's a business with a high level of contact between people and thus carries a high risk of spreading the disease.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

 

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The US Navy selects Fincantieri design for next-generation frigate
April 30, 2020

The Italian FREMM Alpino underway off the coast of Virginia during its 2018 deployment to the East Coast. (Staff photo by David B. Larter)

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy’s newest surface combatant has Italian heritage, the Navy announced Thursday.

In a major win for Wisconsin’s Marinette Marine shipyard, the Navy selected Fincantieri’s so-called FREMM design, an acronym that stands for “European multi-purpose frigate,” in its original Italian. The shipyard, which is also on the hook for building the remaining mono-hull littoral combat ships and a frigate version of it for Saudi Arabia, is now a major player in U.S. Navy shipbuilding.

The detailed design and construction contract, worth $795.1 million, covers the design work and the first ship, as well as options for up to nine others. The total value of the contract if all options are exercised will be $5.58 billion. The contract is expected to be rebid after the first 10 ships.
The Navy is providing a significant portion of government furnished equipment, including a variant of the AN/SPY-6 radar destined for the Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers under construction, and those costs are not included in the $5.58 billion.

Fincantieri campaigned hard to win the contract, bringing the FREMM to the United States to show it off and work with U.S. ships off the coast. The victory beats out challenges from Huntington Ingalls Industries, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works with Navantia’s F100 design, and Austal USA with an up-gunned version of its trimaran littoral combat ship.

According to the the Navy 2021 budget documents, the service is planing for it to take six years to complete design and construction of the ship, which should be finished in 2026.

The second frigate is expected to be ordered in April 2021, and from there it should be delivered about five and a half years after the award date.

Put another way, the first ship should be delivered to the fleet in July 2026, and the second about three months later.

The Italian FREMM Alpino moored pierside in Baltimore. The ship's design is the basis of the US Navy's next-generation frigate. (Staff photo By David B. Larter)

The FFG(X) is supposed to be a small, multi-mission ship with a modified version of Raytheon’s SPY-6 radar destined for the Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Combat System, as well as some point defense systems and 32 vertical launch cells for about half the cost of a DDG.

Of course, without knowing which ship the Navy intends to buy and what the final detailed designs look like, firm price estimates are impossible, but the Pentagon has some projections.

The first ship ordered in 2020 is expected to cost $1.28 billion, according to budget documents.

The buy was supposed to be one ship in FY20, then two vessels every year until the full 20-ship buy was complete. But the Navy wanted to make sure it staggered the buy more responsibly, said Rear Adm. Randy Crites, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for budget, in his rollout of the 2021 budget earlier this year.

"We don’t want to have a repeat of some of the lessons of LCS where we got going too fast,” Crites said. "As it is, we’re going to have eight frigates under construction when we deliver the first one in 2026.

“Right now we’ll award one later this year, wand the plan is for one next year but that will get looked at. Then we’ll ramp up to two to three, with nine in the [future-year defense program].”

Our Thread on this topic:

US Navy Picks Italian Design For Its New FFG-X Guided Missile Frigate

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/33249/navy-picks-italian-shipbuilder-to-build-its-new-ffg-x-guided-missile-frigate Navy Picks Italian Design For Its New FFG-X Guided Missile Frigate The frigate, which will be built at the Italian firm's Wisconsin-based subsidiary, is based on ships...

world-defense.com

 

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Russia says using new U.S. warheads would provoke nuclear retaliation
April 30, 2020

The Pentagon said the W76-2 nuclear warhead was first deployed with the USS Tennessee, pictured, late last year. File Photo by Mass Communication 2nd Class Bryan Tomforde/U.S. Navy/UPI

April 30 (UPI) -- Russia's foreign ministry has warned the United States that any use of the U.S. Navy's new low-yield nuclear weapons would provoke a heavy response from the Kremlin.

The warning follows an announcement by the Pentagon in February that the Navy had deployed the first W76-2 low-yield submarine-launched nuclear warheads.

Wednesday, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova cautioned the U.S. military that using those weapons against Russia would warrant a nuclear retaliatory strike.

"Any attack involving a U.S. submarine-launched ballistic missile, regardless of its weapon specifications, would be perceived as a nuclear aggression," Zakharova said. "Those who like to theorize about the flexibility of American nuclear potential must understand that in line with the Russian military doctrine such actions are seen as warranting retaliatory use of nuclear weapons by Russia."

The U.S. State Department suggested last week that equipping Navy submarines with the low-yield nukes -- which have explosive power similar to the atomic bombs dropped in Japan during World War II -- would only serve to deter military provocation from Russia and China.

"Sustaining an effective deterrence strategy is central to our goal of ensuring that a nuclear war will not be fought," the department said in a report. "Nuclear deterrence is the least bad option and not our first choice. The United States is ready to work cooperatively with the international community to reduce nuclear dangers through effective arms control, non-proliferation, transparency and diplomacy."

The United States and Russia have disagreed recently over a new treaty to limit nuclear weapons, and Moscow has called for an extension of the 2010 new START treaty. The Trump administration said any new arms deal should include China, an idea that hasn't met with much support in Moscow.