US Armed Forces

[Khafee]

Bronco II returns for SOCOM Armed Overwatch bid
05 May 2020

A concept-drawing of the Paramount Group Bronco II, which is being pitched for the US SOCOM armed overwatch requirement. Leidos has been named as the prime contractor for the bid. Source: Bronco Combat Systems

The Bronco II light attack and surveillance aircraft is being put forward for the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Armed Overwatch programme, it was revealed on 4 May.

Leidos is taking the position of prime contractor for the bid, with Paramount Group USA and Vertex Aerospace supporting the bid of the aircraft for the programme. Vertex Aerospace, formerly a business unit of L3 Technologies (now L3Harris), offers a variety of maintenance, through-life support, aerostructures fabrication, and aircraft integration services.

Additional partners for the platform include Leonardo DRS, Dynetics, Beast Code, Fulcrum Concepts, and Concord XXI aviation flight training.
Should the aircraft be selected, the consortium plans to manufacture it at a facility in Crestview, Florida, as part of efforts to maintain the 'Buy American, Build American' requirements of the US government's procurement strategy.

The Bronco II has six underwing hardpoints and two optional belly hardpoints, and is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-66B turboprop engine.

The aircraft has an endurance of more than 6.5 hours and a maximum range of 2,000 nautical miles including external fuel tanks.

Most notably, the aircraft comes with a mission module that fits under the cockpit. The module, which has a capacity of 1,764 lbs and volume of 53 ft³, can be used to accommodate a range of payloads including additional EO/IR sensors, signals intelligence or electronics intelligence payloads, medical supplies, a fuel drum, resupply packages, or an aerial resupply capability. The company claims the module can be reconfigured in less than two hours.

Paramount Group officials had previously told that the targeted hourly operating cost for the aircraft was under USD1,000.

 

[Khafee]

Covid-19: GE Aviation to eliminate up to 13,000 jobs
05 May 2020

A GE Aviation engine. Source: GE

GE Aviation plans to reduce its global workforce by up to 13,000 people, or 25%, due to the commercial air travel slump caused by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), according to the US-based engine manufacturer.

"Global traffic is expected to be down approximately 80% in the second quarter when compared to the start of the pandemic's effect in China in early February," said David Joyce, president and CEO of GE Aviation. "Our aircraft manufacturers have announced reduced production schedules that will extend into 2021 and beyond reacting to the projected prolonged recovery."

The job reductions, announced on 4 May, include the layoff of 2,500 US employees that the GE business disclosed in March.

"To protect our business, we have responded with difficult cost-cutting actions over the last two months," Joyce said. "Unfortunately, more is required as we scale the business to the realities of our commercial market."

The latest announcement came days after GE reported on 29 April that its Aviation business had revenue of USD6.9 billion in the first quarter of 2020, down 13% from the first quarter last year. The segment's profit fell 39% to USD1 billion.

 

[Khafee]

B1-B bombers deployed to Guam
May 5, 2020

A B1-B Lancer bomber prepares to leave Dyess AFB, Texas, and travel to Andersen AFB, Guam, on April 30. Photo by Senior Airman Mercedes Porter/U.S. Air Force

May 4 (UPI) -- Four B1-B Lancer bombers and 200 airmen were deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, from Texas for training operations, the U.S. Air Force announced on Monday.

Three Lancers flew to Guam while one flew "east of Japan to conduct training with U.S. Navy assets operating in the region before heading to Andersen AFB," an Air Force statement said.

The aircraft and personnel are part of the 9th Bomb Squad, 7th Bomb Wing of Dyess Air Force Base in Texas. The length of the deployment was not announced.

The practice of rotating bomber missions through Guam for six-month deployments ended two weeks ago, in favor of a less predictable schedule of deploying the aircraft at bases throughout the world. The Guam-based missions involved patrols over the East and South China Seas to project U.S. air power to North Korea, China and Russia.

B-1s, which can carry a larger missile payload than B-52 bombers, were last deployed to the Indo-Pacific region in 2017.

"Deployments like this allow our airmen to enhance the readiness and training necessary to respond to any potential crisis or challenge across the globe," Col. Ed Sumangil, 7th Bomber Wing commander, said in the statement. "It also provides a valuable opportunity to better integrate with our allies and partners through joint and combined operations and exercises."

The aircraft arrived in Guam on Friday, the day after the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command confirmed that two B-1Bs carried out a 32-hour flight over the South China Sea from Ellsworth AFB, S.D. The region has been active with flight patrols, including surveillance planes, since possible health problems of North Korean leader Kim Jung Un were reported.

Another South Dakota-based B-1B Lancer integrated with the Japan Air Self Defense Force to conduct bilateral and theater familiarization training near Japan last week, the Air Force announced. Its 29-hour round trip included teaming with six U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons, seven JASDF F-2s and eight JASDF F-15s over the Draughon Range as part of the joint mission between U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Strategic Command Bomber Task Force

 

[Khafee]

DoD releases name of soldier who died in 'non-combat-related' incident in Iraq
May 5, 2020

Sgt. Christopher Wesley Curry, 23, died Monday in Iraq in what officials are describing as a non-combat-related incident. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army

May 5 (UPI) -- The Pentagon released the name of a soldier who died Monday in Iraq in what officials describe as a non-combat-related incident.

Sgt. Christopher Wesley Curry, 23, of Terre Haute, Ind., died in Erbil, Iraq, in an incident that is under investigation, according to the Department of Defense.

Curry was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

"Sgt. Curry joined Charlie Company in April 2019 and immediately became a part of our Army family. His technical expertise enabled the unit to deploy from Alaska in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, and his continued effort eased the Company's transition while in theater," Lt. Col. Jimmy Howell, 3-21 Infantry commander, said in a statement sent to UPI.

"Sgt. Curry's incessant optimism was the hallmark of his personality, and often provided respite for others during times of stress," Howell said. "His honesty, light heartedness, and wit will always be remembered by his brothers in arms. His loss is being felt immensely by Charlie Company, 3-21 Infantry, and the 1/25th SBCT. It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to one of our own."

Curry's death marks the first in the area since March, when two U.S. service members were killed in Northern Iraq in support of operation Inherent Resolve.

 

[Khafee]

Raytheon awarded $325M for repair of ATFLIR system for Navy Super Hornets
May 5, 2020

U.S. Navy Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Jacob Valdes, right, from Sacramento, California, and Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Megan Heimgartner, from Kendrick, Idaho, conduct a hard-landing atflir test on an F/A-18E Super Hornet. Photo by Jarrod A. Schad/U.S. Navy

May 5 (UPI) -- Raytheon was awarded a $325 million contract for repair of the Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared System in the F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft for the Navy Tuesday, according to the Pentagon.

The ATFLIR is a multi-sensor electro-optical targeting pod used to provide navigation and targeting for military aircraft in adverse weather and using precision-guided munitions such as laser-guided bombs.

According to Raytheon, the system is used to provide navigation and targeting for military aircraft in adverse weather, and is intended to replace the Navy's AN/AA-38 Nite Hawk pod.

In May 2019 Boeing was awarded a $163.9 million contract to continue modernizing the F/A-18 fighter jet fleet under the service life modification program, which is expected to extend the operation life of Super Hornet fighter jets from 6,000 flight hours to 10,000 flight hours.

According to the contract announcement, work on the contract will be divided between McKinney, Texas, and Jacksonville, Fla., with an expected completion date of May 2025.

 

[Khafee]

Bell Boeing awarded $10.2M for V-22 Osprey repairs
May 5, 2020

A V-22 Osprey, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit makes its final approach for landing on the island of Crete for a stopover. Marines of the 24th MEU are assigned to the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group on a six-month deployment. Photo by Paul Farley/U.S. Navy

May 5 (UPI) -- Bell Boeing received a $10.2 million contract modification Tuesday for repairs of the V-22 Osprey multirole combat aircraft for the Navy, the Pentagon announced.

The deal modifies a previously awarded contract for production of V-22 aircraft to include additional repairs and non-recurring engineering for a drive tube engineering change proposal.

The V-22 Osprey is a tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing as well as short takeoff and landing capabilities.

It has been in use by the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Japan's Self-Defense Force, since 2007.

There are currently about 200 Ospreys in service.

Work on the contract will be performed at a variety of locations, including Fort Worth, Texas, Ridley Park, Penn., and Amarillo Texas.

The expected completion date for the contract is September 2022.

 

[Khafee]

5 things you should know about the US Navy’s new frigate
05 May 2020

WASHINGTON – The Navy selected Fincantieri’s FREMM design for its next generation frigate, but as with most new platforms it will be a long time before the first ship hits the fleet.

The contract awarded May 30 is for up to 10 hulls constructed at Fincantieri’s Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin. The Navy intends to buy at least 20 frigates.

Here’s what we know about what the years ahead will hold.

1) The price tag. According to Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James Geurts, the first hull will cost $1.281 billion, which includes the design money for both the ship and for the work needed at the shipyard to set up a production line. It also includes all the government furnished equipment, including things such as the Raytheon AN/SPY-6-derivative radar and Lockheed’s Aegis Combat System.

Of that $1.281 billion, $795 million will go to the shipyard.

The next hulls in the buy should cost significantly less. The Navy is aiming for a price tag of $800 million in 2018 dollars, with the threshold at $950 million. But Geurts thinks he can beat both numbers. An independent cost estimate found the follow-on hulls should cost in the neighborhood of $781 million if all 20 are built.

“The study shows this ship as selected and the program as designed delivering underneath our objective cost per platform,” Geurts said on a May 30 phone call with reporters.

2) The timeline. Detailed design of FFG(X) starts right away, Geurts said, and construction will start no later than April 2022. The first ship should deliver in 2026 and should be operational by 2030, with final operational capability declared by 2032, Geurts said.

The contract should be wrapped up, all 10 hulls, by 2035. The intention is to buy 20 hulls, though it’s unclear if Marinette will build al 20 or if the Navy will identify a second source.

Sailors stand watch on the bridge of the Italian FREMM Alpino, the parent design for the US Navy's new FFG(X), underway off the Eastern Seaboard in May 2018. (Staff photo by David B. Larter)

3) What could go wrong? The Navy feels like it did a lot to try and not mess this ship up, which it could be argued is important given a not-so-hot track record with programs lately. Improving the Navy’s performance on lead ships, in the wake of the Ford-class debacle, has been a focus of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma.

Among the steps the Navy took to retire risk with FFG(X) was to adapt many of the mature systems being designed for the Flight III DDG program, including the latest version of the Aegis Combat System and a scaled-down version of the AN/SPY-6 radar destined for Flight III.

“Some of those efforts are still maturing, such as SPY-6, but from my standpoint I’m very comfortable with how that’s proceeding,” said Rear Adm. Casey Moton, Program Executive Officer, Unmanned and Small Combatants.

Bringing industry to the process earlier will also help reduce risk in the lead ship, Moton said.

“In general, even before the solicitation went out, the fact that we had industry involved in the conceptual design phase, they were there with us in the requirements, they understood the specifications, we worked with them on cost reduction: Many of the things that tend to trip up lead ships we took proactive steps to reduce the risk there.”

4) Room to grow. The Navy weighed heavily the ability to add new, energy intensive systems on to the ship later in their calculus in selecting FREMM for their FFG(X), according to Navy officials.

During the competition, Fincantieri highlighted that they could grow the electrical capacity of the ship fairly easily and that all the major computer and engine gear could be swapped out without cutting a hole in the ship, as is often necessary with current classes in the U.S. Navy’s inventory.

The Italian FREMM Alpino, the parent design for the US Navy's new FFG(X), pierside in Baltimore. (Staff photo by David B. Larter)

Rick Hunt, a retired Navy three-star now a senior Fincantieri executive, told reporters that his company’s bid was designed to meet the cost specs but give the Navy room to upgrade when it needs to.

“Be flexible in what you do right now, surge to more capacity as soon as we get that [requirement] and be able to grow the ship in lot changes should you need something even greater in the future,” Hunt said.

Vice Admiral Jim Kilby, the Navy’s top requirements officer, said growth will be important in Navy designs going forward as it seeks to move away from combating missiles with other missiles.

“Understanding how fast the threat is advancing made the service-life allowance so important for us,” Kilby said May 30. “We didn’t want define discretely where we are going in the future so having some margin to include things like directed energy and other systems, that’s why it was so important.

“We have an extensive laser [science and technology] program in the Navy, we have lasers on some of our ships now, we definitely view it as a requirement for the future as we move into a realm where our launchers are reserved for offensive weapons, and our point defense systems are these rechargeable magazines that we can sustain for long periods of time.”

5) Lessons learned. The Navy acquisitions boss feels good about the process that produced the FFG(X) award and thinks it can be a model for other programs.

“FFG(X) represents an evolution in the Navy’s requirements and acquisition approach, which allowed the acquisition planning, requirements and technical communities along with the shipbuilders to develop requirements for the platform ahead of the release of the detailed design and construction request for proposal.

“By integrating the requirements, acquisition planning and design phases we were able to reduce the span time by nearly six years as compared to traditional platforms. All this was done with an intense focus on cost, acquisition and technical rigor so we got the best value for the warfighter and the taxpayer. It’s the best I’ve seen in the Navy thus far in integrating all the teams together and it’s a model we’re building on for future programs.”

The Italian FREMM Alpino, the parent design for the US Navy's new FFG(X), underway off the coast of Virginia during its 2018 deployment to the East Coast. (Staff photo by David B. Larter)

But its unclear if a similar approach would work on a clean-sheet new design the same way it worked for FFG(X), which uses already-developed technologies and a parent design.

“Having all the folks in the room early in the process helped move the process along and move it along faster,” said Bryan McGrath, a retired destroyer captain now consultant with The Ferrybridge Group. “The question comes when you consider how applicable duplicating such an effort would be if you were trying to do a clean-sheet design that was incorporating revolutionary technologies, untested technologies, perhaps even undeveloped technologies. That’s a different story.”

The FFG(X) will be a considerable step forward for the Navy in terms of capability, but isn’t exactly a revolutionary platform that may require a different process to arrive at a solution, McGrath said.

 

[Khafee]

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Hosts Massive “Moose Walk” With F-22s, E-3s, C-17s, C-130s and C-12Fs
May 5, 2020

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors, E-3 Sentrys, C-17 Globemaster IIIs, C-130J Herculeses and C-12F Hurons participate in a close formation taxi known as an elephant walk at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 5, 2020. This event displayed the ability of the 3rd Wing, 176th Wing and the 477th Fighter Group to maintain constant readiness throughout COVID-19 by Total Force Integration between active-duty, Guard and Reserve units to continue defending the U.S. homeland and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jonathan Valdes Montijo)

The “Moose Walk,” more commonly referred to as an “Elephant Walk,” was so named to pay homage to both Alaska’s unique wildlife and to the C-17 Globemaster III, often nicknamed “The Moose.”

On May 5, 2020, active-duty, Guard and Reserve units at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, hosted a massive “Elephant Walk”: U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors, E-3 Sentrys, C-17 Globemaster IIIs, C-130Js and C-12F Hurons took part in a close formation taxi to display the ability of the 3rd Wing, 176th Wing and the 477th Fighter Group to maintain constant readiness throughout COVID-19 by Total Force Integration.

Though this type of formation is more commonly called an “Elephant Walk,” the JBER version was so named to pay homage to both Alaska’s unique wildlife and to the C-17 Globemaster III, often called “The Moose.”

More in detail: 26x F-22s, 2x C-12Fs, 2x C-130Js, 2x E-3 Sentrys and 3 C-17s took part in the “Moose Walk” as an Alaska ANG HH-60G took some cool aerial shots. This was a significant improvement from last year’s edition when “only” 24x F-22, 1x E-3 and 1x C-17 took part in the Elephant Walk during a Polar Force exercise on Mar. 26, 2019.

According to the U.S. Air Force, the formation was followed by valuable integrated training in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex.

U.S. Air Force aircraft assigned to the 3rd Wing, 176th Wing and the 477th Fighter Group form an elephant walk at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 5, 2020. The large show-of-force demonstrated the wings’ rapid mobility capabilities and response readiness during COVID-19 and also highlighted the ability to generate combat airpower at a moment’s notice to ensure regional stability throughout the North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Emily Farnsworth)

3rd Wing’s F-22s and E-3s often team up during QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) launches triggered by Russian long-range bombers or spyplanes flying in the vicinity of the Alaskan ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone). In QRA configuration, the F-22 carry underwing tanks (as done during the “Moose Walk”): LO (Low Observability) is not required to conduct peacetime VIDs (Visual Identifications) so the stealth jets use transponders, radar reflectors/luneburg lenses and carry external loads that exaggerate their radar cross section and hide their actual radar signature to the AEW (Airborne Early Warning) aircraft and spyplanes supporting the Russian Tu-95s, Tu-142s and Il-38N on their long range training missions in international airspace.

 

[Khafee]

Air Force, Marines train near China amid heightened tensions
May 6, 2020
By Christen McCurdy

A B-1B Lancer takes off during a training mission in the East China Sea. Photo by Pacific Air Forces/U.S. Air Force/Twitter

May 6 (UPI) -- The Air Force and Marines have both reported engaging in training maneuvers in the East and South China Sea in recent weeks amid escalating tensions in the region.

Earlier this week the Pacific Air Forces and U.S. Air Force announced on Twitter that the Air Force had conducted a training mission in the in the East China Sea "in support of the National Defense Strategy objectives of being strategically predictable and operationally unpredictable."

Last week the Chinese military expelled the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry from the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea, saying U.S. forces were intruding into waters around the islands without permission.

The U.S. Marine Corps on Wednesday announced that the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in mid-April conducted training exercises in the South China Sea aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America near a standoff between China and Malaysia.

"Organizing, staging, loading, and launching two companies of Marines from the ship is not a small task. This training rehearses our Marines, the ship's crew, and other supporting components of the MAGTF so that if we were to execute a quick reaction mission real-world, we've already identified and addressed any friction that might arise," Maj. Jeremy Fisher, company commander of Bravo Company, said in a press release.

The South China Sea is subject to several overlapping territorial and maritime claims, and those disputes have been a flashpoint for escalating tensions between the United States and China, with Chinese military officials saying U.S. exercises in the area are "detrimental to regional peace and stability."

 

[Khafee]

Air Force sets May 16 launch for X-37B spy plane
May 6, 2020

The U.S. Air Force's X-37B space plane will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on May 16. File Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force | License Photo

ORLANDO, Fla., May 6 (UPI) -- The Air Force plans to launch the sixth mission of the uncrewed X-37B spy plane into orbit May 16 from Florida with a record number of experiments on board, an official said Wednesday.

Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett confirmed the mission during a live broadcast related to the new U.S. Space Force that was aired by the non-profit Space Foundation.

The space plane remains an asset of the Air Force, but it will be launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket by the Space Force from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, which is adjacent to Kennedy Space Center. No launch time was announced.

Barrett said the mission, officially called USSF-7, will push "the boundaries for reusable space systems" and highlight the plane's unique capabilities.

Experiments are to include studying the effects of space travel on various materials on board, and the effect of space radiation on seeds, Barrett said.

The ability to test new systems in space and return them, without traveling to the International Space Station, is unique to the X-37B program and helps the United States to maintain military superiority in space, according to the Air Force.

The mission will be the first time the Boeing-built plane uses a service module to host experiments. The module is an attachment at the rear of the vehicle that allows additional experimental payload capability to be carried to orbit.

The mission also will deploy the FalconSat-8, a small satellite developed by the U.S. Air Force Academy and sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory to conduct several experiments in orbit. The satellite will carry five experimental payloads for the academy, along with two NASA experiments.

Another experiment from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory will transform solar power into radiofrequency microwave energy, with the goal of transmitting that energy to the ground.


The Air Force completed a fifth space plane mission in October 2019, landing after 780 days on orbit, extending the total number of days spent in orbit for the spacecraft to 2,865, or seven years and 10 months.

 

[Khafee]

Navy breaks ground on laser weapons test lab in California
08 May 2020

U.S. Navy officials and the owner of Harper Construction, which will build the Directed Energy Systems Integration Laboratory, pictured at a May 5 groundbreaking for the lab. Photo by Dana White/U.S. Navy

May 7 (UPI) -- Navy leaders and private contractors broke ground this week on what will become the fleet's only dedicated facility to test, fire and evaluate complete laser weapon systems in a maritime environment, Naval Sea Systems Command announced on Thursday.

The Directed Energy Systems Integration Laboratory is projected to open in roughly a year along the Point Mugu Sea Range near Naval Base Ventura County in California.

"The value of the Point Mugu Sea Range is that you can put a facility of this nature right on the coastline and it can operate in the sea range, and take advantage of that testing capability," Thomas Dowd, range department director of Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Naval Air Systems Command, said Tuesday during the small groundbreaking ceremony. "The decision to build it here is a recognition of the value of the partnership we have between location, geography, maritime environment and engineering talent at the two centers."

The facility is intended to recreate as realistically as possible how High Energy Laser weapons behave on a Navy ship platform, and will help establish how conditions like moisture, humidity, salt, fog, differing air densities and temperature will affect laser performance.

Lab staff will also test how ships' systems power and cool the energy-intense weapons, and will test them by shooting at targets on the sea range and air over the range.

"This lab is a great win for the Navy, and it further affirms that even during a crisis, the Navy and NAVSEA have been -- and continue to be -- open for business, executing our mission," said Capt. Ray Acevedo, commanding officer of Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division.

This year, the Navy has announced multiple deals and developments related to laser weapons. Lockheed Martin was awarded a a $22.4 million deal in March for work on a Layered Laser Defense system prototype on board a littoral combat ship, and the installation of an Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy, or ODIN, on the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Dewey in February.

In March, Lockheed also announced it had completed a critical design review for the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance, or HELIOS, system.

"What's happened is that in the last five to 10 years, there's been a revolution in laser technology," Rob Afzal, a senior fellow at Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission System, told UPI.

Previous laser weapons were incredibly powerful -- but too large and heavy to transport in a way that would make them useful in combat, Afzal said.

The tipping point was the development of fiber lasers, which use fibers dipped in rare earth elements and are much more stable and powerful than other lasers.

"That's what really started to push up the power lasers," David Stoudt, a senior executive advisor with Booz Allen Hamilton and former Navy engineer, told UPI.

The estimated cost of the lab, which will be built by Harper Construction Co. Inc., of San Diego, is roughly $23 million.

Navy in-service engineering agents, or ISEA, for ship-based combat and laser systems will operate DESIL, enabling the lasers to support the fleet as crucial components of the Navy's maritime superiority strategy.

"The ISEA engineers will recreate issues, and investigate engineering issues for deployed DE-installed ships, and use the lab as a test range asset," said Marcos Gonzalez, project lead for DESIL. "DESIL could also bring in industry-developed versions of lasers, and developers could perform firing exercises on the test range."

The range may also be made open to others in the directed energy community, such as university researchers, Gonzalez said.

 

[Khafee]

Raytheon nabs $19M for RAM missiles, GMLS launchers

The amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island fires a rolling airframe missile as part of a training exercise. Photo by Harry Andrew D. Gordon/U.S. Navy

May 7 (UPI) -- Raytheon Missile Systems was awarded a $19 million contract modification to exercise options for Navy Rolling Airframe Missile and Guided Missile Launching Systems, according to the Department of Defense.

The deal modifies a contract awarded in June 2019 to provide the missile system for the U.S. Navy and the Japanese military, under the Foreign Military Sales program.

Under the contract Raytheon will procure material, fabricate parts, aassemble and test RAM MK 49 Mof 5 GMLS and GMLS alteration kits.

The missile is a small, infrared homing surface-to-air missile used primarily against anti-ship cruise missiles, and developed jointly by the United States and Germany.

It is in use aboard Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, Nimitz-class carriers, Wasp-class amphibious assault ships and San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships.

Federal Republic of Germany funds in the amount of $19 million are obligated at the time of the award.

 

[Khafee]

Textron nabs $20.7M contract modification for Navy drone program
May 8, 2020

The Unmanned Influence Sweep System, accompanied by an escort vessel, heads out for an Operational Assessment mission off the coast of South Florida in November 2019. The UISS consists of an unmanned surface vehicle and a towed minesweeping payload for influence sweeping of magnetic, acoustic and magnetic/acoustic combination mine types while keeping warfighters out of the minefield. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy

May 8 (UPI) -- AAI Corp., doing business as Textron Systems, was awarded a $20.7 million contract modification Friday for work on the Navy's Unmanned Influence Sweep System and Unmanned Surface Vehicle program.

According to the Department of Defense, this week's deal modifies a deal originally awarded in September 2014 for work on the UISS, which consists of a mine countermeasure unmanned surface vessel and is designed to operate as part of the littoral combat ship (LCS) mine countermeasure (MCM) package.

Unmanned surface vehicles, or Naval drones, are boats that operate on the surface of the water without a crew.

According to the Pentagon, the UISS program is intended to satisfy the Navy's need for a rapid, wide-area coverage mine clearance capability which are required to neutralize magnetic/acoustic influence mines, while also providing a high-area coverage rate in a small, lightweight package with minimal impact on the host platform.

Work on the contract will be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., and Slidell, La. with an expected completion date of September 2021.

 

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USS Montgomery, USNS Cesar Chavez enter South China Sea to support drill ship
May 8, 2020

The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Montgomery conducts routine operations near Panamanian flagged drillship, West Capella. Montgomery is on a rotational deployment to USINDOPACOM, conducting operations, exercises and port visits throughout the region and working hull-to-hull with allied and partner navies to provide maritime security and stability, key pillars of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Photo courtesy USINDOPACOM

May 8 (UPI) -- The USS Montgomery and the USNS Cesar Chavez sailed into the South China Sea this week in support of the West Capella drill ship, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command announced Friday.

Earlier this week the Air Force and Marines conducted training exercises near China amid increased tensions in the region, which is the site of competing maritime claims.

Thursday's transit, officials said, was a reaction to Chinese harassment of the drill ship in waters the Chinese government has claimed but which the United States considers international waters.

Last week the Chinese military expelled the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry from the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea, saying the United States was intruding into Chinese waters without permission.

The West Capella is owned by Patronas, a Malaysian oil and gas company and is registered in Panama.

Adm. John Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said U.S. forces would stand with regional friends and partners to resist coercion and oppose unlawful claims to international waters and resources.

"We are committed to a rules-based order in the South China Sea and we will continue to champion freedom of the seas and the rule of law," said Adm. John Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. "The Chinese Communist Party must end its pattern of bullying Southeast Asians out of offshore oil, gas, and fisheries. Millions of people in the region depend on those resources for their livelihood."

Both ships were already underway in the region, with Montgomery on a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations and Cesar Chavez delivering supplies, fuel, cargo and equipment to warfighters throughout the region.

 

[Khafee]

Boeing awarded $128.5M modification to GMD missile upgrade contract
May 8, 2020

A test of the nation's Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, was conducted from North Vandenberg in March 2019. Boeing was awarded a $128.5 million modification to its Ground-based Midcourse Defense development and sustainment contract Thursday. Photo by Jose Davila/U.S. Air Force

(UPI) -- Boeing was awarded a $128.5 million modification to its Ground-based Midcourse Defense development and sustainment contract Thursday, according to the Pentagon.

The deal modifies a contract awarded in 2018 for upgrades to the GMD, which is the United States' ballistic missile defense system.

The modification increases the total value of the contract from $11.2 billion to $11.3 billion and covers work performed through September 2022. The contract was last modified in December.

The GMD provides commanders with the capability to target and eliminate limited intermediate-and long-range ballistic missile threat in space, according to the Missile Defense Agency.

Under the modification Boeing will manufacture C2 boost vehicles, booster spare parts and associated avionics to maintain fleet and flight test programs, according to the Department of Defense.