US Armed Forces

[Gripen9]

Is Lockheed Building the Air Force’s Secret Fighter?

Executives drop some not-so-subtle clues.​

BY MARCUS WEISGERBER
GLOBAL BUSINESS EDITOR
OCTOBER 20, 2020

Is Lockheed Martin building a secret new fighter jet that U.S. Air Force officials revealed last month?
Company executives dropped some not-so-subtle hints about the company’s growing backlog of classified military work, including one project that requires erecting a new building at its secretive Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. They also pointed to revenue growth within the company’s Aeronautics division, which includes the Advanced Development Programs shop that created the fabled U-2 and SR-71 spy planes and F-117 stealth attack jet.

“We do anticipate seeing strong double-digit growth at our Skunk Works — our classified Advanced Development Programs,” Lockheed CFO Ken Possenriede said during the company’s quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts. “We continue to execute on...recent awards.”
Last month, Air Force leaders revealed they had built and flown a prototype for the Next Generation Air Dominance program — an effort to develop a new generation of warplanes. Service officials said the project relied heavily on digital engineering, but declined to reveal much else, including what company or companies were working on the new aircraft. The classified aircraft project is believed to have started near the end of the Obama administration.


During an interview after the call, Possenriede mentioned a classified project that was the Aeronautics division’s top priority when he worked there between 2016 and 2019.

“It was bid aggressively [and] we happen to have won that one,” he said. “And we're very happy with the results [and] the outcome right now.”
On the earnings call, Possenriede said that “in the classified area of Aeronautics, there are a multitude of opportunities out there.”
He said the company needs to build a building for a classified project in Palmdale, adding that “there are other customers that have a keen interest in that program.”
I
n 2019, Lockheed’s Aeronautics division booked $19.6 billion in sales over the first nine months of 2020. That’s nearly 13 percent higher than what the sector booked over the same period in 2019. Overall, the company will spend about $1.7 billion on capital expenditures, like new facilities, in 2020 and 2021, Possenriede said.
“We're going to keep investing in organic capital expenditures to build capacity to deliver on our core business,” Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet said on the call. “Much of what we spent this year is on classified programs in both aeronautics and space, that are growing relatively rapidly. And so we're going to continue to do those organic investments every time we can.”
Aeronautics is not the only division seeing a bump in classified contracts. Lockheed’s Space and Missile and Fire Control divisions are also seeing an uptick in secret work.

The missiles division, which is working on hypersonic weapons projects with the Aeronautics and Space divisions, won what Possenriede called a “large classified program” that is still in development.
“We will start to see — in the next four to five years — that go into limited-rate production, and then ultimately into production,” he said.

Is Lockheed Building the Air Force’s Secret Fighter?

Executives drop some not-so-subtle clues.

www.defenseone.com

 

[Gripen9]

U.S. MQ-9 Reaper Drones Stationed In Poland Spotted With New SIGINT Wing-Mounted Pod​

November 12, 2020 Drones

DAVID CENCIOTTI

The U.S. MQ-9 N428HK carrying the new pod and antenna on the right wing pylons. (Image credit: via Polish MoD)

The MQ-9 drones of the 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group Detachment 2 have started flying with a new SIGINT (SIGnal INTelligence) pod.​

Some interesting photos were shared online by the Polish Ministry of Defense. They show one of the MQ-9 drones of the 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group Detachment 2, the unit operating MQ-9 Reaper drones in Europe, flying over Lask Air Base, Poland, with a brand new pod.
The pod seems to be the one used to house the L3 full-band Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) ISR capability, whose integration with the MQ-9 Reaper was announced during Paris Air Show 2019.

“Jointly funded by GA-ASI and L3, this new podded solution was developed in eight months and successfully flight tested in May 2019 on a GA-ASI MQ-9 operating from GA test facilities in Yuma, Arizona”, said the press release issued last year.
“The successful collaboration between L3 and GA-ASI provides a new dimension for ISR employment of MQ-9 aircraft and provides expanded options for warfighters in the ISR domain,” said Jeff Miller, L3’s Senior Vice President and President of its ISR Systems business segment. “L3 is excited to provide its family-of-systems (FOS) SIGINT payload into the unmanned air vehicle arena in cooperation with GA-ASI and looks forward to providing increased capabilities for GA-ASI’s current and future MQ-9 weapon systems customers.”
“We are excited to work with L3 Technologies to develop this capability for the MQ-9. Generating Electronic Order of Battle (EOB) is a key capability of strategic importance to the U.S. and its allies,” said Linden Blue, CEO of GA-ASI. “Integrating L3’s world-class SIGINT system further enhances the MQ-9’s utility in the ISR arena.”
Although we don’t know whether the pod has already been delivered to other Reaper units around the world, the appearance of the new SIGINT pod on an MQ-9 Reaper based in Europe and often deployed to forward operating locations close to Russia is remarkable. The 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group Detachment 2, is a geographically separated unit assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem AB, Germany, whose mission is to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and has been operating from the Miroslawiec AB, Poland, since May 2018.
The unit is assigned civilian registered, unarmed Block 5 Reapers which are flown and maintained by contractors, with the Air Force providing communications, intelligence analysis and force protection. The airframes registered N428HK and N429HK have been noted in the past. In July 2019, the MQ-9 drones of the Det. 2 relocated to Romania for a certain period because of construction works in Miroslawiec AB, Poland, and earlier this year, in July 2020, the unit’s Reapers deployed to Amari Air Base on Jun. 14, 2020, marking the very first time the UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) deployed to Estonia.
The Reaper with registration N428HK is the one depicted carrying the SIGINT Pod in the photos released today. It seems quite likely that this MQ-9 will soon join the “armada” of ISR platforms keeping an eye on Russian activities in the Baltic (Kaliningrad) or the Black Sea (Crimea) in the future.

U.S. MQ-9 Reaper Drones Stationed In Poland Spotted With New SIGINT Wing-Mounted Pod

The MQ-9 drones of the 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group Detachment 2 have started flying with a new SIGINT (SIGnal INTelligence) pod. Some interesting

theaviationist.com

 

[Khafee]

Report on Navy Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles​

March 30, 2021

The following is the March 25, 2020 Congressional Research Service Report, Navy Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress.

From the report​

The Navy in FY2021 and beyond wants to develop and procure three types of large unmanned vehicles (UVs). These large UVs are called Large Unmanned Surface Vehicles (LUSVs), Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicles (MUSVs), and Extra-Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs). The Navy requested $579.9 million in FY2021 research and development funding for these large UVs and their enabling technologies. As part of its action on the Navy’s proposed FY2021 budget, Congress provided $238.9 million.

The Navy wants to acquire these large UVs as part of an effort to shift the Navy to a more distributed fleet architecture. Compared to the current fleet architecture, this more distributed architecture is to include proportionately fewer large surface combatants (i.e., cruisers and destroyers), proportionately more small surface combatants (i.e., frigates and Littoral Combat Ships), and the addition of significant numbers of large UVs. The Navy wants to employ accelerated acquisition strategies for procuring these large UVs, so as to get them into service more quickly. The Navy’s desire to employ these accelerated acquisition strategies can be viewed as an expression of the urgency that the Navy attaches to fielding large UVs for meeting future military challenges from countries such as China.

The Navy envisions LUSVs as being 200 feet to 300 feet in length and having full load displacements of 1,000 tons to 2,000 tons. The Navy wants LUSVs to be low-cost, high-endurance, reconfigurable ships based on commercial ship designs, with ample capacity for carrying various modular payloads—particularly anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and strike payloads, meaning principally anti-ship and land-attack missiles. Although referred to as UVs, LUSVs might be more accurately described as optionally or lightly manned ships, because they might sometimes have a few onboard crew members, particularly in the nearer term as the Navy works out LUSV enabling technologies and operational concepts.

The Navy defines MUSVs as being 45 feet to 190 feet long, with displacements of roughly 500 tons. The Navy wants MUSVs, like LUSVs, to be low-cost, high-endurance, reconfigurable ships that can accommodate various payloads. Initial payloads for MUSVs are to be intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) payloads and electronic warfare (EW) systems. The Navy is pursuing the MUSV program as a rapid prototyping effort under what is known as Section 804 acquisition authority. The first MUSV prototype was funded in FY2019 and the Navy wants fund the second prototype in FY2023. On July 13, 2020, the Navy announced that it had awarded “a $34,999,948 contract to L3 Technologies, Inc. for the development of a single Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MUSV) prototype, with options to procure up to eight additional MUSVs.”

The first five XLUUVs were funded in FY2019; they are being built by Boeing. The Navy wants procure additional XLUUVs at a rate of two per year starting in FY2023. The Navy’s FY2021 budget submission did not request funding for the procurement of additional XLUUVs in FY2021 or FY2022.

The Navy’s large UV programs pose a number of oversight issues for Congress, including issues relating to the analytical basis for the more distributed fleet architecture; the Navy’s accelerated acquisition strategies for these programs; technical, schedule, and cost risk in the programs; the proposed annual procurement rates for the programs; the industrial base implications of the programs; potential implications for miscalculation or escalation at sea; the personnel implications of the programs; and whether the Navy has accurately priced the work it is proposing to do on the programs.

In marking up the Navy’s proposed FY2020 and FY2021 budgets, some of the congressional defense committees expressed concerns over whether the Navy’s accelerated acquisition strategies provided enough time to adequately develop concepts of operations and key technologies for these large UVs, particularly the LUSV. In response to the markups to its FY2020 budget, the Navy’s FY2021 budget proposed modifying the acquisition strategy for the LUSV program so as to provide more time for developing operational concepts and key technologies before entering into serial production of deployable units.

Complete Document

 

[Khafee]

U.S. Navy orders 10th Virginia-class submarine

The U.S. Navy ordered a 10th Virginia-class submarine in a $1.89 billion modification to a 2019 contract calling for nine vessels. Photo by MCS1 Steven Myers/U.S. Navy

(UPI) -- Shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries announced a contract on Monday to build a 10th Virginia-class submarine for the U.S. Navy.

Its Newport News Shipbuilding division, partnered with General Dynamics Electric Boat, received a $22 billion contract in 2019 to build nine submarines, with an option for a 10th, the company said in a press release.

The contract calls for an additional vessel ordered by the Navy, bringing the total cost of the original contract to $24.1 billion.

"We are pleased that Congress supported the restoration of funding for the 10th Virginia-class boat in Block V," Jason Ward vice president of Virginia-class submarine construction at Newport News Shipbuilding, said Monday.

"We look forward to building and delivering the final boat of the block that maintains production at two submarines per year and continues to stabilize the industrial base," Ward said in the press release.

Construction of the vessel, which has not yet been named, will begin by 2024.

The Virginia, or SSN-774 class, includes nuclear-powered, cruise missile-equipped, fast-attack submarines, and is regarded as the U.S. Navy's foremost undersea platform in stealth, intelligence gathering and weapons systems technology.

The first, the USS Virginia, was commissioned in 2004. Plans call for Virginia-class vessels to be ordered until 2043, with service life extending to the 2070s.

They are designed to replace the Los Angeles class of submarines, first commissioned in 1976. Sixty-two were built, with 28 still active and 30 decommissioned so far.

 

[Khafee]

Lockheed Martin wins $2.76B Army contract for guided missile rockets
By Ed Adamczyk

Lockheed Martin was awarded a $2.76 billion contract by the U.S. Army for guided missile launch rocket systems, the Pentagon announced on Friday. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army

(UPI) -- The U.S. Army announced a $2.76 billion contract award to Lockheed Martin to obtain guided missile launch rocket systems and associated equipment.

The contract with Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control subsidiary, announced on Friday, calls for delivery of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems Alternative Warhead rocket pods, GMLRS Unitary Warhead rocket pods, Low-Cost Reduced Range Practice rocket pods and related support and services.

The systems are expected for delivery by Oct. 31, 2024.

The GMLRS is a surface-to-surface system using precision fires at targets up to 44 miles away.

The systems' munitions have a greater accuracy than ballistic rockets, a reliability rate of 98 percent and can be fired from the M270A1 Multiple Launch Rocket System orM142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers, according to Lockheed.

The company has produced over 50,000 rockets in its history, munitions which were used extensively in the Operation Iraqi Freedom campaign.

Lockheed in March performed a successful test of its next-generation Extended-Range GMLRS at White Sands Missile Range, firing a round from the U.S. Army's High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launcher.

 

[Khafee]

Robot security dogs start guarding Tyndall Air Force Base​

Robot dogs have joined the 325th Security Forces Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Photo by A1C Anabel Del Valle/U.S. Air Force

March 29 (UPI) -- Robot dogs, or quad-legged unmanned ground vehicles, have begun guarding Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., the U.S. Air Force announced on Monday.

The semi-autonomous machines, which walk on four legs and resemble dogs' bodies, were integrated into the 325th Security Forces Squadron at the base on March 22.

The Q-UGVs are not meant to replace military working dogs, officials have said, but to add another layer of protection at the base with assigned patrol paths difficult for humans and vehicles.

"As a mobile sensor platform, the Q-UGVs will significantly increase situational awareness for defenders," Mark Shackley, security forces program manager at Tyndall Air Force Base's program management office, said in a press release.

"They can patrol the remote areas of a base while defenders can continue to patrol and monitor other critical areas of an installation," Shackley said.

The robot dogs carry a variety of cameras and other sensors, can traverse difficult terrain in extreme temperatures, crouch for a lower center of gravity and have a "high-step" mode to change leg mobility.

Designed by Ghost Robotics of Philadelphia and Immersive Wisdom of Boca Raton, Fla., prototype versions of the robots have been seen at the base since November 2020.

"These dogs will be an extra set of eyes and ears while computing large amounts of data at strategic locations throughout Tyndall Air Force Base," Maj. Gen. Jordan Criss, 325th SCS commander, said in November.

"They will be a huge enhancement for our defenders and allow flexibility in the posting and response of our personnel," Criss said.

Prototype robot dogs were first seen in September 2020 at an Advanced Battle Management System exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

The 321st Contingency Response Squadron security team used the robots to secure an airfield after the arrival of airmen for the exercise

Tyndall Air Force Base, known as the "Installation of the Future," is regarded as an ideal test bed for the robot dogs because the base is proceeding with an ongoing reconstruction after sustaining massive damage in 2018 during Hurricane Michael.

 

[Khafee]

USS Blue Ridge participates in joint exercise with Japan's JS Kongo
By Christen McCurdy
March 30, 2021

The USS Blue Ridge participated in an exercise with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s JS Kongo this week. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy

March 30 (UPI) -- The USS Blue Ridge and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's JS Kongo this week held an exercise testing their combined maritime skills and intercommunication capabilities, the latest in a stream of recent training events between the partner nations.

According to a Navy press release, the exercise consisted of multiple ships sailing in formation while practicing maneuvering and communications.

Aircraft assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12 also flew in formation with the ships and transferred the ship's captain, Tim Waits, from Blue Ridge to Kongo to visit the ship's crew and leadership.

"This bilateral exercise was an excellent display of solidarity with our host nation and the JMSDF," Waits said in the Navy's release. "It provided important training and experience that enables both crews to operate and communicate safely and effectively while working closely together."

"In addition to improving the JMSDF's tactical capabilities, we have deepened interoperability with the U.S. Navy," Capt. Fujisaki Masaru, commanding officer of JS Kongo, said in the release.

"I am convinced that we can improve deterrence and interoperability in response to possible contingencies through regular bilateral exercises such as the one we conducted," Masaru said.

Blue Ridge, the oldest operational ship in the Navy, has been forward-deployed and operating in the 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility for more than 40 years.

The 7th Fleet is the Navy's largest forward deployed fleet, generally operates 50 to 70 ships and submarines and 140 aircraft with approximately 20,000 sailors.

Earlier in March, members of the U.S. Air Force's 374th Airlift Wing conducted an airborne parachute exercise with Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 1st Airborne Brigade.

More than 500 Japanese paratroopers participated, making it the largest joint parachuting event in the history of the U.S.-Japanese alliance.

The two nations also conducted the computer-based naval drill Resilient Shield 2021 in February.

 

[Khafee]

Army Awards $50 Million Contract for New Special Operations Sniper Rifle​

31 Mar 2021

Paratroopers engage targets with bolt-action M2010 enhanced sniper rifles as part of Exercise Eagle Sokol 21 at Pocek Range in Postonja, Slovenia, Mar. 11, 2021. (U.S. Army/Paolo Bovo)


The U.S. Army just awarded a $50 million contract to Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Inc. to arm snipers with the multi-caliber sniper rifle preferred by special operations forces.

The five-year contract will buy 2,800 MK22 Multi-role Adaptive Design, or MRAD, sniper rifles that can be chambered for .338 Norma Magnum, .300 Norma Magnum and 7.62x51 NATO ammunition, Army officials from Project Manager Soldier Lethality announced today in a news release. The contract was awarded March 30.

The award comes two years after U.S. Special Operations Command awarded a contract to the Murfreesboro, Tennessee-based firm for the new MRAD sniper system.

The new rifle will replace the M107 sniper rifle, also made by Barrett, and the M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle systems, Program Executive Officer Soldier spokesman Alton Stewart said in March 2020.

Shown is a photo of the new MK22 Multi-role Adaptive Design, or MRAD, sniper rifle. The service awarded a $50 million contract to Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Inc. for the new multi-caliber sniper rifle. (U.S. Army)

The MRAD will allow Army snipers to shoot out to 1,500 meters with the barrel chambered for .338 Norma Magnum. That's 300 meters farther than the M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle, chambered for .300 Winchester Magnum.

The MK22 is part of the Army's Precision Sniper Rifle program, which also includes the Leupold & Stevens Mark 5 HD scope and a sniper accessory kit, according to the release.

The Marine Corps also has chosen the MRAD for its Advanced Sniper Rifle program. The MRAD is set to replace the Marines' current Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle, chambered for .300 Winchester Magnum, and other bolt-action sniper rifles in the sea service.

The MRAD features a quick-change barrel system that allows snipers to switch to a different caliber in the field with a single tool, according to Barrett's website.

When equipped with the 20-inch 7.62x51mm, the MK22 is 42.4 inches long and weighs 13.9 pounds. The .300 Norma Magnum configuration has a 26-inch barrel, measures 48.4 inches overall and weighs 15.2 pounds. In .338 Norma Magnum, the MRAD has a 27-inch barrel, measures 49.4 inches in length and also weighs 15.2 pounds, according to the site.

The MRAD also has a 10-round magazine and a folding stock with an adjustable cheek piece. The upper receiver is machined from 7000-series aluminum. The MRAD bolt rides in a unique enclosed polymer guide, which provides smooth, reliable operation in harsh conditions, Barrett's website states.

 

[Khafee]

US Army awards FLRAA demo and risk reduction contracts​

1st April 2021

US Army contracts have been awarded to the two companies competing in the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition for Competitive Demonstration and Risk Reduction (CD&RR) Phase 2.

The awards from US Army Contracting Command on March 30 comprised US$292.65m for Bell Textron and US$284.39m for Sikorsky. Bell is offering the V-280 Valor, while Sikorsky – in a joint bid with Boeing – is proposing the Defiant X. An initial US$19.5m was released to each contractor from US Army fiscal year 2021 (FY21) research, development, test, and evaluation funds at the time of the award. Estimated completion date for both contracts is May 30, 2022.

The Sikorsky-Boeing Model S-100 SB>1 Defiant prototype, N100FV (c/n 0001), during a test flight on October 31, 2019. The helicopter, which had made its maiden flight on March 21, 2019, is one of two contenders for FLRAA for which demonstration and risk reduction contracts were awarded on March 30, 2021. Earlier this year, Sikorsky and Boeing revealed that it will be competing in the FLRAA competition with the Defiant X. Lockheed Martin


The US Army Program Executive Office, Aviation, working with Army Contracting Command, awarded these Project Agreement Holder deals under the Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium Other Transaction Authority (OTA). These OTA agreements will require the PAHs to complete an initial preliminary design event for major subsystems and the conceptual weapons system.

CD&RR Phase II will be carried out in near parallel with the programmatic source selection activities and supports preliminary analysis of requirements for Special Operations Command, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and Defense Exportability Features in FLRAA. This strategy will enable the winning offeror to complete both air vehicle and weapons system preliminary design reviews in less than a year after the programmatic contract award, thus advancing the schedule to an earlier Milestone B decision. An earlier Milestone B decision will provide more time for detailed design, building and testing of prototype air vehicles.

Brig Gen Rob Barrie, Program Executive Officer, Aviation, said: “The award of these agreements is a significant milestone for FLRAA. CD&RR Phase II accelerates digital engineering design work to the subsystem level and mitigates industrial base workforce risk while maintaining competition.” He continued, “Through CD&RR efforts, Army leaders have had the ability to make early, informed decisions ensuring FLRAA capabilities are not only affordable, but that they meet Multi-Domain Operations requirements while delivering on an aggressive schedule that does not sacrifice rigour for speed.”

Bell's V-280 Valor tiltrotor was the first of the two to take to the skies. The first prototype completed its maiden flight on December 18, 2017, at the company's facility in Amarillo, Texas. Bell


The agreements support one of the Army’s top priorities: FLRAA is a key capability within the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) programme, one of the Army’s top six modernization efforts. FLRAA will enable multi-domain operations, fly further and faster than existing aircraft and provide air assault and MEDEVAC support to the manoeuvre force in a contested and ever-changing environment.

Crucial to the success of FLRAA’s objectives is the deliberate integration of a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) into its requirements, acquisition, and sustainment strategy. MOSA is a critical enabler for improving lifecycle affordability, directly aligning with Army Aviation objectives to achieve sustained affordability and deliver continuous capability upgrades against future threats. The goal is to successfully execute the FLRAA programme and have the first unit equipped in FY30.

 

[Khafee]

U.S. Marine Corps assigned to the All-Domain Reconnaissance Detachment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, board the U.S. Navy expeditionary sea base USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) during a visit, board, search and seizure training in the Arabian Gulf.

Lewis B. Puller and 15th MEU are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.

 

[Khafee]

USS Blue Ridge participates in joint exercise with Japan's JS Kongo
By Christen McCurdy
March 30, 2021
View attachment 17298
The USS Blue Ridge participated in an exercise with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s JS Kongo this week. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy

March 30 (UPI) -- The USS Blue Ridge and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's JS Kongo this week held an exercise testing their combined maritime skills and intercommunication capabilities, the latest in a stream of recent training events between the partner nations.

According to a Navy press release, the exercise consisted of multiple ships sailing in formation while practicing maneuvering and communications.

Aircraft assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12 also flew in formation with the ships and transferred the ship's captain, Tim Waits, from Blue Ridge to Kongo to visit the ship's crew and leadership.

"This bilateral exercise was an excellent display of solidarity with our host nation and the JMSDF," Waits said in the Navy's release. "It provided important training and experience that enables both crews to operate and communicate safely and effectively while working closely together."

"In addition to improving the JMSDF's tactical capabilities, we have deepened interoperability with the U.S. Navy," Capt. Fujisaki Masaru, commanding officer of JS Kongo, said in the release.

"I am convinced that we can improve deterrence and interoperability in response to possible contingencies through regular bilateral exercises such as the one we conducted," Masaru said.

Blue Ridge, the oldest operational ship in the Navy, has been forward-deployed and operating in the 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility for more than 40 years.

The 7th Fleet is the Navy's largest forward deployed fleet, generally operates 50 to 70 ships and submarines and 140 aircraft with approximately 20,000 sailors.

Earlier in March, members of the U.S. Air Force's 374th Airlift Wing conducted an airborne parachute exercise with Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 1st Airborne Brigade.

More than 500 Japanese paratroopers participated, making it the largest joint parachuting event in the history of the U.S.-Japanese alliance.

The two nations also conducted the computer-based naval drill Resilient Shield 2021 in February.

View attachment 17299

 

[Khafee]

Austal USA Launched the 30th Littoral Combat Ship for the US Navy
Xavier Vavasseur 01 Apr 2021

Launch of the future USS Canberra (LCS 30). Austal USA picture.

Austal USA in Mobile, Ala., launched the future USS Canberra (LCS 30) into the Mobile River on March 30.

Canberra is an Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS), one of 19 that the US Navy has contracted Austal to build. The next step is sea trials and then delivery. It will be the 30th LCS overall for the U.S. Navy.

The keel laying of LCS 30 took place on March 10, 2020 in presence of the Hon Marise Payne, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs.

LCS is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The Independence-class LCS integrates new technology and capability to support current and future mission capability from deep water to the littorals.

 

[Khafee]

Microsoft to make augmented-reality headsets for the Army
April 1, 2021
By Christen McCurdy

The Army has awarded Microsoft a deal to make Integrated Visual Augmentation System headsets. Photo courtesy of Microsoft
April 1 (UPI) -- The Army has awarded Microsoft a contract to manufacture the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, an augmented reality headset for use on the battlefield.

Earlier this week the Army announced that it has awarded a fixed-price production agreement to manufacture the system, which is intended to offer a digital display to access information without taking eyes off the battlefield.

"The IVAS aggregates multiple technologies into an architecture that allows the Soldier to Fight, Rehearse, and Train using a single platform," the Army's press release said. "The suite of capabilities leverages existing high-resolution night, thermal, and Soldier-borne sensors integrated into a unified Heads Up Display to provide the improved situational awareness, target engagement, and informed decision-making necessary to achieve overmatch against current and future adversaries."

Neither the Army nor Microsoft released a dollar amount in their respective statements, but the Washington Post and CNBC both reported the deal could be worth up to $21billion dollars.

The device has been under development since 2018.

Soldiers participated in field tests and demonstrations in October 2020 in anticipation of a 2021 rollout of the device.

According to Microsoft, this week's deal means the company will work with the Army on production of the system "as it moves from rapid prototyping to production and rapid fielding."

In February 2019 more than 100 Microsoft workers signed an open letter protesting a nearly $480 million contract to develop the IVAS headsets.

"We appreciate the partnership with the U.S. Army, and are thankful for their continued trust in transitioning IVAS from rapid prototyping to rapid fielding," said a statement from Microsoft technical fellow Alex Kipman posted to the company's website Wednesday. "We look forward to building on this successful partnership with the men and women of the U.S. Army Close Combat Force."

 

[Khafee]

More scrutiny expected for Marine Corps after fatal, ‘preventable’ disaster at sea​

A California lawmaker says the service has a “systemic, cultural safety problem.”​

April 2, 2021
By Dan Lamothe

A Navy air crewman conducts search-and-rescue operations following an amphibious assault vehicle disaster off the coast of Southern California on July 30, 2020. (Lance Cpl. Mackenzie Binion/U.S. Marine Corps via AP)

A disaster at sea that killed eight Marines and a Navy sailor last summer will face more scrutiny after the release of the service’s investigative findings, with Congress taking interest and families involved pressing the Marine Corps for answers.

The service members, all between 18 and 23 years old, died after a 36-year-old armored vehicle meant to carry Marines from ship to shore sank to the ocean floor off the coast of California on July 30. A Marine Corps investigation released last week found that the situation was “preventable,” with shoddy maintenance, a lack of safety boats, insufficient training and complacency all playing a role.

Marine Corps officials and staff members in the House discussed the matter this week, said Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on readiness. What they shared, coupled with the details in the investigation, made clear to him that the service has a “systemic, cultural safety problem” that also includes fatal vehicle rollovers and aircraft collisions in training over the last few years, he said.

“It cuts across the entire Corps, it is outrageous, it is deadly, and it has to change,” Garamendi said in an interview.

The congressman said that committee members will be briefed by Marine Corps officials about safety issues next week, and that he will seek participation from Gen. David H. Berger, the service’s commandant, at an open hearing in May.

“I will invite the commandant to testify about the culture of safety — or, rather, the lack of a safety culture in the Marine Corps, and demand answers to how the Marine Corps plans to deal with this,” Garamendi said.

The recent disasters include a 2018 collision between an F/A-18 jet and a KC-130 plane off the coast of Japan that killed six Marines and a 2016 accident in which two CH-53E helicopters crashed into each other off the coast of Hawaii, killing 12.

In both cases, training problems were exposed. In the Japan case, an initial service investigation blamed the fighter jet pilot for being unqualified, but a second investigation overturned the results and said there were systemic problems in his squadron that senior Marine officers had overlooked.

Senior service officials have acknowledged mistakes in the disaster and taken steps to discipline several officers. Among them is Col. Christopher Bronzi, who was removed last week as commander of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit after deploying with the unit last fall despite the mishap.

Before the deployment, the Marine Corps removed Lt. Col. Michael Regner, the commander of 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, an infantry unit that oversaw the service members who were killed, and a more junior company commander who reported to Regner and Bronzi.

A Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicle in training. (Bullit Marquez/AP)

But there has been less transparency about other Marines involved.

Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl, the commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force, of San Diego, has “taken appropriate administrative disciplinary action against seven other personnel whose failures contributed to the mishap,” said Capt. Andrew Wood, a Marine Corps spokesman. The former commander of 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, which supplied several decrepit amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs) involved in the disaster, also could face discipline, Wood said.

The Marine Corps has not detailed what those other punishments included, or if anyone will be court-martialed. In the investigation report, Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder, the commanding general of Marine Corps Forces Pacific, recommended that several Marines receive “administrative or disciplinary action" for dereliction in the performance of duties, including the former commander of 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, the company commander removed from his job last fall, and the platoon commander of the AAVs involved.

A senior officer involved in the case, Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi, also “bears some responsibility” in the disaster for not ensuring that the Marines received all necessary training, Rudder found. The AAV platoon had not received required screening known as a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation.

But Castellvi was not disciplined because the Marines involved had been transferred to serve under Bronzi, and Bronzi was the senior Marine officer on hand. Castellvi has since become the Marine Corps inspector general. Wood said that he was chosen because he was the best qualified officer for the job.

The investigation also raised the possibility that the coronavirus pandemic complicated completing all required training. But officers overseeing the unit were still expected to do so.

The dead included Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra, 18, of Corona, Calif.; Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, 21, of Montebello, Calif.; Pfc. Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, Wis.; Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, Calif.; Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21, of Bend, Ore.; Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, 20, of New Braunfels, Tex; Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, 23, of Harris, Tex.; Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, 18, of Portland, Ore.; Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of Riverside, Calif.

Seven Marines in the vehicle, including the vehicle commander, survived.

Christiana Sweetwood, of Danville, Va., whose son was just short of turning 19 when he died, said in an interview that she is concerned that some of the lower-ranking Marines who have been disciplined may have been “thrown under the bus,” while more senior officers who gave them direction have avoided accountability.

“Why are these men allowed to be in control of people’s lives period anymore? No more. That’s the angry part of me speaking,” she said. "Are these generals getting off and these lower-level guys taking the blame?”

Sweetwood said several of the families involved have begun talking to the families of Marines killed in other training accidents about the Feres Doctrine, which bars the military from being sued in cases of documented negligence.

“It’s like they have no accountability," Sweetwood said. "None of these people do. How is that possible?”

 

[Khafee]

Sexually transmitted infections increasing in the military​

by Harm Venhuizen
05 Apr 2021

Service members attend a briefing on sexually transmitted infections April 5, 2019, at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. (Airman 1st Class Alexi Myrick/Air Force)

Cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis have increased significantly across the military over the past eight years, a study found.

Black service members, women, and enlisted personnel with lower levels of education are most at risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections, according to the study published in the March edition of the Medical Surveillance Monthly Report, a peer-reviewed military health journal.

The study analyzed administrative data and reports from all four branches of the military to provide a comprehensive picture of STIs between 2012 and 2020, using medical and diagnostic codes to identify instances of the five most common STIs — chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes and human papillomavirus, or HPV.

Patterns in STI frequency mirrored those of the civilian population, but rates of infection in the military were in many cases disproportionately higher.

Of the four branches, the Army had the highest rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and genital herpes. The Navy had the highest rates of syphilis, and the Air Force had the highest rates of HPV.

Motor transportation workers had higher rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis than any other occupational specialty, while health care occupations had higher rates of HPV. Communications and intelligence specialists, alongside transportation and health care occupations, displayed the highest rates of genital herpes.

Service members under the age of 24 were found to be the most likely to contract an STI, accounting for almost 64 percent of observed cases.

Rates of infection decreased steadily with age, but STIs can having lasting effects regardless of the age at which they’re contracted. An HPV infection, for instance, can cause cervical cancer and congenital infections years later, according to the National Cancer Institute.

While chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis infection rates increased during the period of the study, HPV and genital herpes declined in frequency. According to the study, this could be in part due to the prevalence of the HPV vaccine, which has been available for more than a decade now.

The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey, the most recent DoD survey of sexual behaviors available, found that in the past year 19.4 percent of respondents had more than one sexual partner and 36.7 percent had unprotected sex with a new partner. Men and women had no significant statistical differences on these behaviors.

The survey concluded that service members’ sexual behaviors may present increased risk of contracting STIs.

To limit the spread of STIs, the Military Health System and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend limiting anonymous sexual encounters, avoiding unprotected sex of any form, limiting number of sexual partners, and not having sex while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. MHS also advises service members not to assume it will be obvious whether or not their partner has an STI.

Incidence rates of chlamydia per 10,000 active duty service members from 2012-2020. (Graph from Medical Surveillance Monthly Report)

According to data from the CDC, chlamydia infections increased in frequency in the civilian population by just under 20 percent from 2012 to 2018, the latest year for which the CDC’s STI data is available.

Military cases of chlamydia, however, increased by 64 percent between 2013 and 2019. Women contracted the infection at nearly three times the rate men did.

Although military cases of chlamydia began to decline in the final year of the study, the average rate from 2012 to 2020 was 192.4 cases per 10,000 people per year. Even at its highest recorded point in 2018, the rate of chlamydia infections in the civilian population was only about 54 cases per 10,000 people.

Likewise, gonorrhea cases increased steadily in both the military and civilian populations. Despite military cases decreasing in the final two years of the study, the military’s reported average rate of 30.2 cases per 10,000 people per year from 2012 to 2020 far outpaced civilian rates, which ranged from 10.7 to 17.9 between 2012 and 2018.

Gonorrhea incidence rates for female, left, and male, right, service members graphed by age group from 2012 to 2020. (Graph from Medical Surveillance Monthly Report)

Civilian and military rates of syphilis more than doubled between 2012 and 2018. Military cases began to decline in 2019 and 2020, but still sit at 2.2 times the rate observed in 2012. On average, men contracted syphilis at 1.3 times the rate of women in the military. Men in the civilian population also contract syphilis at significantly higher rates than women.

Female service members had significantly higher incidence rates than their male counterparts for every other STI observed.

This disparity could likely be attributed to better STI screening programs available for women, according to the study. Improved screening availability for men over the period of the study could also have contributed to increased case counts.