The U.S. Navy is releasing or acknowledging more details about the initial Western Pacific deployment of the first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS-1), the USS Freedom, saying that while the ship missed some planned commitments with a relatively low operational tempo (optempo), it still proved the LCS operational concepts. Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN) recently gained access to Freedom deployment information that showed the ship’s optempo was less than 40%—meaning the ship was essentially available to the fleet a bit more than third of the time.
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has delivered the last four F-16 aircraft to Pakistan Air Force (PAF) under Pakistan F-16 Modernization Program, at a ceremony held at TAI's facilities in Ankara, Turkey, on September 02, 2014.
Retire active-duty A-10s, U-2 spy aircraft and old F/A-18C/Ds. These are three actions that four Washington-based think tanks uniformly agree should be taken if the Pentagon is required to shrink its budget in the coming years as expected.
NEW DELHI — India expects to roll out the first prototype of the Multi-role Transport Aircraft (MTA) in 2017. The Indo-Russian joint venture to develop a new multi-role military transport, using specifications developed by both countries, was signed in October 2012 between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and United Aircraft Corporation’s Transport Aircraft division.
PARIS — After a disappointing showing in 2012, French arms exports grew to €6.3 billion ($8.5 billion) in 2013, a 30% increase compared with €4.8 billion the previous year. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian attributes the jump in orders to eight major contracts valued at more than €200 million signed in 2013. During the previous year France signed just three such agreements, he said.
NEW DELHI — India’s much-awaited purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for the Indian air force from French firm Dassault Aviation will be further delayed as negotiations to calculate the life-cycle cost haven’t been settled and there is no money for any new buys, Defense Minister A. K. Antony says. “The MMRCA will materialize, [but] it will not be in this financial year [ending March 31],” Antony says. “The negotiations on life-cycle costs are continuing. I hope we will be able to close it [during the] next financial year.”
Canada has revamped its much-criticized defense procurement system to distance the military from acquisition decisions and ensure new programs bring technology and economic growth and provide export opportunities for its industry. Recent defense procurements have been attacked for limiting competition and the potential for Canadian industry to benefit from the billions being spent. Unveiled on Feb. 5, the new strategy provides for wider government involvement in acquisition decisions.
Boeing is expanding the B-52’s smart weapons capacity by 50% under a $24.6 million agreement with the U.S. Air Force to modify six launchers to allow them to carry precision-guided munitions (PGMs) internally.
NEW DELHI — India’s state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Textron Systems Corporation to develop an unattended ground sensor (UGS) system for Indian security agencies.
Carter Aviation Technologies is seeking FAA approval to demonstrate its slowed-rotor/compound (SR/C) prototype as it designs a sea-based, unmanned variant of the concept for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa). The SR/C is a combination of autogyro and compound helicopter, with a propeller for propulsion, rotor for vertical lift and wing for forward flight. The unpowered rotor is slowed in flight to reduce drag and allow higher speed than a conventional helicopter.
The Obama administration’s State Department is in the process of deciding new policy on foreign sales of UAVs, and the outcome could provide a long-sought boost to U.S. industry, according to a recently departed official.
LONDON — More than two and a half years since its rollout, the U.K. defense ministry has finally lifted the veil on the test program for the Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle demonstrator. Little has been heard of the £185 million ($300 million) program since the project went black shortly after its unveiling. But now, with the first phase of trials completed with flights of up to an hour in duration, industry and defense officials say the aircraft, claimed to be the most advanced ever produced in the U.K., has surpassed all expectations.
The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (Nawcwd) is redesigning its forward-firing miniature munition missile – called Spike – to address more recent threats. The guided missile was conceived, designed, tested, procured and delivered by Nawcwd, which owns and controls the weapon’s design, using modern modular designs and commercial-off-the-shelf components through “non-Department of Defense” U.S. companies, Navy officials note.
HELO SCANDAL: A day after barring AgustaWestland and parent company Finmeccanica from participating in the country’s biennial military exhibition, India says no decision has been made whether to to blacklist the firms from future business for breaching a pre-contract integrity pact concerning the now-canceled purchase of 12 VIP transport helicopters for the Indian air force. The contract for 12 AW101s, signed with AgustaWestland International Ltd. on Feb 8, 2010, was terminated by the government on Jan. 1.
Raytheon is pursuing new applications for the ADM-160 miniature air-launched decoy as the U.S. Air Force prepares to wrap up operational testing of the MALD-J jammer version after software fixes designed to cure navigation problems. Production has switched to the dual-use MALD-J, which can operate as a decoy or stand-in jammer. The 1,000th vehicle will be delivered to the Air Force in April for use on B-52s and F-16s, says Joe Staton, manager of MALD advanced programs at Raytheon Missile Systems.
Integrating the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) with carriers, including the next-generation CVN-78 Gerald R. Ford class ships, continues to present obstacles for the U.S. Navy, according to the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E). “The Navy is working to address several JSF integration challenges on its aircraft carriers,” DOT&E says. DOT&E has looked at some of these issues before and Navy officials say changes are underway or have been made.
Technology to rapidly equip different aircraft types for the close air-support mission and provide fast, digital coordination with ground controllers is to move into live-fire flight testing later this year. Raytheon has begun work under a $25.5 million contract for Phase 3 of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) program. Flight tests are planned to begin in July.
In the wake of a recent Pentagon report touting the Virginia-class attack submarine’s quiet operations, the U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics’ Electric Boat a $525 million contact for more sub work. The undefinitized contract modification awarded this month is associated with the two fiscal 2015 Virginia-class submarines – SSN-794 and SSN-795 – and the two fiscal 2016 Virginia-class submarines – SSN-796 and SSN-797.
Lockheed Martin is in talks with a launch customer for certification and production of a commercial version of the C-130J Hercules military airlifter. The LM-100J is intended to replace aging L-100 commercial Hercules aircraft now in civilian operation.
AEW DELIVERY: The Turkish air force has received the first of its long-delayed Boeing 737 airborne early warning and control aircraft, ordered under the Peace Eagle program. Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) delivered the first of four aircraft, which were ordered in 2003, to Konya air base after modification on Jan. 31. The aircraft will enter service following a base ceremony on Feb. 21.
