Japan’s defense ministry is hoping a six-year program by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) to develop a light utility helicopter can yield a civil application, although it acknowledges the final decision will be left to the manufacturer.
The concept of Air-Sea Battle — basically a tighter, but more flexible operational combination of the U.S. Navy and Air Force — is already creating some conceptual innovations, including submarines attacking air defenses without using explosives. Submarines, operating submerged, may be modified to conduct non-kinetic attacks of ground or ship-based integrated air defenses (IADs), says the chief of naval operations, Adm. Jonathan Greenert.
RAPTOR WATCH: All eyes are now on the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor. Given the Lockheed Martin fighter’s problems with its oxygen-delivery system, on May 15 Defense Secretary Leon Panetta placed restrictions on the jet’s operations. And Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is asking what kind of impact this will have on operation, training and ultimately the nation’s security.
Lockheed Martin has conducted target tracking tests in preparation for the first flight of a miniature hit-to-kill interceptor designed to shoot down rockets, artillery shells and mortar rounds. The vertical-launch missile is being developed under the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center’s Extended Area Protection and Survivability (EAPS) integrated demonstration program.
The House is expected to vote this week on a bill that calls on the Pentagon to start on an East Coast Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system site.
Sequestration and the uncertain future it portends could have a lasting impact on U.S. Navy shipbuilding, says Michael Petters, CEO for Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the nation’s largest military shipbuilder. The so-called “sequestration” cuts to the federal budget, which are due to kick in if the Congress fails in its efforts to rein in the deficit, would amount to $500 million in reductions for the Pentagon alone.
GENOA — Italy has confirmed its intention to acquire 90 Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for its air force and Navy, with deliveries to start in late 2014 and extend through 2028-30. The air force put up a successful fight to buy at least a squadron of F-35Bs short-takeoff-vertical-landing (stovl) aircraft, against the wishes of the defense ministry, which wanted the air force to standardize on the F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing (CTOL) version, leaving the navy as the sole operator of the F-35B.
U.S. officials continue to demonstrate a balancing act between creating a closer, more interactive relationship with China — particularly its military — and expressing disapproval over a steady stream of cyber intrusions and increasing hostility in the South and East China seas with Washington’s allies. “The context in Asia is changing, [but] America’s interests in Asia have not,” said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in a May 14 address to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “
Against the wishes of the U.S. Air Force, House lawmakers recommend continuing to buy three additional Northrop Grumman Global Hawk aircraft and 17 Alenia Spartan aircraft.
The U.S. Navy will rely heavily on air components — including those of the Air Force — in the Air-Sea Battle (ASB) construct, according to Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations (CNO).
Industry organizations disagree on who should manage and operate unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test sites, but they all believe a test program should be used to gather critical safety data, develop certification and training standards and ensure sense-and-avoid capabilities.
Industry organizations disagree on who should manage and operate unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test sites, but they all believe a UAS test program should be used to gather critical safety data, develop certification and training standards and ensure sense-and-avoid capabilities.
PENTAGON ROSTER: On May 15, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted to approve several civilian nominations to Pentagon posts, including Frank Kendall to be under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics; James Miller as under secretary of defense for policy; Erin Conaton as under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness; Kathleen Hicks as principal deputy under secretary of defense for policy; and Jessica Lynn Wright as assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs.
In defending their prized new Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program from recent congressional attacks and disparaging media reports, U.S. Navy officials note they have been able to get the ships out to sea more quickly than other warship fleets. But some defense analysts wonder if the Navy has pushed the LCS program along too quickly, relying on concepts and plans not fully developed.
To deal with the problems witnessed firsthand by Aviation Week and other issues identified on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS-1) USS Freedom, the U.S. Navy is paying more money than it had planned to repair and maintain the ship.
GENEVA — The U.K. will spend around £160 billion ($260 billion) on defense equipment and services in the next decade, which includes more than £4 billion set aside as a “contingency reserve,” Defense Secretary Philip Hammond told Parliament May 14.
Rockwell Collins France is demonstrating a radar-based helicopter obstacle detection system to the French army as it talks to manufacturers about a related system to warn of rotor strikes when landing in confined spaces. Both systems use the same 13-ghz, Ku-band electronically scanned radar technology developed by the company’s French operation.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Telephonics Corp., Farmingdale, N.Y., was awarded a firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract with a maximum $47,099,407 for interface control units and equipment. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army. Type of appropriation is Army Working Capital Funds. There was one proposal with one response. The date of performance completion is May 6, 2017. The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (SPRRA1-12-D-0104).
SAN DIEGO — The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS-1) USS Freedom is plagued by extensive corrosion and manufacturing issues more recent and serious than anything the Pentagon or prime contractor Lockheed Martin has publicly acknowledged thus far. This is based on a guided tour of the ship in dry dock, as well as sources intimately familiar with Freedom’s design, repairs and operations, U.S. Navy documents and defense analysts.
SINGAPORE — Belgium will be able to take advantage of some of Luxembourg’s allocation in the U.S. military’s Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) constellation.
