MOSCOW — Russia’s Tactical Missile Corporation (TMC) has completed trials of the Kh-31PD, RVV-MD, RVV-SD and RVV-BD air-launched missiles, CEO Boris Obnosov tells Russian media. The Kh-31PD is the latest modification of the AS-17 Krypton family, powered by a combined rocket/ramjet engine. It is equipped with a passive radio homing head and can hit radar stations to a maximum range of 180-250 km (110-155 mi.).
The U.S. Navy has put its shipbuilding programs back on course, service Secretary Ray Mabus says, and now it is time for the contractors to make good on their end of the bargain. “When I came in in 2009, a lot of our shipbuilding programs were — and this is a technical term — a mess,” Mabus says. “Ships were being designed while they were being built, requirements got out of control and costs on too many got out of control.”
LONDON — The Portuguese navy is asking industry to examine the potential of extending the life of its Westland Lynx maritime helicopter fleet beyond 2030. The move comes as the Portuguese government makes deeper spending cuts amidst the country’s most severe recession since the 1970s.
The general representing the U.S. Marines in the nation’s next Quadrennial Defense Review says he will give priority to readiness when budgeting choices must be made. Maj. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, speaking at a recent Stimson Center event, emphasized that he puts the highest priority on readiness, over acquisition and end strength. He also advocates for forward presence, the only way to get truly immediate response, he says. It also buys time and decision space and its deterrent value is underestimated, he says.
TEL AVIV — Israel is worried that sophisticated Russian Yakhont missiles, recently delivered to Syria, could find their way into Hezbollah’s hands. The long-range, high-precision supersonic missiles would pose a serious threat to Israel’s new northern offshore gas rigs, according to officials and analysts in the Middle Eastern nation.
CHINA INTERCEPTS: China has conducted its second ballistic missile interception test, state media report. The target was an intercontinental ballistic missile in the midcourse phase of its flight, which occurs after engine shutdown and before atmospheric re-entry. The Jan. 27 test met its goals and was defensive in nature, the Xinhua news agency says, adding that it was conducted within Chinese territory.
LONDON — Alenia Aermacchi is looking to enhance the order book for its SF260 training aircraft with the unveiling of an upgraded version of the type. The manufacturer, an arm of Finmeccanica, has been test flying an SF260TP primary and basic trainer fitted with a new modern glass cockpit produced by Avidyne Corp. The cockpit features a pair of large 6x8 LCD displays and a single Control Display Unit (CDU) that manage several of the aircraft’s functions.
The U.S. Navy is looking for a more “balanced” way of measuring its surface ships’ survivability standards, more akin to what the service has developed for its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) fleet, according to a recent briefing paper on the LCS program written by Navy Undersecretary Robert Work for the Naval War College.
TEL AVIV — Elbit Systems is launching a maritime configuration of its Hermes 900 medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV, aiming at the growing demand for unmanned aircraft in maritime missions worldwide, particularly in Asia. The company is unveiling the new configuration at the Aero India 2013 event in Bengaluru.
The Turkish Coast Guard has taken delivery of the first three Airbus Military C235 maritime patrol aircraft ordered under the Meltem II program. The aircraft were handed over by Thales on Jan. 28 during a ceremony in Ankara. Thales fitted the aircraft with the company’s Airborne Maritime Situation & Control System (AMASCOS) mission kit, with work carried out in conjunction with Turkish companies Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Havelsan, Aselsan and Milsoft.
The deck chairs on the Senate Appropriations Committee are settling into place, as Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) formally acknowledges that he will replace Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) as the chairman of the defense subcommittee.
FRANKFURT — EADS is slowly preparing the composition of its administrative board, to be confirmed at an extraordinary general meeting likely to be held before the end of March. Anne Lauvergeon, ex-CEO of French nuclear energy group Areva, has received strong endorsement to become the next EADS chairman, succeeding Arnaud Lagardere. Jean-Claude Trichet, a board member since 2012, is expected to be re-elected.
The U.S. Navy awarded three contracts late this month worth a combined total of about $298.5 million for work related to training development for the service’s new fleet of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) now being built. Properly training the crew and support-service personnel for the LCS fleet is considered key to its successful operation.
To prepare for funding shortfalls – and even greater potential budgetary woes – Adm. Jonathan Greenert, U.S. chief of naval operations (CNO), issued guidance Jan. 25 for extensive operational and expense cuts across the board, with particular emphasis on aviation and surface-ship accounts.
LONDON — AgustaWestland has flown the first production Wildcat maritime helicopter for the U.K. Royal Navy for the first time. The aircraft, designated Wildcat HMA2, was flown from AgustaWestland’s facility in Yeovil, Somerset on Jan. 17 and will be delivered to the Royal Navy’s 700W (W for Wildcat) Naval Air Squadron, the U.K.’s fielding unit for the naval version of the aircraft.
As climatic changes spark greater U.S. interest and concern about the strategic importance of the Arctic, the U.S. Coast Guard is getting ready for increased ice-breaking work in the area with refurbished or—hopefully—newly acquired ships. “The challenges in the Arctic are growing,” Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert Papp said during a briefing at the recent Surface Navy Association National Symposium. “We’ll be back in business next year.”
BEIJING — China’s Y-20 heavy airlifter, long known to be in development, made its first flight on Jan. 26. Official photographs showed the aircraft powered by four medium-bypass turbojets and adopting the familiar configuration of a high-wing, T-tail and short fuselage-mounted undercarriage now almost universally used for military transports. The undercarriage had three axles on each side, with two wheels mounted on each axle. The aircraft has therefore not differed markedly from the design previously revealed in low-resolution pictures.
AIR FORCE Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, (FA8504-07-D-0001, P00017), is being awarded a $97,328,243 firm-fixed price, requirements contract modification for sustaining services including logistics support, program management support, engineering services, spares and technical data support of the C-130J Propulsion systems. The location of the performance is Indianapolis. The work is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2014. The contracting activity is AFLCMC/WLKCA, Robins AFB, Ga. U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
In its first flight since late 2010, the Pentagon’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system finally achieved a much-awaited flyout demonstration, seemingly without problems. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) says the GMD program, managed by Boeing, achieved its first flight test in two years using the Raytheon Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) Capability Enhancement 2 (CE 2) upgrade. The booster was launched from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., at 2 p.m. local time Jan. 26.
