SEATTLE — The U.S. Navy is poised to take delivery of the first production version of Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, opening the way for the start of fleet training at Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Florida.
NEW DELHI — The Indian army has approved an order to buy 100 artillery guns from a state-owned defense manufacturer, the first such procurement of howitzers in almost two decades. “The army has placed orders with the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) for procuring 100 155-mm, 52-caliber howitzers and this will be developed on the basis of transfer of technology,” says M.M. Pallam Raju, junior minister for defense.
If the King Air 350ER is the manned intelligence aircraft inextricably associated with the Afghanistan war, what will the platform for the post-Afghanistan conflict look like? It won't be much different, is the growing consensus among industry officials, who believe the move from large, high-end platforms to smaller, cheaper systems is here to stay. The trend has already spurred a number of system integrators to look at the Hawker Beechcraft aircraft, and developers as well are starting to look at other platforms that could fit the bill.
Advanced naval guns that could replace land-attack and anti-ship missiles as well as defend warships from ballistic and cruise missiles have taken a step forward with the start of prototype electromagnetic railgun testing by the U.S. Navy. Railguns can fire guided projectiles farther and faster than conventional guns, rivaling the capability of high-speed missiles, but must overcome challenges with power, cooling and durability before they can be installed on ships. Ultimately, smaller versions could arm combat vehicles and gunship aircraft.
India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and France's Snecma are close to finalizing plans for a new 20,230-lb.-thrust turbofan engine to be developed and built under a joint venture, potentially for the Asian giant's light and advanced medium combat aircraft.
Russia is moving forward with its aggressive plans to enhance the country's combat aircraft prowess, with commitments to modernize its carrier strike force and long-range interdiction capabilities. On March 1, the defense ministry signed a contract with Sukhoi for delivery of 92 Su-34 bombers through 2020. The deal, estimated to be worth 100 billion rubles ($3.4 billion) is the largest for the ministry since the end of the Soviet era, and brings the total number of Su-34s ordered to 124.
David Fulghum (Washington), Bill Sweetman (Washington)
As the U.S. reorients its forces to the Western Pacific, its strategy is already jeopardized by newly emerging cyberthreats as well as financial, personnel and technology shortages. For example, one key surveillance and targeting tool—the long-range, active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which is installed in the U.S. Air Force's and Navy's best warplanes—is vulnerable to cyberattack.
Japan recently decided to order Lockheed Martin F-35s and now the air force has set its sights on aerial refueling tankers. But Tokyo's budget woes and political instability are factors to watch, as they may undermine those procurements. The current government is shaky. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's approval rating is just 29%, according to a Kyodo News poll conducted on Feb. 18-19. Noda has been in the top job for only eight months, which is not too surprising considering that Japan has had six prime ministers in the past five years.
Amy Butler (Washington), Graham Warwick (Washington)
Not one year after U.S. Air Force officials closed the door on the controversial saga of choosing a contractor for the KC-135 refueler replacement, the service is once again being forced to investigate a source-selection foul-up.
Italians are developing a grudge when it comes to Pentagon procurement, and it may come back to haunt the U.S. government. The latest source of frustration is the U.S. Air Force's proposal to mothball 21 C-27J Spartans now on contract with U.S. prime L-3 Communications and the aircraft's maker, Finmeccanica's Alenia Aermacchi unit. At least 13 C-27Js have been delivered, and the Air Force plans to continue production of the final eight—in various stages of construction in Italy—because it would cost more to terminate the contract.
Anderson Leveille grew up in Stowe, Vt., and got his first high-school job in the circa-1820 sawmill his dad owned. There were no blueprints or tolerance gauges, so maintaining the wooden teeth on the mill's bevel gears, which were lubricated with sheep tallow, taught Leveille the value of creative engineering.
Citing concerns with the procurement process, the U.S. Air Force has canceled Sierra Nevada Corp.’s (SNC) $355 million contract to supply 20 Embraer AT-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft for operation by the Afghan air force. The decision to set aside the contract is a victory for Hawker Beechcraft (HBC), which took the Air Force to court after its offer of the AT-6 aircraft was disqualified, leaving SNC as the only bidder for the Light Air Support (LAS) program.
LONDON — EADS Cassidian is exploring a more mobile version of its Spexer security surveillance radar, as well as a potential aerostat application of the system. The X-band radar family currently includes the Spexer 2000, a coastal surveillance version of the system, and the smaller Spexer 1000. A new member of the family will be launched this year that will weigh less and allow for greater mobility, says Stefan Jack, head of sales for security radars at Cassidian. The goal is also to add a lower-cost offering to the sensor family.
NEWPORT, Wales — EADS researchers are examining what the emerging threat from tactical high-energy lasers and high-power microwave weapons could mean for the company’s own systems. The question being asked is “What can we do to protect against those weapons?” says Aimo Buellte, vice president and head of research and technology at EADS Cassidian’s defense unit. “How do we harden our equipment” is the problem being looked at, he adds, with avionics, radar systems land and maritime systems.
Singapore — Japan’s air force has a requirement for more aerial refueling tankers, while the navy is moving ahead with plans to phase out its NAMC YS-11 transports.
LONDON — Sweden needs to retain a fleet of at least 60-80 JAS-39 Gripen fighters, the country’s military has told the government in a new report. As part of the effort to retain the combat capability, modernization of the fighters should begin in 2020 and run through the next decade. The modernization will take place in partnership with another country, which the Swedish military has not identified. That partner would be Switzerland, after the country’s decision last year to acquire 22 Gripen NGs.
ORLANDO, Fla. — The U.S. Air Force is assessing whether the health of three UH-1Ns from the Marine Corps is suitable to introduce them — and as many as 22 more — into the nuclear support and executive lift helicopter fleet, says Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command.
LONDON — As part of its large border surveillance contract with Saudi Arabia’s government, EADS is considering the potential of using unmanned aircraft to monitor the vast desert. The thinking could lead to collaborative technology development with Saudi Arabia, says Aimo Buellte, vice president and head of research and technology at EADS Cassidian’s defense unit. An autonomous system may be the best method to monitor such a large area, he notes.
NEW DELHI — India will soon acquire a Hercules WC-130J aircraft and an unmanned aerial vehicle to ensure improved monitoring of cyclones, a senior government official says.
The U.S. Air Force has begun reducing the number of bases at which it plans to eventually house the new F-35 in an attempt to reduce the estimated life-cycle cost of the single-engine, stealthy fighter. Last year, the Pentagon disclosed an estimate of more than $1 trillion to operate the fighter for the next 50 years, raising significant concern from customers, including the U.S. Navy and Air Force. Since then, the services have been working to refine their plans to operate the jet in hopes of curbing operations and sustainment (O&S) cost.
NEW DELHI — India will induct its homegrown Akash surface-to-air missile (SAM) into the Indian air force (IAF) on March 3. “The Akash weapon system [AWS] was indigenously developed by [the] Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) as part of the integrated guided missile development program and is an all-weather, medium-range, surface-to-air missile system,” a defense ministry official says. “It provides multidirectional and multitarget area defense.”
As part of its effort to demonstrate technologies that are designed to allow unmanned aircraft to operate in commercial airspace, EADS is planning another flight-test campaign using its Barracuda unmanned aircraft technology demonstrator. The trial will take place at Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada, during the summer, says the head of flight guidance at EADS’s Cassidian defense unit. The company would not disclose the demonstration’s technology goals.
