April 09, 2011 by tankerbrosbrat WAR ON TERROR

The Department of Defense announced today that it is revising its 2004 plan to withdraw two of its four brigade combat teams (BCTs) from Europe.  Based on the administration's review, consultations with allies and the findings of NATO's new Strategic Concept, the department will retain three BCTs in Europe to maintain a flexible and rapidly deployable ground force to fulfill the United States' commitments to NATO, to engage effectively with allies and partners, and to meet the broad range of 21st century challenges.  This decision will be implemented in 2015, when we project a reduced demand on our ground forces.

The three BCTs remaining in Europe after 2015 -- the Heavy, Stryker and Airborne BCTs -- offer capabilities that enable U.S. European Command to build partner capacity and to meet interoperability objectives while supporting the full range of military operations, including collective defense of our NATO allies under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.

This BCT mix will be complemented by other capability enhancements, including the forward deployment of Aegis ships, land-based missile defense systems in Poland and Romania as part of the European Phased Adaptive Approach, forward-stationing of special operations aircraft, and a permanent aviation detachment in Poland.  Taken together, these measures will enhance and rebalance the U.S. force posture in Europe to make it more capable, more effective, and better aligned with current and future security challenges.

07 Apr 2011 | Ref. 063/2011 BAE SYSTEMS

ARLINGTON, Virginia – BAE Systems has received a contract valued at $2.8 million from the U.S. Navy to demonstrate a Tactical Laser System (TLS) that can be integrated with existing U.S. Navy gun mounts.

The TLS couples a solid-state high-energy laser with the weapons module to provide extremely precise targeting and counter-material disabling effects.  The system also provides the ability to deliver scalable effects by varying the level of laser energy required, depending on the target and mission objectives.

“The Tactical Laser System provides a 21st century-directed energy weapon system with speed-of-light precision effects against surface threats,” said Mark Signorelli, vice president and general manager of Weapon Systems for BAE Systems.

“The TLS is revolutionary because it combines kinetic and directed energy weapons capability,” said Signorelli. “Our approach is an effective and affordable solution for the customer, because this system can be integrated into existing shipboard mounts.”

BAE Systems intends to collaborate with Boeing Directed Energy Systems, located in Albuquerque N.M. for the development of the Tactical Laser System.

07 Apr 2011 | Ref. 066/2011 BAE SYSTEMS

Samlesbury, Lancashire, UK – A British industry team led by BAE Systems has completed the final tests on the ejection or escape system for all variants of the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft.  The system has been certified as safe for flight after a series of rigorous tests.  The escape system, used in emergency situations, ensures pilots can eject safely and will be fitted to all 3000+ F-35 aircraft which will be flown by armed forces across the globe. 

The system has been tested to its limits, as a full scale front section of the aircraft, complete with ejection seat and mannequin was launched at speeds in excess of 600 mph down a test track.  More than 30 ejection seat tests have been completed in the UK, France and the USA. 

Witnessing the final test which took place at Martin Baker’s facility at Chalgrove Airfield in Oxfordshire, BAE Systems’ Test Manager Rick Whittaker commented “Ejecting from an aircraft like F-35 typically takes no more than three seconds from the time the ejection handle is pulled to the pilot being on a parachute. You can imagine how quickly everything happens.  Incredibly, during the tests up to 900,000 measurements were recorded every second and I am pleased to say the systems performed really well.”

Chris Garside, BAE Systems’ Chief Engineer on the F-35 programme added:  “Achieving this certification marks the culmination of several years’ hard work across an integrated team and across a range of functions.  It’s a major achievement. The system has consistently performed as expected through a progressive series of tests.  The escape system standard that underwent the final tests is now being implemented into the production aircraft.”

The industry team included BAE Systems as prime sub contractor to Lockheed Martin on the F-35 programme and the Martin Baker Aircraft Company who are responsible for producing the US16E ejection seat, a derivative of the highly successful Mk 16 family of seats.  Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company will provide the transparency removal system which cuts the canopy for the seat to exit and Honeywell will deliver vital Life Support systems for the pilot.

To access video clip of the test, click on the following links:

http://www.baesystems.com/Newsroom/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIz5z9VoLJU

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bae_systemsplc/5588363547/

April 5, 2011 defpro.com

PÁPA AIR BASE, Hungary | Some 118 Hungarian soldiers returned home from their ISAF mission in Afghanistan late Friday night at Pápa Air Base and on that same redeployment flight the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) reached 4,000 flight hours. HAW has had an intense winter – it reached 3 000 flight hours in early December 2010, so a thousand more came a little sooner than expected. “Such intensity is not possible at all times, but we are content we have been able to fulfill the SAC nations’ requests, says Heavy Airlift Commander, Colonel John Zazworsky, US Air Forces. SAC (Strategic Airlift Capability) is a cooperative effort of 12 nations: Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden and the United States. It is stationed in Pápa Air Base, Hungary. Since the delivery of the first aircraft in July 2009, the HAW has flown over 4 000 FH hours and delivered more than 13,800 tons of cargo and over 6,000 passengers for the nations over 6 continents including missions to Haiti, Afghanistan, Pakistan, South Africa and Europe.

April 4, 2011 defpro.com

(Released 4 April 2011) | On 15 March 2011, in the presence of high-ranking representatives, General Dynamics European Land Systems delivered 20 EAGLE BAT (protected ambulance) vehicles to the Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung and subsequently to the Medical Service of the Bundeswehr on the Medical training regiment’s premises in Feldkirchen/Niederbayern. The vehicles were developed, tested and manufactured on a tight, 14-month timeline in close cooperation between General Dynamics European Land Systems-Mowag, General Dynamics European Land Systems-Germany and other German companies following an October 2009 contract award.

The BWB selected the EAGLE IV in 2008 for the “GFF Klasse 2” public procurement program for protected Command and Function vehicles following 2 years of intensive evaluation. As a result of its high protection level, agility and tactical mobility as well as its outstanding reliability and availability, the EAGLE IV is the ideal vehicle for the entire mission spectrum of this class of vehicles.

The EAGLE BAT accommodates an emergency doctor, rescue assistant and a driver/paramedic and allows patient transport and emergency treatment while protecting occupants from ballistic threats, mines and improvised explosive devices. As part of orders for 473 EAGLE GFF2 vehicles, General Dynamics European Land Systems entered a contract with the BWB for the delivery of 20 protected EAGLE BAT (Protected Ambulance) in October 2009. These vehicles will replace existing unprotected vehicles of the Bundeswehr, thus considerably increasing the security of German soldiers on missions abroad. BWB has ordered 473 EAGLE IV vehicles in all.

Achieving the tight delivery schedule was made possible by closely coordinated measures in the manufacturing process and excellent cooperation of the participating companies and authorities within the framework of the CPM Integrated Project Management process. Among the milestones achieved were the following:

• Increasing the permissible total weight (GVW) to 9.5t and carrying out driving tests, bench tests and climatic testing in cooperation with the Military Vehicle Test Center WTD 41 in Trier, Germany

• Design and engineering of the BAT add-on kit by Cassidian Friedrichshafen

• Construction of a 1:1 wooden model of the protected BAT cabin and checking the handling of the BAT add-on kit by the Medical Service of the Bundeswehr (SanABw)

• Making a crash test model for 10g crash tests to check the safe integration of the BAT add-on kit

• Production of a test vehicle to verify protection levels and execution of ballistic, mine and IED protection tests by the Military Vehicle Test Center WTD 91 in Meppen

• Production of two pre-series vehicles for homologation

• Vehicle operator training at GDELS-Mowag in Kreuzlingen

• Manufacture of series vehicles by GDELS as well as their delivery to BWB

These orders document the close partnership with the BWB and the Bundeswehr as key customer of General Dynamics European Land Systems and underline the international success of the highly protected EAGLE.

the EAGLE

The EAGLE sets the standard for highly protected wheeled vehicles in the weight class of up to 9.5 tons. It has a length of 5.40 m, a height of 2.4 m and a width of 2.16 m. The EAGLE reaches a top speed of 110 km/h on the road and manages gradients of up to 60%. The 245 hp turbocharged diesel engine, in connection with an Allison 5-speed automatic transmission, the unique DeDion axle system with the patented roll stabilizer, the tire pressure control system and the permanent all-wheel drive, give the EAGLE superior on-road and off-road mobility. Thanks to the modular protection system, the EAGLE offers a very high level of protection against ballistic threats, mines, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Furthermore, the vehicle is equipped with an NBC overpressure system.

ASDNews: Apr 1, 2011

San Diego - General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), tactical reconnaissance radars, and surveillance systems, today announced that General Atomics Aeronautical Systems UK Ltd (GA-UK), an affiliated entity, has been established with an office in London. The office will be managed by Dr. Jonny King. "We are pleased that the London office will provide dedicated support for the Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) requirements," said Neal Blue, Chairman and CEO of GA-ASI. GA-ASI has delivered a total of six aircraft to the MoD since the first UK Predator(r) B/ MQ-9 Reaper UAS was deployed to Afghanistan in October 2007, with the fleet expected to nearly double in size over the next few years. The aircraft have logged over 17,000 flight hours to date in support of UK forces on the ground.

Source : General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.

Boeing received “at least $5.3 billion” in “pervasive” and “distortive” subsidies causing $45 billion in harm

Blagnac,  31 March 2011 CASSIDIAN

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) today publicly condemned the United States for giving Boeing massive illegal subsidies that caused Airbus to lose $45 billion in sales. This follows years of unfounded accusations and attempts to demonise Airbus, especially during the protracted campaign to win the US Air Force contract for Tanker aircraft. “Finally the truth emerges: Boeing has received and continues to receive subsidies which have a significantly greater distortive effect than the Reimbursable Loans to Airbus, “ said Rainer Ohler, Airbus’ Head of Public Affairs and Communications. “Taking the cases together, the WTO has now specifically green-lighted the continued use of government loans in Europe and ordered Boeing to end its illegal cash support from US taxpayers. It’s time for Boeing to stop denying or minimizing the massive illegal subsidies it gets”.

ASDNews: Mar 31, 2011

Edwards AFB, Calif. - Engineers with the 772nd Test Squadron facilitated electromagnetic interference testing on a Euro Hawk unmanned aircraft at the Benefield Anechoic Facility here March 10 and 11. They teamed with representatives of Northrop Grumman Corporation and the German government to complete the testing. The Euro Hawk is similar to the Air Force's operational RQ-4 Global Hawk, and although EMI testing already has been conducted on the Global Hawk, the Euro Hawk has never been flown in the unique radio frequency environment of Europe.

ASDNews: Mar 30, 2011

Washington - The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale Order to the Government of Greece to provide funds for blanket order requisitions FMSO II, under the Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Agreement (CLSSA) for spare parts in support of Hellenic Air Force aircraft. The estimated cost is $160 million. The Government of Greece requests a Foreign Military Sale Order (FMSO) to provide funds for blanket order requisitions FMSO II, under the Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Agreement (CLSSA) for spare parts in support of F-16, E/RF-4E, C-130H/B, C-27J, T-6A/C, and other aircraft with systems/subsystems of U.S. origin in the inventory of the Hellenic Air Force. The estimated cost is $160 million. This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally. The uninterrupted supply of spare parts will allow Greece to keep its aircraft fleet at the highest state of readiness The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

Source : Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA)

LONDON – March 29, 2011

Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Sperry Marine business unit has signed a full production contract for the Integrated Navigation Bridge System (INBS) for the U.K. Ministry of Defence's (MoD) Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) Aircraft Carrier Programme. The company also signed a design phase contract for the Navigation Lights, Shapes and Sounds (NLSS). Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine will build and deliver the complete INBS, including electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS-N (U.K.)) for the new aircraft carriers. The system will include navigation planning, electronic charts and radar displays, as well as a comprehensive set of sensors and software. The contract also provides for equipment integration and testing. Deliveries are scheduled to be completed in 2018. Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine has already completed the initial design phase of the contract, including change requests, and is currently designing a Navigation Light System under an option in the production contract.

"Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine has a long and productive relationship with the Royal Navy as a major supplier of navigation radars, gyrocompasses, inertial navigation systems and platform management systems, and we recognize the critical importance of the new aircraft carriers for the defense posture of the U.K.," said J. Nolasco DaCunha, vice president of Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine. "Sperry Marine has installed more than 2,300 ECDIS systems on commercial ships and international naval vessels around the world, and the company's naval ECDIS systems are standard on U.S. Navy ships and submarines."

The INBS/ECDIS-N (U.K.) is based on Sperry Marine's advanced VisionMaster FT™ ship navigation technology and will integrate all of the ship's navigation sensors and systems into a modern, efficient, ergonomic network of multi-function workstations to meet operational requirements.

The VisionMaster FT ECDIS-N (U.K.) fully meets MoD specifications, NATO standards STANAG 7170 and STANAG 4564, and International Electrotechnical Commission standards IEC 62288 and IEC 61174.

In a ceremony at the Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine offices in New Malden, the contracts were awarded by BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies Ltd as a member of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), the industrial alliance which includes BAE Systems Surface Ships Ltd, BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies Ltd, Thales U.K. Ltd, MoD and Babcock Ltd. The contracts were signed by David Bass, QEC Mission System Head of Procurement, and David Perry, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's Naval and Marine Systems Division.

March 28, 2011 DEFPRO.COM

The United States Marine Corps has again contracted with Rheinmetall to supply it with special purpose and practice ammunition. The orders, worth around US$28 million (€20 million), make Rheinmetall a major supplier of medium-calibre ammunition to the US Marine Corps as well as underscoring the company’s global technological edge in a wide variety of calibres. Over the past five years, the Marine Corps has placed over US$170 million in orders for 40mm ammunition made by Rheinmetall. Thanks to its subsidiary American Rheinmetall Munitions, Inc. of Stafford, Virginia, Rheinmetall maintains a permanent corporate presence in the United States, with local production capacity at its plant in Camden, Arkansas, where it produces the bulk of the ammunition ordered by the Marines.

Specifically, the current order encompasses M1110 practice ammunition rounds, whose production is already underway in the US. These non-toxic, low-velocity 40mm cartridges enable realistic training operations day and night. Moreover, they contain no explosives, meaning they will not cause bushfires on ranges or in training areas. Furthermore, Rheinmetall will also be supplying the Marine Corps with 40mm tactical marking ammunition rounds. Made in Germany, these infrared cartridges make it possible to mark targets at ranges of up to 350 metres with infrared liquid this is invisible to the naked eye, but can be seen with a special night observation device. Under an additional contract, won in the face of stiff American and international competition, Rheinmetall will meet the Marines Corps’ requirement for signalling coloured smoke grenades over a five-year period (2011-2016), thus gaining a foothold in another important segment of the US defence market. The USMC simultaneously awarded Rheinmetall with a contract to develop a special insensitive propulsion unit for the MK 281 high-velocity practice cartridge, which Rheinmetall supplies to the Marines as well as US Army Special Forces. This sophisticated propulsion unit will ensure that the propellant powder will not react in an uncontrolled way and pose a hazard to friendly forces during firing or in the event of a fire. Rheinmetall is a world leader in the development of insensitive ammunition, and already markets a number of ammunition types featuring this new technology.

15 Mar 2011 By PIERRE TRAN DefenseNews

PARIS - The U.S administration's unilateral cancellation of the $4.2 billion Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) program dealt a blow to trans-Atlantic cooperation, Executive Chairman Antoine Bouvier of European missile maker MBDA said March 15. The U.S. decision to pull out of MEADS "surprised and disappointed me," Bouvier said, as he announced MBDA's 2010 results at a press conference. The NATO Lisbon summit in November identified Italian and German participation in MEADS with the U.S. as part of the alliance's new missile defense mission in Europe, Bouvier said. That the White House should abandon plans to develop and field the air defense missile so soon after the summit delivered the surprise factor, he said. "This is a strong and negative signal for trans-Atlantic cooperation," Bouvier said.