Oct 25, 2012 ASDNews Source : Austal Ltd.

On October 5, 2012, Austal completed main engine light off of the two MTU 9,100kW 20V 8000 M71 propulsion diesel engines and the two 22,000kW GE LM2500 gas turbine engines on the 127-meter Littoral Combat Ship Coronado (LCS 4). The light-off of the main engines follows the fuel load and the testing of all four generators.

“The completion of this major milestone is a testament to the value of teamwork,” stated Brian Leathers, Austal USA Interim President and Chief Financial Officer. “This LCS team is made up of many important members, including MTU and GE, and we are pleased that their contribution to the program has allowed us to reach this goal and move forward towards sea trials in the very near future.”

The diesels are considered the highest power high-speed diesel engines in the world. Delivering up to 12,200 bhp (9,100 kW) of continuous power, MTU's Series 8000 offers a fuel consumption of less than 190g/kWh, while achieving IMO MARPOL NOx emission certification.

The GE LM2500 gas turbines each develop 29,500 bhp (22,000kW) and are the standard workhorse engines installed in almost all the U.S. Navy surface combatant ships. More than 750 of these gas turbines power the Navy’s fleet of surface combatants. The LM2500 marine gas turbine is GE’s most widely-used gas turbine. It powers more than 400 ships in 30 world navies, fast ferries, coast guard cutters, supply ships and cruise ships.

In reaction to the success of this important event leading up to LCS 4 sea trials, Craig Perciavalle, Senior Vice President of Operations, commented, “This achievement could not have been accomplished without the hard work and dedication of the great employees here at Austal, as well as support provided by our Navy teammates. It’s always exciting to see a great war ship come to life and to witness the pride and passion of those making it happen.” Added Perciavalle, “This is a significant milestone in preparation for sea trials and subsequent delivery.”

Austal USA is a full-service shipyard offering design, construction and high-speed vessel service and repair. As Austal USA continues to expand its service and repair capabilities, the company is well positioned for new business with engineering, test and trials, and a new waterfront facility all co-located on the Mobile Bay waterfront.

Austal is currently under contract with the U.S. Navy to build nine 103-meter Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) under a 10-ship, $1.6 billion contract and five 127-meter Independence-variant LCS class ships, four of which are a part of a 10-ship, $3.5 billion contract.

For the LCS and JHSV programs, Austal, as prime contractor, is teamed with General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics. As the ship systems integrator, General Dynamics is responsible for the design, integration and testing of the ship’s electronic systems including the combat system, networks, and seaframe control. General Dynamics’ proven open architecture approach allows for affordable and efficient capability growth as technologies develop.

These two contracts will require Austal to increase its Mobile, Alabama workforce to approximately 4,000 employees in order to fulfil the contract requirements.  “With almost ten percent of these workers expected to reside in the neighboring states of Florida and Mississippi,” said Leathers. “As Austal USA continues to establish its rightful place as one of the world’s premium shipbuilders, I am proud that we are an engine of regional growth for the Gulf.”

25/10/2012 quebec.huffingtonpost.ca (Presse Canadienne)

OTTAWA - Plus tôt cette année, le premier ministre Stephen Harper a indiqué à son ministre Peter MacKay que les coupes prévues aux services administratifs de la Défense nationale n'étaient pas assez importantes.

Dans une lettre de trois pages datée du 15 juin 2012 et obtenue par La Presse Canadienne, le premier ministre proposait au ministre MacKay et au général Walter Natynczyk, chef d'état-major des Forces armées canadiennes, des lignes directrices s'inscrivant dans une refonte de la politique fédérale en matière de Défense nationale.

Dans sa lettre, le premier ministre Harper énumèrait les coupes budgétaires qu'il était prêt à accepter et celles qu'il allait refuser. Il proposait même à la Défense nationale de se départir de certains biens qu'il jugeait superflus.

Le contenu de la lettre jette une lumière supplémentaire sur le divergences entre le bureau du premier ministre, déterminé à réduire le déficit du gouvernement, et la direction de la Défense nationale qui cherche à préserver les gains budgétaires obtenus au cours des dernières années.

Un porte-parole du ministre MacKay a indiqué que le gouvernement ne commentait jamais le contenu de documents ayant fait l'objet d'une fuite.

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 25, 2012 – Boeing

Boeing has acquired Miro Technologies, a privately held software company specializing in enterprise asset and supply chain management; maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services; and Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) management for government and commercial customers worldwide.

Miro will become part of the Global Services & Support (GS&S) business within Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Miro expands a suite of GS&S products that link and fuse data from existing systems for improved mission readiness and reduced sustainment costs.

This is the latest acquisition to advance Boeing's defense logistics support strategies; previous acquisitions include Tapestry Solutions, Federated Software Group, and CDM Technologies.

"Boeing's services and logistics business has grown significantly in recent years, and Miro has been a trusted technology partner during that time," said Tony Parasida, Boeing president of GS&S. "Bringing Miro into Boeing will provide us with industry-leading MRO and PBL supply chain software capabilities to help our customers plan and execute missions across the ground, air, sea and space domains."

Miro Technologies is based in La Jolla, Calif., employs approximately 120 people, and has operations in Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Kingdom.

"This important acquisition is tied to Boeing's strategies of growing our global presence and international business, and expanding and enhancing our capabilities in the defense sector," said Shep Hill, president of Boeing International and senior vice president of Business Development and Strategy.

The centerpiece of Miro's capabilities is GOLDesp, a combat-proven, fully deployable software solution designed for aftermarket logistics support; maintenance, supply and repair operations; and PBL program management. Boeing uses GOLDesp for some of its largest PBL contracts, including support for the C-17 Globemaster III and the AH-64D Apache Longbow. Miro also is part of the Boeing team supporting the LogNEC (Logistic Network Enabled Capability) program, the end-to-end logistics information system for the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence.

In addition to Boeing, Miro supports other leading defense companies and global military customers, including the Royal Saudi Air Force and Oman Ministry of Defence.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 61,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

October 25, 2012 defpro.com

The U.S. Navy will christen its newest attack submarine Minnesota, Saturday, Oct. 27, during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, in Newport News, Va.

Adm. Kirk Donald, Director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Ellen Roughead, wife of former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead and a Minnesota native, will serve as ship's sponsor and break a champagne bottle against a plate welded to the hull, and officially christen the ship 'Minnesota.'

Minnesota, the 10th ship of the Virginia class is named in honor of the state's citizens and their continued support to our nation's military. Minnesota has a long tradition of honoring its veterans of wars past and present. The state is proud to be home to 46 Medal of Honor recipients that span from the Civil War to the Vietnam War.

“There is a special relationship between a state and its namesake ship,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. “Naming this submarine Minnesota not only salutes the proud history of military support and contributions made by the people of Minnesota, but will also serve as a testament to the U.S. Navy's enduring bond with the great state of Minnesota for decades to come.”

This will be the third ship to bear the state name. The first USS Minnesota, a sailing steam frigate, was commissioned in 1857 and served during the Civil War, remaining in service until her decommissioning in 1898. The second Minnesota was commissioned in 1907. On Dec. 16, 1907 she departed Hampton Roads as one of the 16 battleships of the Great White Fleet sent by then-President Theodore Roosevelt on a voyage around the world. She continued her service through World War I, and was decommissioned in 1921.

Minnesota will provide the Navy with the capabilities required to maintain the nation's undersea supremacy well into the 21st century. She will have improved stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and special warfare enhancements that will enable her to meet the Navy's multi-mission requirements.

Designated SSN 783, Minnesota is built to excel in anti-submarine warfare; anti-ship warfare; strike warfare; special operations; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. Capable of operating in both the world's shallow littoral regions and deep waters, Minnesota will directly enable five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities - sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence.

The 7,800-ton Minnesota is built under a teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries. A crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted personnel will operate the 377-foot long, 34-foot beam vessel, which will be able to dive to depths of greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged. Minnesota is designed with a nuclear reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship - reducing lifecycle costs while increasing underway time.

To view the ceremony via live webcast, please go to: http://www.livestream.com/usnavy

For more information visit: http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4100&tid=100&ct=4

25 October 2012 airforce-technology.com

Lockheed Martin and the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) have completed the first joint acceptance test flight of the US Air Force's (USAF) C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft at Lockheed's Marietta facility in Georgia, US.

Conducted jointly by USAF and Lockheed technicians and flight engineers, the joint acceptance flights mark the final phase of the programme to handover the aircraft back to the air force, by lowering total delivery time by between two to four weeks.

Lockheed C-5 programme vice president Greg Ulmer said the test flight represents a significant milestone for the C-5 aircraft family, and involved several hours of coordination and planning.

''This is just one step of many we are implementing to increase the rate of C-5M deliveries to our warfighters,'' Ulmer added.

The C-5M Super Galaxy is an upgraded version of the C-5 Galaxy aircraft, and features an increased 58% climb rate to an initial cruise altitude to facilitate greater cargo transportation from airfields over long distances.

A total of 79 C-5 aircraft, including A, B and C models are being upgraded by Lockheed as part of a comprehensive two-phase modernisation programme, including the Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) and the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP).

The $70m C-5 AMP phase, which was completed earlier this year with the delivery of the 79th and final aircraft to USAF, involved the installation of a mission computer, glass cockpit with digital avionics, as well as advanced communications, navigation and surveillance components for air traffic management.

Of the 79 AMP aircraft, 52 are scheduled to undergo RERP, which involves reequipping the aircraft with new General Electric CF6 engines, as well as more than 70 additional improvements to major components and subsystems.

The C-5M upgrade programme aims at providing increased reliability, maintainability and better fuel efficiency to the aircraft, while also extending aircraft service life beyond 2040.

October 25, 2012 C. Todd Lopez / Army News Service – defpro.com

WASHINGTON | Future U.S. Army forces must be tailored to meet local requirements, must be rapidly deployable at lower echelons, and must be scalable from squad to corps level, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said here Oct. 23.

In remarks during the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference, Odierno discussed a changing strategic environment and the Army’s future in that environment.

"We must approach operational tasks by organizing our missions around highly trained squads and platoons that are the foundation for our company, battalion and brigade combat teams, organized for specific mission sets and regional conditions," the general said.

Organizing for regional conditions is part of the Army's effort to align forces regionally to specific combatant commands, such as those in Europe, the Pacific and in Africa. Already, Odierno said, efforts are under way to designate such forces, align them with combatant command headquarters and increase integration with allies and multinational forces, such as the NATO Response Force.

"By aligning unit headquarters and rotational units to combatant commands, and tailoring our combatant training centers and exercises to plan for their greatest contingencies, units will gain invaluable expertise and cultural awareness, and be prepared to meet the regional requirements more rapidly and effectively than ever before," he said.

To be a military force capable of engaging around the world requires a modernization strategy centered on soldiers at the squad level, the general said.

"We must empower them with unmatched lethality, protection and situational awareness to achieve tactical dominance," he explained. "It entails an overarching network architecture that connects all echelons from squad to joint task force to ensure our leaders have the right information at the right time to make the best possible decisions."

Odierno said modernization efforts will prepare the entire Army for the complex and uncertain battlefield of the future by putting "squads with precise information and overmatched capability at the decisive time and place to achieve dominance of the operational environment."

And although the Army will be prepared for future conflicts, it acts as a deterrent to conflict as well, the general said.

"The Army represents one of America's most credible deterrents against future hostility," he said. "We prevent miscalculations from erupting into war, and we defeat an adversary when it does. No other nation can match the U.S. Army's ability to rapidly deploy a large number of troops over extended distances, sustain them, and deliver precise, discriminate results."

The AH-6i has been developed primarily for the export

market

23 Oct 2012 by Zach Rosenberg - FG

Washington DC - Boeing has completed a flight demonstration of the AH-6i for the US Army, in anticipation of the service's Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) programme.

The flight demonstration was conducted from the manufacturer's Mesa facility in Arizona, and included simulating a number of likely missions, including night flights.

While the AH-6i is aimed at international customers, its handling qualities are representative of what Boeing intends to offer for AAS, although the army's requirements have not yet been released. The cockpit will be based around the feel of the company's AH-64 Apache Longbow Block III, the newest model of the attack helicopter, deliveries of which have begun recently.

In the meantime, work has begun on the first AH-6 for Saudi Arabia, with delivery scheduled in 2014.

October 24, 2012. David Pugliese - Defence Watch

Is the government looking at other aircraft to replace the CF-18, besides the F-35? Getting that answer from the Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose has been next to impossible for opposition parties who have asked for details over the last couple of days.

The NDP asked the question again about what other fighter aircraft options – besides the F-35 – are being considered.

On Tuesday they got this response from Ambrose (which was pretty similar to the government talking points Ambrose repeated on Monday):

“As I mentioned yesterday, and the member knows it, the National fighter procurement secretariat was set up and it includes, of course, a member from the Department of National Defence to do the due diligence necessary to replace our CF-18s,” Ambrose said. “No money has been spent in the acquisition of new fighter aircraft and no money will be spent before the secretariat does all of the work necessary to independently verify the costs and the options available to replace our aging fleet of CF-18s.”

So the NDP’s Matthew Kellway tried another series of pretty straight forward questions: “Here are some questions that need answers stat: who is on the committee; when will the committee report and, again, which other fighters will it be studying?”

The answer from Ambrose?

“The mandate of the secretariat is publicly available, but I can share all the information with him again if he needs it. That, of course, also includes the composition of the membership of the national fighter procurement secretariat. As I said, and he knows well, no money has been spent on the acquisition of the replacement for the CF-18s and we will not be acquiring new fighter jets until the secretariat does the due diligence necessary (and) looks at all of the options available and independently verifies the cost to replace the CF-18s.”

Okay….but that doesn’t answer the question about what aircraft are being looked at or are going to be looked at? Industry sources say NO other companies have been approached and they don’t expect the fighter secretariat to give other aircraft that could compete with the F-35 more than a cursory look.

GBU-28 Bunker Buster

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 24 (UPI)

First article testing and production of FMU-143 bomb fuses will be conducted in West Virginia by ATK under a U.S. Army contract worth as much as $84 million.

The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity vehicle was issued by the Army's Contracting Center at Rock Island, Ill., but the fuses are for use by the U.S. Air Force and Navy.

"ATK is proud to add this product to our portfolio of fusing for defeat of hard and deeply buried targets," said Dave Fine, vice president of ATK's Fusing and Warheads Market Segment. "The FMU-143 is the only qualified production fuse for use in today's hard target defeat weapon systems.

"This (contract) complements our lead role in the development of next-generation hard- target defeat fusing systems, established through our earlier win of the FMU-167 Hard Target Void Sensing Fuse program."

The FMU-143 fuse is used on bombs such as the BLU-109 and BLU-113, which are designed for destroying highly hardened or deeply buried targets. The bombs stay intact upon impact, penetrate deep into the interior of the target and are delayed detonated by the fuses.

"ATK has a tremendous program and manufacturing team dedicated to producing FMU-143 for the U.S. Air Force and Navy," said Cary Ralston, vice president and general manager of ATK Missile Products Division. "We look forward to partnering with our teammate and customers to deliver the highest quality product and to provide this critical capability to the U.S. armed forces."

ATK is the prime contractor under the contract and will team with L-3 Fusing and Ordnance Systems for the work.

The initial order for fuses under the contract is worth $52 million.

Le canon électromagnétique de BAE Systems

(Photo: BAE Systems)

24 octobre 2012 par Nicolas Laffont - 45enord.ca

La US Navy développe une arme à longue portée qui tire des projectiles avec un canon électromagnétique en lieu et place des explosifs chimiques traditionnels.

Initié en 2005, le programme du canon électromagnétique avance bien, au point que désormais la US Navy parle d’intégration à bord de navires.

Le canon utilise des champs magnétiques créés par des courants électriques élevés qui « poussent » les munitions sur deux rails de lancement d’une dizaine de mètres, à près de 10 000 km/h.

En décembre 2010, un premier prototype avait établi un record mondial avec cette technologie: un tir mesuré à 33 mégajoules.

Un mégajoule correspond à la quantité d’énergie nécessaire pour le déplacement d’une voiture d’une tonne à 160 km/h.

Depuis cet essai réussi et après avoir vérifié que le canon pouvait envoyer un projectile à près de 200 km de distance, la deuxième phase du projet a été lancé au début de 2012.

Les ingénieurs travaillent désormais sur un deuxième prototype, développé par un fournisseur différent.

Ils cherchent maintenant à évaluer quelle technologie est la meilleure pour parvenir à des systèmes de chargement automatiques, de véritables mitrailleuses à obus, qui pourraient en lancer 10 à la minute, avec un système de refroidissement du canon.

Les planificateurs de la US Navy ciblent une portée initiale de 90 à 185 km.

Plusieurs plateformes navales, existantes (comme les destroyers de classe Arleigh Burke) ou futures, sont étudiées pour l’intégration de cette nouvelle arme.

Pour la US Navy, l’avantage de cette technologie est évident:  les canons électromagnétiques éliminent les risques liés à la présence d’explosifs à bord des navires, et limitent le nombre de munitions non explosées. La guerre est plus propre en somme…

October 24, 2012. David Pugliese  - Defence Watch

Canadian Press has this article:

OTTAWA – A leaked letter shows the prime minister told Defence Minister Peter MacKay last spring that his initial budget proposals did not cut deep enough on the administrative side of National Defence.

The three-page letter — dated June 15, 2012, and obtained by The Canadian Press — was written to provide “guidance” to MacKay and General Walt Natynczyk as the Conservatives embarked on a rewrite of their marquee defence policy.

The document sheds light on the divide between Stephen Harper’s office, determined to wrestle the deficit to the ground, and a defence establishment resolved to protect the budget gains of the last five years.

Harper’s missive sets out what cuts he was prepared to accept, what wouldn’t work, and even suggests National Defence unload some of its surplus property.

“It is important that we reduce the current overhead in regular force military and civilian personnel, and in those activities that do not directly contribute to operational readiness,” he wrote.

Read morehere

PALMDALE, Calif., Oct. 23, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) delivered a Global Hawk unmanned aircraft to the U.S. Air Force carrying the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) – expanding airborne communications and information sharing among military units in harsh environments.

Northrop Grumman produced and delivered the system four months ahead of schedule as part of an ongoing BACN development, operations and maintenance contract to support U.S. Central Command missions.

"By pairing BACN and Global Hawk, military commanders can provide the system's critical capabilities during a single flight lasting more than 30 hours," said George Guerra, Global Hawk unmanned air systems vice president with Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "This is important when ground units operate in mountainous terrain where land-based communications systems don't function as well."

BACN bridges and extends voice communications and information sharing from numerous sources using a suite of computers and radio systems. It's also installed on two other EQ-4B Global Hawk aircraft and three E-11A Bombardier Global Express BD-700 aircraft.

"Our military counts on the enhanced combat effectiveness provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week by the BACN gateway capability. With another BACN system flying on Global Hawk, the team continues to provide unsurpassed communications capabilities at exceptional operational availability rates," said Claude Hashem, vice president of network communications systems business with Northrop Grumman Information Systems.

The aircraft was delivered Sept. 7 to Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., after a flight from the company's production facility in Palmdale, Calif.

The Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $47 million contract in December 2011 for the purchase and integration of two BACN payloads on two existing Global Hawk aircraft. The company also delivered the BACN-equipped Global Hawk in June 2012 early.

Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the development, fielding and maintenance of the BACN system and the EQ-4B Global Hawk aircraft. The company was awarded the first BACN contract in 2005 with the payload deployed for the first time in 2008. The company is also the prime contractor for the Air Force's Global Hawk program.