TEWKSBURY, Mass., June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) conducted its system requirements review (SRR) for Phase II of the U.S. Navy's Air and Missile Defense Radar program. This review marks a major milestone for AMDR, for which Raytheon is currently developing a technology demonstrator for the system's S-band radar and radar suite controller.

On May 17, Raytheon presented its progress to date on Phase II of the program to Navy representatives. During the SRR, the company demonstrated its understanding of AMDR's requirements and explained how Raytheon's mature design and architecture meets those requirements. The Raytheon team also displayed operational hardware from its AMDR pilot array, which is now undergoing integration and testing to ensure risk reduction for the program. Additionally, Raytheon presented its analysis of requirements, including cost and performance trade studies that showed how the system could be made less expensive without loss of important capability.

The review established a clear path for Raytheon to advance to the system functional review, which will be held later this year. The Navy's feedback throughout the review was favorable, and Raytheon was commended for the advancements it has made to date on the program, having matured its design ahead of schedule, surpassing customer expectations.  

"The system requirements review was a major step forward for Raytheon and our entire AMDR team as we work to deliver a high-performance, low-cost solution to the Navy," said Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' (IDS) Kevin Peppe, vice president of Seapower Capability Systems. "The strength of our industry team, combined with Raytheon's legacy of working with a broad range of scalable multifrequency radars, positions us well for this opportunity."

AMDR provides unprecedented capabilities for the Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. It fills a critical gap in the joint forces' integrated air and missile defense capability, enabling highly effective missile defenses to be deployed in a flexible manner wherever needed. The radar suite consists of an S-band radar, X-band radar and radar suite controller. The system is scalable, enabling the radar to be sized according to mission need and to be installed on ships of varying size as necessary to meet the Navy's current and future mission requirements. The radar's digital beamforming capability enables it to perform multiple simultaneous missions, a critical feature that makes the system affordable and operationally effective for the Navy.

Raytheon's skill and experience working with large-scale active phased-array radars spans the frequency spectrum from UHF to X/Ku-band and dates back to the Cobra Judy program, continuing today with the advanced Dual Band Radar, AN/TPY-2 and Cobra Judy Replacement programs. The knowledge and experience gained from these programs will ensure that AMDR's S- and X-band radars operate in coordination across a variety of operational environments. The company has a long heritage of developing and producing some of the world's most capable air and missile defense radars, which positions it well for the AMDR competition. Additionally, Raytheon has produced more than 1.8 million AESA (active electronically scanned array) transmit/receive modules to date and has decades of experience working with adaptive beamforming technologies.

Work on the AMDR program is performed at Raytheon IDS Headquarters, Tewksbury, Mass.; at the Surveillance and Sensors Center, Sudbury, Mass.; at the Seapower Capability Center, Portsmouth, R.I.; and at the Integrated Air Defense Center, Andover, Mass. Raytheon has partnered with General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems and shipbuilder Gibbs & Cox in the concept development of this next-generation radar solution. To learn more about AMDR as well as Raytheon's radar heritage and leading-edge technologies, visit http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/radar/index.html.

June 7, 2011 defpro.com

MARIETTA, Ga. | The seventh C-5 has been inducted into the C-5 modernization program at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. Scheduled to deliver mid-2012, the C-5B will undergo more than 70 improvements to include brand-new, fuel-efficient engines.

This aircraft is stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Del. and is assigned to be flown by both active duty and reserve airlift wings there.

07/06/2011 MER et MARINE

Livré le 23 février par les chantiers Huntington Ingalls Industries (ex-Northrop Grumman), le 60ème destroyer lance-missiles du type Arleigh Burke a été mis en service le 4 juin. La cérémonie s'est déroulée à Mobile, dans l'Alabama. Long de 155.3 mètres pour une largeur de 20.4 mètres, l'USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) affiche un déplacement de 9217 tonnes en charge.

Le bâtiment peut mettre en oeuvre 96 missiles (SM-2-MR, SM-3, ESSM RIM, Tomahawk) et dispose d'une tourelle de 127 mm, un système multitubes Phalanx (emplacement pour un second système), deux canons de 25 mm, quatre mitrailleuses de 12.7 mm, six tubes lance-torpilles, ainsi qu'un hangar pour deux hélicoptères Seahawk. Pour mémoire, la tête de série, l'USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), a été mis en service en juillet 1991. En tout, l'US Navy devrait se doter de 70 destroyers de ce type.


L'USS William P. Lawrence (© : HII)

7 Jun 2011 DefenseNews AFP

NEW DELHI - The United States on June 6 hailed India's decision to buy military transport planes worth more than $4 billion from U.S.-based aviation giant Boeing, saying it would sustain 23,000 American jobs.

The U.S. reaction came a day after the Indian cabinet approved a long-pending program to acquire 10 C-17 Globemaster III planes from Boeing.

"This comprehensive purchase will support an estimated 23,000 jobs in the United States," U.S. ambassador Timothy Roemer said in statement.

He said the deal would also provide India with maintenance infrastructure and aircrew training, and that more than 600 American firms would benefit indirectly.

The C-17 advanced airlifter can carry large combat equipment and troops or humanitarian aid across international distances to small airfields, according to Boeing.

India is spending billions of dollars to upgrade its military with hardware imports from Britain, France, Israel, Russia and the United States.

06 Jun 2011 | Ref. 106/2011 BAE Systems press release

AUSTIN, Texas — BAE Systems has delivered its 20,000th warning sensor for U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and allied aircraft missile warning systems, an achievement made possible by teaming with the Navy NAVAIR program office, and prime contractor ATK (NYSE: ATK).

BAE Systems has been a key supplier to ATK since 1998, providing sensor components for the AN/AAR-47 missile warning systems as part of the ongoing Navy roadmap of airborne protection and system improvements for the Navy, Air Force, Army, and foreign allied fleets. The laser detection sensors provide critical warning systems for surface-to-air and air-to-air missile threats. The sensors incorporate detectors and signal processing assets that enable the system to process warnings in real time to provide automated and direct flight response to battlefield threats.

“BAE Systems’ work on this critical program has helped to reduce cost, improve efficiency, increase speed to market, and ultimately provide enhanced protection for air crews,” said Scotty Burch, program manager for BAE Systems in Austin, Texas, where the sensors are manufactured. “Our support structure includes the right talent to support the science and production capabilities that it takes to get these defense systems to the air crews.”

“ATK values the work of BAE Systems, and all of our suppliers, in providing safe, reliable, dependable products that our customers can count on to defend their aircraft and, more importantly, their lives,” said Bill Kasting, vice president and general manager of ATK Defense Electronics Systems. “We share a strong commitment to delivering high-quality products and providing customers with the aircraft protection they need when flying in harm’s way.”

BAE Systems has received more than $100 million in orders as the manufacturer of the sensor sub-system. Together with the Navy’s NAVAIR leadership and ATK, BAE Systems supports a growing numbers of active U.S. and allied aircraft platforms and missions, providing critical survivability equipment to keep the air crews safe in today’s changing mission landscape.

source defense-update.com

06/06/11 By Stephen Trimble SOURCE:Flight International

One competitor for an advanced missile contract is prepared to submit a bid later today, but remains unsure how the US Army will evaluate a key aspect of the proposal.

The ambiguity over the criteria for winning the highly contested joint air-to-ground missile (JAGM) contract could prove critical after the award is declared, as both competitors reserve the right to formally launch a protest about the result.

Lockheed Martin and a Raytheon/Boeing team are competing for the contract to replace thousands of AGM-114 Hellfire and AGM-65 Maverick missiles with the JAGM, which has a tri-mode seeker to introduce the capability of striking moving targets in any weather.

The army invested $250 million in a three-year technology demonstration phase that ended with three live-fire missile shots by each competitor late last year. Hardware glitches caused two of Lockheed's missiles to miss the target, but a third shot was successful. Raytheon/Boeing's missiles hit the target in all three tests.

The army's evaluation process does not specifically account for the results of the technology demonstration phase, said Raytheon. The results of the three test shots may be evaluated as part of a broader evaluation of past performance, but the army has not quantified the weighting the technology demonstration will receive in the final selection process, Raytheon said.

Because the JAGM programme is expected to spend more than $2.19 billion in fiscal year 2000 constant dollars, it is classified as an acquisition category 1D item. That means it is among a handful of programmes that require the army's acquisition strategy to be approved by US undersecretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics Ashton Carter.

The Raytheon/Boeing team has stopped short of officially complaining or expressing concern about the army's evaluation process, but it is clear the companies wants it to make the results of the technology demonstration phase a major factor in the criteria for winning the contract.

"The US taxpayer has invested $250 million on the technology demonstration phase for the purpose of reducing risk and proving out the technology key to the JAGM programme," the Raytheon/Boeing team said. "Raytheon is confident the Raytheon/Boeing JAGM team's unmatched success will be carefully assessed."

Jun 6, 2011 By Amy Butler aerospace daily and defense report

U.S. Air Force testers say the Global Hawk Block 20/30 unmanned aerial system (UAS) is unable to completely and reliably perform the high-altitude imagery and signals intelligence collection missions for which it is designed.

Maj. Gen. David Eichorn, who heads the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center in New Mexico, says he found the system to be “effective with significant limitations … not suitable and partially mission capable” in the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) report he approved May 20.

Eichorn acknowledges this is an unusual finding. Typically, systems are considered effective or not effective. “I was much more comfortable with the shade of gray in this case rather than the black and white of is it effective or not,” he tells Aviation Week in a June 3 interview. “This provides a valuable service to our nation, and to the allies … I felt more comfortable calling it effective because it does do some things well. But it has got a ways to go to being all that we want it to be.”

Of note during the three months of testing last fall at Beale AFB, Calif., (the first Global Hawk home base), was poor sortie turnaround performance.

Effective time on station (ETOS), or the amount of time the aircraft can loiter over a target gathering intelligence, was expected to be 55%, but the system achieved only 27%. Part of that was owing to an electrical generator issue. Action by the program office and contractor Northrop Grumman to fix this problem was “impressive,” Eichorn says.

Another factor contributing to poor ETOS performance was low-tech, but crippling. “Nut plates,” or panels on the aircraft, were breaking when maintainers opened and closed them. Fixes require a 24-hr. curing time, Eichorn says, effectively keeping an aircraft on the ground for a day without operations. He likens this requirement to airline operations; the airlines lose money if a jet is grounded. Spares availability also was a problem, an issue often heard with young systems.

Also problematic during the IOT&E period was performance by the two sensor payloads, the Raytheon Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suite (EISS) and Northrop Grumman Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload (ASIP). In both cases the sensors performed well at close range, but the imagery is “not so good” at longer distances once the slant range of the sensor begins to degrade, Eichorn says. The general notes that SAR performance was good, if the aircraft is close to its target.

Likewise, performance of the sensors has been good during actual operations, Eichorn notes. Two examples are the images of Japan’s failing nuclear power plant collected by Global Hawk after the recent earthquake there. Also, the system provided images of targets in Libya—both areas with permissive operations. Eichorn explains that Global Hawk was not designed to penetrate deep into hostile airspace.

However, slant ranges are important for standoff intelligence collectors. The U-2, for example, is credited with having good slant range performance, allowing it to peer behind borders at targets. Eichorn declined to provide actual ranges for the Global Hawk’s performance owing to security concerns.

The report’s findings appear damning to a program that has had its share of struggles, twice breaching Nunn-McCurdy cost-growth caps. But while Global Hawk has faced a stiff headwind in Washington on cost and now with its testing findings, the system has support in the field. This juxtaposition is reminiscent of the Predator UAS, made by rival General Atomics, for which testers issued an equally scathing performance report. However, that system—as well as the larger Reaper and Gray Eagle versions—are hailed by field commanders as successful.

June 6, 2011: STRATEGY PAGE

The U.S. Army recently received its first two production model THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) anti-missile missiles. Last year, the army conducted another successful test firing of THAAD, demonstrating the system's ability to hit targets closer to the ground, and to share data with Patriot anti-missile systems. This was the seventh (out of seven) successful test since 2005. There have been 20 tests since 1995, 14 of them successful. THAAD entered service in 2008, with pre-production missiles for use in further testing.

Two years ago, the army formed its second THAAD anti-ballistic missile (ABM) battery. The army will form two more THAAD batteries over the next year year. Five years ago, there was a successful test of THAAD (a SCUD type target was destroyed in flight) using a crew of soldiers, and not manufacturer technicians, to operate the system.

Each THAAD battery has 24 missiles, three launchers and a fire control communications system. This includes an X-Band radar. The gear for each battery costs $310 million. The six meter (18 foot) long THAAD missiles weigh 837 kg (1,400 pounds). This is about the same size as the Patriot anti-aircraft missile, but twice the weight of the anti-missile version of the Patriot.

The range of THAAD is 200 kilometers, max altitude is 150 kilometers, and it is intended for short (like SCUD) or medium range (up to 2,000 kilometer) range ballistic missiles. THAAD has been in development for two decades. Ultimately, the army would like to buy at least 18 launchers, 1,400 missiles, and 18 radars. THAAD is a step up from the Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile (which is an anti-aircraft missile adapted to take out incoming missiles). The PAC-3 works, but it has limited (20 kilometers) range.

The navy has also modified its Standard anti-aircraft missile system to operate like the PAC-3. This system, the RIM-161A, also known as the Standard Missile 3 (or SM-3), has a longer range than THAAD (over 500 kilometers) and max altitude of 160 kilometers. The Standard 3 is based on the failed anti-missile version of the Standard 2, and costs over three million dollars each. The Standard 3 has four stages. The first two stages boost the interceptor out of the atmosphere. The third stage fires twice to boost the interceptor farther beyond the earth's atmosphere. Prior to each motor firing it takes a GPS reading to correct course for approaching the target. The fourth stage is the 20 pound LEAP kill vehicle, which uses infrared sensors to close on the target and ram it.

Thus the U.S. has three anti-missile systems, although one of them currently only operates from warships (cruisers and destroyers that have been equipped with the special software that enables the AEGIS radar system to detect and track incoming ballistic missiles.) AEGIS can also be operated from land bases, and the manufacturer is offering such a system to export customers.

source enjeux.org

June 6, 2011 Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service – defpro.com

SINGAPORE | U.S. and Chinese defense leaders are pleased with the progress the countries are making in re-establishing good military-to-military relations.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie held bilateral talks during the Shangri-La Dialogue here on Friday. This is the first time the Chinese defense minister has participated in the annual Asia security conference sponsored by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Gates and Liang continued discussions that began in January when the secretary visited Beijing. The Chinese suspended contacts with the U.S. military in 2009 in retaliation for the United States providing defensive weapons to Taiwan.

President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao call military-to-military contacts between the two nations “an underdeveloped” part of the broader relationship between the United States and China.

“In recent months, our two countries have made some progress toward rectifying this imbalance by jointly identifying areas of cooperation,” Gates said at the start of the Shangri-La meeting.

Gates, who will retire as defense secretary at the end of the month, said he believes the U.S.-Chinese military relationship is now on a more positive trajectory. “Going forward, the U.S. and China must do more to work together on issues where we have common strategic interest -- piracy, disaster relief and North Korea,” he added.

The secretary said the two countries agree in many areas, but that it is especially important that leaders continue to work together in areas where there is disagreement. This will allow leaders of both nations to have greater clarity on each other’s intentions, he said.

“Together, we can show the world the benefits that arise when great nations collaborate on matters of shared interest,” Gates said.

The meeting was productive and cordial, said Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell.

“It focused on moving forward with the agenda that they set forth during the secretary’s visit in January,” he said. “I think overall the meeting focused more on areas of agreement rather than disagreement. Of course, areas of disagreement were raised, but they were sort of acknowledged and moved on from. Far more time was spent on things that collectively need to be done moving forward.”

Liang recognized the efforts Gates has made to advance the military-to-military relationship, Morrell said.

“He noted at least a couple of times that the Chinese side appreciated Secretary Gates’ efforts, … and [that] without his personal efforts, the progress that has been achieved over the past year would not have been possible,” Morrell said. “The secretary thanked General Liang and said in retirement he hopes to monitor the forward progress with a fishing line in hand.”

The Chinese did raise issues they are concerned with, including arms sales to Taiwan, a “hyping” of the Chinese military threat and reconnaissance operations off China’s coast, said a senior defense official speaking on background.

Liang did bring up the Strategic Security Dialogue put in place following the January meetings, the official said, adding that U.S. officials were encouraged that the Chinese see this as a beneficial forum for discussion. Officials discussed cyber and maritime issues in the first meeting of the dialogue last month, and officials hope future meetings will discuss nuclear missile defense and space, the official added.

“There seemed to be agreement today that it would be worthwhile to dedicate more time to forthcoming discussions,” a senior U.S. defense official said.

The meeting with Liang capped a full day of bilateral meetings for the secretary. Gates also met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamed Najib bin Abdul Razak, Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen.

Jun 6, 2011 ASDNews Source : US Air Force

Scott AFB, Ill. - Just from its Air Force fact sheet it states that it "is one of the largest aircraft in the world and the largest airlifter in the Air Force inventory." Regardless of its size, the biggest difference the C-5 Galaxy makes is in supporting global airlift operations.

"The gigantic C-5 Galaxy, with its tremendous payload capability, provides the Air Mobility Command airlift in support of United States national defense," the fact sheet states. "The C-5 can carry fully equipped combat-ready military units to any point in the world on short notice and then provide field support required to help sustain the fighting force."

C-5 facts

By its sheer size, the C-5 is immense. General characteristics show it has a wingspan of 222.9 feet, is 247.1 feet long, and stands 65.1 feet high. To move the C-5, its four General Electric TF-39 engines generate 43,000 pounds of thrust each which can carry the plane to a maximum speed of 518 miles per hour.

The plane comes in three variants - the C-5A, C-5B, and the latest version - the C-5M Super Galaxy. Lockheed-Georgia Co. delivered the first operational C-5 to the 437th Airlift Wing, at then-Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., (now Joint Base Charleston) in June l970. In March 1989, the last of 50 C-5B aircraft was added to the 76 C-5As in the Air Force's airlift force structure.

The C-5B includes all C-5A improvements as well as more than 100 additional system modifications to improve reliability and maintainability. In 1998, the C-5 Avionics Modernization Program began and includes "upgrading avionics to communications, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management compliance, improving navigation, communication, and safety equipment, and installing a new autopilot system."

Additionally, another part of the C-5 modernization plan is a comprehensive re-engining and reliability program. The centerpiece of this program is the General Electric CF6-80C2 commercial engine which "delivers a 22 percent increase in thrust to the C-5, a 30 percent shorter take-off roll, has a 58 percent faster climb rate and will allow significantly more cargo to be carried over longer distances." With the new engine and upgrades, the C-5 was designated the C-5M Super Galaxy.

Hauling the 'big stuff'

With aerial refueling, a C-5 can carry more than 270,000 pounds of cargo to practically anywhere in the world. Because of that ability, Airmen who fly and maintain them have taken on some big loads.

For example, in August 2010, a C-5M and crew from Dover Air Force Base, Del., flew the $1 billion-plus Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer from the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Switzerland to Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Nobel Laureate, Dr. Samuel Ting, said in an AMC news report the particle detector was so large that without the C-5 to haul it, it would have required a certain level of disassembly.

"I'm very grateful the U.S. Air Force came to help us," Dr. Ting said about the use of the C-5.

As another example, from February to March 2011, two C-5Bs and two C-5Ms and crew and maintenance Airmen from Dover AFB were part of a U.S. Transportation Command "multi-modal" airlift effort in Western Europe.

That effort, according to officials at Scott AFB's Tanker Airlift Control Center, or TACC, included airlifting approximately 3,300 tons of cargo -- mainly Army helicopters such as the CH-47, UH-60, OH-58, and AH-60. Overall, TACC officials said, the C-5s moved more than 170 helicopters in the operation.

Furthermore, a C-5 and crew made a delivery to Yokota Air Base, Japan, supporting Operation Tomodachi in Japan on April 3. They transported the Chemical-Biological Incident Response Force -- a 155-person team comprised of Marines from Naval Support Facility, Indian Head, Md. The Marines supported Operation Tomodachi "by providing a rapid response capability, and if requested, can assist and advise Japanese authorities," one Air Force report shows.

Continuing support wherever needed

C-5s are located only at a few bases. They are currently operate from Dover AFB; Travis AFB, Calif.; Lackland AFB, Texas; Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y.; Martinsburg ANGB, W.V.; Memphis ANGB, Tenn.; Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; and Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.

Wherever they are home-based, or deployed to places such as Western Europe or Southwest Asia, officials say they are a crucial piece to the global airlift puzzle.

"We've got C-5s coming in here and we're making sure they're getting out of here in tip-top shape," said Senior Airman Douglas Osman, an engine specialist with the 521st Air Mobility Operations Group at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, in a recent Air Force news report.

Airman Osman may have also summed it up best about the entire C-5 community when he said they (his group and C-5s) are "getting cargo to people who need it."

June 6, 2011 Mandy Smithberger, POGO Investigator - defpro.com

There is general agreement in both Congress and the Pentagon that the current price estimates for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) are unaffordable. The Pentagon's Acquisition head, Ashton Carter, plans to use a should-cost strategy to bring component prices down to what they should cost (get it?).

Leading this effort will be the Pentagon's newly named director of defense pricing, Shay Assad. Marcus Weisgerber from Defense News reports that to accomplish these estimates, however, Assad will have to focus on the acquisition workforce and "improving their skills on what it is we pay on the goods and services we buy."

Primarily, this means improving the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA).

But it may require more than skill sets. A Department of Defense Inspector General (DoD IG) report last August highlighted several instances that raised questions about DCMA's independence, and indicated that the agency may also need a cultural transformation.

The should-cost savings may not be enough to make the difference needed for the JSF program. POGO's Director of Investigations, Nick Schwellenbach wrote a smart and thorough explainer on the issue in April, and we posted thoughts from a knowledgeable Pentagon insider who says it may just be a pipe dream.

All that I will add is that the head of the Pentagon's independent cost estimating shop, Christine Fox, pointed out to the Senate Armed Services Committee that the major cost risk in the JSF program is software and mission systems integration—and the complexity and immaturity of that component means pinpointing its should-cost will be difficult, if not nearly impossible.

----

(For notes and links, please go to the original article at the POGO website

Jun 5 2011 David Pugliese Defence Watch

From BAE:

Karlskoga, Sweden - BAE Systems has conducted factory acceptance testing of the first of 14 57mm MkIII naval guns for the Department of National Defense (DND) in support of the Canadian Navy’s upgrade of the Halifax class frigate.

The 57 MkIII serves as the main gun for this ship class and the ongoing upgrade program will deliver much-increased versatility against an ever-widening range of threats. 

Tomas Erlandsson, director integrated systems for BAE Systems Weapons in Karlskog says: “The upgrade from 57 Mk2 to 57 MkIII makes these guns as capable as our highly-advanced 57 Mk3, including the ability to fire the sophisticated 6-mode programmable 3P ammunition. This program, together with the recent contract to build the 57 Mk3 for the US Navy Littoral Combat Ship program, results in a stable foundation for naval gun production.”

BAE Systems’ Weapons business developed a tailored engineering package taking into account the varying condition of each of the guns, originally delivered more than two decades ago.  The sustainment program is scheduled to run through 2016 and includes subsystem upgrades.

During 2003-2005, BAE Systems assessed the feasibility of taking the older variant through a targeted conversion process as a means of modernizing the gun and managing obsolescence. The result will deliver the latest capability in less time and at significantly reduced cost compared with acquiring new guns.  Furthermore, with the many subsystem enhancements “under the hood,” the 20-30 year-old guns will receive another 15 years of operation.

“This tailored approach to upgrading an installed base of 57mm guns gives our customers a range of options as they seek to prolong the life and extend the relevance of their existing fleets,” states Mike Smith, managing director BAE Systems Weapons. “Whenever I make a personal technology purchase, I always worry about being able to leap forward to the next big thing without having to buy new.  With this development, we have essentially removed such risk from the customer.

“Our naval guns, while highly advanced, are designed with adaptability in mind.  They are built for long-term deployment in demanding environments. That’s a good thing.  However, threats change more rapidly today than in perhaps any other period in history. The Canadian program is an excellent example of BAE Systems’ through-life commitment to its customers around the world,” Smith adds.

The contract includes Industrial Regional Benefit (IRB) commitments which will include co-operation with Canadian industry on manufacture of the 3P round.

The 6-mode programmable 3P (Prefragmented, Programmable, Proximity fuzed) ammunition provides Bofors naval guns with the flexibility to deal with threats that previously were impossible to engage.The following modes can be selected:

- Gated proximity mode (air defence).

· Gated proximity mode with impact priority (air defence, large targets).

· Time mode (small fast, manoeuvring surface targets and concealed on-shore targets).

· Impact mode (surface targets).

· Armour piercing mode (armoured surface targets).

· Proximity mode (default mode).

June 5, 2011: STRATEGY PAGE

On May 24th, the carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) had its 400,000th aircraft landing, after having been in service for 36 years. Only three other carriers have handled 400,000 landings. The first to do so was USS Lexington (CV 16, ), a World War II Essex class ship that served 48 years (1943-1991), but spent 30 years as a training carrier. Then came USS Independence (CV 62), which served 39 years (1959-98). Next came the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), which served 48 years (1961 to 2009).

It was two years ago that one of the four steam catapults on the Nimitz made its 100,000th launch. That was after 34 years of operations. Normally, it's a big deal if a carrier reaches 100,000 catapult launches overall. Eight years ago, the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) did that after 17 years of service. The Roosevelt averaged some 500 aircraft takeoffs a month since entering service. In practical terms, the average is closer to 900 a month (about 30 a day) when deployed, because the carrier spends nearly half its time in port or going through periodic overhauls. During intense combat operations, there can be nearly a hundred catapult launches a day.

These catapult launches are dangerous, although fatal flight deck accidents happen very rarely, about once or twice a year. There are nearly 100,000 aircraft catapult launches a year on U.S. carriers. By way of comparison, the navy loses several dozen sailors a year to off duty motorcycle accidents, and more sailors are lost to other types of accidents (like falling overboard).

When on duty, especially on the flight deck of a carrier during takeoff and landing operations, there is a fanatical dedication to safety. New sailors, assigned to the flight deck, are not allowed out there for at least two weeks, as they are first drilled on all the safety procedures. These must become instinctive. To that end, officers and petty officers (NCOs) keep a close eye on the new guy for weeks after he is allowed on the flight deck.

When active, the flight deck of a carrier is a very dangerous place, and whenever a sailor dies on the flight deck, the incident is intensely scrutinized to find out if procedures, equipment or deck layout can be changed to make another accident less likely. The layout of the new class of U.S. carriers, now under construction, will be markedly different from current carriers, partly because of lessons learned from these accidents.

While daytime landings can be tricky, because of rough seas or high winds, it's the night landings ("night traps") that set naval aviators apart. While most of the landings are in daytime, it's some of the night traps that stick in memories of aircrew and deck crew.