Jul 03, 2013 (SPX)

Cape Canaveral AFS FL - . The second Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite built by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Navy was encapsulated into its payload fairing yesterday. It is scheduled to launch July 19 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle.

The MUOS constellation replaces the legacy Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Follow-On system and delivers secure, prioritized voice and data communications, a first for mobile users who need high-speed mission data on the go.

The first MUOS satellite, launched in 2012, has been providing high quality legacy voice communications for users, and terminals are already testing using the advanced payload that enables data exchanges.

More than 20,000 existing terminals are compatible with and can access the MUOS legacy UHF payload, and with the release of the new waveform developed for increased data-handling capacity, many of these terminals could be retro-fitted to access the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) payload.

This advanced WCDMA payload incorporates commercial technology designed to provide 16 times the number of accesses as the legacy UHF Follow-On system that it replaces.

The geosynchronous constellation consists of four satellites and one on-orbit spare, which are expected to achieve full operational capability in 2015, extending UHF narrowband communications availability well past 2025.

1 July 2013 army-technology.com

Lockheed Martin has completed production of the final vehicle being developed for the US Army and Marine Corps' as part of the multi-billion dollar joint light tactical vehicle (JLTV) programme.

A total of 22 JLTV prototype vehicles have been manufactured by the company under the programme's 24-month $66.3m engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) phase contract awarded by the army in August 2012.

Manufactured at BAE Systems' manufacturing facility in Sealy, Texas, US, the vehicles are now scheduled to be shipped for the US Government's comprehensive testing and evaluation programme on 22 August.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control ground vehicles vice-president Scott Greene said the company would supply a vehicle featuring enhanced capabilities and reliability, and can be easily acquired and operated.

"Early break-in testing is under way, and we are confident that our JLTV design will serve our service men and women well," Greene added.

Lockheed's JLTV prototype has already demonstrated the ability to offer blast protection equivalent to much larger in service mine-resistant vehicles during initial testing.

"Early break-in testing is under way, and we are confident that our JLTV design will serve our service men and women well."

The vehicle is believed to offer enhanced crew protection and mobility, increased fuel efficiency and improved connectivity with other platforms and systems compared with other existing general-purpose vehicles, while reducing logistical support costs.

As well as significant reduction in weight, the vehicle also retains the proven force protection, transportability and reliability of its previous technology development (TD) phase model.

Other two JLTV EMD contract recipients include AM General and Oshkosh Defense.

JLTV programme is aimed at replacing the US Army and Marine Corps' fleet of rapidly ageing high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs), which have been in active service for more than 25 years.

27 June 2013 Ministry of Defence

The third of the UK's F-35 short take-off and vertical landing Lightning II aircraft has arrived at Eglin US Air Force Base in Florida.

27.06.2013 par Helen Chachaty - journal-aviation.com

L’avionneur américain Lockheed Martin a livré le premier C-130J Super Hercules à Israël le 26 juin, lors d’une cérémonie qui s’est tenue à l’usine de Marietta, en Géorgie. L’avion devrait toucher le sol israélien au printemps 2014. Les trois avions que doit recevoir Israël seront surnommés « Shimshon », comme les 12 C-130E/H qu’utilise le pays depuis 1971.

June 26th, 2013 by Matt Cox  - defensetech.org

The U.S. Army hopes to equip its first unit of Apache helicopters with the newest daytime sensors by this time next year.

The Apache Sensors Product Office recently accepted delivery of Lockheed Martin’s new Modernized Day Sensor Assembly Laser Rangefinder Designator, or LRFD, the first component to be fielded in the Modernized Day Sensor Assembly.

The modernized LRFD is the first phase of upgrades for the M-DSA program, and will provide enhanced performance to the MTADS/PNVS system, Army officials maintain.

“This laser kit, what we call M-DSA phase one, is an investment by the Army and the Program Executive Office for Aviation, and we’re looking forward to the reliability and maintainability improvements that this laser will bring to the MTADS system,” said  Lt. Col. Steven Van Riper, product manager for Apache Sensor, in an Army press release. “The maintainers will have less of a burden when it comes to keeping the system up and fully operational, while our aircrews will be able to reap the benefits of the performance improvements.”

The new sensors are part of a duel contract the Army awarded to Lockheed Martin in February worth $162 million.

The current laser features a tactical wavelength in the system, Cold War technology that’s expensive to maintain. The new laser incorporates a second EyeSafe wavelength, the newest technology available. It replaces the old flash lamp technology to a more reliable, more robust diode pump laser technology.

The diode pump is the primary driver of increasing the Army’s reliability and maintainability numbers, Army officials maintain. Phase one will be fielded later this year and will be fully capable by 2016, according to Matt Hoffman, director of MTADS/PNVS programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

The Army’s goal is to retrofit the M-DSA and equip the AH-64E Apache units first.

The second phase, scheduled to begin in 2016, will include all the remaining elements in the DSA such as a high definition color television, laser pointer marker, upgraded laser spot tracker, and a state-of-the-art inertia measuring unit for stability and extended range in the system.

“We are meeting all of our milestones in terms of production ramp rate, moving towards maintaining our production rate of over 20 lasers per month,” Van Riper said. “We’re stepping up to that incrementally using a very deliberate production engineering process.”

20 June 2013 adsadvance.co.uk

Working with Lockheed Martin and the UK Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems have linked simulation facilities across five UK sites to create a common synthetic environment to evaluate F-35 interoperability with other UK military platforms.

Linking Air and Maritime

A recent trial saw Royal Navy, RAF and US Navy pilots operating the F-35 fighter jet during a live simulated maritime scenario with the Queen Elizabeth Carrier, a Type 45 Destroyer and Sea King helicopter. This is the first time that we and Lockheed Martin have linked our Air and Maritime simulation capabilities and mission system laboratories at multiple locations into one common battlespace environment.

Roles and responsibilities

Royal Navy, RAF and US Navy pilots flew the F-35 aircraft from Lockheed Martin supplied desk top simulators at our Samlesbury site, alongside two Royal Navy Sea King aircrew who provided command and control directions to the F-35 pilots.

Linking into the live scenario, Royal Navy air warfare officers from HMS DUNCAN were at the controls of the Queen Elizabeth Carrier lab in the Isle of Wight whilst in Portsdown, Royal Navy air warfare officers and fighter controllers from HMS DAUNTLESS operated from the Type 45 Destroyer lab.

Lt Cdr Mark Humphries, RAF Air Warfare Centre, took part in the trials. He said: “Bringing both air and maritime capabilities into a common mission scenario, we have been able to begin to test the interoperability between F-35 and other key maritime assets, something we have never been able to do before. Today we have taken part in a maritime scenario where the F-35 was the first line of defence for a Carrier Task Force in a hostile threat situation. Being able to evaluate interoperability concepts for passing commands and threat information via digital datalinks in real-time between air warfare officers on the Queen Elizabeth Carrier, fighter controllers on the Type 45 destroyer and Sea King helicopter and F-35 pilots has been extremely valuable."

Lt Cdr Jim Blythe, HMS DAUNTLESS, also took part. He said: “We have been able to fully exercise the Type 45 combat management system and gain a broader experience of digitally controlling fighters than has hitherto been possible. This means we are in a far better place to develop an informed Concept of Operations for working with the F-35 when it comes into service.”

World class simulation and systems integration

Tony Hall, BAE Systems F-35 programme manager for the Interoperability trials, said: “As a business we have world class simulation and systems integration capabilities which exist across a number of different locations. Working closely with Lockheed Martin and the UK customer we have created a distributed test capability linking UK Industry and Government assets across a secure network to provide a common synthetic environment.

"Not only does this help the UK customer get their heads around how the F-35 will integrate into operations, but it can also save a lot of time and money. We can identify interoperability issues early and fix things at this stage far easier than when the aircraft are built and in operation.

“It’s great that we can get the customer involved at these early stages to make sure that the aircraft and other cooperating platforms are doing the job they want them to do. It’s an added bonus that we are able to use this project to prompt improvements across a range of other military assets too."

BAE Systems are responsible for leading F-35 integration activities on behalf of the UK customer. The maritime mission scenario trial is the third out of a series of four planned scenarios which form part of the overall F-35 UK interoperability project.

19 juin 2013 Par Julien Bonnet - Usinenouvelle.com

La Corée du Sud a lancé officiellement mardi 18 juin et pour une durée de onze jours l'appel d'offre pour un contrat de 7,3 milliards de dollars portant sur la fourniture de 60 avions de combat. Deux américains, Boeing et Lockheed Martin, l'européen EADS sont au coude à coude pour décrocher ce contrat.

Bataille commerciale dans le ciel coréen. La Corée du Sud a lancé officiellement mardi 18 juin l'appel d'offre pour un contrat de 7,3 milliards de dollars (5,5 milliards d'euros) portant sur la fourniture de 60 avions de combat. Il s'agit de la dernière étape d'un processus qui voit s'affronter deux américains - Boeing et Lockheed Martin - et l'européen EADS. La Corée du Sud a acquis 60 F-15 de Boeing depuis 2002 et souhaiterait donc acquérir 60 avions de combat supplémentaires d'ici 2021.

Ces trois géants de l'aéronautique de défense ont chacun présenté leur offre, assortie de conditions favorables destinées à remporter ce marché, le plus important jamais passé par la Corée du Sud. Le pays s'est donné onze jours pour se décider.

Trois avions de combat en compétition

L'agence sud-coréenne d'acquisition des armements (DAPA), qui a bien précisé que le montant du contrat ne pouvait pas dépasser les 8 300 milliards de wons (soit 7,3 milliards de dollars ou 5,5 milliards d'euros), va devoir trancher entre le F-15 Silent Eagle de Boeing, le F-35 Lightning II de Lockheed Martin et l'Eurofighter Typhoon d'EADS.

Propositions de partenariats industriels

Dans son offre, EADS propose d'investir 2 milliards de dollars pour aider la Corée du Sud à développer ses propres avions de combat s'il est choisi. Lockheed Martin s'engage pour sa part à aider le pays à développer et lancer des satellites de communication militaire, tandis que Boeing a promis d'acheter des milliards de dollars de pièces détachées aux entreprises sud-coréennes.

En janvier dernier, la Corée du Sud avait préféré l'anglo-Italien AgustaWestland à l'américain Sikorsky pour la livraison de six hélicoptères à la Marine sud-coréenne, un contrat de 567 millions de dollars, signe que Séoul, qui traitait habituellement uniquement avec des sociétés américaines, a élargi ces derniers mois la liste de ses fournisseurs.

Acquisition de missiles Taurus

Autre exemple ce mercredi 19 juin, le pays a annoncé qu'il allait acquérir des missiles de croisière Taurus, produits par l'Allemagne et la Suède, après le refus des Etats-Unis de lui vendre un armement correspondant, le Pentagone s'inquiétant d'un regain de tensions avec la Corée du Nord. Selon l'agence de presse Yonhap, Séoul se porterait acquéreur de 170 de ces missiles air-sol (portée de 500 kilomètres) d'une valeur totale de 300 millions de dollars (223 millions d'euros).

Jun. 13, 2013 by Dave Majumdar

Washington DC -- The Pentagon's top acquisitions official says that he is cautiously optimistic that the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has made enough progress in its development to ramp up its production rates starting in fiscal year 2015.

"At this point I can say that I'm cautiously optimistic that we will be able to raise production as planned," says Frank Kendall, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics. "The development programme is executing close to plan, a couple of areas are slipping a little bit in schedule, but the slips are not dramatic."

As such, Kendall says unless some sort of serious new problem emerges, the Pentagon will be able to order a ramp-up in production of the tri-service stealth fighter later this "fall". The decision would be reflected in the President's 2015 budget proposal, he says, and will follow the existing five-year spending plan.

That means the Pentagon will buy 42 planes in fiscal year 2015, 62 in 2016, 76 in 2017 and 100 in 2018. Production is currently running at 29 aircraft per year plus a few more for international customers.

Kendall says the while sequestration cuts are a problem, the Pentagon will do everything it can to increase the F-35's production rates. "The F-35 is our highest priority conventional warfare weapons system," he says. "Because of that, we'll do everything we can to protect it."

Meanwhile is also good news on the sustainment costs, which are projected to come down "significantly", Kendall says. The Pentagon is working hard to reduce those lifecycle costs-which could involve adding competition to sustaining the jet. "I think we will make a substantial dent in the current projections," he says.

Kendall adds that the F-35's cost per flying hour should decline significantly after a review he expects to conduct in the fall. The current cost figures are based on older estimates by the Pentagon's Cost Assessments and Program Evaluation office, he says, but those need to be updated. "I can tell you that the number is coming down," Kendall says.

Kendall cautions, however, that the F-35 programme still has a long way to go. The jet is only 40% of its way through its flight-test programme, and there are still many aerodynamic and structural tests that have still to be completed. Additionally, software needs to be developed and weapons integration needs to be tested. There are also fixes to problems that were discovered earlier that need to be verified.

As always, software development could still be an issue. For example a critical design review for the next software block has slipped by 45 days. But there has been "nothing dramatic" that might derail the programme.

"It's too early to declare victory," Kendall says, but the programme is on a much more sound footing than it was two years ago. "There is plenty of risk left in the programme."

10 Jun 2013 By Arie Egozi - FG

Tel Aviv - Elbit Systems has developed a cockpit upgrade package for the Lockheed Martin C-130H, describing its C-Suite Tactical design as enabling customers to meet demanding conditions in low-altitude operating environments.

By integrating aircraft sensors and systems, pilots are able to see real-time flight information projected on a head-up, head-down or helmet-mounted display, resulting in greater situational awareness and enhanced safety, Elbit says.

Key elements of the full upgrade package include a Northrop Grumman APN-241 terrain following/terrain avoidance system; a terrain awareness and warning system; and enhanced and synthetic vision systems (SVS). This combination, along with real-time reference to a digital terrain elevation database, enables accurate low-level flight in any condition and regardless of terrain or the presence of man-made obstacles, says Gil Russo, a senior director at Elbit's aerospace division.

The SVS, meanwhile, shows a 3-D synthetic image of the external environment on a flight display.

Elbit was recently awarded a contract by the Israeli defence ministry to upgrade the Israeli air force's C-130H transports. The modernisation project will extend the operational life of the aircraft and significantly improve their operational capability, particularly during precision flying, low-level night flight and operations in adverse weather conditions.

The effort will replace obsolete analogue cockpit systems, which have become unreliable and costly to maintain after four decades of intensive service.

Jun 12, 2013 ASDNews Source : Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] teams provided exploitation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities at a level never before achieved during Red Flag, the U.S. Air Force premiere aerial warfare exercise. During the exercise, live imagery from manned and unmanned aircraft was disseminated in near real-time to the Distributed Common Ground Station Imagery (DCGS-I) mobile test bed, which is used by the Department of Defence to test ISR capabilities prior to their introduction into an operational environment.

“Red Flag was a huge success, and a large chunk was due to the DCGS-I capabilities,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Reiz, the 526th Intelligence Squadron commander. “DCGS-I was a critical part of our High Altitude mission and pivotal to the successful execution of reconnaissance missions and in providing realistic combat training.”

Red Flag exercises are realistic aerial war games intended to prepare pilots from the U.S., NATO and other allied countries for combat situations. This is the first time that the Air Force brought together not just the platform and supporting sensors, but also the analysis of the collected intelligence data, as well as the communications paths upon which the data travels.

“This is a major step forward in exploring the true potential of real-time intelligence,” said Jim Quinn, vice president of C4ISR systems for Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions. “The value that analyzing and sharing ISR data offers for success in future conflicts is clear: a holistic understanding of a complex battlespace.”

During Red Flag, raw intelligence from manned and unmanned ISR assets was sent to DCGS-I, which served as the primary data link, processor, and delivery mechanism for the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery taken from the U-2, as well as the backup data link for the SAR and infrared imagery taken by the Global Hawk. Analysts reviewed the data, and in collaboration with the Air Operations Center, sent the intelligence products to users, allowing for a more effective prioritization of combat assets.

Users from dissimilar classification environments were able to review imagery gleaned from the airborne platforms through the use of Lockheed Martin’s cross domain solution Trusted Manager (TMAN). TMAN automatically disseminated imagery from the secret DCGS-I environment to the top secret Air Force common workstations, allowing airmen to work seamlessly at both the secret and top secret security levels.

Jun 7, 2013 ASDNews Source : Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] recently delivered the first Modernized Day Sensor Assembly (M-DSA) Laser Range Finder Designator (LRFD) to the U.S. Army for the AH-64D/E Apache helicopter.

“The new laser is the first component to be fielded in the Modernized Day Sensor Assembly,” said Lt. Col. Steve Van Riper, U.S. Army product manager of Apache Sensors. “The U.S. Army looks forward to a lasting relationship with the Lockheed Martin and Selex team; we anticipate continued success as we quickly ramp-up to our planned production rate and begin fielding."

The modernized LRFD is the first phase of upgrades for the M-DSA program. The modernized LRFD mitigates obsolescence and provides enhanced performance to the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) system. The modernized LRFD is also the chief targeting aid for the Apache, establishing the range to target for accurate weapon aiming.

The M-DSA second phase upgrades bring color to the Apache cockpit display, improving situational awareness and communication with ground troops.

“This milestone represents a highly successful team effort that provides significant benefit to the Apache pilot through system reliability, maintainability and performance,” said Matt Hoffman, director of M-TADS/PNVS programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “With more than 685 modernized LRFD kits on contract, this milestone signifies Lockheed Martin’s ability to deliver on its commitment to supporting the soldier.”

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is a 2012 recipient of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for performance excellence. The Malcolm Baldrige Award represents the highest honor that can be awarded to American companies for achievement in leadership, strategic planning, customer relations, measurement, analysis, workforce excellence, operations and business results.

Un F-35B largue une bombe guidée de 453 kg (Photo: Archives/Lockheed Martin)

01/06/2013 par Jacques N. Godbout – 45eNord.ca

Les données américaines du Bureau du Programme d’avions de combat interarmées ayant été fournies au Congrès américain le 23 mai, des responsables du gouvernement canadien vont rencontrer des responsables américains afin de recevoir et clarifier les données propres au Canada pour la Mise à jour annuelle du ministère de la Défense nationale sur les coûts liés au F-35.

Conformément à l’engagement de fournir un compte rendu dans un délai d’au plus 60 jours, pris dans le cadre du Plan à sept volets, la Mise à jour de la Défense nationale de 2013 au Parlement sur les coûts du F-35 devrait prête au cours de l’été et, dit le Secrétariat national d’approvisionnement en chasseurs dans un communiqué, « déposée dès que possible».

Le Secrétariat national d’approvisionnement en chasseurs faisait d’ailleurs le point vendredi 31 mai sur les progrès réalisés par le gouvernement du Canada dans le cadre du Plan à sept volets relatif au remplacement de la flotte de CF-18, plan que le gouvernement Harper avait lancé en 2012 en réponse au rapport dévastateur du vérificateur général qui l’accusait d’avoir sous-estimé gravement les coûts d’acquisition du F-35 de Lockheed Martin.

Au cours des derniers mois, le Secrétariat a axé ses travaux sur le quatrième volet du plan, à savoir l’évaluation des options.

Il avait demandé le 3 mai aux entreprises pouvant offrir un avion de chasse pour remplacer les Cf-18, de donner leur avis du la méthode d’évaluation du questionnaire sur les capacités de l’avion, puis, le 31 mai 2013, on leur a présenté les questionnaires sur le prix et les retombées industrielles.

La méthodologie d’évaluation a donc été affichée vendredi sur le site du Secrétariat.

Cette méthodologie, les trois questionnaires et l’approche relative à l’analyse des options ont été élaborés par le Secrétariat et l’Aviation royale canadienne, dit le Secrétariat, «en plus d’être examinés et mis à l’épreuve par le Panel d’examinateurs indépendants qui se rencontre à intervalles réguliers et veille à ce que les travaux d’évaluation des options soient menés de façon rigoureuse et impartiale», les examinateurs étant MM. Keith Coulter, Philippe Lagassé, James Mitchell et Rod Monette.

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Le Pentagone annonce la première baisse des coûts pour le F-35 >>