29 mars 2012 itrmanager.com

Les dépenses militaires en équipement ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) vont demeurer une priorité des Etats malgré les pressions budgétaires auxquels ils sont soumis. Elles intégreront aussi bien des solutions d’ISR traditionnelles que de solutions ISTR dites « NTISR », c’est à dire non traditionnelles. Le rapport de Strategy Analytics « Defense Budgets, Multiple Platforms and Battlespace Collaboration to Drive Future Airborne ISR », prévoit que l’utilisation d’équipements ISR communs à plusieurs pays deviendra la norme pour leur permettre de tirer le plus d’avantages des nouvelles technologies.

Les prochains conflits mettront en jeux des coalitions utilisant massivement des réseaux d’information en temps réel. La réussite de la collaboration des forces alliées sur le champ de bataille dépendra de l’utilisation efficace des ressources ISR. Les ISR traditionnels incluent le programme américain JSTAR (Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System) et les plateformes britanniques Sentinel. Les NTISR incluent pour leur part les jets rapides Saab Gripen et F/A-18 de Boeing.

Comme le note Eric Higham de Strategy Analytics : « Les solutions développées par des compagnies comme ELTA Systems et Northrop Grumman permettent à jets rapides de mener des missions ISR. Néanmoins, la récupération et l’analyse des données, dans un temps compatible avec celui de l’action sur le terrain, demeurera un goulot d’étranglement. C’est là que les solutions d’ISR traditionnelles joueront à plein. »

Asif Anwar de Strategy Analytics précise : « Les drones comme le Predator ou le Global Hawk continueront à s’imposer dans l’environnement ISR. Attention à l’extension de leur usage pour des opérations civiles de police qui devra être précédée de l’intégration de ces plateformes dans l’espace aérien civil. A côté du marché des solutions automatiques, d’importantes opportunités commerciales existent toujours pour des sociétés comme Hawker Beechcraft, qui développent des platefromes ISR pilotés par des soldats. »

27 mars 2012 Radio-Canada avec CBC

Un reportage de CBC révélant que le gouvernement fédéral a établi sa liste d'exigences pour le modèle d'avion de chasse qui remplacera le CF-18 un mois seulement avant d'arrêter son choix sur le F-35 a suscité de nombreuses questions de la part de l'opposition aux Communes.

L'équipe de l'émission Power & Politics a eu accès à un document du ministère de la Défense, qui n'a pas été rendu public, contenant la liste des critères que le nouvel avion doit rencontrer. Ce document est daté de juin 2010, soit un mois avant que le ministre de la Défense, Peter MacKay, annonce que son gouvernement achètera 65 avions de chasse F-35 de la compagnie américaine Lockheed Martin pour remplacer les CF-18 vieillissants.

Par ailleurs, un des 28 critères définis par le ministère de la Défense dans ce document, qui concerne les capacités de visualisation du pilote, ne serait pas respecté par le F-35 dans sa forme actuelle.

Selon le chef du Nouveau parti démocratique, Thomas Mulcair, ce document obtenu par CBC montre que le gouvernement a créé un processus d'appel d'offres truqué puisqu'il avait déjà arrêté son choix sur le F-35 quand la liste des critères a été établie.

De son côté, le chef libéral par intérim, Bob Rae, a soutenu que le gouvernement devrait dire clairement s'il considère passer une commande pour un appareil autre que le F-35.

Rappelons que le 13 février, le ministre associé de la Défense, Julian Fantino, a laissé entendre pour que le Canada pourrait revoir son engagement à acheter les 65 chasseurs furtifs F-35 au coût de 9 milliards de dollars.

M. Fantino avait assuré devant le Comité permanent de la Défense que le Canada avait toujours l'intention d'acquérir les chasseurs furtifs F-35, tout en déclarant qu'il n'écartait pas la possibilité de réduire la taille de la commande ou de se retirer complètement du programme, aux prises avec de nombreux retards et des dépassements de coûts importants.

« Il y a de toute évidence un changement de cap dans la position du gouvernement depuis quelques semaines », a dit M. Rae mardi à Ottawa.

Julian Fantino a réaffirmé mardi en Chambre que son gouvernement allait de l'avant avec son programme de remplacement des avions de chasse. « Un budget a été établi, aucun contrat n'a été signé pour l'instant et nous allons nous assurer que notre personnel de l'aviation ait les bons outils pour faire son travail, un point c'est tout », a-t-il affirmé.

À Séoul, en Corée du Sud, le premier ministre Stephen Harper a affirmé que son gouvernement optait toujours pour le F-35, même si le contrat d'achat n'a pas été signé.

Invité à l'émission Power & Politics mardi, Christopher Alexander, secrétaire parlementaire du ministre de la Défense, a nié les affirmations voulant que le processus d'appel d'offre pour le remplacement des avions de chasse n'ait pas été juste.

Il a soutenu que le développement du F-35, qui comprend des technologies de pointe, était toujours en cours et que le gouvernement s'attend qu'en fin de compte, l'avion réponde à toutes les exigences du ministère de la Défense.

27-03-2012 nouvelobs.com (Reuters)

Le nouveau tanker KC-46 conçu par Boeing connait déjà un dépassement de budget de 900 millions de dollars et s'expose à un risque sérieux de non respect des délais, lit-on dans un rapport du Government Accountability Office (GAO), un organisme du Congrès.

Le GAO constate que l'Air Force a encadré le risque de surcoût de ce programme de près de 52 milliards de dollars en concluant un contrat à prix fixe mais observe aussi que des dépassements des délais restent très possibles.

Un risque que l'Air Force elle-même juge "modéré".

"Même avec ces garde-fous, il est important d'observer qu'après un an de développement, les estimations de coût du fournisseur et de l'Air Force dépassent le montant du contrat de développement et que des risques importants de dépassement des délais ont été identifiés", lit-on dans ce rapport annuel publié lundi.

Le programme dépasse le budget de 4,4 milliards de dollars du contrat initial de développement de 900 millions de dollars, soit de 400 millions le plafond fixé pour ce contrat.

Suivant les termes du contrat, l'Etat doit couvrir 60% des dépassements jusqu'au plafond, charge à Boeing d'assumer leur charge au-delà du plafond, à moins que Washington ne renégocie le contrat.

Boeing avait remporté ce marché mouvementé en février 2011, face à EADS, et après moult péripéties. L'US Air Force doit remplacer sa flotte de tankers (avions de ravitaillement en vol) KC-135, dont l'âge moyen est maintenant de 49 ans.

Boeing propose une version modifiée de son avion de ligne 767 pour ce faire.

Le GAO observe que le programme tanker n'est pas aussi délicat qu'un programme développant un tout nouvel armement, comme le F-35 Joint Strike Fighter construit par Lockheed Martin et que le Pentagone a restructuré par trois fois ces dernières années.

Mais il note des risques au niveau de trois technologies critiques qui n'ont pas été testées dans un environnement réel et s'inquiète aussi du poids de l'appareil, déjà proche de ses limites.

Le GAO estime également qu'une nouvelle complication est née du fait de la décision de Boeing de fermer son site de Wichita (Kansas) où les 767 devaient être "militarisés".

Mar 28, 2012 ASDNews Source : Oshkosh Corporation

Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), today presented its solution for the Engineering Manufacturing & Development (EMD) phase of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program. With the JLTV program, the U.S. military is seeking to modernize its light vehicle fleet. Oshkosh is offering the latest generation of its Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV) to upgrade the light tactical fleet with MRAP-level protection and unprecedented mobility in future missions. The Oshkosh L-ATV has been extensively tested and proven to meet or exceed all of the JLTV program’s requirements.

“Military leaders have recognized JLTV as one of their top modernization priorities, and the Oshkosh L-ATV entry represents our significant investment in this project and showcases our advanced technology,” said John Bryant, vice president and general manager of Joint and Marine Corps Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “Our engineers have drawn upon extensive tactical vehicle operating experience in Iraq and Afghanistan to develop the L-ATV, with an eye toward future combat environments.”

The Light Combat Vehicle, Redefined

The Oshkosh L-ATV is designed to keep Warfighters safe as battlefield threats evolve. The vehicle’s crew protection system has been extensively tested and proven to optimize protection, weight and mobility. The L-ATV can accept multiple armor configurations so it can easily be adapted to changing operational requirements.

The L-ATV also uses the Oshkosh TAK-4i™ intelligent independent suspension system, building on the success of the TAK-4 family of suspensions used on more than 20,000 military vehicles. The TAK-4i system is tailored for high-performance, lightweight vehicles to give Warfighters unprecedented mobility in severe off-road terrain. It uses an advanced Oshkosh technology to deliver 20 inches of independent wheel travel; 25 percent more than any vehicle fielded with the U.S. military today.

Oshkosh’s innovative L-ATV delivers expanded power capabilities, greater fuel efficiency and integrated diagnostics compared to legacy engine technologies. An optional Oshkosh ProPulse® diesel-electric hybrid powertrain is available to further improve fuel economy, lower life-cycle costs, and provide high levels of stationary and on-the-move exportable power.

Rigorous Development

Oshkosh committed significant resources for light vehicle research and development to produce the L-ATV. In preparation for the JLTV EMD phase, six generations of Oshkosh light vehicles were developed to respond to evolving requirements. Oshkosh’s L-ATV designs have been verified through extensive JLTV mission-profile testing. Notably, an L-ATV prototype called the LCTV completed the 1,061-mile Baja 1000 off-road race in the unforgiving terrain of the Mexican desert, demonstrating its unprecedented performance capabilities and reliability.

“Since 2006, we have aggressively and continuously worked to design, develop and test the L-ATV to deliver a robust, mature solution for the JLTV EMD phase,” Bryant said. “Our new product development process allowed us to develop multiple generations, which is why our JLTV solution is currently ready for Low Rate Initial Production.”

Decades of Proven Value

As a long-time vehicle and service provider to the U.S. military, Oshkosh has a history of superb program execution and the Oshkosh JLTV solution is no exception. Working closely with its vast supplier network, Oshkosh has optimized its L-ATV vehicle design while gaining economies of scale across a spectrum of military, commercial and industrial vehicle programs.

Oshkosh has produced more than 100,000 military-class trucks and trailers to date, including the medium- and heavy-payload vehicles for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, and the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV). Oshkosh uses a flexible, integrated manufacturing approach to build vehicles for different military programs on a single assembly line, which helps keep costs low. In addition, Oshkosh is equipped to manufacture components and parts in-house – including key subsystems such as suspension systems, which other manufacturers must purchase from suppliers.

March 27, 2012 defense-aerospace.com

 (Source: Government Accountability Office; issued March 26, 2012)

KC-46 Tanker Aircraft: Acquisition Plans Have Good Features but Contain Schedule Risk

The KC-46 program has established its acquisition strategy for development and production, including total cost, procurement quantities, and key milestone dates. The program is using a $4.4 billion fixed-price incentive (firm target) development contract that provides contractor incentives to control costs and limits the government’s liability for increased costs over a certain amount.

While estimated development costs are currently $900 million higher than the February 2011 contract award amount, the government’s share of these extra costs is limited to about $500 million. The program has identified key performance parameters, but has not yet fully implemented the metrics for tracking their achievement.

There is broad agreement that KC-46 schedule risk is a concern. In GAO’s assessment, significant concurrency, or overlap, among development and production activities add risk to the program. The Air Force and contractor have assessed overall schedule risk as moderate, citing concerns about software and the ability to complete development flight testing on time.

Further, the DOD’s chief testing official finds the testing schedule not executable as currently planned. While designing a new tanker using a modified commercial platform is not as technically challenging as a more revolutionary weapon system, the program still faces some technical risks, including technologies that have not yet been demonstrated during flight.

The KC-46 program’s acquisition strategy provides a good framework for meeting GAO’s knowledge-based best practices, and generally adheres to defense policy guidance and recent acquisition reform legislation. DOD waived the requirement for a preliminary design review before the program began system development and demonstration, but this design review is planned for March 2012.

Although the program’s three critical technologies have not yet achieved the level of maturity indicated in best practices, they have reached a level of maturity consistent with DOD policy.

Given that the KC-46 is one of only a few major programs in recent years to use a fixed-price incentive contract and the importance of tanker replacement to national security, rigorous monitoring of the program’s progress will be essential.


Click here for the full report (44 pages in PDF format) on the GAO website.

26 March 2012 army-technology.com

The US Army may delay some of its rotary-wing aircraft fleet modernisation programmes, but will not reduce or abandon the programmes in the wake of massive defence budget cuts, senior Army officials told the US Senators.

US Army Chief of Staff general Raymond Odierno told the Senate Appropriations Committee, subcommittee on Defence regarding the service's fiscal year 2013 budget request that the modernisation of the army's Apache helicopters has been lowered to 48 per year.

Odierno told lawmakers that performance upgrades of some CH-47 Chinook helicopters will also be reduced, alongside UH-60 Black Hawk modernisation, which will be delayed in all components, including the active force, Army Reserve and National Guard.

"The procurement of 72 UH-60M helicopters will be moved at least six years, outside the current Procurement Objective Memorandum or POM," Odierno added.

Odierno said upgrades to the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters have been funded, which may however, be changed in late 2012 when a decision is made on whether to procure the Armed Aerial Scout helicopter.

The service has not made any final decision on the C-23 Sherpa programme, as it still considers the aging aircraft may not meet its requirement for intra-theatre transport missions, Odierno added.

US Army Secretary John McHugh said the modernisation of the C-23 is expected to cost $800,000 to $1m per aircraft, further explaining the army had identified the C-27 Joint Cargo aircraft programme as a requirement for intra-theatre airlift.

Odierno said the army is currently working with the US Air Force (USAF) to use its C-130J Hercules aircraft to help accomplish its intra-theatre airlift operations.

The Army is moving ahead with development of the Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV), which will replace the Infantry Fighting Vehicle, McHugh said.

McHugh said that the modernisation programme currently underway is the integration of tactical networks, for which the army is testing equipment in a series of Network Integration Evaluations at White Sand Missile Range in New Mexico, US.

Mar 27, 2012 By Kevin Doell, PM Soldier Weapon Source : US Army - ASDNews

The Armyis marking the manufacture of the 10,000th M153 Common Remotely Operated Weapons Station, known as CROWS.

The CROWS system allows a weapon such as the M2 .50-caliber machine gun to be mounted atop a vehicle, such as the Humvee, and be targeted and fired remotely from inside the vehicle. This allows a Soldier operator to stay safely inside the vehicle.

Army officials from PEO Soldier, along with Pennsylvania Congressman Mark Critz and Norwegian Defense Attaché Rear Admiral Trond Grytting are attending a March 26 event at Kongsberg Protech Systems in Johnstown, Pa.

"The growth of this program can be primarily attributed to one thing -- Soldier demand," said Mary Miller, deputy PEO Soldier. "CROWS continues to prove itself as a significant force multiplier on the battlefield with tremendous opportunities for further development."

The Army has fielded thousands of CROWS II systems in support of Soldiers since 2007 across the theater of operations on more than a dozen vehicle platforms. The program reached a major milestone in February when the Army classified the CROWS program with ACAT I status, recognizing the CROWS among the elite levels of the DOD's major defense acquisition programs.

CROWS is a turret system that provides Soldiers the ability to employ cameras, sensors, and weapons from inside the protection of an armored vehicle. CROWS provides fire superiority for the Soldier as a result of its ability to turn "area weapons," such as the M2 .50 caliber machine gun into on-the-move precision engagement weapons.

The Army launched its third CROWS competition January 9. The new contract will enable the Army to procure additional CROWS systems; maintain current and new systems with repairs and spare parts; and secure engineering services needed for product improvements and field service support. The contract competition closed March 23 and the Army anticipates awarding a contract in the fall of 2012.

EXPANDING CROWS CAPABILITY

Program engineers and Soldiers alike continue to expand upon the range of applications possible for the CROWS platform. One example is the fielding of one of the Army's "Greatest Inventions" for 2010, the "Green Eyes" Escalation of Force Kit. The non-lethal green laser offers Soldiers an interim step in the escalation of force by temporarily disrupting vision and sending a warning signal across language and cultural barriers to keep innocent people from entering into harm's way.

The Army's product manager for crew served weapons incorporated Soldier feedback from an earlier operational assessment to improve the fit and function of a second generation of escalation of force kits.

Soldiers recently began to look for ways to leverage CROWS' target identification and day/night surveillance capabilities in support of force protection. Units requested fixed site mounting kits to install CROWS in guard towers to better monitor areas and target threats remotely from inside a protected structure. PM CSW began installing fixed sites in January 2012. Fielding teams plan to install systems at various combat outposts and forward operating bases throughout Afghanistan in 2012.

Other accessory upgrades of interest include a secondary screen to assist in verifying enemy combatants prior to engaging with lethal force, enhanced sensor capability, additional weapon integrations such as Javelin, and integrated 360-degree situational awareness.

The Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, which acts as the proponent for the CROWS program, is currently developing a new requirement that will determine what the future CROWS will provide in terms of capability and characteristics. The next chapter for CROWS will be written in the coming years as the proponent's new requirement is staffed, approved, and executed by PM CSW.

Mar 27, 2012 ASDNews Source : General Dynamics Corporation

General Dynamics Information Technology, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a Design Engineering Support Program (DESP) III contract by Ogden Air Logistics Center (OO-ALC), Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The five-year multiple-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract has a potential value of $1.9 billion to all 26 awardees.

Through this contract, General Dynamics will provide engineering and high-level technical support services for all Air Force Materiel Command weapons systems, components and support equipment, as well as implement integrated engineering systems to reduce technology lifecycle costs. General Dynamics will also oversee the operational life, performance, safety and environmental sustainability of engineering systems and provide education and training support for the systems.

"The Department of Defense is continuously seeking new ways to enhance capabilities and improve sustainability while reducing costs," said Ken Hess, vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Information Technology's Air Force and Joint Services sector. "We understand the critical nature of those requirements, and will work with the Air Force and other services to design and manage integrated systems that both increase capabilities and serve as cost-effective, sustainable paths forward for future operations."

This contract is a competitive follow-on to the DESP II contract. General Dynamics supported several Air Force Materiel Command task orders on DESP II including the Propulsion Environmental Working Group's sustainable initiatives for depots at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Okla.; T-38 system modifications for the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; and A-10 Wing Replacement Program Engineering Support at the OO-ALC. General Dynamics has also supported the Air Force product and logistics centers in engineering and managing aircraft modifications by conducting studies on operational suitability and sustainability engineering, helping with the depot industrial modernization plan to improve environmental safety and providing software engineering.

Photo: US Navy

Mar 26, 2012 By Michael Fabey Aviationweek.com

As promised, the U.S. Navy is focusing on taking greater care of its surface fleet, with the release this month of a new manual that details how the service will better maintain most of those ships.

The Navy has been making ship maintenance and readiness a higher priority in recent years in the wake of reports and other revelations of more than a decade of degradation and deferred or ignored repair needs.

In recent blog posts and other public forums, Adm. J.C. Harvey, Jr., commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, has hammered home the need to be more vigilant with ship care.

In a recent blog about the new Surface Force Readiness Manual (SFRM), signed March 9, Harvey says, “The SFRM represents a truly significant step forward for the surface Navy, and I’m very excited for the strategic direction it brings to the fleet.”

Throughout 12 months of drafting and reviewing the manual, Navy teams “have worked very closely together to collect and adjudicate over 600 comments from stakeholders across the entire spectrum of surface readiness,” Harvey says. “This collaborative approach produced a robust and highly scrutinized readiness policy that I believe will better prepare our ships and crews for the many significant demands we face today.

“Much additional work remains to be done, and future course corrections will be required, but the important point is that we are now on the right path with a directive based on fundamental tenets that are relevant and make sense.”

The manual boasts that it “provides the overarching strategy and policy required to generate and sustain surface ship material and operational readiness to perform operational tasking and reach expected service life.”

SFRM policy execution depends on the integration of manning, the manual says. The manual details maintenance, training and sustainment needs throughout all Fleet Response Plan (FRP) phases. “It begins with meticulous maintenance planning to generate the materiel readiness required to support unencumbered, effective training and operational readiness that ultimately leads to a self-sufficient ship,” the manual states.

“Training a ship’s crew to execute maintenance availability, perform routine operations in and around homeports, and conduct sustained combat operations requires a sequenced and coordinated maintenance and training effort,” the manual continues. “This strategy is ship-focused and synchronizes training among multiple readiness stakeholders.”

Recent Navy reports say that too often ships have been maintained just well enough to get under way. That will change. “The ship must pass a comprehensive assessment in each mission area to validate material readiness and . . . proficiency standards,” the manual states.

“Part of the strategy to maintain equipment at a higher level of readiness and reinforce standards compliance includes more frequent material inspections,” the manual notes.

26.03.2012 Le Monde.fr

L'armée américaine a officiellement annoncé le lancement de son premier prototype de magasin d'applications pour téléphones mobiles, baptisé U.S. Army Marketplace. Il ne contient pour l'instant qu'une douzaine d'applications de formation, disponibles sur iOS et sur Android. Les applications sont pour l'instant publiques, et réservée dans un premier temps à iOS.

A terme, l'armée américaine souhaite développer des applications ne se limitant pas à la formation des soldats, mais proposer également des applications utilisables au combat, comme ce prototype permettant de suivre les déplacements de troupes alliées en temps réel.

Mais le projet achoppe pour l'instant sur une contrainte forte : l'armée américaine considère qu'aucun téléphone mobile du commerce n'est suffisamment sécurisé pour une utilisation militaire. Faciles à espionner, les téléphones mobiles envoient et reçoivent des signaux aisément repérables avec un matériel relativement peu sophistiqué.

Mar 25, 2012 by Cheryl Pellerin for American Forces Press Service - Spacewar.com

Washington DC - Space capabilities have become integral to all military operations, the commander of Air Force Space Command told reporters here during a Defense Writers Group breakfast yesterday.

"It's hard to imagine what life was like before we had ... GPS providing very accurate targeting capability, military satellite communications providing all the reach-back that's needed, [and] missile warning providing cover for our deployed forces," Air Force Gen. William L. Shelton said.

The Air Force launched and maintains the 24 satellites that make up the GPS navigation system. The all-weather, 24-hour system was intended for military use, but in 1983 President Ronald Reagan made it freely available to civilians, for the public good, after a Korean Air Lines flight carrying 269 people was shot down for straying into Soviet airspace.

The first GPS satellite was launched in 1989, and the 24th in 1994. In 2000, Congress authorized a modernization effort called GPS-III that will improve position, navigation and timing services and add advanced anti-jam capabilities to the constellation.

"The biggest concern is that GPS's signal is a very weak [one]," Shelton said. "It's a spread-spectrum signal, and it is not difficult to jam. ... In fact, you can buy [a GPS jammer] online, and we're starting to see even criminal elements use GPS jamming to cover their tracks. The game afoot here is to continue to drive a no-kidding adversary to higher powers of their jammers. Once you get to a significant power level, those are called targets."

The Air Force is cranking up power on the satellites to force adversaries to use higher-power jammers that can then be found and targeted, Shelton said.

"One of the design features of GPS-III is higher power," Shelton said, "and we also can do some things with antenna technology and the way we operate our platforms to protect ourselves from jamming."

For the Air Force satellite effort, space launch - getting satellites from Earth to orbit - is truly foundational, Shelton said. In 2011, the Defense Department and intelligence community succeeded in all 49 attempts to launch evolved expendable launch vehicles, or EELVs, that carried satellites into orbit.

The Air Force EELV program, replacing the existing launch fleet with two families of vehicles that use common components and infrastructure, seeks to make space launch more reliable and affordable, the general explained.

United Launch Alliance, which Shelton called "the only supplier of the full gamut of launch capabilities," now handles space launches for the Defense Department, NASA, and the intelligence community - including the National Reconnaissance Office, the government agency that designs, builds, launches and maintains U.S. intelligence satellites.

ULA, formed in 2006, is a joint venture by Lockheed Martin and the Boeing Co. that uses Atlas V and Delta II and Delta IV launch vehicles to support strategic U.S. space initiatives.

"We are very proud of our success record in the launch business, unprecedented in the history of space flight, ... but at the same time, with costs spiraling like they are, we have to take action to reduce the cost," Shelton said.

One action, he said, is to ask ULA to come in with priced options for booster cores, or rocket stages, over three to five years. "Somewhere in there," the general added, "we believe there will be a sweet spot for us."

The other action, Shelton said, is to use commercial services whenever possible, citing military use of wideband communications as an example.

"If all I'm concerned about is volumes of data moving around in space and ultimately down on the ground, commercial space knows how to do that very well and very economically," he explained. "If you look at the bandwidth coming back from Afghanistan, somewhere in the 70 percent to 80 percent range is commercial satellite communications. We've already proven in warfare that we can rely on commercial satellite communication."

But the services must be assured of worldwide capability, the general said.

"If you tell me where I'm going to fight, it's easy," Shelton said. "But if I have to protect the capability to fight anywhere, any time, can I do it commercially, or do I have to have a dedicated military capability to do that? Those are all the kinds of things we are exploring with the commercial community."

Using commercial space launch services for national security satellite launches is not an option today, he said, because the capability doesn't yet exist in the commercial world.

"A national security payload on top of a commercial asset has to be a proven capability," Shelton said. "When you're talking $1 billion for a satellite, as well as the national security capability that satellite represents, as well as how long it would take you to get replacement capability for that, you just don't want to take the risk."

Two U.S. commercial space companies, Orbital Sciences Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., have the potential to launch national security assets.

Orbital, based in Virginia, has delivered or had under contract 1,000 satellites, launch vehicles and other space-related systems since 1982. The company says it provides full-service engineering, production and technical services for NASA, DOD and commercial and academic space programs, and is supplying commercial cargo resupply services for the International Space Station.

SpaceX, established in 2002, reports that it has developed two new launch vehicles; has a manifest for light, medium and heavy-lift space launches into 2017; and has received commercial off-the-shelf funding from NASA to demonstrate delivery and return of cargo to the space station.

Shelton said the Air Force distributed a step-by-step guide to certification for national security launches in October. Commercial companies, he said, "just need to give us adequate insight to [their history of] commercial missions so we can assure ourselves that no corners were cut, that we understand their process, the reliability of the components [and] their capabilities."

"Once they've proven that with a number of missions," he added, "they'll be ready to go."

March 24, 2012. David Pugliese - Defence Watch

Some modernization programs may be delayed, but not reduced or cancelled due to a tightening of the budget, senior U.S. Army leaders recently told American lawmakers.

That view was from Secretary of the Army John McHugh and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno who testified a few days ago to the Senate Appropriations Committee, subcommittee on Defense regarding the service’s fiscal year 2013 budget request.

More from the U.S. Army News Service (Army public affairs) release on the subject:

“We had to slip some of the procurement programs to the right,” McHugh told lawmakers about the Army’s rotary-wing aircraft fleet.

Modernization of Apache helicopters is down to 48 per year, Odierno said. Some CH-47 Chinook performance upgrades will be reduced, he told senators.

UH-60 Black Hawk modernization will be delayed in all components. the active force, Army Reserve and National Guard, Odierno said. The procurement of 72 UH-60M helicopters will be moved at least six years, outside the current Procurement Objective Memorandum or POM, he said.

Upgrades to the Kiowa Warrior have been funded, Odierno said, but added that may change later this year when a decision is made on whether to procure the Armed Aerial Scout helicopter.

No final decision has been made on the C-23 Sherpa program, Odierno said. But he said the Army has some issues with the older aircraft that doesn’t quite fill the Army’s requirement for intra-theater transport.

Modernization of the C-23 is projected to cost $800,000 to $1 million per aircraft, McHugh said.

“That program has some real dollars attached to it,” he told senators.

McHugh explained that the Army had identified a requirement for intra-theater airlift. The C-27 Joint Cargo Aircraft program was one of the solutions, he said. The Army had initially planned that program jointly with the Air Force. Then the Air Force assumed full responsibility for the program before deciding that the intra-theater airlift could be accomplished using C-130s. Odierno said the Army is working with the Air Force on the requirement.

Other technologies will be integrated into the force incrementally, McHugh said. The Army is moving ahead with development of the Ground Combat Vehicle, which will replace the Infantry Fighting Vehicle, he said.

In developing the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV, the Army saved $400 million by reducing the cycle from 48 to 33 months, he said.

McHugh added that one of the most important modernizations underway is the integration of tactical networks. Exercises at White Sand Missile Range are testing equipment in a series of Network Integration Evaluations.

March 23, 2012: STRATEGY PAGE

The U.S. Marine Corps is sending guided 70mm (2.75 inch) rockets to Afghanistan for use on its helicopters. A year ago the marines bought about a hundred AKWS II (Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System) kits, to convert some of their 100,000 70mm unguided rockets to laser guided ones (that can hit stationary and moving targets). The marines then successfully test fired over 80 of these guided 70mm rockets from their AH-1W helicopter gunships, and several other helicopters that are frequently equipped to fire the unguided 70mm rockets. Since the guided rockets proved successful, more kits are being purchased, making this the first real sale for 70mm guided rockets.

After more than a decade of development effort, by several different companies, there now several guided versions of the 70mm air-to-ground rocket, but very few sales. Developing a guided 70mm rocket took so long because the manufacturers underestimated the technical difficulties of getting the laser seeker and flight control mechanisms into that small a package, at a weight and price the customer would accept. The price of the new guided 70mm missiles is about a third less than a smart bomb, and much less than a Hellfire missile.

The guided 70mm rocker is to be used against targets that don't require a larger (49 kg/108 pound), and more expensive (over $100,000) Hellfire missile, but still need some targeting precision. In tests, the APKWS hit within a meter (a few feet) of the aiming point, and the other 70mm missiles are just as accurate. The 70mm missile makes an excellent weapon for UAVs, especially since you can carry more of them. The launcher for these missiles is built to replace the one for Hellfire, but carry four 70mm missiles.

All these 70mm rockets are basically 13.6 kg (30 pound) 70mm rockets, with a laser seeker, a 2.7 kg (six pound) warhead and a range of about six kilometers. Laser designators on a helicopter, or with troops on the ground, are pointed at the target, and the laser seeker in the front of the 70mm missile homes on the reflected laser light.

The 2.75 inch (70mm) rockets were developed during World War II as an air-to-air weapon for use against heavy bomber formations. The Germans had developed a similar, and very successful weapon (the R4M), but before long it was noted that neither the Japanese nor the Germans had any heavy bombers, so the U.S. 70mm rocket was switched to air-to-ground use. Actually, the 70mm rocket was retained for air-to-air use into the 1950s, but it was never successful in that role. The 70mm rocket became very popular in the 1960s, when it was discovered that the weapon worked very well when launched from multiple (7 or 19 tube) launchers mounted on helicopters. The 108-138m cm (42-55 inch) long rockets could be fired singly or in salvoes, and gave helicopter pilots some airborne artillery for supporting troops on the ground. There are many variations in terms of warheads and rocket motors. Some versions can go over 10 kilometers.

Orders for 70mm guided missiles were hard to get because the Hellfire was doing the job and there just wasn't a big demand for a smaller missile. Several smaller missiles have been developed, and one of them, the Griffin, is being used in Pakistan. The smaller Griffin is an alternative to the Hellfire II (48.2 kg/106 pounds with a 9 kg/20 pound warhead and range of 8,000 meters) because it weighs only 16 kg (35 pounds), with a 5.9 kg (13 pound) warhead. Griffin has a pop-out wings, allowing it to glide, and thus has a longer range (15 kilometers) than Hellfire. UAVs can carry more of the smaller missiles, typically two of them in place of one Hellfire.

The marines believe that a mini-Hellfire, in the form of their APKWS II, has a role on the battlefield, and plan to use it in combat. The APKWS is a lot cheaper than Hellfire or Griffin, and for the marines, cheaper is seen as better.