The Royal Canadian Navy submarine HMCS Victoria is moored in the magnetic silencing facility at the U.S. naval base in Bangor, Washington, for a deperming treatment. It reduces the sub's electromagnetic signature, making it harder for enemies to detect.

Photograph by: Lt. Ed Early, U.S. Navy

December 16, 2011 By Sandra McCulloch - timescolonist.com

The Royal Canadian Navy's west coast submarine, HMCS Victoria, returned to its base at CFB Esquimalt Friday after nearly two weeks at sea, where testing was carried out on the boat's systems and the skills and knowledge of its crew.

"HMCS Victoria's return to sea highlights all the hard work that has gone into this boat," Rear-Admiral Nigel Greenwood, Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific said in a statement.

"The submarine's return to operations will build on the achievements to date of the Victoria-class fleet in previous exercises and operations, and marks another significant milestone in the Canadian submarine program."

If all goes well, HMCS Victoria will be fully operational in 2012, the first of the four Victoria-class submarines to reach this point. Its next scheduled refit is set to take place from 2016 until 2018.

HMCS Victoria arrived at CFB Esquimalt on Aug. 25, 2003 and has been at sea an average of 10 days a year.

It's been a very long voyage for the Victoria and the three other diesel-powered submarines which were bought from Britain in 1998.

HMCS Windsor sailed from June 2005 to December 2006 and has since been in drydock on the east coast. It is scheduled to be operational from 2013 until 2018, when it will undergo a three-year refit.

HMCS Chicoutimi has not been at sea since a fire broke out on its delivery voyage across the Atlantic. The boat is also in refit and expected to be operational from 2013 until 2020.

HMCS Corner Brook hit the ocean bottom this year during training in Nootka Sound this year. The sub struck the southeastern wall of Zuciarte Channel. There were no serious injuries.

The results of a naval inquiry were released Friday, blaming the grounding on human error.

"The incident was avoidable," Capt. (Navy) Luc Cassivi, deputy commander Canadian Fleet Pacific, said in a statement.

"The grounding was caused by a failure to properly account for the positional uncertainty of the submarine in accordance with approved ... submarine navigational practices and techniques when operating in confined waters."

Lieut.-Cmdr Paul Sutherland was removed from command of the submarine and reassigned to a position onshore. A lack of training and experience were also found to be factors in the incident.

HMCS Corner Brook will remain at dock until 2015, and is scheduled to be operational by 2016.

photo USAF

December 18, 2011: STRATEGY PAGE

The U.S. Air Force has released the investigation report on the loss of an F-15E fighter bomber over Libya last March. At first, the loss was attributed to mechanical failure. But a more exhaustive investigation found that the main cause was pilot error (misunderstanding of flight characteristics under certain load conditions). The loss of an F-22 last year was also found to be pilot error (in not following the right procedures when a particular problem occurred.)

The military is paying more attention to pilot error accidents, because similar accidents in commercial aviation have sharply declined over the last few decades as more flight safety and pilot assistance devices have been developed. Commercial aviation accident rates have declined 90 percent since World War II, mainly through the introduction of more safety devices and more reliable aircraft.

This has made pilot error the major cause of military and civil air accidents. With military aircraft, particularly fighters during training, collisions in the air, or accidently hitting the ground, is usually the result of about pilot error. These dangerous situations are difficult to avoid, as the high speed maneuvering, in close proximity to other aircraft, or the ground, is unavoidable, when you are training pilots for combat. While some of the most dangerous such training has been shifted to flight simulators, you still have to spend time practicing in the air to obtain useful combat skills.

But military pilots still make errors even when not practicing for combat. Two years ago, the loss of an Indian Su-30 was initially thought to be engine or electronic problems. But the investigation team found that the pilot had inadvertently shut down the automated flight controls, was not aware of it, and believed the aircraft was, for some unknown reason, out of control. The pilot and weapons system operator ejected (the back seat guy was killed when his safety harness broke.) Mistakes like that are made by civil aviation pilots as well, and cockpit electronics are constantly be modified to eliminate as many human errors as possible.

December 16, 2011 By David Axe - wired.com/dangerroom

When an F-22 Raptor malfunctioned in mid-flight, leading to a crash that killed its pilot, the Air Force went into damage-control mode. Gen. Norton Schwartz, the chief of staff, insisted there was no way that the oxygen generator on his prized stealth jet — a system widely suspected of being dangerously flawed — caused the crash. And even now that an internal inquiry seems to contradict Schwartz, the Air Force is still blaming Capt. Jeffrey Haney for the crash that cost Haney his life.

The most important discovery in the Air Force’s official report on the Nov. 10, 2010 accident in Alaska: The oxygen system in Haney’s F-22 failed in mid flight. Haney was running out of air. And yet the report concludes the crash was Haney’s fault, not the plane’s.

That downplayed discovery could be the latest evidence of a potentially fatal design flaw in the Raptor — and a sign that the world’s most fearsome jet fighter probably hasn’t moved past its recent safety-related groundings. In any event, the Alaska crash was a major embarrassment in a long chain of them for the radar-evading F-22, which costs $377 million per plane.

The then-170-strong Raptor force was grounded for four months starting in May, following more than a dozen reports of blackouts and disorientation by pilots, possibly consequences of oxygen shortages. When investigators failed to identify the root cause of the problem, the Air Force ordered the F-22s back into the air — only to briefly sideline them again in October following yet another complaint by an out-of-breath pilot.

In Haney’s case, the so-called On-Board Oxygen Generating System, or OBOGS, was at the very least a critical link in a chain of errors that sent his F-22 hurtling to the ground. And while the OBOGS failure on Haley’s jet could, in theory, have no connection to all those air-deprived pilots, it seems more likely to us that the crash and the oxygen deprivation are somehow related. It seems implausible that a crash involving a failing oxygen generator would have nothing to do with widespread reports of air shortages by other pilots.

Haney’s problem started when a system that channels air from the F-22′s engines began leaking, initiating an automatic safeguard that forced air-dependent systems, including the OBOGS, to shut down. According to the report, which is based on an examination of the Raptor’s black box and wreckage, Haney tried to turn on his emergency oxygen, contained in a bottle wedged beside the ejection seat.

Apparently while fumbling with a tiny green ring that a pilot pulls to start the oxygen flow, Haney didn’t notice that his aircraft had rolled over and pointed towards the ground. “It was most likely the [mission pilot] channelized his attention on restoring airflow to his oxygen mask,” the report states.

Three seconds before striking the ground, Haney apparently realized his error and tried to pull up. But it was too late. The F-22 plowed into the snowy earth, digging a deep crater, throwing debris a quarter-mile and killing Haney instantly.

Amazingly, the Air Force blames the accident on pilot error. But the same report also praises Haney as “one of the top pilots in the squadron,” undermining the conclusion that the crash must have been his fault. The report mentions that investigators considered the possibility that Haney briefly blacked out, just like some of the pilots who reported oxygen shortages. But the fact that Haney tried to pull up in the final seconds of his life rules out a black-out, the report claims.

Which means in this case, the OBOGS’s failure only created the conditions leading to Haney’s loss of control. In the cases that prompted the Raptor groundings, the OBOGS apparently directly caused pilot disorientation. That distinction was apparently enough for Schwartz to clear the oxygen-generator entirely in Haney’s death. But if one of the top pilots in the 525th Fighter Squadron didn’t have enough oxygen to fly his plane, that distinction offers cold comfort to every other fighter jock who’ll have to climb into the cockpit.

Schwartz’s exoneration of Haney’s F-22 doesn’t mean the flying branch is any closer to figuring out the other Raptor-related air shortages. The Air Force has paid F-22-maker Lockheed Martin $24 million to, among other things, figure out the Raptor’s oxygen problem and fix it. So far, no luck.

In the meantime, Lockheed has finished the 196th and final F-22 after 14 years of production. Each of those planes “is a reflection of the dedication, hard work and professionalism of our workforce,” company vice president Jeff Babione said, commemorating the last jet’s roll-out. But if you can’t breathe while flying them, well, apparently that’s your fault.

MOSCOW, December 16 (RIA Novosti)

Joint Russian-U.S. counterterrorism exercises involving special forces of the two states will be held in May 2012, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Friday.

"The U.S. was chosen as the host of the bilateral exercise to be held in late May 2012," Col. Alexander Kucherenko said.

Russia's airborne forces and U.S. Special Forces will take part in the exercise. The program involves firing, mountain warfare, military engineering, tactics and parachute training.

photo USAF

December 16, 2011. David Pugliese - Defence Watch

Aerospace and Defense News has this analysis of the military aerospace market from 2011 to 2021:

The US has recorded budget cuts and is expected to also record budget cuts during the forecast period. Despite this, North America is expected to account for the largest share of 42.9%, of the total global expenditure on military aircraft during the forecast period. The high demand in the region is primarily driven by the development of 2,456 F-35 multi-role fighter aircraft as part of the Joint Strike Fighter program and 452 V-22 Osprey transport aircraft. Europe and Asia are also expected to account for a significant portion of the total military aircraft during the forecast period, with shares of 24.1% and 21.8% respectively.

Many countries are expected to replace their ageing military aircraft fleet during the forecast period. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has meant that the US, which is the biggest market for military aircraft and other allied countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East, need to replace their aircraft which have been in continuous use over the last decade.

The global environment is characterized by ongoing tensions and conflicts among various countries around the world which is supporting demand for military aircraft. Historically, countries follow a policy of enhancing their military as a deterrent to hostile nations and consequently the military aircraft market is recording strong growth despite the commercial aircraft industry exhibiting a downward trend.

The market for advanced trainer aircraft across the globe is growing, which is attributed to the significant number of countries involved in the process of upgrading to next-generation combat aircraft fleets. In meeting this growing demand, manufacturers are developing trainer aircraft that are able to perform a number of training roles for the armed forces of the countries involved in the procurement process.

Many nations around the world are involved in border disputes which have resulted in strained military relations. Some of these disputes could be resolved amicably through talks while others have the potential to escalate into a military conflict. Therefore countries across the world are expected to invest in reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft to safeguard borders.

In terms of categories, the multi-role aircraft is expected to account for the highest proportion of spending in the global military aircraft market. Following the budget cuts announced by various countries as a result of the global economic recession, the procurement of multi-role aircraft has increased significantly due to their ability to carry out various missions including attack, reconnaissance, rescue operations and transport.

To increase the capabilities of modern military aircraft, the global defense industry is investing significantly in R&D which has led to the development of technologies to enhance the speed, power, stealth capabilities, destructive force and takeoff and landing capabilities of the various types of military aircraft.

The global economic slowdown has reduced military expenditure worldwide, as a consequence of which a significant number of countries are establishing joint projects in order to share R&D costs. Partnerships between defense firms have also increased as a significant number of countries are investing in the development of their domestic military aircraft development capabilities, by establishing strategic alliances and technology-transfer agreements with global military aircraft manufacturers.

The global economic slowdown has reduced the defense budgets of most leading spenders in the world, including the US, France, Germany and the UK. Cuts to military expenditure have led to the cancellation and indefinite delays of various military aircraft programs, and are having a detrimental impact on the growth of the industry.

(Illustration: General Dynamics)

December 16, 2011 defpro.com

SAN DIEGO | The Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit (HMS) Program Office of the Joint Program Executive Office Joint Tactical Radio System (JPEO JTRS) and the US Army 75th Ranger Regiment are leading the way towards effective interoperable Warfighter communications by bringing the digital battlefield to the tactical edge in Afghanistan. Elements of the 75th Ranger Regiment have deployed to Afghanistan with the AN/PRC-154 Rifleman Radio as their intra-squad radio, coupled with the GD300 end user device display which the Rangers have been developing with General Dynamics. This system provides networked voice and data communications and digital situational awareness down to the individual soldier, and the Rangers' deployment signifies the first combat use of the system.

The AN/PRC-154 is an individual radio which provides networked voice and data communications through the use of the terrain defeating Soldier Radio Waveform up to a 2 KM range. The GD300 is an android based, environmentally protected individual leader display. When paired with the Rifleman Radio, the position/location information of all soldiers in the network are displayed on the map or pictorial graphics the soldiers are operating in. The Rangers are also using Tactical Ground Reporting (TIGR) mobile application on the GD300 to send text, situation reports, and other applications.

The HMS Program and the Rangers have partnered over the past year to assess the AN/PRC-154 Rifleman Radio and the AN/PRC-155 Manpack to provide critical feedback for making the equipment combat ready. The regiment conducted three separate training evaluations throughout 2011 to ensure the system was mature enough to use in theater. Information gathered during those exercises led to significant software modifications which made both the radio and the display more tactically relevant and user friendly. Success from those events led to the decision from both the program office and the Ranger Regiment that the system was ready for combat evaluation.

The purpose of the Rangers' operational assessment is to evaluate the suitability and reliability of the system and determine how networked communications and situational awareness can improve mission effectiveness. In addition, their feedback will provide critical information to incorporate prior to fielding elements of the system to the US Army as a whole.

December 16, 2011 defpro.com

Force Protection Europe Not Selected as Preferred Bidder in REDFIN and Land 121 Projects in Australia, Ending Force Protection's Participation in Those Competitions

LADSON, S.C. | Force Protection Industries, Inc., a FORCE PROTECTION, INC. group company, announced it has received two firm fixed price modification awards under contract M67854-07-D-5031 for the extension of field service representatives (FSR) in Afghanistan and Kuwait from U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command, totaling approximately $150.3 million.

On December 12, 2011, Force Protection received an $88,860,348 firm fixed price modification under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5031) for a 12-month renewal of 240 field service representatives to install liner blanket kits, install modernization safety kits, and conduct general maintenance work on the Cougar Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle fleet supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Work will be performed in the theater of operations throughout Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed December 31, 2012.

On December 14, 2011, Force Protection received a $61,569,512 firm-fixed-price modification under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5031) for a 12-month renewal of 177 field service representatives to install independent suspension systems; conduct battle damage assessment and repair; install block modification kits; and perform maintenance to bring vehicles back to full mission capable status on the Cougar MRAP vehicle fleet. The modification also provides for FSR sponsorship, lodging, vehicle, bus, and heavy equipment rentals. All work will be performed at the MRAP sustainment facility in Kuwait, and is expected to be completed December 31, 2012.

Separately, Force Protection Europe Ltd., a subsidiary of Force Protection Industries, Inc. has received notices from the Australian Government that it has not been selected to continue as the preferred bidder on either of the REDFIN or Land 121 projects, ending Force Protection's participation in those competitions. Australia's REDFIN project is a program designed to provide up to 76 vehicles for the Australian Special Forces. Australia's Land 121 (MSA option) project is a program designed to provide approximately 1,300 vehicles and trailers, as well as related long-term support, for Australia's core fleet of military assets.

Defense Department file photo

Dec 15, 2011 By Michael Fabey - aerospace daily and defense report

The competition is on for the Aegis 16 upgrade program, meant to provide more open architecture and greater capability for the vaunted ship-shield and combat system.

Aegis incumbent Lockheed Martin — as well as upstarts Raytheon and Boeing — all acknowledged Dec. 14 that they submitted their bids for the work, a day ahead of the request for proposals (RFP) deadline.

Each company touts its direct or indirect experience. “During the four decades that Lockheed Martin has partnered with the Navy as the Aegis Combat System Engineering Agent, the team has evolved the system 15 times to outpace a wide array of dynamic and evolving threats,” Lockheed says in a statement.

Aegis-equipped ships are multimission surface combatants that can simultaneously attack land targets, submarines and surface ships while automatically implementing defenses to protect the fleet against aircraft and missiles. Some foreign navies that use Aegis include Australia, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea and Spain.

One hundred Aegis-equipped ships are in service around the globe. They have more than 1,200 years of at-sea operational experience and have launched more than “3,800 missiles in tests and real-world operations,” Lockheed notes.

The Aegis upgrades are not only meant to enhance the systems on existing destroyers and cruisers, but also anchor the missile shields for the future DDG-51 Arleigh Burke destroyers, although many analysts now say those Flight III ships will prove to be unaffordable under the current plan.

While Lockheed’s name has become synonymous with Aegis, Raytheon officials are quick to point out they supply the system’s fire control and other components.

“We have offered innovative approaches to pace the wide range of emerging threats facing our Navy,” Raytheon says in a statement about its Aegis 16 bid.

A relative outsider, Boeing promises “fresh, innovative solutions” for “next evolution of the Aegis Weapon System,” according to Boeing Network & Space Systems President Roger Krone. “We are prepared to support the Navy’s goal of affordably enhancing the system’s capabilities to meet future threats and challenges.”

15 December 2011 - by the Shephard News Team

A subsidiary of Kratos Defense & Security solutions, Herley Industries, has been awarded a contract by a major US prime contractor for the production of Integrated Microwave Assemblies (IMAs) to be used in the US Navy's P-8A aircraft. The contract is worth approximately $1 million.

The P-8A Poseidon is the US Navy's newest maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. It is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations.

According to Kratos, this is a follow-on contract for the Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) for the P-8A programme, which follows the successful completion of the development phase.

photo US Air Force

Dec. 15, 2011 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Northrop Grumman Corp.; issued December 14, 2011)

Northrop Grumman's Joint STARS Takes to the Sky with New Engines

MELBOURNE, Fla. --- Northrop Grumman's E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System's (Joint STARS) T-3 testbed aircraft successfully completed its "first flight" using new, upgraded Pratt and Whitney production-configured engines.

"After three years of design, production and testing, we are so pleased to have this important capability ready for full integration into the fleet," said Bryan Lima, Northrop Grumman program director for Joint STARS development and modernization. "Our success is directly attributed to our outstanding relationship with our government customer and industry partners in providing the warfighter with this important capability."

The new engines flown on T-3 are an upgrade to the existing commercial engines in that they feature a newly designed pneumatic system. The system, designed by Northrop Grumman, uses a single stage precooling design that vastly improves reliability and the hardware's life cycle.

The new precooler allows hot, compressed air from the engines turbines to be processed at a substantially cooler temperature and more consistent pressure level than its predecessor. This improves the efficiency of the Air Cycle Machines which cools the aircraft's environmental control system, cabin, and Prime Mission Equipment, as well as pressurizes the utility hydraulic subsystem, engine starting capability and liquid cooling system.

The new engine on T-3 allows for an increased mission capable rate and lowered ownership costs. The re-engining of the fleet has the potential to provide the Joint STARS system with significant operational and maintenance improvements.

In addition to enhancing operational performance, the new engines pay for themselves within eight years through reduced maintenance cost and better fuel efficiency.

Today, the Joint STARS fleet is the only all-weather, long-range, real-time, wide area surveillance and battle management and command and control weapons system in the world. It is flown by the 116th and 461st Air Control Wings based on Warner Robins, Ga.

To date, Joint STARS has accumulated over 70,000 combat hours supporting operations, including ongoing support to Operation New Dawn over Iraq, Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan and Operation Odyssey Dawn over Libya.

General Dynamics C4 Systems AN/PRC-154 Rifleman radios – photo US Army

15 December 2011 army-technology.com

General Dynamics C4 Systems' (GDC4S) joint tactical radio system (JTRS) AN/PRC-154 Rifleman radios have completed the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) at the US Army's Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) at Fort Bliss in Texas, US.

During the testing, the performance and reliability of the radios was tested by soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division (2/1 AD) in several realistic scenarios including convoy operations, reconnaissance, counterinsurgency and medical evacuation missions.

2/1 AD company commander captain Ryan McNally said the ability to communicate through radios in contrast to hand-and-arm signals used earlier have improved the soldiers' tactical approach to missions.

"We have to factor in being able to talk to each other over a distance, rather than everybody being essentially co-located with a limited amount of space and distance between them," McNally added.

The AN/PRC-154 is a lightweight, ruggedised, body worn, small form fit (HMS) family of radios capable of transmitting voice, GPS locations and data simultaneously between platoon, squad and team-level soldiers by utilising the soldier radio waveform (SRW) network manager system.

The radio is designed to provide warfighters with enhanced situational awareness by delivering secure (type two) inter-squad communications at the tactical edge of battlefield and also helps team and squad leaders to track individual soldier GPS locations.

GDC4S Assured Communications vice president Chris Brady said: "With the rifleman radio, soldiers can connect their cell phone or computer and join the network anywhere they fight."

The low rate initial production (LRIP) of 6,250 rifleman radios was started in June 2011 and the IOT&E is the last test required by the military to allow the product to enter full rate production.

GDC4S is the prime contractor for the JTRS HMS programme and the team includes BAE Systems, Rockwell Collins and Thales Communications.

14 December 2011 - by the Shephard News Team

Raytheon has completed a series of captive flight tests on the Small Diameter Bomb II, demonstrating that the company's tri-mode seeker could acquire and track moving vehicles. Raytheon made the announcement in a 13 December 2011 company statement.

Testing saw a seeker built on an active production line mounted on a UH-1 helicopter successfully track moving targets from different distances, angles and altitudes using uncooled imaging infrared (IIR) and millimetre-wave (MMW) radar modes. The tests met all objectives and set the stage for a free-flight test in 2012.

The SDB II is the world's first weapon capable of engaging fixed or moving targets around-the-clock in adverse weather conditions from a range of greater than 40 nautical miles (approximately 46 statute miles).

According to Raytheon, with SDB II, enemies can no longer use darkness, battlefield obscurants or inclement weather to hide their troop movements. SDB II's integrated tri-mode seeker fuses MMW radar, uncooled IIR and semiactive laser sensors on a single gimbal, which enables the weapon to seek and destroy targets despite weather conditions.

SDB II's integrated tri-mode seeker fuses MMW radar, uncooled IIR and semiactive laser sensors on a single gimbal, which enables the weapon to seek and destroy targets despite weather conditions.

Dec 14, 2011 (SPX) SpaceWar.com

Tucson, AZ - Raytheon has completed a series of captive flight tests on the Small Diameter Bomb II tri-mode seeker, keeping the program ahead of schedule. The tests demonstrated that the company's tri-mode seeker could acquire and track moving vehicles.

"These tests are helping to keep the SDB II program on cost and ahead of schedule," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Air Warfare Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems.

"With SDB II, enemies can no longer use darkness, battlefield obscurants or inclement weather to hide their troop movements."

The SDB II is the world's first weapon capable of engaging fixed or moving targets around-the-clock in adverse weather conditions from a range of greater than 40 nautical miles (approximately 46 statute miles).

"Our testing program proves uncooled tri-mode seeker technology will consistently and accurately guide its weapon to the target," said Tom White, Raytheon's SDB II program director.

"Our uncooled tri-mode seeker makes Small Diameter Bomb II an effective weapon for the warfighter and an affordable weapon for the taxpayer."

During the tests, a seeker built on an active production line was mounted on a UH-1 helicopter and tracked moving targets from different distances, angles and altitudes using uncooled imaging infrared (IIR) and millimeter-wave (MMW) radar modes. The tests met all objectives and set the stage for a free-flight test in 2012.

Small Diameter Bomb II

SDB II's integrated tri-mode seeker fuses MMW radar, uncooled IIR and semiactive laser sensors on a single gimbal, which enables the weapon to seek and destroy targets despite weather conditions.

+ SDB II uses an uncooled tri-mode seeker to hit moving targets in adverse weather conditions.

+ The SDB II program is performing on cost and ahead of schedule.

+ The tests met all objectives and put the program on track for a free-flight test in 2012.