February 27, 2015: Strategy Page

In late 2014 Britain certified (configured and tested) their Paveway IV smart bomb to operate from their new Typhoon fighter bombers. The Paveway IV was developed in Britain and is not used by the U.S. Air Force or Navy. Introduced in 2008, over a thousand 500 pound (228 kg) Paveway IVs have been dropped in combat so far. These were dropped by the older Tornado fighter-bomber. Saudi Arabia, the one export customer for Paveway IV has used them on their Typhoons recently against targets in Syria.

In the U.S. JDAM and other GPS-only weapons are much more popular, although some Paveway I, II, III type bombs are still used. The original Paveway laser guided smart bombs were developed in the United States but a British manufacturer obtained a license to develop a variant (Paveway IV) that met standards the Royal Air Force wanted (like GPS and inertial guidance in addition to the original laser guidance). The JDAM is a later and cheaper guided bomb design that uses GPS rather than laser. Paveway was developed in the 1960s, when there were no GPS satellites but lasers were new and it was now possible to use laser guidance in a bomb. GPS did not become available until two decades after the first Paveway entered service.

The U.S. and Britain jointly develop more upgrades for the Paveway IV. These include a low explosive model (to limit collateral damage), another model has a penetrator cap (to hit underground bunkers) which is a novel feature for a 228 kg bomb. There are also improvements in the American anti-jamming technology as well as the laser seeker technology.

The Paveway system is actually a kit that is attached to an unguided bomb. The 50.5 kg (111 pound) Paveway kit contains guidance electronics, computers, and battery powered winglets. But to work the carrying aircraft must have a fire control system that enables the pilot to get the GPS data (received from troops on the ground) into the Paveway IV equipped bomb.

Once attached to a one ton, half ton, or quarter ton bomb, the Paveway IV can achieve precise (within a meter or less) accuracy using a laser designator. Now there is also GPS guidance to land within ten meters (31 feet) of the aiming point. The U.S. firm that manufactures the Paveway bombs, Raytheon, has produced over 250,000 kits so far, of which about twenty percent have been used in combat with great success.

Earlier versions of Paveway did not have GPS. Most just only had laser guidance. Britain has since added GPS to Paveway IV. While more accurate, laser guidance requires that someone on the ground or in the air be shining a laser on the target. The Paveway then homes in on the reflected laser light (of a particular frequency). GPS guided bombs can hit the target under bad weather conditions and only have to worry about jamming of the GPS satellite signal.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/

Raytheon Company and NIMR Automotive, part of the Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC), are collaborating to equip NIMR armored vehicles with TALON™ Laser Guided Rockets.

Using the Raytheon remote weapons station, each vehicle will carry 16 TALON LGRs.

The RWS enables TALON to be fired from both stationary and moving vehicles, while an elevated sensor/designator enables the TALON to be fired from concealed positions ensuring lethality and survivability for the ground vehicle.

"Integration onto the NIMR vehicle further demonstrates the versatility of TALON," said Michelle Lohmeier, Raytheon vice president of Land Warfare Systems. "In partnership with EDIC, we are providing an affordable, near-term and reliable solution."

"The NIMR 6x6 tactical platform provides a range of modular system integration to support a full range of missions including armed reconnaissance, infrastructure defense, defensive fire suppression and border security," said Dr. Fahad Saif Harhara, NIMR CEO. "It can also support rapidly advancing infantry. The mobile and fixed firing modes enhance the vehicle's effectiveness and provide a significant advantage over existing heavy artillery.

About TALON

The TALON LGR is a low-cost, digital semi-active laser guidance and control kit co-developed with the United Arab Emirates. The TALON guidance section fits directly to the front of the legacy 2.75-inch Hydra-70 unguided rocket. TALON's architecture and ease of employment make it a low-cost, highly-precise weapon for missions in urban environments, as well as counter insurgency and swarming boat defense missions. TALON is fully compatible with existing airborne and ground laser designators.

About Emirates Defence Industries Company

EDIC is the region's premier integrated national defence services and manufacturing platform, providing world-class facilities, technology and support services. Based in the UAE, the company brings together the combined capabilities of the UAE's defense industries into a single integrated platform to enhance value for our clients, shareholders, partners and other stakeholders.

About NIMR

NIMR, a subsidiary of the Emirates Defence Industry Company, delivers highly capable wheeled military vehicles that are designed for the harshest environments, across a diverse scope of mission requirements. NIMR's range of desert-proven 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles are available in armored or non-armored configurations, with modular configurable crew capacity and payload, where protection and mobility is the focus of our design activities. Through engineering innovation, comprehensive testing and implementation of the highest standards in design and manufacturing, NIMR provides exceptional vehicle reliability and best-in-class desert performance to ensure the protection of the vehicle crews that use them. For more about NIMR, visit us at www.nimr.com

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2014 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 93 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter@raytheon.

20.01.2015 By Arie Egozi - FG

Tel Aviv - The Israeli air force is upgrading the capabilities of its Boeing F-15I strike aircraft, including the installation of a new radar system. The sensor most likely to be fitted is the Raytheon APG-82(V)1 active electronically scanned array, which was also fitted to the US Air Force's F-15Es in place of the ageing APG-70. The selection of the US-made radar instead of an Israeli-designed option is likely the result of the fact that Israel can purchase the APG-82(V)1 using the Foreign Military Funding it receives annually from the USA.

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Jan 15, 2015 Spacewar.com  (UPI)

The U.S. Navy has authorized the use of long-range multi-role SM-6 missiles by more ships in the fleet equipped with the Aegis Combat Weapons System.

Raytheon, the missile's manufacturer, said the authorization affects more than 35 ships with the Aegis baseline 5.3 and 3.A.0 system series.

"SM-6 is the longest range integrated air and missile defense interceptor deployed, and its multi-role capabilities are unprecedented," said Mike Campisi, Raytheon's Standard Missile-6 senior program director. "Its use is transforming how we define fleet defense."

The SM-6 is a surface-to-air supersonic missile. It is designed to defeat manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and anti-ship cruise missiles in flight. It features active and semi-active guidance, advanced fuzing techniques and signal processing and guidance control capabilities.

Raytheon assembles the weapon at its facility at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala.

Details on any ramp up in production of the missiles were not disclosed by the company.

Aegis is a naval weapons system that integrates computer and radar technology to track and guide weapons to targets.

Dec 18, 2014 ASDNews Source : Lockheed Martin Corporation

Successful demo of new automation and information assurance capabilities clears way for the final launch and early orbit exercise

Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Company successfully completed the fourth of five planned launch and early orbit exercises to demonstrate new automation capabilities, information assurance and launch readiness of the world’s most powerful and accurate Global Positioning System (GPS), the U.S. Air Force’s next generation GPS III satellite and Operational Control System (OCX). 

Successful completion of Exercise 4 on Oct. 3 represents a key milestone demonstrating the end-to-end capability to automatically transfer data between Raytheon’s OCX and Lockheed Martin’s GPS III satellite. One additional readiness exercise, five launch rehearsals and a mission dress rehearsal are planned prior to launch of the first GPS III satellite with OCX.

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The use of small, lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) on the battlefield has surged over recent years. Fitted with advanced sensors and cameras, the UAVs have proved a cost-effective way of providing vital intelligence to troops on the ground. Revolutionary technology could also mean that, for the first time, these tactical UAVs pack a punch with mini precision-guided weapons.

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DULLES, Va., Oct. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and its partner team have realized savings of $300 million in the six years they have performed the $11.2B Warfighter Field Operations Customer Support (FOCUS) contract, the company announced today.

As leader of the Warrior Training Alliance (WTA), a group of more than 150 partner companies that was awarded the contract in 2008, Raytheon has served as single integrator, eliminating redundancies and creating efficiencies to effect the savings. The result: $300 million less spent by the customer on the core contract, which primarily covered maintaining training aids, devices, simulators, and simulations for the U.S. Army.

"During the two longest wars in American history, Raytheon has provided proven, responsive and extremely cost-effective training support while helping to ensure the highest levels of U.S. Army readiness globally," said Bob Williams, Raytheon Global Training Solutions vice president.

The Warfighter FOCUS contract consolidates the U.S. Army's live, virtual and constructive training domains to increase the effectiveness of training delivery and realize significant savings. 

In addition to reducing costs, Raytheon helped to make training support more predictable, collaborative and better coordinated through its proprietary Automated Tool for Lifecycle Analysis and Support (ATLAS) Management Information System, which provides the customer, end users and other stakeholders real-time, metric-driven information and accurate program situational awareness.

The Raytheon-led WTA has conducted more than 1.4 million training events, including Exercise Scarlet Response in July, which tested hundreds of first responders working with the nation's only Chemical Biological Incident Response force.  The contract team also successfully processed more than 5,700 task orders, averaging more than 2.5 task orders per day.

Raytheon and the WTA provide services that extend the core contract to include world-wide, comprehensive training support, from direct support to the U.S. Army's Combat Training Centers in the United States to specialty training in overseas locations like Germany, Korea and Afghanistan, to Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) operator and maintenance instruction for the U.S. Army.  Customer support is provided 24/7 through the Customer Support Operations Center located in Orlando, Fla., and the Warfighter Support Center, a central maintenance depot and shipping center in Louisville, Ky.

Through Warfighter FOCUS, Raytheon and the WTA help train U.S. Army soldiers, allied and coalition partners around the world, and maintain more than 240,000 training aids, devices and simulators. Click here to learn more about the Raytheon-led Warfighter FOCUS program.

About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire

TALON will provide increased precision in the battlespace

Under a $117 million contract awarded to Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), Raytheon Missile Systems has begun production of the TALON Laser Guided Rocket. In 2013, the Armed Forces General Headquarters of the United Arab Emirates awarded Tawazun a contract to procure the TALON Laser Guided Rocket.

"Full rate production of the TALON LGR is a significant milestone for Raytheon and the program," said Darryl Kreitman, Raytheon TALON program director. "UAE defense manufacturing industry participated in development of this revolutionary system and the end user can now benefit from this laser guided precision capability." 

Under the contract, Raytheon will maintain full integration of the TALON system into the UAE Armed Forces to include logistics, training and warranty support. Raytheon is also exploring options to integrate TALON onto NIMR armored vehicles which are now serving in different units of the UAE Armed Forces.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Army awarded TALON Air Worthiness Certification on the Apache attack helicopter.  During TALON's development and test program, Raytheon completed more than 35 TALON firings from the AH-64D Apache, resulting in a solution that is ready for international direct commercial sales customers today.

About TALON

The TALON LGR is a low-cost, digital semi-active laser guidance and control kit co-developed with the United Arab Emirates. The TALON guidance section fits directly to the front of the legacy 2.75-inch Hydra-70 unguided rocket.  TALON's architecture and ease of employment make it a low-cost, highly-precise weapon for missions in urban environments, as well as counter insurgency and swarming boat defense missions.  TALON is fully compatible with existing airborne and ground laser designators.

About Tawazun

Borne out of the long-established Tawazun Economic Council, Tawazun was created in 2007 to develop ventures through industrial partnerships and strategic investments that add value to the UAE's industrial manufacturing sector across a number of areas: defense & aerospace, automotive, munitions, metals and technology. Tawazun has established itself as an active industrial investor both locally and internationally by partnering with a hand-picked selection of world-class market leaders to build skills, expertise, products and systems in the UAE. Its investment strategy is designed to drive change within the marketplace, while its aim is to inspire emerging companies by providing strong and consistent support to aid their future expansion.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

TEWKSBURY, Mass., Aug. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and the University of Massachusetts Lowell have announced an agreement to establish a joint research facility focused on the advancement of innovative technologies in a collaborative, state-of-the-art institute. Raytheon is committing $3 million with options to $5 million throughout the next 10 years for establishment of this research facility. 

The Raytheon-UMass Lowell Research Institute (RURI) will feature state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms that will serve as a launchpad for collaboration and learning among UMass Lowell faculty and students and Raytheon employees to benefit both organizations in the pursuit of federal research funding. It will also provide UMass Lowell students with opportunities for research projects and employment opportunities at Raytheon.

"The creation of the RURI presents a tangible opportunity to advance the research and the learning of technologies under development for students and employees alike and will inspire future engineers and drive innovation," said Dan Crowley, president of Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business.

"We look forward to bringing the expertise of our top-notch faculty together with researchers from Raytheon. This new partnership is just one example of how UMass Lowell is leading the way in collaborating with industry to power innovation and the economy in Massachusetts and beyond," said UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan. "This institute will also provide our students with the kind of real-world experience that is one of the hallmarks of a UMass Lowell education."

"As a co-directed, co-located research environment, the RURI signifies a unique opportunity for Raytheon's university partnerships," said Mark E. Russell, Raytheon vice president of Engineering, Technology and Mission Assurance. "The RURI will serve as an extension of our current research capabilities and represents a resource across the Raytheon enterprise for the study of advanced materials and flexible circuit technologies, such as printable electronics and nanotechnology."

Initial research will focus on future technologies for radar and communication systems and could expand into other areas as needed. The institute will leverage UMass Lowell's strengths in printed electronics and nanotechnology that align with Raytheon's strategic technology needs including high-frequency printed conformal antennas, carbon-based transistors and photonic devices.

The RURI will be located in the Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center, an $80 million, 84,000-square-foot research facility on the UMass Lowell campus that is home to cutting-edge research in a variety of science and engineering disciplines. The center – one of nine new buildings opened by the university since 2009 – was constructed to provide not only UMass Lowell faculty and students with the most advanced research facility of its kind north of Boston, but to also support collaboration with businesses from startups to world leaders like Raytheon.

The building's fourth floor will be specially equipped to house the institute, which will be co-directed by Dr. Christopher McCarroll of Raytheon and UMass Lowell Prof. Craig Armiento, Ph.D., a faculty member in electrical and computer engineering in the university's Francis College of Engineering.

About UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its 17,000 students bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in business, engineering, education, fine arts, health, humanities, liberal arts, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be ready for work, for life and for all the world offers. www.uml.edu

About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

10 août 2014 20minutes.ch

Contrairement à ses déclarations d'intention, la Banque nationale suisse détient toujours des participations auprès de fabricants d'armes controversés.

La Banque nationale suisse (BNS) détient toujours des actions dans plusieurs entreprises de défense américaines d'une valeur supérieure à 250 millions de francs, rapporte l'hebdomadaire Schweiz am Sonntag.

Dans son rapport annuel 2013, la BNS avait pourtant annoncé ne plus vouloir miser dans des titres controversés liés à l'armement. «La Banque nationale a décidé en 2013 de ne plus investir dans des actions d'entreprises qui produisent des armes interdites à l'échelle internationale», avait-elle énoncé. Depuis, la BNS a confirmé, durant le premier semestre de l'année, ses participations dans les entreprises américaines de défense Honeywell International et Lockheed, en les renforçant même à 66 millions de francs, respectivement 43 millions de francs. Les deux sociétés sont notamment accusées par des organisations des droits de l'homme, mais aussi par l'Etat norvégien, de fabriquer des armes nucléaires.

Les participations de la BNS dans Raytheon et General Dynamics sont encore plus controversées. Les deux firmes sont toutes les deux suspectées d'être impliquées dans la fabrication de munition. La Banque nationale n'a pas voulu s'exprimer sur ces participations. Elle affirme se baser sur des analyses de titres effectuées par des institutions bien établies. Elle se serait néanmoins quand même séparée de participations au sein de la firme Textron active dans la fabrication de munition.

Les actions des sociétés actives dans l'armement ont la cote ces derniers mois avec la hausse du nombre de conflits militaires et les incertitudes géopolitiques.

14/7/14 – LaCroix.com

L'émirat du Qatar va acquérir pour 11 milliards de dollars de missiles Patriot (Raytheon) et d'hélicoptères d'attaque Apache auprès des Etats-Unis, ont annoncé des responsables du Pentagone à l'AFP lundi.

Le ministre de la Défense du Qatar, Hamid ben Ali Al-Attiyah, a signé le contrat à l'issue d'entretiens avec son homologue américain Chuck Hagel à Washington, ont précisé ces responsables qui s'exprimaient sous le couvert de l'anonymat.

Le Qatar entend ainsi s'équiper pour contenir la menace qu'il voit dans l'Iran voisin, expliquent-ils.

Dans le détail, l'émirat acquiert une dizaine de radars et 34 lanceurs de missiles Patriot, fabriqués par le groupe de défense américain Raytheon, et destinés à la défense anti-missile. En outre, Doha achète 24 hélicoptères d'attaque Apache et des missiles anti-char Javelin, selon les mêmes sources.

Il s'agit du plus gros contrat d'armement passé cette année par les Etats-Unis.

L'avionneur américain Boeing est de son côté en compétition avec le britannique BAE Systems et le français Dassault pour fournir au Qatar des avions de chasse.

Dans ce contexte, la vente de lundi est "un bon signe" pour Boeing, s'est réjoui un haut responsable du Pentagone.

Les Etats-Unis, a-t-il poursuivi, veulent continuer à être "le fournisseur de choix" du Qatar et d'autres Etats du Golfe en termes d'armement.

C'est la première fois que le Qatar se dote de missiles Patriot, tandis que d'autres pays du Golfe comme le Koweït, l'Arabie saoudite et les Emirats arabes unis en ont déjà acheté par le passé.

Les responsables américains pressent depuis longtemps leurs partenaires du Golfe de mettre en place un réseau coordonné de défense anti-missile pour faire face à la menace de l'Iran, mais une telle coopération a mis du temps à s'installer.

La vente de ces armes va améliorer les relations diplomatiques et de sécurité des Etats-Unis avec le Qatar, a estimé l'un des responsables, malgré des différends qui persistent sur le dossier syrien et notamment l'aide de Doha à certains groupes rebelles jugés trop radicaux par Washington.

"C'est un investissement dans la prochaine génération (de dirigeants militaires)... C'est un investissement sur le long terme", a souligné l'un des responsables.

D'autant que le Qatar abrite le Centre des opérations aériennes combinées (CAOC), capital pour l'armée américaine car les hauts responsables militaires y supervisent leurs avions de combat en Afghanistan et surveillent le trafic aérien à travers le Moyen-Orient.

La vente de ces armes sera également bénéfique à l'économie américaine, selon ces responsables, qui citent le chiffre de 54.000 emplois créés dans le cadre du contrat signé avec le Qatar.

Les missiles Patriot valent plus de 7 milliards de dollars, les hélicoptères Apache plus de 3 milliards et les missiles anti-char Javelin près de 100 millions, selon les mêmes sources.

Le système SAMP/T de MBDA proposé à la Pologne par le consortium Eurosam - photo MBDA

 01/07/2014 par Emmanuel Huberdeau – Air & Cosmos

Malgré un budget de la défense limité, la Pologne poursuit son effort de modernisation de ses capacités de défense. Le ministère de la défense a annoncé avoir retenu les offres de Raytheon et Eurosam pour la dernière phase de son programme d'acquisition d'un système de défense aérienne. Les offres de Lockheed Martin (Qui proposait le système Meads) et du gouvernement israélien sont donc rejetées.

Varsovie choisira entre le système Aster-30/SAMP/T du consortium Eurosam comprenant Thales et MBDA et le système Patriot proposé par Raytheon. Le vainqueur devrait être annoncé avant la fin de l'année.

Suite de l’article

TUCSON, Ariz., June 26, 2014 /PRNewswire

Latest flight tests move program closer to production

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and the U.S. Air Force concluded a series of flight tests for the Small Diameter Bomb II culminating in direct hits on stationary land targets. The successful tests further position the SDB II program to move from engineering, manufacturing, development phase to low rate initial production.

Using upgraded hardware and electronics during extended periods of flight, SDB II successfully acquired and engaged several stationary targets.

"Detecting stationary targets amidst the clutter of battlefield environments without using latitude and longitude presents a difficult challenge for most weapons today, but not SDB II," said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president. "Acquiring stationary targets with the same seeker that can identify and track moving targets demonstrates the dynamic capability this new weapon brings to the warfighter."

SDB II can hit targets from a range of more than 40 nautical miles. Its powerful warhead can destroy armored targets, while keeping collateral damage to a minimum through a small explosive footprint. The highly accurate SDB II offers warfighters the flexibility to change targets through a datalink that passes inflight updates to the weapon.

"These latest tests showcase our tri-mode seeker's game-changing capability to acquire, track, engage and destroy both stationary and moving targets in adverse weather," said John O'Brien, Raytheon Small Diameter Bomb II program director. "Upcoming live fire tests will prove the end-to-end capability of SDB II and will demonstrate the program's readiness to progress to System Verification Review and Milestone C, clearing the way for low rate initial production."

About SDB II
SDB II employs Raytheon's uncooled tri-mode seeker. The new seeker operates in three modes: millimeter-wave radar, uncooled imaging infrared and semi-active laser. These three modes enable the weapon to seek and destroy targets, even in adverse weather conditions from standoff ranges. 

The DOD has validated SDB II as a weapon that meets a critical warfighter need and has invested more than $700 million in the SDB II program.

About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.