September 24th, 2013 By Army News Service - defencetalk.com

The Army doesn’t know for sure what the global environment will look like around 2030, but it’s likely going to have to conduct operations then when called upon to do so.

To prepare for that time, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command conducted a Unified Quest Deep Futures Wargame at Carlisle Barracks, Pa., Sept. 16-20, 2013.

The wargame takes predictions about the future strategic environment, from insights that come from the National Intelligence Council 2030 study and other sources, including the Army’s own studies, and uses that environment as the foundation for two teams to independently wargame the same fictional futures scenario.

While the future strategic environment is something nobody can be 100 percent sure of, the Army’s wargame works on a futures model predicted by using 40 geostrategic, military, science, and technology trends.

Included in futures predictions are the effects of expanding nation states, non-state actors that include groups like Hezbollah and al Qaeda, non-government agencies and even large global corporations. Also included in futures predictions are the effects of climate change, shifting demographics, urbanization, information, and technological trends, said Maj. Gen. Bill Hicks, deputy director, Army Capabilities Integration Center.

“What you see in terms of the environment — because of this interconnection, which is also reflected in the globalized nature of our society and the increasing technological dependence of global society — [are] events unfolding more quickly,” Hicks said. “You see the second- and third-order effects of those events impacting on a wider scale in terms of having a global impact. That drives us to consider how do we influence those events at speed — arrest their acceleration, control those events and try to restore to some degree of stability an area that has gone ’tilt,’ if you will.”

One team involved in the wargame was equipped as today’s Army, as it is programmed to be in 2030. The other team is equipped with “things that are possible but not yet programmed into the Army,” Hicks said.

“One of the outcomes of the more technologically enabled force is that they can respond in the game more rapidly,” Hicks said. “They can cut the time in half, or maybe two-thirds. It allows the political leadership to respond very rapidly to something that is happening very quickly. If the event can be responded to over a longer period of time, what we are really doing is giving the president, the secretary and others more political space to maneuver.”

While the two teams worked through the challenges of a theoretical conflict more than 17 years in the future, and each used a different capability set, they were able to develop insights into how today’s Army can better prepare for an uncertain future.

This wargame, Hicks said, focuses on two operational issues; one of those is the “imperative of speed.” Key findings of the emerging operating environment is the “momentum of human interaction.” Hicks said that includes the information that can be amassed, and the ideas that can be shared by people through the use of technology, as well as the ability to organize and take action.

“That momentum is something we see accelerating into the future, which will compress the decision space of our political leadership, and will drive the imperative for Army forces to be able to respond to it and influence events at the speed at which they occur,” Hicks said. “This creates options both militarily, and, potentially, we should be able to provide more decision space back to our political leadership.”

New operational approaches are also a focus in the wargame, he said, in addition to “revisiting” old ones.

“Non-linear operations, such as what we saw when we conducted Just Cause in Panama, is something we’re looking at,” he said. “How do we do that on a more routine basis against a variety of different challenges?”

The outcome of a wargame such as the one conducted at Carlisle Barracks is the ability to help Army senior leadership of today chart a better course for the Army of tomorrow. Right now, Hicks said, the Army is spinning down from being an operational Army to one that is preparing, or getting ready for the next fight. He said being prepared means being ready for the next fight, and it also means laying the groundwork today that will help an Army in the future be ready to fight.

“There are a couple of things we can impact today that we will see the effects of in 2030 and 2040,” Hicks said. “The senior leaders of the Army in 2030-2040 are in the Army today. So we need to look at what are the implications and the things that we need to start doing today with the officers and non-commissioned officers that we have, to start educating them over time, so they are prepared to deal with that environment.”

Hicks also said the Army can start thinking now about what types of Soldiers it will need to fight in a future environment; what types of Soldiers it will need to recruit today and in the near future, in order to have a capable Army in 2030.

In addition to personnel issues, the Army must also lay the groundwork today to ensure the future Army has the tools and technology it will need. Hicks said that doesn’t necessarily mean buying new equipment today, or spelling out exactly what kinds of weapons are going to be needed. Instead, it means ensuring the Army remains committed to robust science and technology development.

“[It's] not predicting the systems the future force will need, but looking to make sure we are focusing our science and technology investments today so that in the mid-2020s, those leaders have more options to draw from as they reshape the force for that decade,” Hicks said.

While a “deep futures” wargame can’t truly predict what the strategic environment will look like, Hicks said already the Army is aware of some things it needs to focus on to be more prepared for the uncertainty that is going to come.

“It is to our advantage to be more involved in the international environment, working mil-to-mil relationships, enabling diplomatic, economic and information activities around the world, attracting partners, reassuring allies, creating deterrent structures to maintain a degree of balance strategically, and then through all those activities being postured to respond when that strategic balance is upset,” he said.

The goal of the Unified Quest Deep Futures Wargame, Hicks said, is to “inform decisions today so we can create options for tomorrow.”

The wargame will generate some “insights,” he said, that can be brought to Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno, to better inform him on decisions he will make now to ensure the Army can be successful in the future.

“What we will be able to do is bring him some insights and help him think about the implications of this deep future, which really isn’t that far away; to inform his thinking on where he needs to make investments,” Hicks said.

Those investments in the future mean the right technology and the right kinds of people, Hicks said.

September 25th, 2013 By Boeing Company - defencetalk.com

Boeing has recently finished delivering more than 40 computer processing units that will support an integrated network of computer and communication equipment critical to U.S. Army air and missile defenses.

Boeing’s Plug and Fight Processing Units are the main computing assets that link together various Army weapons and sensor platforms with the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command Systems (IBCS), a single network with common command and control. Boeing is a subcontractor to Northrop Grumman on the IBCS program.

“By providing a centralized, secure processing architecture from which to manage data, these processing units will play a significant role in enhancing the effectiveness of the Army’s network of missile defense sensors and weapon systems,” said Allan Brown, vice president and program director with Boeing Strategic Missile and Defense Systems.

Boeing’s units will support the IBCS by efficiently processing a high volume of information exchanged among the various components in the Plug and Fight network.

This technology is significant to IBCS objectives for enhanced situational awareness and command and control on the battlefield, improved response time, and reduced costs.

These processing units, built and assembled in Huntsville, were produced to support the hardware and software development phase of the IBCS program. In a series of virtual demonstrations, Boeing has verified that these processors can efficiently connect multiple missile defense weapons to the IBCS.

Northrop Grumman will use the processors in system demonstrations later this year, in anticipation of transitioning to the test and integration phase of the program.

The Sikorsky S-97 Raider fuselage prior to departure from Aurora Flight Sciences in West Virginia last week. (Sikorsky)

Sep. 23, 2013 - By AARON MEHTA – Defense News

WASHINGTON — Sikorsky will begin final assembly of its S-97 Raider helicopter prototype this week, according to company officials.

That puts the helicopter manufacturer — which is competing for the US Army’s Armed Aerial Scout program — on track for a first flight at the end of 2014.

“It’s just a really exciting foundational milestone for us, and it’s great to be leaving the design phase of Raider and getting into the build phase,” Chris Van Buiten, Sikorsky Innovations vice president, said.

The Raider is based on the X-2 technology developed by Sikorsky in the late 2000s, but grows the size and weight significantly. Where the X-2 demonstrator was a one-person, 5,000-pound platform, the Raider will be roughly 11,000 pounds with room for six troops in its combat assault mode. In reconnaissance mode, that space could be used for extra equipment or ammunition.

Despite that growth, Sikorsky executives are confident the design will bring a mix of speed and maneuverability that helicopters have not yet achieved.

“This thing has to fly faster than 220 knots” at cruising speed, Van Buiten said when asked about key performance targets. “It has got to do more than a 3G turn at speed. It has to demonstrate hover at 10,000 feet and 95 degrees. Those are the non-negotiables.”

The fuselage, assembled by Aurora Flight Sciences in a West Virginia facility, arrived at Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach, Fla., facility Sept. 20. A composite airframe, the fuselage has been tested to tolerate bird strikes at 230 knots and has shown very low drag, according to the company.

The Armed Aerial Scout program aims to replace the Army’s fleet of OH-58 Kiowa Warriors, in use since the late 1960s. The winner of the program is expected to last well past 2050, meaning the competition would be a long-term windfall for the winner.

Army officials visited with competitors AgustaWestland, Boeing, EADS and Bell Helicopter during the summer of 2012, but the top acquisition adviser to the secretary of the Army told a congressional hearing in May that “we didn’t find a single aircraft that was out there that could meet the Army’s requirements.”

Sikorsky is confident is can fill that role — assuming the replacement program can get funding.

As with all programs in the Pentagon, the Armed Aerial Scout is facing budget challenges. Speaking Sept. 19 on the Hill, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno indicated the program is at risk if sequestration continues.

“In the event sequestration-level discretionary caps continue into FY14, we will assume significant risk in our combat vehicle development,” Odierno said. “In our aviation program, we cannot afford to procure a new Armed Aerial Scout program and we will be forced to reduce the production and modernization of 25 helicopters.”

Despite such warnings, Sikorsky remains confident the Army will find the money to fund the program, according to Steve Engebretson, the company’s Advanced Military Programs director.

“It’s a tough financial environment, but the fact Odierno highlighted this program reflects the level of importance the Army has in that mission,” he said. “To me, it’s at least a sign that if there is a way the Army can get that program going, they will find a way to do that.”

“We understand the climate we’re operating in,” added Van Buiten. “We’re committed to demonstrating this technology, but we understand the customer has a lot of priorities to balance. Our job is to open up the aperture of what’s possible with them.”

Both men can be sanguine, in part, because the development of the Raider has been entirely funded by Sikorsky and its industry partners. While the S-97 is being designed with Armed Aerial Scout in mind, it will also serve as a test bed for further X-2 technologies, which could then go onto future Sikorsky products. Additionally, the company sees the Raider as a demonstrator for a larger machine that would fit the Army’s Joint Multi-Role helicopter replacement program for the service’s Blackhawk fleet.

In other words, the company sees ways to recoup its investment in the prototype even if the program never comes through. That company investment is a point of pride for Van Buiten, whose team was responsible for the design and creation of the Raider.

“We’ve created this innovations group, and one of our charters is to demonstrate differentiating technology that creates competitive advantages for us or all new capability for our customers,” he said. “We don’t have the luxury of using traditional timelines and budgets to do it.”

If the project continues on target, the Raider prototype’s first flight will take place roughly 48 months after its clean-sheet design, a much faster pace than the defense industry normally sees. While costs are not set, the company has estimated it could produce the platform in production quantities for as little as $15 million a copy, including mission system packages.

There is also a potential international market for the technology through the Foreign Military Sales program. The company has been in contact with “several very close allies of the US” about the technology, Engebretson said.

While declining to name which countries might be interested, he said the “international interest roughly equals the quantities the US government is thinking about, in the hundreds.”

17 September 2013 by Oscar Nkala and Kim Helfrich - defenceWeb

US Army Africa Command (Africom) wants private contractors to move military equipment and supplies from the US to Egypt and 55 other countries within its Area of Responsibility (AOR) starting this month.

This comes hard on the heels of a transport contract awarded by the US Army’s Transport Command (US-TRANSCOM) to Berry Aviation to provide to provide air transport service in support of operations in western and central Africa. This contract is reportedly worth $49 million.

A solicitation notice issued by Africom Surface Distribution Services (ASDS) from its contracting office in Vincenza, Italy, on August 5 seeks contractors who will provide “transportation services of intra-theatre cargo within the Africom Area of Responsibility (AOR) and Egypt.”

The solicitation adds: “The contractor shall provide all necessary resources including logistics support and management to perform surface transport and distribution of general cargo within all fifty five (55) nations of the Africom AOR and Egypt.

In the solicitation document, Africom says materials to be transported, “although normally general in nature will not include sensitive cargo but may include hazardous materials.”

The solicitation notice adds contractors will not be required to transport classified equipment and materials, gunpowder, ammunition or military weapons and explosives.

It also states the successful contractors will not be required to move military tanks, self-propelled armoured combat vehicles with weapons, aircraft and spacecraft including satellites, radar or radio devices for remote control of weapons and equipment.

These developments come when at least one American military watcher, Nick Turse of TomDispatch.com, maintains Africom is involved in the A to Z of Africa.

“They’re involved in Algeria and Angola, Benin and Botswana, Burkina Faso and Burundi, Cameroon and the Cape Verde Islands. And that’s just the ABCs of the situation. Skip to the end of the alphabet and the story remains the same: Senegal and the Seychelles, Togo and Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia. From north to south, east to west, the Horn of Africa to the Sahel, the heart of the continent to the islands off its coasts, the US military is at work. Base construction, security co-operation engagements, training exercises, advisory deployments, special operations missions and a growing logistics network, all undeniable evidence of expansion—except at US Africa Command,” he wrote.

Giving the official line Turse goes on: “To hear Africom tell it, US military involvement on the continent ranges from the miniscule to the microscopic. The command is adamant it has only a single ‘military base’ in all of Africa: Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. The head of the command insists that the US military maintains a ‘small footprint’ on the continent. Africom’s chief spokesman has consistently minimised the scope of its operations and the number of facilities it maintains or shares with host nations, asserting only ‘a small presence of personnel who conduct short-duration engagements’ are operating from ‘several locations’ on the continent at any given time”.

He quotes Colonel Tom Davis, Africom director of public affairs, as saying: “Other than our base at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, we do not have military bases in Africa, nor do we have plans to establish any”. Davis admitted the US has temporary facilities elsewhere. . supporting much smaller numbers of personnel “usually for a specific activity”.

Another solicitation notice (HTC711-13-R-R016) issued in July seeks dedicated fixed wing service for the deployment and extraction of US military personnel involved in operations in the central African region.

It specifies contractors must be able to transport personnel and willing to carry hazardous cargo including ammunitions for small arms, signal flares, smoke grenades, blasting caps, rockets, mines and explosive charges in the central African theatre of operations.

“The contractor will be asked to routinely take off and land on improved and unimproved dirt airfields of a minimum of 1 800 feet in length to support resupply and personnel transportation requirements,” part of the solicitation note reads.

It said routine locations involved in the operations could include airfields such as Entebbe in Uganda, Obo and Djema in the Central African Republic. The operations will also support the training of counter-narcotics law enforcement agencies from Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Niger, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Togo, Guinea and Mali.

Apart from these developments the US Military has been supporting construction all over Africa for its allies.

A report by Hugh Denny of the Army Corps of Engineers issued earlier this year references 79 such projects in 33 countries between 2011 and 2013 including Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tunisia, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia with a reported price tag of $48 million.

In addition to creating or maintaining bases and engaging in military construction across the continent, the US is involved in near constant training and advisory missions. According to Davis, the command is slated to carry out 14 major bilateral and multilateral exercises by the end of this year. These include Saharan Express 2013, which brought together forces from Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, among other nations, for maritime security training; Obangame Express 2013, a counter-piracy exercise involving the armed forces of among others Benin, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Togo; and Africa Endeavour 2013, in which the militaries of Djibouti, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Zambia, and 34 other African nations took part.

And it’s not only on land and in the air that US forces are making their presence felt more. The Defense Logistics Agency is preparing to buy 65 000 metric tonnes of marine gas oil for Africom operations.

Information obtained by defenceWeb also shows from April 2014, Africom Ships’ Bunkers programme will order fuel to be delivered “into US vessels for US Department of Defense and federal civilian agencies by barge, truck, or pipeline”.

The command is seeking up to 27 000 metric tonnes of fuel for delivery to US Air Force and Navy assets in Seychelles, an island nation off the coast of East Africa. Neighbouring Mauritius is next with a maximum order of 10 000 metric tonnes of fuel.

Other destinations for Africom fuel supplies are Tanzania, Cape Verde, Senegal, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Namibia.

Evergreen Helicopters will provide air MEDEVAC support for US Army at Fort Wainwright and Fort Greenly in Alaska, US. Photo US Army.

13 September 2013 army-technology.com

Erickson Air-Crane's (EAC) wholly-owned subsidiary Evergreen Helicopters has secured a contract for delivery of medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) service and support for the US Army.

Having a maximum potential value of over $10m, the contract covers provision of 24-hour-a-day, year-round air MEDEVAC and training for the US Army Garrison, Fort Wainwright and Fort Greenly in Alaska, US.

Specifically, the company will provide dedicated aircraft, management and supervision, personnel, equipment, supplies, materials, tools and transportation to the army.

The contract features a one year base performance period and one additional option year.

Erickson chief executive officer, Udo Rieder, said Evergreen has been flying in support of the MEDEVAC programme since its inception in 2008.

"Involving extreme cold weather operations, with temperatures as low as -40°F, the army MEDEVAC missions require unique tactical equipment."

''We are very proud to provide these essential MEDEVAC services to the men and women of the armed forces, and regard this contract as a prime example of our broad range of capabilities that can serve a diverse range of missions in any operational theatre around the globe,'' Rieder said.

Involving extreme cold weather operations, with temperatures as low as -40°F, the army MEDEVAC missions require unique tactical equipment, including night vision goggles (NVGs), rescue hoists and advanced life support systems aboard the aircraft, according to the company.

Evergreen Helicopters has also received a contract extension to a previously awarded, firm-fixed-price contract for delivery of rotary wing aerial services in support of air MEDEVAC and training for the army garrison in Hawaii, US.

Awarded by the army contracting command (ACC) in July 2013, the contract has a total value in excess of $10m.

Sep 12, 2013 ASDNews Source : TenCate

TenCate Advanced Armor USA and the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) have signed a multi-year cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) to evaluate the TenCate ABDS™ active blast countermeasure system for improved soldier protection.

This collaboration enables TenCate engineers to demonstrate the ability of the TenCate ABDS™ active blast countermeasure system to protect combat and tactical ground vehicle crews from the devastating effects of insurgent mines, roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices (IED’s). RDECOM’s evaluation process ensures that the TenCate ABDS™ active blast countermeasure system solutions are robust in design and performance and ready for real world military applications.

The IED

In 2006 the US Department of Defense established the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) to explore and identify ways to prevent, identify and defeat IEDs. The US ARMY is also focused on this objective. For example, TARDEC’s (US ARMY Tank and Automotive Research and Development Center) ‘Occupant Centric’ soldier protection program seeks to identify, develop, and integrate technologies that will protect ground vehicle crews from underbody threats, crashes and rollovers while minimizing parasitic weight and maintaining or improving the mobility of the vehicle system.

Mitigating mine blast energy

The TenCate ABDS™ active blast countermeasure system can save lives and significantly reduce mission compromising injury by minimizing the transfer of mine blast energy witnessed by a crew. The system efficiently manages the launch acceleration of the vehicle, its flight and the ensuing fall back to earth. This CRADA is a mechanism to utilize the vast capabilities and expertise of RDECOM’s various engineering centers with an integrated approach to testing and developing the system’s features, speeding its maturation and certifying its technology readiness level (TRL) for future use on military platforms.

Lifesaving technology

“The US Army has a clear vision on the protection of mounted troops and TenCate has developed important lifesaving technologies,” says Mark Edwards, President of TenCate Advanced Armor USA. “We are committed to this world class ‘soldier survivability’ program and determined to meet or exceed every mil-spec requirement necessary to quickly, yet safely, provide this threat protection solution to our troops.”

Scalable on wide range of platforms

The TenCate ABDS™ active blast countermeasure system, developed by a dedicated team of specialists within TenCate Advanced Armor USA, has demonstrated measurable improvements in occupant survivability. Third party tests illustrate that decreased energy absorption, lower vehicle jump height, and modest ‘fall back’ can reduce injuries, shorten recovery times, and improve mission effectiveness. The TenCate ABDS™ active blast countermeasure system offers weight, space and cost efficiencies and can be retrofit onto wide range of new or fielded platforms. In addition, it is uniquely scalable to adapt to evolving threats.

TenCate ABDS™ active blast countermeasure system is the world’s first practical active underbody blast threat protection system and it is ready for platform evaluations today. TenCate Advanced Armor USA, based in Newark and Hebron, Ohio, with dedicated engineering offices in Goleta, California, specializes in engineering and manufacturing

Sep 11, 2013 ASDNews Source : General Dynamics Corporation

General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded a $118 million contract by the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command to convert 66 flat-bottom Stryker infantry combat vehicles to a newer, more survivable double-V hull (DVH) design. Deliveries of the vehicles will begin in July 2014 and be completed by February 2015. General Dynamics Land Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

The Army partnered with General Dynamics in 2012 and launched a Stryker DVH-exchange pilot program to validate that components from traditional Stryker flat-bottom variants can be quickly refurbished and installed on a new, more survivable double-V hull variant, at less cost than producing a new vehicle. General Dynamics and the Anniston Army Depot in Anniston, Ala., successfully completed the DVH pilot program in April 2013 and delivered 52 Stryker vehicles on time and under budget.

The first brigade of Strykers equipped with double-V hulls was fielded in 2011 to provide Stryker-borne soldiers increased protection from the effects of roadside mines and improvised explosive devices. With MRAP-like or better survivability, the DVH configuration also includes a more rugged suspension system that has greatly improved mobility and reduced operating costs. Two brigades of double-V hull Stryker vehicles were produced between July 2010 and July 2013.

The final assembly work will be performed at the Anniston Army Depot and will help to sustain the jobs of 80 employees who support the program. The contract will also preserve several jobs at General Dynamics' plant in Scranton, Penn.

September 9, 2013 by Tamir Eshel - defense-update.com

The U.S. Army’s latest “research prototype vehicle” has entered advanced testing phase with the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC). The new vehicle known as the Ultra Light Vehicle (ULV) was built as a Concept Vehicle for TARDEC’s Detroit Arsenal. The new hybrid tactical vehicle targets safety, fuel-efficiency and versatility. It was developed in the past 16 months using commercial technologies. Final testing is beginning on the ULV vehicle platform with evaluating its capability to support Soldiers on missions across a full spectrum of mobility challenges while keeping occupants safe and using fuel efficiently.

Read more

09.09.2013 Helen Chachaty - journal-aviation.com

Lockheed Martin et Bell Helicopter ont conjointement annoncé ce 9 septembre que Lockheed Martin allait intégrer l’équipe de développement du « tiltrotor » V-280 Valor de Bell. D’autres partenaires industriels devraient rejoindre le programme dans les prochains mois, selon le communiqué.

Le V-280 Valor avait été présenté par Bell Helicopter le 10 avril dernier. Le programme de tiltrotor a été développé par l’hélicoptériste dans le cadre de l’appel d’offre Joint Multi Role/Future Vertical Lift présenté en 2011 par l’US Army. L’appareil devrait avoir les caractéristiques suivantes : vitesse de croisière maximale de 280 nœuds (d’où son nom), autonomie de 500 à 80 nautiques et capacité de transport de 15 personnes (équipage de quatre PN compris).

Lockheed Martin et Bell Helicopter sont en concurrence avec Boeing et Sikorsky, qui ont annoncé un partenariat en janvier 2013 pour un appareil basé sur le X2 de Sikorsky.

Le V-280 Valor a été shortlisté par l’US Army en juin, les contrats de ce programme de développement devraient être annoncés d’ici la fin de l’année.

9/4/2013 Strategy Page

A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Falcon transports a container via sling load over eastern Afghanistan Aug. 24, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Peter Smedberg

30 August 2013 army-technology.com

ViaSat has been selected for supply of Link 16 small tactical terminals for the US Army's AH-64E Apache attack helicopter fleet.

The company will supply its KOR-24A small tactical terminal (STT) to help address the army's requirement for an airborne and maritime/fixed station (AMF) Small Airborne Link 16 Terminal (SALT).

ViaSat Tactical Data Links general manager, Dr. Jay Kaufman, said: "The STT satisfies the latest requirements for Apache helicopters, providing a significant advance in battlefield communications such as Link 16 and SRW become essential capabilities in the future of army aviation."

Jointly manufactured by ViaSat and Harris, KOR-24 SST is a small, two-channel, very high frequency / ultra high frequency (VHF/UHF) radio terminal, designed to bring mobile network connectivity to dismounted soldiers and platforms such as ground vehicles, small boats, ships, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

"The STT satisfies the latest requirements for Apache helicopters, providing a significant advance in battlefield communications."

The terminal primarily enables soldiers to exchange secure situational awareness information and critical data communications with allied air, land, and sea platforms over Link 16 or UHF to maintain the tactical picture and also avoid Blue-on-Blue engagements.

Fully interoperable with global MIDS Link 16 terminals, joint tactical information distribution system (JTIDS), or UHF data radio systems, the terminal also supports all tactical digital information link (TADIL) J network messages, including network enabled weapon (NEW) messages.

Nicknamed Guardian, the Boeing AH-64E is a heavily armed helicopter featuring powerful, fuel-efficient T700-GE-701D engines, enhanced rotor blade technology and electronics, as well as improved aircraft handling, performance and agility at higher altitudes.

Designed to replace the existing AH-64D Longbow helicopters, the helicopter also features a joint tactical radio system, electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensors to improve pilots' situational awareness and an oversea capacity, enabling potential strikes on smaller ships.

August 29, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: AeroVironment, Inc.; issued August 28, 2013)

Aerovironment Receives $15.8 Million In Orders Under A United States Army Contract for Switchblade Tactical Missile Systems

MONROVIA, Calif. --- AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV) announced that it has received a total of $15.8 million in orders under a contract for Switchblade tactical missile systems, ancillary equipment and support.

The United States Army Close Combat Weapons Systems Program Executive Office Missiles and Space (PEO MS) awarded these contract options. AeroVironment and its strategic teammate for advanced warheads, ATK, will continue to work together to produce and deliver the systems.

The initial contract was issued on August 30, 2012 in support of the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF). The scope of work under this contract includes operational and training rounds plus training, support and rapid delivery to support ongoing customer operations. AeroVironment has received five separate orders totaling $15.8 million under this contract, including the most recent on July 29, 2013.

“Switchblade is the first smart loitering weapon, giving our troops a new force protection capability that can deliver precision effects kilometers away with in-flight retargeting, target verification and pinpoint delivery, all resulting in little or no collateral effects,” said Roy Minson, AeroVironment senior vice president and general manager of the company’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment. “AeroVironment and ATK stand ready to deliver more Switchblade systems to protect our troops.”

“Adoption of innovative new solutions within the Department of Defense is difficult in today’s budget constrained environment,” added Tim Conver, AeroVironment chairman and chief executive officer. “These follow-on procurements of Switchblade systems demonstrate our customer’s confidence in this unique capability and the persistence required for the successful adoption and deployment of innovative solutions.”

Conver added, “Switchblade is just one of a number of new opportunities driving AeroVironment’s long-term growth. We are confident that our strategy is working and that our investments in pioneering new products and technologies are creating sustainable long-term value for our customers and our stockholders.”

A February 2013 news article quoted the REF’s director as saying, “Theater came in and said, ‘We need dramatically more’ ” (Switchblade systems) than those supplied in late 2012. In March 2013 the Army released a presolicitation notification on the Federal Business Opportunities website for an intent to award a new sole source contract to AeroVironment for Switchblade tactical missile systems. That contract has yet to be awarded.

Switchblade provides a high-precision, direct fire capability at beyond-line-of-sight ranges in a rapidly deployable, backpackable package weighing six pounds.

AeroVironment is a technology solutions provider that designs, develops, produces, operates and supports an advanced portfolio of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and electric transportation solutions. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s electric-powered, hand-launched unmanned aircraft systems extensively to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance and communication.

Aug 28, 2013 ASDNews Source : Cobham Plc

    To Overhaul, Upgrade AH-64 Apache Nitrogen Inerting Unit

Cobham has been awarded a contract by the US Army worth up to $7.1 million to overhaul and upgrade Nitrogen Inerting Units (NIUs) for the AH-64 Apache helicopter. The work will be performed by Cobham Life Support in Davenport, Iowa, beginning in 2013.

In September 2012, Cobham received a five year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at some $15 million to manufacture OBIGGS NIUs for US Army AH-64 Apache helicopters. The OBIGGS fulfils a critical aircraft safety system role by displacing fuel tank vapors with inert nitrogen gas, reducing the risk of explosion. More than 1,500 Apache helicopters with Cobham NIUs have been delivered worldwide.

Cobham Life Support president Kelly Coffield said: “This award reflects Cobham's unrivalled decades of experience in the design, development, delivery and support of fuel tank inerting systems, ranging from depot repair to equipping and training customers to fully maintaining products at their own facilities.”

Cobham remains the world-wide leader in military OBIGGS providing solutions since 1985 on more than 2,400 aircraft flying today, ranging from military helicopters, military transport aircraft like the C-17 Globe Master, to regional and commercial platforms such as Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Cobham OBIGGS systems have logged more than six million flight hours total experience including 12 international customers. Cobham can tailor the modular range of proven OBIGGS to fit a wide range of applications.