USA military developments

[Armand2REP]

U.S. NLOS-LS Misses Four of Six Shots in Testing
By kate brannen
Published: 22 Feb 2010 17:17


The U.S. Army's Non Line-of-Sight Launch System's (NLOS-LS) Precision Attack Missile failed to hit its target four out of six times during recent testing, according to a testing document.

The six test shots took place at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., between Jan. 26 and Feb. 5 and were part of a flight-limited user test for the system, Army spokesman Paul Mehney confirmed.

Test missiles failed to hit a moving tank 20 kilometers away, a moving infantry vehicle 10 kilometers away, a stationary tank 30 kilometers away, and a stationary truck 35 kilometers away. It missed the infantry vehicle by 20 meters, and the truck by 25 kilometers.

The missile failed to hit its target both times it relied solely upon its infrared seeker, the document also states.

The missiles did hit two of their targets, a stationary tank and a moving infantry fighting vehicle, both 15 kilometers away. For the moving vehicle, the missile used its laser-anoint mode, and for the stationary tank, the missile relied on its laser-designate mode, according to the document.

The tests were conducted by soldiers from the fires battalion of the 1st Armored Division's 5th brigade, Mehney said in an e-mail. The independent test data collection and observation was carried out by the Army's Operational Test Command, he added.

"The Army is currently evaluating test data and observations, the results are required as part of the March 2010 Interim Defense Acquisition Board review as outlined in the Dec. 22, 2009 Increment 1 [low-rate initial production acquisition decision memorandum]," said Mehney.

In March, Pentagon acquisition executive Ashton Carter will review the results of the limited user test, including the Army's findings from its investigation into the missile failures.

The NLOS-LS Precision Attack Missiles (PAM) are slated to cost $466,000 apiece in 2011, according to budget documents submitted to Congress Feb. 1.

An ongoing Army precision munitions portfolio review is looking at scaling back the final number of PAM missiles purchased and possibly launching a new program to develop a cheaper alternative weapon.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4509667&c=AME&s=TOP

Looking like a failed programme

 

[Rage]

USAF's 30-Year Defense Plan Lays Out Aircraft Acquisition through 2040

By Bruce Rolfsen
Published: 6 Mar 2010 16:07

The U.S. Air Force is taking a long look down the road at buying and fielding new airplanes.

Mandated by Congress, the "Aircraft Investment Plan" maps out how many planes the Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy plan to buy through 2020 and sets goals for 2021-2040. It does not include helicopters.

The report calls for a joint approach to long-range strike and electronic warfare but does not drastically alter the Air Force's announced plans for its two main acquisitions this decade - the F-35 Lightning II and KC-X tanker

By aircraft, what the report foresees for the Air Force:


Combat:

■ Bomber: The Air Force could spend $2 billion to $4 billion a year to develop a new long-range strike aircraft by 2020.

Whether the plane will have a pilot onboard or will fly at supersonic speeds is undecided. The report says: "A study is underway to identify the right mix of manned and unmanned technologies … and to determine the right balance between range, payload, speed, stealth, and onboard sensors."

Until the new bomber arrives, the Air Force will keep about 160 B-52 Stratofortresses, B-1B Lancers and B-2 Spirit bombers.

■ F-22 Raptor: The service will spend $1.9 billion to upgrade its 180 fighter jets with improved communications and avionics gear. Retirement of the Raptors could begin in 2025.

■ F-35: The Air Force is in line to buy 602 F-35s through 2020 at a cost of about $70 billion. Two-thirds arrive in 2016 or later. The Air Force fleet will eventually total 1,763 jets.

■ MQ-9 Reapers: Forecasts call for the service to buy 372 of the attack and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles from 2011 through 2018. The price tag: about $820 million. Later models will have an electronic warfare capability.

■ RQ-4 Global Hawks: Four to five remote-controlled jets will arrive each year through 2017. There is no projection for later years.

The report did not offer an overall cost for the RQ-4s; for 2011, the Air Force wants $737 million for four Global Hawks, their payloads and logistics support.


Mobility:

■ KC-X: The service is set to spend about $30 billion through 2020 to develop and buy 109 new tankers.

■ Intra-theater airlift: The Air Force should continue to buy C-130J Hercules to replace older C-130 E and H models. The study projects buying 63 C-130Js through 2020 for about $6 billion.

■ Strategic airlift: The service wants to maintain an fleet of 314 large cargo planes, a mix of 223 C-17s and 91 C-5s. The report recommends the Air Force begin development of a new cargo jet starting in 2015.


http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4527338&c=AME&s=AIR

 

[Armand2REP]

U.S. Grounds 104 Hornets After More Cracks Discovered

By philip ewing
Published: 12 Mar 2010 15:12

U.S. Naval Air Systems Command grounded 104 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets March 12 after inspectors discovered the airframes were developing cracks much earlier than engineers had thought.

The grounding order affects the first four varieties of Hornet - models A through D - and does not apply to aircraft now flying combat missions over Iraq or Afghanistan. The number of Hornets affected makes up 16 percent of the Navy-Marine A through D fleet.

There have been no crashes or other mishaps related to the problem, said Navy spokesman Lt. Nate Christensen. The March 10 crash of a Marine F/A-18D Hornet from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 224 off South Carolina - in which both the pilot and weapons officer were rescued - was not related to this problem, he said.

Of the 104 grounded jets, 77 are in flight status. Of those, 23 are in Navy and Marine Corps fleet squadrons; five are forward-deployed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan; five belong to the Blue Angels flight demonstration team; and 44 are in fleet replacement squadrons. The other 27 Hornets are in a maintenance status.

The grounding notice from NavAir covered a "high stress focus area" that engineers already knew about as part of the Hornets' service-life assessment program, Christensen said, so NavAir issued a set of instructions for affected aircraft.

Squadrons have been ordered to perform a magnetic field inspection on jets included in the grounding. If they don't find cracks, their Hornets go back to unrestricted flight status, although crews are required to visually inspect the wings after every 100 hours of flight.

If a squadron can't do the magnetic inspection on a jet included in the grounding, its crews have been ordered to inspect its wings visually. Even if they find no cracks, the Hornet pilots will not be allowed to pull more than four Gs during flight.

Christensen said he did not have a breakdown for each type of Hornet - A, B, C and D - affected by the grounding. He also did not describe where the cracks were forming on each jet - for example, in their center barrels, wings, or elsewhere.

There are a total of 635 A- through D-model jets in the Navy and Marine Corps fleet.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4537356&c=AME&s=AIR

 

[nandu]

Northrop begins upgrade of US Air Force's B-2 Spirit

CALIFORNIA (BNS): The US Air Force's B-2 Spirit stealth bomber will in near future become fast enough to send and receive battlefield communication.

Northrop Grumman, the prime contractor for the heavy bomber, has begun installing the first set of hardware -- EHF Increment 1 -- that will empower the aircraft to send and receive battlefield information up to 100 times faster than its present satellite communication system.

"EHF Increment 1 puts in place the high speed data handling infrastructure that the B-2 will need to perform its most advanced communications and weapons delivery missions in the future," USAF commander Col. Kevin Harms said.

The first 'kit' of the EHF Increment 1 will include a new integrated processing unit designed by Lockheed Martin to replace up to a dozen current stand-alone avionics computers on the B-2; A new disk drive unit that will enable transfer of EHF data onto and off of the B-2; and a network of fiber optic cable that will support the high speed data transfers within the aircraft.

The system is expected to undergo ground test in 2010, Northrop said.

The second kit, Increment 2, involves installation of a new communications terminal and new antennas that will allow the B-2 to transmit and receive information securely via satellite.

Increment 3 will integrate the bomber into the US Department of Defence's Global Information Grid, a worldwide network of information systems, processes and personnel involved in collecting, storing, managing and disseminating information on demand to war fighters, policy makers and military support personnel.

B-2 Spirit is a long-range heavy bomber with the USAF. It features low observable technology that enables it to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defences. The aircraft is designed to deploy both nuclear and conventional weapons.

It can fly more than 6,000 nautical miles without refueling and over 10,000 nautical miles with one aerial refueling, giving it the ability to reach any point on the globe within hours.

The USAF has a total of 20 B-2 Spirit bombers in its arsenal.

Source:Brahmand.com

 

[nandu]

Lockheed Martin F-35B JSF Succeeds in First Vertical Landing

In a major step forward for the world’s largest military program being spearheaded by Lockheed Martin, the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) rode more than 41,000 pounds of thrust to a vertical landing today for the first time, confirming its required ability to land in confined areas both ashore and afloat. “Today’s vertical landing onto a 95-foot square pad showed that we have the thrust and the control to maneuver accurately both in free air and in the descent through ground effect,” said F-35 Lead STOVL Pilot Graham Tomlinson. Our reader Jason Verdugo pointed out a better .
Tomlinson performed an 80-knot (93 miles per hour) short takeoff from an American Naval Air Station on Thursday. About 13 minutes into the flight, he positioned the aircraft 150 feet above the airfield, where he commanded the F-35 to hover for approximately one minute then descend to the runway.
After the successful flight, Doug Pearson, Lockheed Martin vice president of F-35 Test and Verification, said, “The successful first vertical landing today met our test objectives and demonstrates the F-35B’s capacity to operate from a very small area at sea or on shore – a unique capability for a supersonic, stealth fighter. This is the first of many such tests to fully define the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) characteristics of the world’s most capable 5th generation fighter. We will routinely conduct vertical landings and short takeoffs to further expand the operational flight envelope for the F-35B.”
Powered by a single Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan engine driving a counter-rotating Rolls-Royce LiftFan, the tested aircraft known as the BF-1, is one amongst the three aircrafts undergoing trials at the Naval facility.
The F-35 has three variants and is designed specifically to replace U.S. Air Force A-10s and F-16s, U.S. Navy F/A-18s, U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18s, and U.K. Harrier GR.7s and Sea Harriers. The first variant is the conventional takeoff and landing variant (CTOL) known as the F-35A, the second is the F-35B; it is the world’s first short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft capable of operating at supersonic speeds, as well as the first STOVL stealth fighter. The third variant is the F-35C, designed specifically for the US navy, the aircraft has a robust structure optimized for catapult launches and arrested landings plus larger wings, tails and control surfaces for more precise handling during carrier approaches.
In stealth mode, the F-35 can carry an internal weapons load that includes two 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions (JDAMS) and two advanced, medium-range, air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM).
Features of F-35B:
Length: 51.3 ft
Height: 14.1 ft
Wingspan: 35.0 ft
Wing area: 460 ft
Horizontal tail span: 22 ft
Weight empty: 32,000 lb
Max Weight: 60,000 lb class
Internal fuel: 14,000 + lbs
Speed: 1.6 Mach
Range: 900 nmi
Combat Radius: 500 nmi
Engine Thrust: 40,000 lb (with after burner)

Source:8ak.in

 

[nandu]

Combatant Commanders Want C-130s for Afghanistan

Following a successful demonstration in Iraq, commanders in Afghanistan are going to request more C-130 aircraft to be used for time-sensitive, mission-critical cargo delivery, the U.S. Army's top logistician said."We're about to get a request for it," Lt. Gen. Mitchell Stevenson, deputy chief of staff for logistics, said March 17.After the 2010 budget decision transferred the Joint Cargo Aircraft and its mission to the Air Force, the Army and the Air Force wrote a new concept of employment for how the aircraft would be operated now that it would no longer be in the Army's inventory.

Source: Asian Defence

 

[nandu]

Northrop Grumman Returns Restored B-2 Bomber to Active Duty.

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has returned to service with the U.S. Air Force a freshly painted, completely overhauled B-2 stealth bomber known as the “Spirit of Pennsylvania.”
The aircraft lifted off from Air Force Plant 42 here early in the morning on Jan. 26 for its return flight to Whiteman Air Force Base, operational home of the Air Force’s 509th Bomb Wing and the nation’s fleet of B-2s.
“The Spirit of Pennsylvania is the latest B-2 to complete a comprehensive overhaul process called programmed depot maintenance (PDM) that we perform in Palmdale on every B-2 every seven years,” said Dave Mazur, vice president of long range strike and B-2 program manager for Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector. “We’ve put this national asset back into its optimal form to serve the strategic needs of the country.”
The Spirit of Pennsylvania is the first B-2 to be painted with the insignia of the newly formed Global Strike Command, added Mazur. It was also featured in an early 2009 Sports Illustrated photo showing a B-2 flyover of the Rose Bowl football game in Pasadena.
Northrop Grumman is the Air Force’s prime contractor for the B-2, the flagship of the nation’s long range strike arsenal and the only combat-proven stealth aircraft in the current inventory. Global Strike Command assumed full operational control of the B-2 fleet on Feb 1.
According to Mazur, the programmed depot maintenance process takes approximately 13 months. It includes a complete restoration of the bomber’s composite airframe to a “like-new” condition, plus inspections, service and flight testing of all of the aircraft’s major mechanical and electrical systems. To date, every B-2 has completed at least one PDM cycle.
The current B-2 fleet comprises 20 aircraft: 19 operational assets plus one flight test aircraft based at Edwards AFB, Calif. that’s used to validate software and weapon systems upgrades.
The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is one of the most survivable aircraft in the world. It is the only aircraft that combines long range, large payload and precision weapons in a single platform, giving it the ability to penetrate deeply into enemy airspace and hold at risk an enemy’s most valued assets. It can fly more than 6,000 nautical miles unrefueled and more than 10,000 nautical miles with just one aerial refueling, giving it the ability to reach any point on the globe within hours.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

http://planenews.com

 

[nandu]

Sikorsky’s Second Prototype S-76DTM Helicopter Achieves First Flight

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has successfully completed the first flight of its second S-76DTM helicopter. The prototype aircraft successfully completed its initial test card during a flight on March 19 that lasted approximately 30 minutes. The S-76D helicopter is the latest version of the S-76® helicopter. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.
Sikorsky Chief Test Pilot Greg Barnes and Pilot Tom Davis conducted the test flight at Sikorsky’s Development Flight Center in Florida. The milestone brings the second of three prototypes into the test program.
“The first flight of D2 is extremely important to the S-76D helicopter program as it allows us to begin testing the engines for certification credit. The team will run D2 through a series of rigorous tests to validate the performance of the new PW210S engines. Having two aircraft in flight test also provides the team more flexibility, and is critical to achieving our overall FAA certification of the S-76D helicopter,” said Jesse Bavaro, S-76D Helicopter Deputy Program Manager.
Among the S-76D helicopter’s features are all-composite, flaw-tolerant main rotor blades; an advanced Thales avionics system and autopilot; dual rotor speed for quiet mode operation with active vibration control; powerful Pratt & Whitney 210S engines; a quiet mode; and an optional Rotor Ice Protection System (RIPS) for all-weather capability. The S-76D helicopter also will offer an increase in useful load and extended range performance versus the S-76C+TM and S-76C++TM aircraft currently fielded.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture, and service. The company’s long commitment to safety and innovation is reflected in its mission statement: “We pioneer flight solutions that bring people home everywhere … every time”. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning potential production and sale of helicopters. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in government procurement priorities and practices, budget plans or availability of funding or in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corporation’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

http://planenews.com

 

[nandu]

US Army awards Northrop Grumman multi-million dollar contract

US Army has awarded Northrop Grumman delivery order for 500 Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinders (LLDR) under a five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract.

The contract is valued at $142.7 million.

LLDR accurately targets enemy positions during the day, at night and in nearly all battlefield conditions including haze, smoke, fog and rain. This lightweight, interoperable system also provides range finding and targeting information to other digital battlefield systems.

With the help of an eye-safe laser wavelength, the system recognises targets, finds the range to a target, and fixes target locations for laser-guided, GPS-guided, and conventional munitions

"The LLDR system has proven itself to be of tremendous benefit to our nation's warfighters," said Gordon Stewart, Northrop Grumman's Laser Systems vice president and general manager, according to a news release by the Northrop Grumman Corporation.

Northrop Grumman's Laser Systems business unit has earlier delivered and fielded more than 1,300 LLDR systems to U.S. military forces supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.brahmand.com

 

[nandu]

Paradigm shift in US Army: Sikhs allowed religious symbols

IN INDIA Sikhs in the Army are common sights. They have a fine martial tradition. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji had transformed all followers of the Sikh Dharma into soldiers of the faith to defend and protect the weak from the strong oppressor. The United States had accepted Sikhs in the Army with their unshorn hair, an uncut beard, a turban and so on until 1984 when the new regulations forbade them from sporting their religious symbols and look different in the Army. That saw an end to the Sikh entry into the US Army.

The Iraq and Afghan wars made the US policy makers change regulations. More and More surgeons and orthodontists were needed to treat and provide comfort to the sick and the injured officers and enlisted men of the US Army. here was an opportunity for Tej Gagandeep Singh to join the US Army and undergo training with men and women who joined the Officers Training School.

We are Americans. We are US citizens. protecting and Defending America is our duty and that we shall do - that was the solemn pledge that Capt Tej Gagandeep Singh made solemnly along with other American men and women who had successfully completed the tough training. The 32 year old Sikh was permitted to maintain and sport all religious symbols of his Sikh Dharm.

He said that he asked for no exemptions in the tough schedule and did every act that a trainee is required to do. His fellow trainees had no problems with him and his different look due to his religious symbols was never an issue with other white and black American trainees. The Sikh American dental officer is now ready to be deployed anywhere in the world along with other officers and Enlisted Men and Women.

SIKH ORGANISATIONS HELPED

Let us walk together, let us talk together, let us think together - so enjoins the Veda on mankind. There is strength in togetherness and there is weakness when the social group falls apart.

In the case of Tej Gagandeep Singh the Sikh organisations in America came to his rescue. They made plaints and helped him file it and pursue it. They provided secretarial support and went out to meet the powers that be to represent the case.

They cited history and religion buttressing the point with historical proofs to convince the Department of Defence that allowing an individual to sport his religious symbols will only raise his morale and help him discharge his duties more efficiently. Cases of bravery of Sikh officers and soldiers in the World War I and World War II were cited to prove the contention that keeping and sporting religious symbols as ordained by the Tenth Guru, Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji was a help and not a hindrance in the discharge of military duties. Cases of bravery by the Sikh officers and soldiers of the Indian Army under the British suzerainty were also cited. Eventually the Sikhs carried the day.

FUTURE IS BRIGHT

Capt Tej Gagandeep Singh has opened the doors of the US Army for the Sikh youth in future. There will be no discrimination against them now on because of sporting religious symbols. Indeed, the insignia that other officers wear on beret, the Sikh officer will wear on the turban above the forehead. In the Indian Armed Forces the Sikh officers and soldiers, sailors and airmen do likewise. There is no objection from the idealogues of the Sikh religion.

Academically speaking, this exception to the regulation promulgated in 1984 has been allowed to the Sikhs as a special case. No more exceptions to any other individual or a group will be permitted hereafter. Can an individual sport a long beard? The answer is NO. Uniformity is a must in a service organisation. Deviations in many cases may lead to dilution of rules and the aim of maintaining uniformity.

http://www.merinews.com

 

[nandu]

Lockheed tests Paveway II Plus laser guided bomb


Lockheed-Martin designed Paveway II Plus laser guided bomb has successfully demonstrated its precision striking capabilities during a series of test flights recently.

The Paveway II Plus LGBs, with an enhanced laser guidance package, were test launched from a pair of F-16D Viper aircraft from the Eglin Air Force Base, Florida on March 3, Lockheed announced. A total of six flight tests were conducted for the weapon system.

The bombs were launched from altitudes ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 feet against a 24’ x 24’ billboard target angled at 45 degrees and “successfully initiated laser acquisition at the expected time and guided to the intended target,” Lockheed said.

The Paveway II laser guided bombs are used by the US Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps and some allied countries.

Lockheed is a qualified provider of the Paveway II LGB, of all three variants of the Paveway II MK-80 series LGBs, and is the sole provider of the Paveway II Enhanced Laser Guided Training Round and Dual Mode Laser Guided Bomb. The Paveway II Plus LGB is an improvised version of the Paveway II LGB.

The Paveway II LSB is a state-of-the-art, modern system that converts "dumb gravity" bombs into precision guided munitions. The system accuracy allows target destruction while reducing collateral damage and risks to US and allied ground forces.

Each LSB guidance kit consists of a computer control group, which is the front-end guidance system, along with an air foil group, which includes the flight fins to provide lift and stability.

http://www.brahmand.com

 

[nandu]

Navy to Commission Submarine New Mexico

The Navy's newest Virginia class attack submarine New Mexico will be commissioned Saturday, March 27, 2010, during an 11 a.m. EDT ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk, Va.

New Mexico is named in recognition of the people of the 'Land of Enchantment.' The battleship New Mexico, the only other ship named after the 47th state, earned six battle stars for World War II service, which included providing shore bombardment support for landings in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, and at Guam, Tinian, Saipan, the Philippines, and Okinawa.

Adm. Kirkland Donald, director, naval nuclear propulsion, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Cindy Giambastiani, wife of former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff retired Adm. Edmund Giambastiani, will serve as the ship's sponsor. In the time-honored Navy tradition she will give the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"

The sixth Virginia class submarine, New Mexico, is built to excel in anti-submarine warfare; anti-ship warfare; strike warfare; special operations; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; battle group support; and mine warfare missions. Upon entering service, New Mexico will directly enable five of the six Navy Maritime Strategy Core Capabilities ; sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence.

Cmdr. Mark A. Prokopius, a native of Seven Hills, Ohio, is the prospective commanding officer and will lead a crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted personnel.

The 7,800-ton New Mexico was built under a unique teaming arrangement between Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding and General Dynamics Electric Boat. The boat is 377-feet long, has a 34-foot beam, and will be able to dive to depths of greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged. New Mexico is designed with a reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship; reducing lifecycle costs while increasing operational availability.

http://www.emilitary.org

 

[youngindian]

NATO helicopter crashes in Afghanistan

kABUL — NATO says a helicopter with the international force has crashed in southern Afghanistan.

The military said Monday that initial reports are that there were no fatalities, but Jilani Farah, deputy police chief in Zabul province where the crash occurred, says 14 people were injured, including international and Afghan troops.

NATO says all personnel on board were evacuated to nearby medical facilities.

The military says the cause of the crash is under investigation, but there is no indication that insurgents shot down the aircraft.



http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvWEqwq3CrRvaQCmt21MfoYhjZJQD9EO3PPO0

 

[nandu]

Air Force works to instill 'warrior culture' in drone crews

New training aims to get personnel to feel they are constantly in combat, even if they are operating the Predators and Reapers flying over Afghanistan from the Nevada desert.

Reporting from Washington — As part of an effort to extend the military's "warrior culture" to unmanned planes, the Air Force is overhauling how it trains the crews that operate its rapidly growing fleet of Predators, Reapers and other remotely piloted aircraft.

The changes in training will affect hundreds of personnel who fly the unmanned aircraft remotely over war zones from distant bases and control their powerful cameras and targeting systems.
The effort is part of a move by the Air Force to put as much emphasis on drones as it does on traditional fighters and bombers, officials said.

It also underscores the continuing expansion of the role of unmanned aircraft in the hunt for militants in Afghanistan and the increasing importance of the airmen who operate them.

Each of the MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers is operated by two crew members. One is an Air Force pilot, who flies the craft. The second is a "sensor operator" who controls the plane's camera and its targeting laser, used to guide missiles and bombs.

When the Air Force first began flying armed Predators over Afghanistan, image analysts were in the second seat; they are extensively trained on how to interpret spy satellite pictures.

But after years of flying missions in Afghanistan, senior Air Force officers concluded they had the wrong people in that job. Instead, officials want the second crew member to focus less on interpreting imagery and more on helping fly the plane and strike targets.

"We are rewriting the Air Force's DNA," said Chief Master Sgt. Victor Allen, who is the career field manager for enlisted aviators.

The first group of recruits to receive the revamped training finished this month.

The new training is a mix of the technical -- details about the radar, camera and laser systems -- and what Allen calls "infusing the Air Force warrior culture" into the job.

"They need to understand the battle space. They need to understand working with a crew," Allen said. "This is absolutely flying a vehicle, and we want someone dedicated to this duty."

The Air Force in recent years has drastically expanded its investment in unmanned planes. Officials want a fleet of more than 200 unmanned planes, enough to have 65 in the air at one time. To reach that level, under Air Force plane-to-crew ratios, officials said they need about 1,400 pilots and 1,100 sensor operators. The Air Force now has only 317 airmen in the sensor operator field and must train hundreds more.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/29/world/la-fg-predator-gunners29-2010mar29

 

[nandu]

US Air Force prefers extending old fighters' life

The U.S. Air Force said on Tuesday that it hopes to extend the life of its existing fighter planes as needed rather than to buy new older-model fighters that would siphon funding away from Lockheed Martin Corp's next-generation F-35 fighter.Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz told reporters that any move to buy new F-15 fighters built by Boeing Co or F-16s built by Lockheed would take money away from the F-35 fighter program. Instead, the service would prefer to do service life extensions for the older fighters, at about 10 to 15 percent of the cost of buying new.

http://conservativeamericannews.com/free-republic/us-air-force-prefers-extending-old-fighters-life

 

[youngindian]

Pentagon denies military test-fires Trident ballistic missile in Saudi drill

March 31, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagton denied Wednesday that the United States test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads during a joint military exercise with Saudi Arabia.

A Western military official in Saudi Arabia, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said a Trident missile was launched Wednesday out in the kingdom. But Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington, a Pentagon spokesman, said there was no launch of Trident or any other missile during the exercise, which began last week.

The U.S. has been strengthening missile defenses in allied Arab nations in the Gulf to help counter any potential missile strike from Iran. Like its nuclear work, Iran's missile program is of top concern to Washington and Arab nations wary of Tehran's growing influence in the region.

The Western military official in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, said U.S. Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, head of the Missile Defense Agency, attended the test launch, but a second defense official in the United States said that while O'Reilly was in the region last week, he did not attend a missile launch.


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-ml-saudi-us-missile-test,0,3488874.story

 

[nandu]

Lockheed Martin successfully tests JAGM system

ORLANDO (BNS): Lockheed Martin has successfully completed a wide-ranging series of tests on the multi-mode seeker, for its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) system.

JAGM is a high precision weapon that can function even in adverse weather. It provides low-collateral-damage weapon to rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, as well as the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Currently in the technology development phase, JAGM’s tri-mode seeker includes imaging infrared, semi-active laser and millimeter wave radar sensors for precision-strike targeting.

“We’ve successfully demonstrated all of the sensor modes simultaneously and are very pleased with what we’re seeing,” Rick Edwards, vice president for Tactical Missiles and Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin said in a news release.

Lockheed Martin has already built several tri-mode seekers for tower, captive flight and missile flight testing.

The upcoming captive-carry test of JAGM will verify its performance in a flight environment. The company will carry out additional tests in thermal and vibration performance, and electromagnetic interference effects later this year.

http://www.brahmand.com/news/Lockheed-Martin-successfully-tests-JAGM-system/3532/1/11.html

 

[nandu]

US retiring nuclear Tomahawk missiles

Washington: The United States will retire its sea-based nuclear Tomahawk missiles within a few years, believing it has other ways to defend Northeast Asia, a Pentagon official said Wednesday.

The elimination of the missile -- supported in the past by some policymakers in Japan and South Korea -- was part of a policy shift announced Tuesday by President Barack Obama's administration to reduce the role of nuclear weapons.

"The timeline for its retirement will be over the next two to three years," James Miller, the principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, told a news conference.

He said that the United States had held "extensive consultations" with US allies including Japan and South Korea about the decision to retire the nuclear Tomahawk, known in military jargon as the TLAM-N.

"We reached a point of mutual confidence that the TLAM-N was a redundant system not necessary for effective, extended deterrence for Northeast Asia," Miller said.

He said that the United States had other nuclear-capable systems including intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launches ballistic missiles.

"If we think about systems that are potentially forward-deployable, they also include our tactical aircraft and they include our heavy bombers as well," Miller said.

An experts' report mandated by Congress had last year recommended the continued deployment of the nuclear Tomahawk, noting that US allies in Asia were part of nuclear planning.

"It has become clear to us that some US allies in Asia would be very concerned by TLAM-N retirement," said the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States.

But the Tomahawk nuclear missiles have also been a source of friction with Japan.

Japan's left-leaning government which took office last year commissioned a study which found that US forces had a secret pact with Tokyo to bring the nuclear weapons into the country, despite Japan's official non-nuclear stance.

http://www.defencetalk.com/us-retiring-nuclear-tomahawk-missiles-25571/

 

[nandu]

First live warhead flight for Lockheed’s multi-purpose Hellfire II missile

12 Apr 2010 8ak: Lockheed Martin’s multi-purpose AGM 114R Hellfire II missile scored another success in its second proof-of-principle (POP) flight test, the first armed with a live warhead. The R model, or “Romeo” missile, features a multi-purpose warhead that enables a single HELLFIRE missile to cover all of the target sets of the currently fielded laser-guided variants.

The POP 2 flight test, conducted at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, featured a lock-on-after-launch engagement of a stationary target board at 1.6 miles (2.5 km). The team used a ground-based laser designator to illuminate the target. The multi-purpose warhead was set with a delayed fuze that allows the missile to penetrate the target before detonating. The missile was launched with a low trajectory suitable for a military operation in urban terrain scenario and struck the target board precisely designated by the laser aimpoint. The precursor warhead detonated on impact, while the primary warhead successfully detonated a short distance beyond the target.

“This test successfully demonstrates the Romeo’s multi-purpose warhead and electronic safe, arm and fire, or ESAF, module, which provides the pilot-programmable delayed fuzing function,” said Ken Musculus, director of Air-to-Ground Missile System programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

“In this case, we tested the Romeo’s ability to penetrate and then detonate within a target vehicle or structure, a critical capability against today’s threats,” said Musclus. “Both the multi-purpose warhead and ESAF module are new to the HELLFIRE,” he added further.

The multi-purpose HELLFIRE II missile can be carried on both rotary-wing and UAV platforms, can be launched from higher altitudes— increasing the impact angle and enhancing stealth and lethality—and provides a wide engagement zone to properly equipped platforms, enabling them to target and fire upon targets to the side and behind them.

 

[nandu]

US Army awards $100mn CROWS contract to Kongsberg

Norway Norvegian Remote Weapon Stations CROWS. PHOTO: Kongsberg Gruppen Corporation.

US army has awarded a military contract worth up to $100 million to Kongsberg Gruppen of Norway.

The order is part of the increase of the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Stations (CROWS) framework agreement for up to 10.349 systems signed in December 2009.

According to a news release by Kongsberg Gruppen, CROWS is a joint acquisition programme for weapon stations for the army's vehicle programmes. The programme will result in substantial efficiency gains in respect of protection, training, support and further development.

The initial CROWS II framework agreement was disclosed to the Oslo Stock Exchange on 22 August 2007.

The Protector Weapon Control System, in the CROWS II configuration, protects military troops by allowing the vehicle's weapons to be operated from a protected position inside the vehicle, the release said.

http://www.brahmand.com/news/US-Army-awards-$100mn-CROWS-contract-to-Kongsberg/3617/1/14.html