US Army

Rappel du premier message :

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« J'aime les USA, et je combats pour elle», c'est ainsi que Lamia Lahlou commente son adhésion à l'armée américaine, et sa participation à la guerre contre l'iraq- depuis déjà 8 mois-. Née au Maroc en 1986, Lamia Lahlou rejoint l'armée américaine 3 ans après les attentats du 11 septembre 2001.

Tempérée par sa propre volonté, «la marocaine», ne mâche pas ses mots pour affirmer que ce pas emboité s'inscrit dans le cadre d'un «vrai Jihad». Rapporte une idéo diffusée largement sur Internet (Voir ci-aprés).

Choquée par la mort de sa meilleure amie, Lamia croit dur comme fer que l'adhésion à l'armée américaine est le seul et unique moyen susceptible de calmer le feu de sa vengeance.

A noter que les USA continuent à «renforcer » son armée via le recrutement des marocains, à l'heure où ALQIADIA ciblent d'autres recrues du Maroc vers la Hollande et la Belgique, tout en passant par la Syrie, l'Espagne et l'Iraq.

source: emarrakech.info

Rafi

WOW 35 000$ L'unité

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Afghanistan : XM25, le fusil du futur de l’armée américaine





L’armée américaine a fourni à ses soldats en Afghanistan les premiers exemplaires du XM25, le fusil du futur censé révolutionner l’art de la guerre en identifiant et tuant des ennemis cachés derrière des obstacles.


Doté d’un viseur infrarouge et d’une technologie révolutionnaire permettant aux munitions d’exploser après impact, le XM25 doit permettre aux soldats américains d’abattre des ennemis cachés derrière un mur ou tout autre obstacle.
Selon de nombreux experts militaires, cette nouvelle technologie est une véritable révolution en terme de méthodes d’opération militaires et modifiera à jamais la façon de se battre sur un champ de bataille.
Petit bémol toutefois. Ce petit bijou de technologie militaire coûte 35.000 dollars l’unité.

24heuresactu

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LONGBOW LLC Awarded $26.8 Million for Longbow Fire Control Radar Life Cycle Contractor Support



ORLANDO, FL, December 6th, 2010 — The LONGBOW Limited Liability Company, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Northrop Grumman [NYSE: NOC], has received a $26.8 million contract from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command for LONGBOW Fire Control Radar (FCR) Life Cycle Contractor Support.
The follow-on contract includes integrated logistics for the 246 LONGBOW FCR systems in the U.S. Army inventory. Under this contract, LONGBOW LLC will also provide worldwide sustainment for the U.S. Army and Army National Guard. The contract includes options that could extend the Life Cycle Contractor Support through 2012.
“This contract leverages existing Apache sensor support infrastructure to create an affordable maintenance solution,” said Jerry Garman, LONGBOW LLC president and director of LONGBOW programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Our streamlined process optimizes the operational availability of the LONGBOW FCR for the Warfighter.”
“This latest contract further demonstrates the maturity of the LONGBOW program and the confidence our customer has in our technologies and capabilities,” said Steve Considine, LONGBOW LLC vice president and director of LONGBOW aviation programs at Northrop Grumman’s Land and Self Protection Systems Division.
For more than a decade, the LONGBOW FCR has provided Apache aircrews with target detection, location, classification and prioritization. In all weather, over multiple terrains and through any battlefield obscurant, the radar allows automatic and rapid multi-target engagement. The LONGBOW FCR integrates with the LONGBOW HELLFIRE missile, enhancing the Apache’s lethality fourfold and increasing survivability sevenfold.
Source and photo: Lockheed Martin

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EADS North America conducts first flight of its Armed Aerial Scout 72X Technical Demonstration Aircraft



EADS North America today announced that it has flown the second of three company-funded Armed Aerial Scout 72X Technical Demonstration Aircraft (TDA).
The flight took place yesterday at the company’s American Eurocopter facility in Grand Prairie, Texas and lasted 40 minutes. The objective of this flight was to demonstrate integrated targeting sensor, manned/unmanned teaming (MUM-T) and communications and navigation capabilities. Subsequent test flights will demonstrate additional capabilities required to meet the U.S. Army’s current Armed Aerial Scout mission requirements.
The EADS North America-led industry team, comprised of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), Eurocopter and American Eurocopter, is developing three AAS-72X aircraft to demonstrate the total capability of the aircraft with a fully-integrated Mission Equipment Package (MEP).
This is a significant milestone for our industry team as we further demonstrate the capabilities of our aircraft and its ability to meet the Army’s warfighting requirement,” said Sean O’Keefe, CEO of EADS North America. “We’re pleased with our progress to date and remain fully committed to developing and demonstrating a solution for the Armed Aerial Scout mission.”The first TDA aircraft has been in use to demonstrate anticipated AAS-72X requirements for the Army’s Armed Aerial Scout mission. This includes a July 2009 series of successful high/hot test flights that achieved all test objectives including hover-out-of-ground-effect and flight endurance with a 2,300-pound simulated MEP, and a transportability demonstration of five helicopters on a C-17 transport aircraft.
Since that time other advancements on the program include the development of the MEP Systems Integration Laboratory at Lockheed Martin’s Orlando, Florida facility.
“Lockheed Martin’s considerable progress in maturing the state-of-the-art AAS MEP demonstrates our commitment to providing a best-value, superior solution to meet the warfighters’ armed scout need,” said Bob Gunning, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control vice president of Fire Control programs. “We are leveraging our expertise from other combat-proven rotary- and fixed-wing programs to develop the lowest risk MEP. This first flight marks a significant achievement on our path towards flying a production prototype.”
As a highly capable helicopter for the Armed Aerial Scout mission, the AAS-72X combines twin-engine safety and the high and hot operating performance critical to the Army’s armed scout mission. The AAS-72X is derived from the same family of aircraft as the UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter, offering a low-risk evolution of the U.S. Army’s newest rotary-wing aircraft, which is widely considered one of the most successful acquisition programs in the service’s history.
“Today’s event proves our commitment to this project in terms of our financial investment and emphasizes our enhanced engineering capability to serve our U.S. Army customer. This is yet another example of delivering on our promise,” said Marc Paganini, President and CEO American Eurocopter.
Production of the AAS-72X would take place at the Columbus, Miss. helicopter center of excellence operated by American Eurocopter, an EADS North America operating unit, where the UH-72A currently is assembled for the U.S. Army. EADS North America has delivered 146 UH-72As on time and within budget, including five to the U.S. Navy.
For additional information about EADS North America’s AAS-72X, visit the website at: www.AAS-72X.com.
Source and photo: EADS

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U.S. Army Awards General Dynamics $112 Million for Stryker Combat Vehicle Work

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. | General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded three contracts by the U.S. Army to support performance specification changes to and fielding of the Stryker vehicle. The contracts are worth a combined $112.2 million. General Dynamics Land Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

"The Stryker is called 'the backbone' of the Army's medium armored brigades and with these contracts, we will continue to strengthen the vehicle so it can protect our troops in theatre," said Mike Cannon, senior vice president of General Dynamics Land Systems' Ground Combat Systems. "Stryker delivers strength, speed, lethality and survivability where it counts."

Stryker brigades have logged an estimated 25 million miles during 13 rotations to war zones. The Stryker is an eight-wheeled combat vehicle that is lighter, smaller and more readily deployable than other Army combat vehicles. Proven effective by the Army and the National Guard for defense and disaster-response missions, the Stryker family of vehicles stresses performance and commonality to reduce the logistics footprint and minimize costs. Strykers are available in ten variants: infantry carrier vehicle; commander's vehicle; medical evacuation vehicle; fire support vehicle; engineer squad vehicle; anti-tank guided missile; mortar carrier; reconnaissance vehicle; mobile gun system; and nuclear, biological and chemical reconnaissance vehicle.

Under one contract for $92 million from the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, General Dynamics will provide design and integration engineering services, prototypes, procurement of materials and components and an integrated solution that will deliver improved blast-protection levels to support Stryker brigades.

The second contract, worth $11.7 million, is to acquire the production cut- in for alternators and air conditioning for Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS) vehicles. The MGS variant is a direct-fire infantry assault platform with a 105mm tank cannon mounted in a low-profile, fully stabilized, "shoot-on-the- move" turret to support dismounted infantry. It destroys vehicles, equipment and hardened positions with its bunker- and wall-breaching capability. It is also equipped to detect nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Work on the contract is expected to by February 2011.

The third contract awarded is valued at $8.5 million and funds equipment and components in support of total package fielding of Stryker vehicles. Work on the contract is expected be completed by September 2011.

Work on these contracts will be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich. and London, Ontario, Canada by existing General Dynamics employees.

defpro

Slovenian Mountain School (Centre of Excellence for Mountain Warfe) is conducting a 10-day winter mountain training for the US troops, members of 172nd Infantry Brigade

Day2


Day 3



Day4


Quelques photos :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/usarmyeurope_images/

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LONGBOW LLC Delivers 400th Longbow Fire Control Radar To The U.S. Army



The LONGBOW Limited Liability Company, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Northrop Grumman [NYSE: NOC], marked the delivery of the 400th LONGBOW Fire Control Radar (FCR) at a ceremony held today at a Lockheed Martin facility in Orlando, FL. The combat-proven LONGBOW FCR is fielded with the U.S. Army and eight international customers.
“The LONGBOW FCR is a true battlefield force multiplier,” said Col Shane Openshaw, U.S. Army program manager for Apache. “The system’s advanced air and ground targeting capabilities provide critical support for ground troops while limiting the aircrew’s exposure to threats.”
“As operational missions change, the LONGBOW FCR continues to meet the needs of the Warfighter,” said Jerry Garman, LONGBOW LLC president and director of LONGBOW programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “High system reliability and low-cost, two-level maintenance ensures the fire control solution is readily available to the Apache aviator.”
“The LONGBOW FCR provides our nation’s warfighters with enhanced situational awareness and actionable intelligence – critical capabilities required to engage on today’s battlefield,” said Steve Considine, LONGBOW LLC vice president and director of LONGBOW aviation programs at Northrop Grumman’s Land and Self Protection Systems Division.
The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command awarded the initial LONGBOW FCR production contract in 1995. Work is performed at Lockheed Martin facilities in Orlando and Ocala, FL, and Northrop Grumman facilities in Baltimore, MD. Delivery of an additional 25 systems currently contracted will be complete in 2012.
For more than a decade, the LONGBOW FCR has provided Apache aircrews with target detection, location, classification and prioritization. In all weather, over multiple terrains and through any battlefield obscurant, the radar allows automatic and rapid multi-target engagement. The LONGBOW FCR integrates with the LONGBOW HELLFIRE missile, enhancing the Apache’s lethality fourfold and increasing survivability sevenfold.
Source: Lockheed Martin
Photo: Rob Vogelaar, ZAPP

AeroVironment receives $46.2 million order for Raven UAVs

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AeroVironment has received a long-awaited order to deliver hundreds of new Raven unmanned aircraft vehicles and retrofit kits to the US Army and US Marine Corps.

The army signed an order on 28 December for AeroVironment to deliver 123 MQ-11 Raven B systems, each of which consists of three vehicles and two control stations. The $46.2 million contract also includes kits to retrofit digital data links on Raven Bs, with 339 kits ordered by the army and 186 for the Marines.

The contract completes a deal that has been in negotiation since the fiscal year 2010 spending bill for the Department of Defense became law in December 2009.

Earlier in 2010, the army increased the acquisition objective for the Raven inventory by about 8%. In December, AeroVironment officials said the company expects the service to extend Raven procurement beyond FY2011.

The 1.9kg (4.2lb) vehicle can be carried in a backpack. The hand-launched aircraft is equipped with day and night video cameras.

Flight International

Army launches OH-58F cockpit and sensor upgrade programme

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The US Army has been cleared to launch a nearly four-year, $1.98 billion project to develop the first major technology upgrade for the Bell Helicopter OH-58D Kiowa Warrior in two decades.

The cockpit and sensor upgrade programme (CASUP) will convert the army's armed scout helicopter into the OH-58F model, with funding transferred from a cancelled programme that would have replaced the Kiowa Warrior with the Bell ARH-70 Arapaho.

The OH-58 fleet is now programmed to remain in service until 2025, or nearly 56 years after the first examples were delivered.

Lt Col Scott Rauer, Kiowa Warrior product manager, describes CASUP as a "fairly significant investment of dollars".

The work will replace the current aircraft's DRS Technologies mast-mounted sensor with a nose-mounted Raytheon common sensor payload. This will require airframe design changes, including raising the landing gear and rearranging the nose compartment.

"It provides long-term sustainment and viability for the aircraft to continue its mission because the aircraft has evolved in the battlefield," Rauer says.

However, the army may have to revisit the upgrade strategy for the OH-58 after April, when an analysis of alternatives is scheduled to be released presenting options for a long-term replacement. The study is considering a wide range of possibilities, including a more powerful, re-engined version of the OH-58.

Flight International

General Atomics gets support deal for Gray Eagle

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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems will get $85.5 million for logistics support and related services in and outside the USA, the Pentagon says.

The programme will support the US Army's MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned air vehicle, which General Atomics refers to as the Warrior or Sky Warrior. The company says the new contract, which was not part of the army's original procurement deal for the Gray Eagle, is standard.

The armed, extended-range multi-purpose UAV is operational in Afghanistan and Iraq. The system is a variant of General Atomics' MQ-1 Predator design.

Flight International

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Lockheed Martin Awarded $15 Million Production Contract to Upgrade Military Helicopter Sensor System



ORLANDO, FL, January 6th, 2011 — The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $15 million contract for production of a low-light-level TV capability, called VNsight, for the Apache’s combat-proven Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS), also known as Arrowhead®. The new VNsight visible/near infrared sensor is integrated into the Modernized PNVS, providing the Warfighter with significant tactical advantages, particularly in low-light-level conditions.
The VNsight Lot 1 production contract for 65 sensors and spares will equip two Apache battalions. It will also provide an initial quantity of cameras and spares to outfit a Foreign Military Sales customer. The M-TADS/PNVS systems will be upgraded as a field retrofit. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control will produce the VNsight lens and serve as the system integrator, while Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors in Akron, OH, will provide the sensor’s camera.
“The VNsight completes a commitment to the Warfighter to deliver a blended image capability in the Apache to support both situational awareness for the pilot and improved air-to-ground coordination,” said U.S. Army Apache Sensors Product Manager Lt. Col. John Vannoy. “After thorough testing of this system with pilots experienced in both combat theaters, I’m confident that their appraisal of the system as a must-have capability will result in the Apache becoming even more lethal on the battlefield.”
“The VNsight camera upgrade represents a mission enhancing capability improvement for the Lockheed Martin produced Apache sensor,” said Monty Watson, VNsight program manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “VNsight provides an increase in pilot situational awareness, flight safety and mission flexibility.”
By blending VNsight imagery with the M-PNVS forward looking infrared (FLIR) imagery, pilots can see cultural and military lighting (lasers, markers, beacons, tracer rounds, etc.) accurately registered within the thermal image over the full 30-by-40 degree field of view of the sensor. This ensures safer flying conditions and enhanced mission capability by improving situational awareness in low-light-level conditions and situations where existing light sources cannot be imaged by the FLIR.
The capability to image light sources in-band with the VNsight sensor allows aviators to see some laser pointers, improving coordination with ground units. It also allows the aircrew to see their own laser spot while designating targets for laser-guided munitions engagements, providing an extra level of certainty that the correct target and aim-point are designated. Enhanced air-to-ground situational awareness reduces the potential for fratricide.
Source and image: Lockheed Martin

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U.S. Army to Buy Only 1 More Brigade Set of NIKs

Senior U.S. Army leaders on Jan. 12 received permission during a meeting with Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter to buy one more brigade set of Network Integration Kits and two more sets of the Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle, according to sources.
Carter also approved the termination of the Class I Unmanned Aerial System and the Tactical and Urban Unattended Ground Sensors, a move expected after the Army issued a stop-work order to prime contractor Boeing on Jan. 6.
All of the gear was first developed for the Army's ambitious Future Combat Systems program, canceled in 2009. Since then, the equipment had become Increment 1 of the service's Early Infantry Brigade Combat Team program.
According to a briefing slide, moving ahead with the second set of NIKs is going to be contingent on another round of testing.
It is also possible that the Army might buy fewer than 83 NIKs, the original plan for each brigade, the slide indicated. The plan for the Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle was 38 per brigade.
Carter should provide more details in an acquisition decision memorandum, which could be released before the end of the week.
The Army is currently buying a first set of the gear from Boeing. However, the Jan. 6 stop-work order asks the company to immediately stop any planning or post-delivery support work on the first set of unattended sensors and the Class I UAS. The stop-work order does not affect the delivery of those items, it says.
Last December, the Army met with Carter to ask for permission to buy three sets of the gear under low-rate initial production. Carter decided to only give the service permission to buy one set, saying he wouldn't approve further buys until the gear proved itself during additional testing.
In the 2011 budget request, the Army asked for $683 million to outfit two more brigades with the gear. However, that request included about $351 million for the Non-Line of Sight Launch System, a missile launcher that has since been terminated.
For FY11, the Army also requested $1.3 billion in research and development funding for Increment 2, the next phase of the program, which intended to increase the capabilities of all four systems, with most of the money going toward improving the NIK and its related software.
In September, the Army ran the equipment through a limited user test at Fort Bliss, Texas, where a task force made up mostly of combat veterans provided feedback. While those results have not been made public, it is widely known that the equipment did not fare well, especially the Class I UAS and the sensors.
The NIK is the most expensive item in the set. It is a sophisticated suite of communications gear that includes the Integrated Computer System and the Ground Mobile Radio being developed as part of the Joint Tactical Radio System.
The Army's plans for the NIK are evolving along with the service's overall network strategy. It is believed the Army is interested in less costly and simpler network solutions than the sophisticated suite of communications technologies and software created for FCS.
This last brigade set of Network Integration Kits may serve as a bridge until the Army decides on a replacement that better suits its needs.

defensenews

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Under Fire



Posted 1/13/2011
U.S. Army soldiers take cover as they receive fire on a riverbed near Combat Outpost Delorean in Bala Murghab in Afghanistan's Baghdis province, Jan. 9, 2011. The soldiers are assigned to the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace

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KONGSBERG logs increased scope of CROWS II framework agreement with the US Army


US Army HMMWVs deployed to Iraq equipped with CROWS remote weapon systems

KONGSBERG has signed a contract with the US Army increasing the existing CROWS II frame contract with NOK 451 million [$77.08 million; €57.76 million - Ed.] for purchase of spare parts.

KONGSBERG has also received purchase orders for spares and repairs valued NOK 364 million.

CROWS is a joint acquisition program for weapon stations for the US Army`s vehicle programs. A common solution will result in substantial efficiency gains in respect of protection, training, support and further development.

The initial CROWS II framework agreement was disclosed on 22 August 2007.

The PROTECTOR Weapon Control System protects military troops by allowing the vehicle's weapons to be operated from a protected position inside the vehicle

defpro

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Watch Out for that Overhead Wire!



Posted 1/16/2011
MRAP Overhead Wire Mitigation Kit

Soldiers driving the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle were frequently knocking out voltage lines, putting crews and equipment at risk in addition to aggravating locals and damaging infrastructure. Researchers at the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center at Warren, Mich. took an idea from Soldiers in the field and applied science. Officials said the kit adapts easily to newly integrated vehicles and requires no modification and can be installed without special tools. Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo

bon trick

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SOURCE:Flight International
Sikorsky primes S-97 for possible AAS launch after 2014
By Stephen Trimble

Sikorsky officials remain committed to the company's high-speed S-97 Raider demonstrator despite a likely US Army move to at least postpone a decision to launch an armed aerial scout (AAS) programme.

Sikorsky has signed up more than 20 industrial teammates since launching the coaxial rotor, compound rotorcraft, which is capable of speeds above 200kt (370km/h), in October. The company has committed to build two prototypes for a flight demonstration starting in 2014.

However, army officials have emphasised that no funding for the AAS programme will be included in its 2012 budget.

Brig Gen William Crosby, programme executive officer for army aviation, says funding a new-start programme within the next two years is unlikely. That decision remains true, says Crosby, even if an ongoing analysis of alternatives recommends replacing the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior with a new airframe for the manned helicopter part of the AAS requirement.

Sikorsky officials have been wary of tying the S-97 too closely to the fate of the AAS programme. The company believes it remains viable even if the AAS programme does not materialise.

Nevertheless, Sikorsky officials now express confidence that the S-97 will be a top contender for the army's next scout helicopter. First flight of the S-97, in 2014, is timed to coincide with when Sikorsky believes the army will be ready to launch the AAS programme, says Doug Shidler, director of Sikorsky's light tactical helicopter programme.

The S-97 also could be offered to US Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Brig Gen Kevin Mangum, incoming commander for army aviation special operations, says the Boeing MH-6M Little Bird may soon need a replacement, adding: "We have about maxed out the H-6 from a capabilities standpoint."

Sikorsky believes the AAS programme will play a key role in the MH-6 replacement. Unlike the army, SOCOM does not traditionally introduce all-new aircraft, preferring to buy helicopters already in service.

ah hein ...

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A U.S. Army sergeant looks through a Long Range Thermal Viewer while training for an upcoming mission, Jan. 17, at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. The conventional force infantry soldiers are assigned to Special Operations Task Force - South and will assist in the special operations mission at remote sites throughout Kandahar province.

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A U.S. Army sergeant looks through a Long Range Thermal Viewer while training for an upcoming mission, Jan. 17, at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. The conventional force infantry soldiers are assigned to Special Operations Task Force - South and will assist in the special operations mission at remote sites throughout Kandahar province.

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A U.S. Army conventional force unit receives instruction from Department of Defense civilians on how to operate the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station mounted on a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, Jan. 17, at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan.

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A U.S. Army sergeant, assisted by fellow soldiers, properly aligns the sight of a Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station mounted on a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle

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Soldiers from Company C, joined Afghan National Army soldiers from Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 201st Infantry Corps, on the patrol. After seven hours of dismounted searching through rugged terrain, Company C and their Afghan counterparts located an improvised explosive device along Route Iowa, thanks to a tip from someone in the area of Tupac, Afghanistan. The soldiers had been struck by an IED in Tupac two days earlier. Fortunately, no U.S. or Afghan soldiers were injured in the attack. After locating the IED, the soldiers then walked back to Forward Operating Base Kalagush, hiking about eight miles up and down mountains for the day.

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Gray Eagle Sighted in Iraq



Related Article: Gray Eagle Production Increased 50 Percent
Posted 1/25/2011

ACAMP TAJI, Iraq (Nov. 29, 2010) n MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft makes its way down an airfield on Camp Taji, Iraq, before a surveillance mission in the Baghdad area. The Gray Eagle is the Army's newest "eyes in the sky," and is being tested by Quick Reaction Capability 1-Reaction 1, the only unit using the aircraft in Iraq. Photo by Spc. Roland Hale

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U.S. Army Wants To Redirect Funding for Humvees


The U.S. Army still plans to launch a competitive program to upgrade its Humvee fleet, according to the final draft of the service's Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Strategy, released Jan. 27. But the service has been unsuccessful so far at securing funding for the effort.

The Army would like to start the Humvee recap effort this fiscal year, Maj. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, who directs force development in the Army's G-8, told reporters Jan. 27.Related Topics

Getting the effort started will require the Army to submit a second reprogramming request to Congress
Last spring, the Army asked permission from Congress to shift money away from procuring new Humvees toward a Humvee recap program. That request was denied.
Since then, the Army has done a lot of talking to members of Congress and their staff, Spoehr said. The service also has continued to refine its acquisition strategy and explore what industry can offer.
The Army first released a request for information for the recap program in January 2010.
Most vehicle makers had an improved Humvee on display at their booths at the annual Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) conference in October. The improved Humvee designs featured everything from double-V hulls to advanced armor solutions to structural blast chimneys.
The service plans to release a second request for information before issuing a formal request for proposals, said Col. David Bassett, project manager for tactical vehicles.
In the near term, the Army plans to reset its Humvees used in Iraq and Afghanistan in its depots.
The Army does not plan to buy any new Humvees beyond 2012. However, the service is working with Humvee maker AM General to keep the production line running as long as it makes sense, Bassett said. There are other services' requirements to fill as well as requests from other countries, he said.
The Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Strategy represents a "paradigm shift" for the Army, Spoehr said. Rather than look out five to 10 years as previous documents have, this strategy lays out a plan for how to manage the service's fleet of trucks for the next 30 years, he said.
The Army plans to reduce its overall fleet of 260,000 trucks by 15 percent by fiscal 2017, Spoehr said. In doing so, the Army will reduce what it spends on procurement for tactical wheeled vehicles from $4.4 billion a year to $2.5 billion a year.
Part of this divestiture could include some of the Army's Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.
The Army would like to divest around 1,500 of the roughly 20,000 MRAPs in its inventory, Spoehr said. The two models the Army would prefer to divest are the earlier version of the RG-33, built by BAE Systems, and Force Protection's Cougar.
The Army owns later, more capable versions of the RG-33, and to upgrade the older models is not cost-effective, officials said. The Army does not own many Cougars, and therefore, resourcing the maintenance and training for them also is not cost-effective.
The Army does not intend to throw either vehicle out, but if there is an opportunity for "someone else to use them," the Army would prefer to divest them, Army officials said.
The Army released a draft of the strategy at the AUSA conference in October, but then pulled it back, saying it needed to circulate the document internally a bit longer.
According to Spoehr, the document released Jan. 27 is the same one the Army was ready to distribute in October.

defensenews

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Snow & Fire on the Mountain



Posted 1/31/2011

A 120 mm mortar round flies out of the tube as U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ramey J. Brown (left), a section sergeant from Marshville, N.C., Spc. Tyler L. Dillon (center), a team leader from Williamstown, W.Va., and Pvt. Gabriel C. Fields (right), from Fort Worth, Texas, all mortarmen assigned to Troop C, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Bandit, take cover while at Observation Post Mustang in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province on Jan. 26. “It gets pretty intense sometimes when firing, especially if a firefight is going on,” said Dillon. Photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell

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Lockheed Martin Receives $139 Million U.S. Army Contract for HIMARS


DALLAS, TX | Lockheed Martin has received a $139.6 million contract to provide 44 combat-proven High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to the U.S. Army. This order will increase the Army’s HIMARS launcher fleet to 375, with deliveries continuing through January 2013. Work on the contract will be performed at the company’s facilities in Camden, AR, and Grand Prairie, TX.

“HIMARS brings soldiers an agile, responsive and accurate delivery system of extremely precise fires,” said Col. David J. Rice, U.S. Army program manager for Precision Fires, Rocket and Missile Systems. “HIMARS continues to impress everybody with its performance and versatility, the system is reliable, robust and exceptionally effective in theater.”

The system can accommodate a six-pack of Guided MLRS rockets or one Army Tactical Missile System missile. HIMARS, a highly mobile artillery rocket system based on the Army’s FMTV five-ton truck, is designed to launch the entire MLRS Family of Munitions.

“Half of the more than 1,900 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) rockets expended by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan have been fired from HIMARS,” said Scott Arnold, vice president for Precision Fires at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “HIMARS has proven itself to soldiers to be highly reliable and relevant in today’s battlefield, and its operational readiness rate continues to exceed requirements, a testament to the quality of the system.”

HIMARS is designed to enable troops to engage and defeat artillery, air defense concentrations, trucks, light armor and personnel carriers, as well as support troop and supply concentrations, HIMARS can move away from the area at high speed following missile launch, well before enemy forces are able to locate the launch site. The U.S. Army and Marines operate HIMARS, as do several international allies.

Because of its C-130 transportability, HIMARS can be deployed into areas previously inaccessible to heavier launchers and provides a force multiplier to the modular brigade. It also incorporates the self-loading, autonomous features that have made MLRS the premier rocket artillery system in the world. The HIMARS fire control system, electronics and communications units are interchangeable with the existing MLRS M270A1 launcher, and the crew and training are the same. HIMARS is a crucial component in today’s military theaters of operation.

defpro

Citation :

Goodrich Awarded U.S. Army Contract for Laser Warning Systems

CHARLOTTE, N.C. | Goodrich Corporation (NYSE: GR) has been awarded a five-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract by the U.S. Army for an anticipated maximum value of $47 million for the procurement of additional AN/AVR-2A(V) Laser Warning System components. The AN/AVR-2A(V) enhances aircraft survivability by detecting multiple laser aided threats and weapons systems.

Goodrich's ISR Systems team in Danbury, Conn. will supply the components. Andreas Nonnenmacher, vice president, ISR Systems said, "This order supports our long standing relationship with the U.S. Army to provide our service men and women with this vital aircraft survivability technology. This contract allows for the supply and support of this critical equipment deployed in the field, while continuing production of the next generation system."

The AN/AVR-2A(V) has been in production since 1995 and is the predecessor to the latest generation of Goodrich aviation laser warning systems, the AN/AVR-2B(V). Both are capable of multiple aircraft signal interfaces and detect rangefinders, target designators, and beam rider laser-aided weapons systems. In addition to its core capabilities the AN/AVR-2A(V) can interface with the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System, Air-to-Ground Engagement System II (MILES-AGES II) training system to provide pilots with combat tactical training that closely simulates weapon engagements.

During the last 25 years Goodrich and its predecessor companies have delivered over 8,500 aviation and ground laser warning systems to the U.S. and other armed forces around the world. This includes more than 1,500 AN/AVR-2A(V) systems.

Goodrich Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a global supplier of systems and services to the aerospace and defense industry. With one of the most strategically diversified portfolios of products in the industry, Goodrich serves a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and service facilities.

defpro

Citation :

Northrop Grumman Fields RC-12X Aircraft, Provides Highly-Capable SIGINT Systems to the Warfighter

MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 8, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) will field the first systems in the upgraded RC-12X Guardrail fleet, providing the U.S. Army with unparalleled signals intelligence (SIGINT) capability, under a recent task order awarded by the U.S. Army. This is a critical step toward making this mission-critical capability operational, scheduled for second quarter of this year. The RC-12X Guardrail is the Army's premier airborne SIGINT sensor and ground processing system, providing instantaneous precision geo-location and identification of threats to enable the Brigade Combat Team's Find, Fix, Finish, Exploit, Analyze and Disseminate (F3EAD) battle command process. The RC-12X Guardrail Modernization program extends the life of the aircraft through 2025 and introduces new payloads to the system with enhanced capabilities to sense and exploit emerging and rapidly evolving irregular and conventional warfare threats. The program also enhances the sustainability of the RC-12X through commonality, a new glass cockpit, structural upgrades, and significant hardware and software improvements. "The RC-12X will bring unprecedented SIGINT capability to the warfighter," said Trip Carter, director for Northrop Grumman's Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (AISR) initiatives. "We are excited with this latest step toward making this a reality for their missions and are eager to continue to work with the Army to make the system operational as soon as possible." The first two upgraded planes left the Northrop Grumman facility in Sacramento on Jan. 8, deploying to provide support in theater. The second two aircraft are in the final stages of their cockpit upgrades and will be deploying to theater within the next month. These initial four systems will complete final outfitting and testing during the first quarter of 2011 before becoming fully operational. An additional 10 RC-12X's will be fielded in the 2011-2012 timeframe bringing the total modernized Guardrail fleet to 14 systems. 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. Please visit [url=http://www.northropgrumman.com]www.northropgrumman.com[/url] for more information

Citation :

Here It Comes



Posted 2/15/2011

U.S. Army soldiers fire a 105 mm round from an M119 Howitzer during Operation Diamond Freeze, a combined forces, live-fire training exercise on Fort Sill, Okla., Jan. 29, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. William Sallette