US Marine Corps (USMC)

Citation :

VMX-22 receives first F-35B aircraft



WASHINGTON --

Marine Operational and Evaluation Squadron 22 received its first F-35B aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, California for operational testing Oct. 9, 2014.

“VMX-22’s mission is to conduct operational testing and evaluation of U.S. Marine Corps’ fixed, tiltrotor, and rotary-wing aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and Marine Air Command and Control Systems, support concept development, and assist in the creation of Marine aviation tactics, techniques and procedures through experimentation and support to tactical demonstrations,” said Col. Robert L. Rauenhorst, commanding officer of Marine Operational and Evaluation Squadron 22.

Previously, VMX-22 only consisted of MV-22 and CH-53 aircraft, but the arrival of the F-35B marks the start of VMX-22 fixed wing flight operations. This is the first of four F-35B aircraft that will arrive over the upcoming months at Edwards Air Force Base.

“The addition of the F-35B at VMX-22 will help to develop increased capabilities and interoperability of the Aviation Combat Elements to support the Marine Air/Ground Task Force of the 21st century,” Rauenhorst said.

The operational testing will determine how effective and suitable the F-35B aircraft will be in its intended operational environment. The successful completion of the operational testing is required in order for the aircraft to proceed from low-rate initial production into full rate production.

Operational testing will be held at Edwards Air Force Base, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division China Lake, California; Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California; Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona; and aboard the USS Wasp.

The F-35B operational test is slated to be complete by 2018 at Edwards Air Force Base and will be continued throughout the life of the F-35 program as major block upgrades are completed.

http://www.marines.mil/

Citation :

RAF Voyager has for the first time successfully refuelled United States Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II aircraft in support of US-led air strikes against ISIL.


Voyager refuels US Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers


RAF Voyager has for the first time successfully refuelled United States Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II aircraft in support of US-led air strikes against ISIL.

Two AV-8B single engine ground-attack aircraft were refuelled by Voyager in the early hours (UK time) of Thursday [2/10/14] following special operational clearance.

Part of the second generation of the legendary Harrier ‘Jump Jet’ family, the AV-8B is capable of vertical or short take-off and landing, with primary tasking in light-attack or multi-role missions, including close air support of ground troops to armed reconnaissance.

RAF Voyager support for US-led operations in Iraq began on 10th August, with the deployment of two airframes based at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. This included operations in support of Hercules C-130 aid drops and Tornado GR4 reconnaissance missions over Northern Iraq.

A single Voyager has supported continuing Tornado operations since the UK parliamentary vote in support of air strikes on 26/9/14.

Operated by the RAF and provided by AirTanker, whose shareholders include Airbus, Rolls Royce, Thales, Cobham and Babcock, Voyager is a Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft and a militarily converted derivative of the A330-200.


To date, the company, which was appointed by the MOD in 2008, has delivered 10 aircraft under the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) contract. This includes a core capability of nine aircraft, which was declared by the MOD this summer. This is made up of eight aircraft flown by the RAF on the Military Aircraft Register (2x two-point tankers and 6x three-point tankers) and one aircraft is flown on the CAR by AirTanker under its own AOC.



AirTanker is currently running a military to civil conversion on the tenth aircraft at its RAF Brize Norton operational hub. The delivery of the 11th aircraft is expected in early 2015. A further three aircraft will be delivered up until the end of 2016, forming a five strong MRTT/A330-200 ‘surge fleet’.

These aircraft are available to the MOD if required at time of major conflict. When not required by the RAF, this surge fleet capability is available to AirTanker for release, with its agreement, for other purposes. This could include release to the charter market, less its military equipment or to partner nations in a military capacity with the MOD’s agreement.

https://www.airtanker.co.uk

Citation :

Photo Release -- Northrop Grumman Awarded Contract to Begin Low-Rate Initial Production of New Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar for the US Marine Corps


BALTIMORE – October 28, 2014 – The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) a $207,291,682 contract for low-rate initial production (LRIP) of AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) systems.

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/mediagallery.html?pkgid=28680

G/ATOR is the first ground-based multimission active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar to be developed by the Department of Defense (DOD). It provides air surveillance, air defense, ground weapon locating and air traffic control capabilities. Under Northrop Grumman funding, G/ATOR has also demonstrated its ability to reliably detect high-speed rocket and missile systems.

"G/ATOR will fundamentally change how the Marines deploy and fight," said Jeffrey Q. Palombo, vice president and general manager, Land and Self Protection Systems Division, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems. "Evidenced by the mission capabilities proven during operational testing, the Marines will have an unprecedented degree of protection and situational awareness."

Under terms of the contract with the Marine Corps Program Executive Office for Land Systems, Northrop Grumman will deliver the systems in 2016-17. Additional LRIP contracts are anticipated, followed by multiyear, full-rate production. Additional funding will also be placed on contract to incorporate new software-based capabilities for this multimission radar system. G/ATOR's total program value could exceed $2 billion.

This initial LRIP award follows comprehensive subsystem and system level G/ATOR testing, including one year of developmental testing, a formal Marine Corps operational assessment and a detailed production readiness review in 2013. The system reached a successful Milestone C in January as part of the formal DOD acquisition process, which resulted in the recommendation to enter LRIP.

Northrop Grumman is a leader in the development of AESA radar systems and is also on contract to develop and test high-performance short- and medium-range radars for other DOD ground- and ship-based applications. The company's family of ground radar systems includes the Highly Adaptable Multi-Mission Radar AESA systems as well as the solid-state AN/TPS-78 and TPS-703 radar systems.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

http://www.globenewswire.com

Citation :

Marine Corps F-35s might miss July operational deadline

The US Marine Corps still plans on having 10 war-ready Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jets by 1 July, 2015, but the loss of 45 flight testing days may mean that long-emphasised date will slip by days or weeks.

In the context of a programme that has had a “tragic past” and has missed developmental milestones by years, overshooting the Marine Corps initial operating capability (IOC) deadline by days or weeks is still considered a success, Lt Gen Christopher Bogdan tells reporters.

“From an overall programme perspective”, Bogdan says “missing a date by days and weeks compared to the tragic past this programme has had where we’ve missed things by years, I’d say we’re getting better.”

“July 1, 2015 is a tough date to hit,” he says. “There’s no way in the world we’re missing that by months. It’s not going to happen.”

The service, which will be the first to receive operational F-35s, already had taken concessions in order to bring its short-takeoff and vertical landing version online in 2015. Their initial F-35Bs will fly with a less-capable version of the avionics software and will have to be retrofit with the final configuration.

“We’re talking weeks, here,” he adds. “My commitment is July 1, 2015, and if I miss that date, I’m going to apologize to the US Marine Corps.”

Meeting the Marine Corp’s IOC goal started to look untenable when in June a third-stage rotor in the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine of an Air Force conventional takeoff and landing F-35A shattered prior to a test flight. The titanium rotor punctured an aft fuel tank and sparked a fire. The entire 100-plus fleet of test aircraft and fielded jets was subsequently grounded and continues to fly under performance restrictions. That cost the programme 45 days of critical testing needed to confidently meet the 1 July IOC date, Bogdan says. He says the programme will go on a "surge war footing" in an attempt to make those days up.

“We underestimated, in the design of the engine, how much rubbing could potentially occur,” he says.

To get the test fleet back to flying a full profile, those engines will be “burned in” during two flights of defined profiles to pre-trench the stator surrounding the rotors. The process takes two flights of about an hour each, Bogdan says. Four test aircraft have already undergone the process.

New engines will be “pre-trenched” so that the rotor blades will not rub against the stators during complex flight manoeuvres. All 19 test aircraft should have one or the other fix within the next two months, Bogdan says. If navy and air force air worthiness authorities OK either fix, they will be applied to fielded jets, he says.

The pre-trenching method requires fabrication of a new stator, of which Pratt & Whitney produce only about one per week. Retrofitting a fleet of more than 100 aircraft, therefore would take more than two years. It is unclear when a permanent fix, which could mirror the pre-trenching method, will be cut into the engine production line, Bogdan says.

Negotiations on the eighth lot of engines, which are purchased separately from the Lockheed airframes, has been completed. The $1.05 billion deal is for 48 engines and achieved a price reduction of 4.5 percent from the previous lot of 36 engines, Bogdan says.

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

US Marines in market for Reaper-sized UAS

The US Marine Corps, which has largely relied on small tactical and hand-launched unmanned air systems, announced recently it is in the market for a larger, long-endurance type.

Marine Aviation Plan 2015 is the first planning document to mention a requirement for a medium- to high-altitude, long-endurance UAS, which brings to mind the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper operated by the US Air Force.

The Marines have been the lone hold-out among US military services against operating General Atomics platforms, relying so far on hand-launched aircraft that are well suited to gathering airborne intelligence for small units in expeditionary environments.

Doug Hardison, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ strategic development manager for US Navy and Marine Corps programmes, says impending changes to the Marine’s shipboard aircraft fleet have put it in the market for a larger UAS.

Beginning in fiscal year 2016, the USMC will gradually retire its fleet of 20 Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft. The service intends to replace them with an operational concept called Marine Air-Ground Task Force Electronic Warfare (MAGTF-EW).

A key component of MAGTF-EW is to offload at least some of the electronic warfare mission to larger, longer-range unmanned air systems, Hardison says. The decision to pursue a programme of record was made during FY2014, according to Headquarters Marine Corps. The service then launched a capabilities assessment of MALE/HALE unmanned aircraft, which is ongoing.

Introduction of the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, which allows Marines to operate at vastly greater distances than traditional rotorcraft, has created a need for unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems that can keep up with them, Hardison says.

“They envision a larger UAS that’s got the long endurance, long range, that is a truck where you can change out payloads quickly, where you can upgrade payloads quickly, and you are now in a position to support all the other new equipment in Marine aviation.”

The USMC is looking for systems that can take off from land and be controlled from a ship that can go wherever a Marine Expeditionary Unit's two dedicated Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules aircraft can go.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems plans to offer a UAS that can access any airfield on which a KC-130 can land and take off, generally a runway of between 3,000ft (914m) and 3,500ft in length, Hardison says. The company has already worked with the USAF to modify the MQ-9, including increasing engine power.

“The residual benefit of that is we have a capability that is more expeditionary,” he says.

The Marines already operate the Boeing-Insitu RQ-21 Integrator, which can be launched and recovered from a ship or on shore. The MQ-X is the “next logical step”, Hardison says.

“That’s why the Marine Corps is finally ending up in the direction that it’s headed with regards to introducing the MQ-X.”

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

USMC to hurry Harrier phase-out, stretch Hornets to save USD1 billion

Marina Malenic, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

Key Points

•The AV-8B jump jet is now scheduled for 2025 retirement, while legacy Hornets will instead stay in the fleet until 2030
•The USMC said the move enables a 'cost avoidance' of USD1 billion

The US Marine Corps (USMC) plans to retire its ageing Boeing AV-8B Harrier jump jet fleet in 2025, about five years sooner than planned, as it anticipates its short take-off and vertical landing Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II combat aircraft to be ready for deployment in July 2015, according to the service's recently released 2015 aviation plan.

"The F-35 transition continues per the programme of record, while the AV-8B and F/A-18 order of transition has changed," the document said.

The corps will seek to fill any gaps created by the new 2025 Harrier retirement date by extending the life of its Boeing F/A-18 Hornet combat aircraft until 2030, according to the document. Previously, USMC leaders planned to divest their F/A-18A-D Hornets before retiring the Harriers.

"Visibility and Management of Operating and Supporting Cost analysis estimated changing transition order would result in cost avoidance of over USD1 billion through 2030," the document said.

"The AV-8B programme will continue to focus on readiness by solving chronic parts inventory shortfalls," it added. "In 2015 the aircraft will transition support from Boeing to NAVSUP [Naval Supply Systems Command]."

However, modernisation efforts will have to continue to keep the aircraft in deployable condition. A new ALE-47 V2 countermeasures dispenser, ALR-67 radar warning receivers, and ALQ-164 electronic countermeasures pods are planned over the next several years. Datalinks such as Link-16 and, possibly, the Tactical Targeting Network Technologies high-speed datalink are also in the works.

Further, integration of the fourth-generation Litening pod will allow the aircraft to self-designate munitions. Integration of two additional munitions - the AIM-120C/D AMRAAM and AIM-9X Block II - are also planned in the near term, according to the document.

USMC Hornets, meanwhile, will receive upgrades. Along with the US Navy (USN), the USMC plans a Center Barrel Replacement Plus (CBR+) programme for their 200 Hornets from Lot 17 and below. A High Flight Hour inspection has extended the life of 110 F/A-18A-D aircraft beyond 8,000 hours. An additional 129 aircraft will be inspected for possible extension. Finally, a Service Life Extension Program will modify about 150 F/A-18C/Ds to clear them to fly up to 10,000 hours.

ANALYSIS

The Hornet and Harrier fleets, as well as the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft, are to be replaced by the F-35. The USMC plans to purchase 353 F-35Bs and 67 carrier-variant F-35Cs. Once the transition is complete, the USMC would have nine squadrons of 16 F-35Bs, five squadrons of 10 F-35Bs, and four squadrons of 10 F-35Cs. Two reserve squadrons of 10 F-35Bs and two training units of 25 F-35Bs are also planned.

The transition is projected for completion in 2030, but USMC aviation leaders have been requesting that Congress provide funds for faster production, according to legislative and military sources. "Increasing F-35B production from 20 to 24 aircraft per year would reduce the Marine TACAIR transition timeline by four years," the USMC aviation plan said.

http://www.janes.com/article/45885/usmc-to-hurry-harrier-phase-out-stretch-hornets-to-save-usd1-billion

Citation :

L’AV-8B sera retiré du service en 2025





Le Corps des Marines (USMC) a prévu de retirer du service sa flotte de Boeing/BAe AV-8B «Harrier II» en 2025, soit cinq ans plus tôt que prévu initialement. Ce retrait fera économiser près d’un milliard de dollars à l’USMC et permettra de redistribuer cette somme en faveur du Lockheed-Martin F-35B « Lightning II».
 
Combler ce départ prématuré:
 
Cependant, le départ à la retraite avancée de la flotte d’AV-8B n’est pas sans conséquence, en matière de capacités opérationnelles.  L’USMC doit donc combler les lacunes du départ des AV-8B en prolongeant la mise en service des Boeing F/A-18A/B & C/D jusqu’en 2030, date à laquelle, il sera possible de compter sur une flotte suffisante de F-35B.
 
La prolongation de la flotte de «Hornet» implique une mise à jour des aéronefs avec l’adaptation pour les modèles A/B de récepteurs d’alerte radar ALR-67 et ALQ-164 et le montage de la liaison électronique Link16. Les modèles C/D recevront la quatrième génération de la nacelle «Litening» ainsi que les missiles  AIM-120C7 AMRAAM et l’AIM-9X Block II.
De plus un programme d’extension du service de vie devrait permettre à un nombre limité de F/A-18C/D de voler jusqu'à 10.000 heures. Les autres aéronefs étant progressivement retirés entre 2022 et 2026.
 
Problèmes de transition : 
 
Le Corps des Marines se retrouve avec une série de problèmes de transition, en effet, les capacités de soutien rapproché de l’AV-8B ne pourront être comblées complètement, de plus le calendrier actuel de production du F-35B prévoit 20 aéronefs par année, alors que pour assurer une bonne transition il en faudrait 24. Sans quoi la transition ne pourra être achevée en 2030. 
 
L’AV-8B «Harrier II» : 
 
L’ AV-8B Harrier II (désignation américaine) ou Harrier GR.5 (désignation anglaise) est la seconde génération du Hawker Siddeley Harrier. Son développement a été initié à la fin des années 1970 par les Etats-Unis rejoints rapidement par le Royaume-Uni qui avait conçu la version initiale.
Une version AV-8B(NA) destinée à l'attaque nocturne apparut en 1987, équipée d'une caméra infrarouge et d'un tableau de bord compatible avec les équipements de vision nocturne américains. Elle dispose également d'un réacteur 10 % plus puissant et de quelques autres modifications.
La version AV-8B+ (ou Harrier II Plus) apparut en 1992. En plus des modifications du AV-8B(NA), elle dispose d'une version adaptée du radar Hughes AN/APG-65 du F/A-18A/B. Deux rails supplémentaires d'emport pour missile AIM-9 ont également été installés. Le AV-8B+ a été vendu à l'Italie (18 avions) et à l'Espagne (9 avions plus 10 AV-8B modifiés), une partie de ces avions sont assemblés localement.

http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/archive/2014/11/20/l-av-8b-sera-retire-du-service-en-2025-857508.html

Citation :

US Marine Corps awards Rolls-Royce v-22 engine services contract

Rolls-Royce has been awarded a new, two-year contract to provide aftermarket engine support for the US Marine Corps and Air Force V-22 fleets, which provides a more than 30 percent reduction in support costs.

The contract, through the company’s innovative MissionCare™ model, is valued at up to $287 million and will cover all V-22 aircraft across the Marine and Air Force fleets. Rolls-Royce is the sole engine provider for V-22 aircraft and has delivered 750 AE 1107C engines to the program.

The reduced maintenance costs result from a significant improvement in engine time on wing since 2009 when the original MissionCare contract was signed. Rolls-Royce has invested $90 million in capability and reliability improvements for the AE 1107C engine. Rolls-Royce has designed a series of upgrades that boost "hot and high" performance and add 17 percent more power to the engine over the original specification.

MissionCare, a Rolls-Royce developed package of services, incentivizes the company to design, develop and implement technology and affordability improvements to benefit the customer.

Tom Hartmann, Rolls-Royce, Senior Vice President Customer Business, said, "This new contract demonstrates confidence from V-22 operators that Rolls-Royce will continue to provide outstanding service and capability to the V-22 fleets. Operators know they can count on Rolls-Royce to provide the power and support they need to succeed in their missions – while also focusing on increased affordability."

The Rolls-Royce AE 1107C engine is robust and battle-proven, demonstrating reliability during deployments across the Mideast, Africa and the Pacific. V-22 operators have never cancelled a mission due to engine availability.

The AE 1107C engine shares a common core with the Rolls-Royce AE family of engines, which totals more than 62 million flight hours of service and includes nearly 6,000 total engines in military and commercial service.

http://www.rolls-royce.com

Citation :

Sikorsky CH-53K first flight pushed at earliest to March

The US Marine Corps will have to wait until at least March for its new heavy lift helicopter, the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion, to make its maiden flight.

Originally planned for summer 2014, the King Stallion’s first flight was pushed to the end of the year when a crack was found in one of the four gear boxes of a ground test article. US Naval Air Systems Command now says the aircraft will enter flight testing “sometime between March and May next year.”

“First flight is driven by the current ground test vehicle (GTV) test events,” says Kelly Burdick, a spokesman for the navy’s programme executive office for aviation. “The GTV is currently undergoing powered ground tests to measure and verify the ability of the drive system, transmissions and engines and flight control system to safely fly the CH-53K helicopter across multiple flight scenarios.”

Engineers at NAVAIR and Sikorsky have made adjustments to the CH-53K’s main rotor gearbox to improve load distribution and have been retesting the fix “to ensure optimal performance prior to the flight test phase”, Burdick says.

“All issues discovered to this point have a technical solution and are typical of developmental programs - this is why we do this testing,” she says. “These tests, their data, and their schedule all drive the timeframe for first flight and discoveries are typical during this phase of testing.”

A Sikorsky spokesman says the static ground test article has undergone nearly 200h of testing, including subjecting the airframe to 115% of its maximum load. Sikorsky also has completed vibration and ultimate load testing on two conditions, in which the main rotors are overloaded by 150% compared to design loads.

The USMC has plans to buy 200 King Stallions to replace its entire fleet of smaller CH-53E Super Stallions. The CH-53K’s structural integrity was officially cleared for flight in April, then rolled out during a 5 May ceremony at Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach, Florida, manufacturing facility.

The King Stallion shares its designation and much of its exterior design with the Super Stallion, but is in reality a clean-sheet aircraft with new rotor, engines, transmission, cockpit, cabin and tail rotor. With a maximum takeoff weight of 39,900kg (88,000lb), the CH-53K will be the US military’s largest helicopter when it enters service. It will be capable of ferrying two Humvees at once compared to the CH-53E’s one, as well as make multiple combat drops on a single flight.

The USMC originally had plans for the King Stallion to enter service in 2015, but developmental delays have caused initial operational capability to slide at least until 2018.

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

Le V-22 Osprey tire ses premières roquettes

9 Décembre 2014



On connaissait le V-22 Osprey pour ses deux rotors basculants, pour ses venues en France afin de s'entraîner avec les militaires français, ainsi que pour son faible possible emport d'armes d'autoprotections, etc... Dorénavant, cette image va changer, puisque le V-22 Osprey vient de tirer ses premières roquettes, à l'occasion d'une campagne d'intégration.

Dans un communiqué, publié hier Lundi 08 Décembre par Bell Helicopter, le fabricant de l'appareil hybride a indiqué que "le mois dernier", dans une zone réservée aux tirs réels aux alentours de Yuma, dans l'Arizona, le V-22 Osprey a "démontré avec succès la capacité d'un tir vers l'avant". Le pod qui embarque les roquettes est installé à l'avant de l'appareil, sur le côté gauche, juste au niveau du cockpit.

L'Osprey, qui n'est équipé que d'une seule mitrailleuse à l'arrière de l'appareil, dispose d'un faible armement qui pourrait assurer sa protection et celle des hommes qu'il dépose ou qu'il récupère, lorsque celui ci est en stationnaire, ou lorsque ces rotors basculent. Prochainement, avec l'intégration de ces roquettes, dont le modèle précis n'a pas été communiqué, les pilotes d'Osprey pourront "frapper leurs cibles avec un haut degré de fiabilité", selon Vince Tobin, directeur du programme V-22 Osprey.

L'US Marine Corps met en oeuvre une flotte d'environ 240 MV-22 Osprey, qui sont embarqués sur des bâtiments de guerre, alors que l'US Air Force dispose d'une flotte moins importante d'Osprey, évaluée à quarante-quatre d'appareils (la version CV-22), qui sont intégrés au sein de l'US Special Operations Command, afin de mener des opérations spéciales.

Officiellement, la dernière opération spéciale américaine où des CV-22 Osprey ont été mis en oeuvre remonte à fin Novembre, lorsqu'un commando des forces spéciales américaines ont tenté de libérer plusieurs otages au Yémen.

Photo : (c) Textron - Tir d'une roquette depuis un V-22 Osprey.

http://www.defens-aero.com/2014/12/le-v-22-osprey-tire-ses-premieres-roquettes.html

Citation :

US Marine Corps flies data link-equipped MALD-J® for first time

Data link allows in-flight targeting adjustments

YUMA, Ariz., Dec. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force successfully collaborated with Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) for the first flight demonstration of a Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer (MALD-J®) equipped with a radio data link. Adding the data link expands the weapon's situational awareness and allows for in-flight targeting adjustments.

Raytheon flew a captive carry mission from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma to support a Marine Corps Weapons and Tactics Instructor exercise. The exercise used the USMC's recently released Electronic Warfare Services Architecture protocol and a Tactical Targeting Network Technology radio.

"This flight test shows MALD-J's ability to integrate new technology that will provide the warfighter more capabilities on the battlefield," said Mike Jarrett, vice president of Air Warfare Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems. "The Marines are operationalizing the Marine Air Ground Task Force Cyberspace and Electronic Warfare Coordination Cell and Raytheon is part of this forward-thinking solution to a complex problem."

MALD®-J carried out its assigned radar jamming mission on the range and was able to send situation awareness data to the EW Battle Manager (EWBM). The EWBM used this information to adjust the MALD's mission while in flight.

http://raytheon.mediaroom.com

Citation :

Des Marines s'entraînent avec les gendarmes de Saint-Astier


Publié le mardi 09 décembre à 18h55 - Mis à jour le mercredi 10 décembre à 12h30


64 Marines américains sont venus, du 1er au 5 décembre, s'entraîner au «contrôle de foules» avec les gendarmes à Saint-Astier, le centre de formation spécialisé dans le maintien de l'ordre. Ces Marines du 2ème régiment de Camp Lejeune sont affectés, pour six mois, à une nouvelle unité de l'USMC, la Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force for Crisis Response (SPMAGTF-CR), basée à Moron en Espagne. Cette unité, créée à la suite de l'attaque de l'ambassade américaine de Tripoli en semtembre 2012, a pour mission le renforcement, dans l'urgence, de la protection des ambassades américaines en Afrique et l'évacuation des ressortissants en cas de crise. Elle est mise à la disposition de l'US Africa Command et dispose de ses propres moyens aériens, notamment des MV-22 Osprey.

Avec les gendarmes de Saint-Astier, les Marines ont bénéficié d'un retour d'expérience sur la République centrafricaine et d'une formation au contrôle de foules. Les techniques de renforcement d'ambassades et d'évacuation de ressortissants ont été abordées.

Le SPMAGTF-CR était déjà venu s'entraîner avec la Légion étrangère, en juillet dernier.  


http://www.lopinion.fr/blog/secret-defense/marines-s-entrainent-gendarmes-saint-astier-19217

Citation :

NAWCWD delivers additional electronic warfare capability to Marines



NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION POINT MUGU, Calif. - In-house government work performed at NAWCWD improved an electronic warfare pod that provides the Marine Corps uninterrupted control within the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as the ability to disrupt enemy threats and command-and-control whenever and wherever a combat commander chooses, all at a reduced cost and schedule.

The idea of getting these alternative capabilities began when the Marines announced the sundown of their airborne Electronic Warfare (EW) system, the EA-6B Prowler. The NAWCWD team leveraged the lessons learned from its earlier development of the AN/ALQ-128 Intrepid Tiger System which proved that a non-dynamic, non-reprogrammable system was inadequate to address future EW needs.

In late 2008, Marine Corps Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia drafted an operational requirements letter supporting the Marine Air Ground Task Force Electronic Warfare 2020 vision. The requirements were for a "distributed, networked approach to Electronic Warfare designed to meet warfighter demand and deliver Electronic Attack."

During the next three years, the NAWCWD Joint Electronic Attack and Compatibility Office (JEACO) team, in conjunction with the NAWCWD Airborne Electronic Attack Integrated Product Team, and the Airborne Electronic Attack Systems and EA-6B Program Office (PMA-234) at Naval Air Systems Command designed, developed, integrated and performed developmental tests on the AN/ALQ-231 Intrepid Tiger II pod to meet that requirement. The threshold integration platform was the AV-8B Harrier; design constraints were imposed to limit platform integration with no modifications to aircraft hardware or software. This facilitated an earlier deployment of capabilities by reducing full integration on the platform and reducing the schedule and cost to deploy.

Between 2011 and 2012, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 9 at NAWCWD China Lake and the Jammer Techniques Optimization group from Point Mugu conducted a Quick Reaction Assessment of the Intrepid Tiger II system. Upon evaluation of the results, HQMC made the decision to deploy it under an Early Operational Capability to Afghanistan in May 2012.

This was the first system deployed in support of the MAGTF EW 2020 vision. In November 2013, an upgraded version of Intrepid Tiger II system, Block 1, was deployed with Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU) with AV-8Bs and in 2014 on land with USMC F/A-18s supporting multiple combatant commands. With the addition of the Intrepid Tiger II pod, MEU commanders and the USMC fixed wing platforms now possess an organic electronic warfare capability.

"The Marines needed to secure Electronic Warfare as an organic capability for the MEU," said John Johnson, operational adviser to NAWCWD JEACO. "That is why the AV-8B was the first platform to receive the Intrepid Tiger II capability."

According to Johnson, who is also a retired Marine chief warrant officer from the signals intelligence and electronic warfare field, the MEU is the lowest level of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force.

Using the Harrier with Intrepid Tiger II, the Marines continued close air support using a combination of offensive and defensive anti-air warfare, deep air support, conventional and specific weapons. In addition, they relied on combat air patrol, armed escort missions, and offensive missions against enemy ground-to-air defenses.

Intrepid Tiger II was the first deployed weapon system that was integrated with the EW Services Architecture (EWSA). The EWSA is a services-oriented architecture that enables the system to be dynamically controlled and re-tasked real time through a secure, tactical radio network. It provides the architecture framework and control interface enabling a common command and control and planning capability.

NAWCWD's work with Intrepid Tiger II is in alignment with the command's top three objectives. The system delivers integrated and interoperable warfighting capabilities, improves affordability across the full life cycle (by using open architectures), and with the government as the lead systems integrator, invests in the workforce.

The open architecture design and rapid reprogrammability gives Intrepid Tiger II the flexibility to meet current and future threats. The architecture includes a control interface unit that serves as the common interface to the external platforms enabling quicker installation using existing vehicle configurations and reducing funding and schedule requirements.

Intrepid Tiger II will be upgraded to include a spectrum diverse capability. It was developed under a rapid deployment capability, enabling a tailored approach to getting it to the warfighter faster and cheaper.

"The 15- to 18-month development and integration timeline is possible due to the open architecture design enabling hardware and software re-use," stated Lynne Clarke, the Intrepid Tiger II project lead at NAWCWD. "It also facilitates increased functionality with each variant thereby providing more capabilities within the original cost estimates. It doesn't matter if the system is for a manned or unmanned aircraft or a ground vehicle. The use of an open architecture enables re-use and provides a shortened developmental timeline and reduced costs.

"Designing Intrepid Tiger II with interoperability in mind is important to developing a system of systems," Clarke continued. "It provides a phased approach to integrating with both legacy and new systems on a variety of platforms and facilitates an integration of warfighter capabilities."

http://www.navair.navy.mil

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USMC receives first F-35C

The US Marine Corps has received its first carrier-based Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II, marking the 36th and final delivery of a Joint Strike Fighter in 2014.

Lockheed Martin says the 22 December delivery of aircraft CF-19 meets the 36 aircraft delivery target for 2014, and marks the 109th overall delivery of operational F-35s to the USA and partner operators.

The first USMC F-35C out of a planned 80 will be assigned to the US Navy’s VFA-101 “Grim Reapers” squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing, based at Eglin AFB. After delivery CF-19 will be used for F-35C pilot training.


Lockheed Martin

Furthermore, the first two Royal Australian Air Force F-35As have been delivered to Luke AFB in Arizona – home of the international F-35A training centre.

“In the near future, international and US students will be teamed together learning how to effectively employ the fifth-generation strike fighter,” the US Air Force says.

The first RAAF F-35A was delivered to the base on 18 December, with the second arriving a few days later.




US Air Force

Australia is the first international partner out of nine to arrive for training at Luke AFB. Pilots from nations including Italy, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway and Turkey will also undertake training at the base.

"Today we take another tremendous step forward in our transition to the F-35 here at Luke," says Brig Gen Scott Pleus, 56th Fighter Wing commander. "Luke's mission has been to train the world's greatest fighter pilots. We will continue on that legacy as we train the world's best F-35A pilots."

The Australian flightcrew’s training will be conducted in conjunction with the 61st fighter squadron, while the 62nd fighter squadron is expected to stand-up in June, to be joined by partner nations Italy and Norway. Flight operations for the 62nd are scheduled to begin in September 2015, the USAF says.


US Air Force

Of the 36 aircraft delivered in 2014, 23 are USAF ‘A’ models, two are RAAF ‘A’ models, four are USMC ‘B’ models and seven are ‘C’ models – six for the USN and one for the USMC.

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

250’000 heures de vol pour le V-22 !



Fort Worth, Texas la flotte de Bell Boeing V-22 «Osprey» vient de passer les 250’000 heures de vol. "Ce bilan est impressionnant, un quart de million d'heures de vol n’est que le début», a déclaré le Colonel Dan Robinson du Corps des Marines.  

Le V-22 Osprey a été continuellement déployé depuis son entrée en service en 2007 au sein du Corps desMarine (USMC). L'aéronef a participé à de nombreuses actions en Afghanistan dans le cadre de l'opération «Enduring Freedom», en Irak dans le cadre de l'opération Iraqi «Freedom». De plus, en 2014, le V-22 a été déployé au sein de l’unité chargée d'appuyer le transport présidentiel et VIP.


Bell-Boeing MV-22 «Osprey» :

Le V-22 Osprey est avion de transport multirôle utilisant la technologie du rotor basculant pour combiner  les performances en vol vertical d'un hélicoptère avec la vitesse et la portée d'un aéronef à voilure fixe. Avec ses nacelles et les rotors en position verticale, il peut décoller, atterrir et décoller comme un hélicoptère. Une fois en vol, ses nacelles basculent.

Pour se comporter comme  un avion à turbopropulseur capable de haute vitesse et  de vol à haute altitude.

A ce jour, 230 V-22 sont en service sur un total de 360 appareils commandés. Le programme «Joint Advanced Vertical Lift Aircraft» est lancé en 1982 sous la direction de Bell Helicopter et Boeing. Le programme fut plusieurs fois menacé d’abandon pour des raisons budgétaires et le premier prototype commencera ses essais le 19 mai 1989, en vol stationnaire uniquement. Le premier vol horizontal ayant lieu le 14 septembre.

En novembre 2000 le fonctionnement depuis un porte-avions est validé.

Il faudra cependant attendre 2005 pour le lancement de la production de pré-série qui devra permettre la mise en service d’une escadrille «test».


Photos : 1 V-22 «Osprey» et CH-53 "Stallion"  2 V-22 d’appuis présidentiel @ Boeing Bell

http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/archive/2015/01/14/250-000-heures-de-vol-pour-le-v-22-857922.html

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USMC's F-35B can fire missiles when it comes online

It is still up in the air whether the US Marine Corps will have combat-ready Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs by its July 1 deadline for initial operational capability (IOC), but the first 10 jets are now fully cleared to fire weapons.

The portion of the 2B software that manages weapons separation has completed the necessary testing, the Pentagon’s Joint Program Office (JPO) announced on 15 January. The F-35B’s software was validated after several weapons separation tests

“The weapons development program continues to track forward on the plan laid out by the technical baseline review approved in 2010,” Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, F-35 programme executive officer, says in a statement. “All weapons tests needed for 2B software, the software the US Marine Corps will use to declare IOC, is complete and will be ready to go for their combat capability certification.”

The Marine Corps still plans to go IOC on 1 July, a deadline it has chased so fervently that the service agreed to field 10 jets with the less-capable Block 2B software. The US Air Force's first F-35As will be fielded with the intermediate 3i configuration, which incorporates a new helmet and mission processors using 2B software, and finally with Block 3F after that final software configuration is fielded as early as 2017. Older jets will be retrofitted with 3F at a later date.

Whether the Marine Corps’ F-35Bs will become operational by the 1 July deadline remains uncertain. Lockheed and the JPO are scrambling to catch up on a month of lost software and flight testing resulting from an engine fire that temporarily grounded the fleet.

High-ranking US officials, including JPO chief Lt Gen Christopher Bogdan, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Mark Welsh have in recent weeks doubled down that the Marines Will have operational jets on or near July 1.

Live fire ground testing of the F-35B was completed in early September, the JPO says. In October, the F-35B was certified to perform day and night close air support missions with the 2B software.

Separations testing with a 113kg (250lb) Boeing GBU-39 small diameter bomb was completed 20 November. The aircraft also completed flutter testing with the MBDA AIM-132 short-range air-to-air missile and Raytheon Paveway IV laser-guided bombs in late 2014.

An F-35 also fired two MBDA AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles and a Boeing joint direct attack munition (JDAM) during weapon delivery accuracy tests, marking the first supersonic guided missile launch. It also was the first time the F-35 has hit a target with a JDAM using coordinates generated by the electro-optical targeting system (EOTS).

The announcement comes on the heels of controversy over reports that software necessary to operate the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A’s main 25mm gun, the General Dynamics GAU-22, would not be ready until years after the service declares IOC in 2016. Reports indicated the gun would not be operational until 2019. The JPO insists the gun will be operational when the final Block 3F software comes online in 2017.

Comprehensive flight test on the F-35A’s 25mm gun system is scheduled to begin mid-year at Edwards AFB, California, and will include ground fire tests, muzzle calibration, flight test integration and in-flight operational tests, the JPO says.

The Marine Corps’ F-35B and navy’s F-35C have no internal gun. Marines will have the option of carrying the GAU-22 in an externally mounted pod.

The 25mm missionized gun pod carried externally, centerline mounted on the F-35B and F-35C also begins testing this year to meet U.S. service’s desired schedule for full warfighting capability software known as 3F. The 3F software is currently planned for delivery with the low rate initial production nine (LRIP 9) US aircraft in 2017.

Both the A and C models completed weapon milestones in 2014. The F-35C launched an AIM-120 AMRAAM, the last separation test needed to certify the variant’s Block 2B software.

The F-35A finished the final buffet, load and high-angle of attack testing necessary for its Block 2B software.

http://www.flightglobal.com

Abrams M1A1

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USS Iwo Jima, USS Fort McHenry move to Red Sea for possible Yemen evacuation



The Navy has positioned a pair of amphibious ships in the Red Sea for a possible evacuation of U.S. Embassy personnel from the Yemen capital of Sanaa.

The USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship, and the USS Fort McHenry, a dock landing ship, were moved in recent hours from the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, nearer to Yemen’s capital, U.S. 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Kevin Stephens said. Both ships are part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, and each has Marines embarked from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

“They are ready to support operations to protect Americans in Yemen if that becomes necessary,” Stephens said.

The State Department will determine whether it wants to evacuate its personnel on the basis of conditions in Sanaa, he said.

The Shiite Houthi rebel group seized the presidential palace on Tuesday and shelled the presidential residence in what President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi has called an attempted coup. Hadi is still thought to be in Sanaa.

The U.S. considers Yemen’s government a close ally in efforts to dislodge the terrorist organization al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which operates out of the country. Houthi rebels oppose both the Yemeni government and U.S. involvement in the country, although they say they are also against al-Qaida’s operating in Yemen.

Counterterrorism experts view the al-Qaida affiliate as one of the most capable terrorist organizations in the Middle East. Its plots — which include the failed 2009 attempt by the “underwear bomber” to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner — have come close to striking the U.S. in recent years.

The group also took responsibility for this month’s attack against the satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which killed 12 people.

http://www.stripes.com

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Marine Prowler officers will soon operate drones

As the EA-6B Prowler flies into retirement and the Corps takes a new approach to electronic warfare, Marines who spent their careers in the radar-jamming aircraft will be transferred to other military occupation specialties.

Most Marines in the 7588 electronic warfare officer MOS will become 7315 unmanned aircraft systems officers. Concurrently, the Corps is changing the duties of the 7315 MOS.

"The new 7315 MOS will provide us with a cadre of better-trained and more versatile [unmanned aircraft systems] officers capable of serving in a variety of operational roles in support of Marine Corps doctrine," said Maj. Paul Greenberg, a Marine spokesman at the Pentagon.

The electronic warfare community's transition is one facet of the Corps' new approach to controlling the electromagnetic spectrum in battle, and the service's new philosophy is more complex than merely rolling dozens of Marines from a niche community into a new MOS. Currently, Prowlers are the service's electronic warfare workhorse, but in the future, a variety of platforms — including unmanned systems, rotary aircraft and ground vehicles — will also be a part of this warfare domain. It amounts to a Corps-wide makeover of electronic warfare in which manipulating and monitoring the electromagnetic spectrum is a more integral part of every aspect of combat.

"This integration of manned and unmanned airborne and ground EW capabilities will provide the [Marine air-ground task force] commander with greater flexibility and control of the EW than he has ever had before," the Corp's 10-year aviation plan states.

The MOS transition process will start as early as October as Prowlers begin to be phased out, Greenberg said. The transition will continue through fiscal 2019 when the aircraft leaves the fleet.

About 80 percent of electronic warfare officers are expected to make the switch to the unmanned aircraft systems officer MOS, he said. The remaining 20 percent are expected to retain their old designator, transition to other pilot or naval flight officer MOSs, or switch to intelligence or communication communities. Greenberg said others will join the Marine Air Ground Task Force Cyberspace and Electronic Warfare Coordination Cell, a unit that will help the Corps develop its cyber and electronic warfare capabilities.

Electronic warfare officers who become unmanned aircraft systems officers will no longer receive monthly aviation career incentive pay. The bonus varies by years of service as an officer, but ranges from $125 per month for Marines with two or fewer years of service, to as much as $840 per month for those with 14 to 22 years of service.

Marines from both MOSs will complete training as a part of the changing duties for the 7315 community. Electronic warfare officers entering the new MOS will attend an "abbreviated UAS training course" while current 7315s will receive "comprehensive electronic warfare training," Greenberg said.

Freshly-commissioned officers entering the 7315 community will receive both unmanned aerial system and electronic warfare training. That curriculum will be implemented next year, he said.

Officials are revising the 7315 MOS and a new, detailed description of the occupation is expected by the end of the year. While details aren't finalized, the community will serve in a variety of roles, Greenberg said.

The Corps' MOS manual says that 7315s currently supervise and coordinate unmanned aerial vehicle missions, are experienced in mission planning and ground control stations, and know how the unmanned aircraft's operators and payload operators do their jobs.

The change also significantly alters changes manning in the two communities. There are currently 80 billets for 7315s, but only 44 Marines. There are 123 billets for 7588 Marines, while 157 officers have that MOS.

Unmanned aircraft operators are a small community in the Corps, but they are in high demand elsewhere in the military. The Air Force has had a tough time retaining pilots to operate unmanned aircraft, so recently released a memo that increases monthly bonuses from a maximum of $650 to $1,500.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com

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Marines receive first F-35C Lightning II carrier variant


EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The first F-35C Lightning II, carrier variant, for the U.S. Marine Corps touched-down on the flight line here, Jan. 13, from the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas, to begin training in support of carrier-based operations.

U.S. Marine Lt. Col. J.T. Ryan, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501 detachment commander and F-35 pilot, delivered the new F-35C to Strike Fighter Squadron 101, the Navy's only F-35 fleet replacement squadron. This aircraft is the first of five Marine Corps F-35Cs that will be delivered to VFA-101 on Eglin.

Marine F-35 pilots primarily fly F-35Bs - a short take-off vertical landing variant designed to deploy to austere locations and operate aboard amphibious ships

"This is a big day for the Marine Corps tactical air community and a huge honor to be able to deliver our first F-35C," said Ryan. "It marks the beginning of our training in the carrier variant and puts us that much closer to standing up our first F-35C operational fleet squadron."

The F-35C model brings 25 percent more range and a bigger weapons bay. It also allows the Marine Corps to fly aboard Navy aircraft carriers, which continues an effective and long-standing tactical air integration program between the Navy and Marine Corps.

"In the past, Marines have been trained to fly the Navy's F-18 Hornet to share the load of deployment cycles," said Ryan. "Now, Marine pilots will be flying the F-35C with the Navy's Carrier Air Wings while deployed aboard aircraft carriers."

The first operational Marine Corps F-35C fleet squadron, VMFA-115, is scheduled to stand up at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, in 2019.

"It's exciting to be on the ground floor of the F-35C and an enormous honor to be the first F-35C Marine pilot," said Ryan. "I look forward to being a part of VFA-101 and the future of what this aircraft will bring to the fight for our Marines."

http://www.eglin.af.mil

Citation :

Sea Trial for F-35B to Precede Initial Operational Capability

By RICHARD R. BURGESS, Managing Editor

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Marine Corps’ F-35B Lightning II strike fighter will go through its first operational test at sea before its scheduled initial operational capability (IOC) in July.

The short-takeoff/vertical-landing F-35B will go through Operational Test -1 onboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp this spring, said Lorraine Martin, executive vice president and general manager of the F-35 program for Lockheed Martin, the builder of the F-35.

Before the first operational F-35B squadron, Marine Fighter-Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121), is ready, the Block 2B software for the F-35B needs to be certified for fleet release. The F-35 test team is conducting final weapons separation tests for the Block 2B software.

The regional mapping component of the software for the squadron’s upcoming deployment to Japan still is being finalized, Martin said. The primary mission of VMFA-121 at IOC will be day and night close air support.

Eight of VMFA-121’s F-35Bs have received upgrades, including lightning protection, from the Fleet Readiness Center at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. Two others are receiving the upgrades at the Air Logistics Center at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah.

The Navy’s carrier-based F-35C version also will return to sea this year, with Developmental Test-2 scheduled for the third quarter, probably in August, onboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Developmental Test -3 will be conducted during the third quarter of 2016.

IOC for the F-35C is scheduled for the third quarter of 2018.

http://www.seapowermagazine.org