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(Jan. 26, 2013) Huntington Ingalls Industries celebrated significant progress today as the 555-metric ton island was lowered onto the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. The 60-foot long, 30-foot wide island was the 452nd lift of the nearly 500 total lifts needed to complete the aircraft carrier. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy Huntington Ingalls Industries/Released)

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U.S. Navy Accepts General Dynamics-built MUOS Ground Stations

The U.S. Navy has accepted three General Dynamics C4 Systems-built ground stations for the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS). General Dynamics C4 Systems led the development and delivery of the ground systems and MUOS communications waveform; Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the entire MUOS system. Navy personnel will now operate the stations.



The MUOS ground stations are located in Hawaii, Virginia and Australia. They act like cell phone switches, receiving radio calls relayed through MUOS satellites from service members around the globe and connecting them to ground-based Department of Defense communication networks in just seconds. The ground stations also assist in the overall management and operation of the orbiting MUOS satellites.

MUOS radio calls, like those recently demonstrated in the Arctic Circle, use the General Dynamics-developed MUOS waveform. The waveform leverages the widely used commercial Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) cellular phone technology.

“The success in delivering these ground stations, combined with the successful MUOS waveform running on the AN/PRC-155 Manpack two-channel radio, are testaments to General Dynamics’ expertise in delivering networks that securely and reliably connect military and government personnel with their commanders and others from virtually any location on the planet,” said Chris Marzilli, president of General Dynamics C4 Systems. “All they will need is to dial a 10-digit phone number just like they have with their personal cell phones.”

The General Dynamics-built MUOS ground system provides communications and control interfaces among the MUOS satellites and Defense Department networks. Each ground station has three freestanding 18.4-meter Ka-band antennas atop 53-foot-tall pedestals. A centralized operations and control center manages the ground stations’ operation, providing Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, switching facilities, network management and other satellite command-and-control elements.

In November two MUOS-equipped AN/PRC-155 two-channel Manpack radios successfully completed secure voice and data calls from Alaska and the Arctic Circle for the first time during a demonstration led by Lockheed Martin. Using the MUOS waveform, the AN/PRC-155 Manpack radios completed one-to-one voice and data calls as well as conference calls connecting more than five participants. The PRC-155 Manpack radio is the first and only tactical radio to deliver secure voice and data connectivity with the MUOS system in polar regions.

http://www.navyrecognition.com

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Boeing Surveillance Plane Not Yet Effective, U.S. Tester Finds


Boeing Co.'s new U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft is officially unveiled in this July 30, 2009 file photo, in Renton, Wash. Photographer: Ted S. Warren/AP Photo

A new Boeing Co. (BA:US) surveillance aircraft deployed to Japan last month isn’t yet effective at hunting submarines or performing reconnaissance over large areas -- two of its main missions, the Pentagon’s weapons tester found.
Flaws in the $35 billion program included the plane’s radar performance, sensor integration and data transfer, Michael Gilmore, chief of the Pentagon testing office, wrote in his annual report on major weapons, which has yet to be released. He said the new P-8A Poseidon exhibited “all of the major deficiencies” identified in earlier exercises when subjected to more stressful realistic combat testing from September 2012 to March 2013.
“Many of these deficiencies” led Gilmore to determine that the P-8A “is not effective for the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission and is not effective for wide area anti-submarine search,” he said in a section of the report obtained by Bloomberg News. The Navy plans to conduct additional testing “to verify the correction of some deficiencies,” he wrote.
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Gilmore’s conclusions suggest the initial aircraft in the program -- which packs a modified Boeing 737-800 with radar and sensors -- aren’t ready for deployment. Among its primary missions is tracking Chinese submarines. Six of the planes have been deployed to Japan supporting 7th Fleet maritime patrol operations at Naval Air Facility Atsugi as part of the U.S. strategic pivot to the Asia-Pacific region.
Vice Admiral Robert Thomas, commander of the 7th Fleet, said in a Jan. 10 press release that the aircraft “represents a significant improvement” over the older P-3 Orion from Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT:US), “providing the opportunity to detect, track and report on more targets than ever before.”
Delivered 13
Chicago-based Boeing last month delivered the 13th of what’s to be a 113-aircraft program. The Navy in November declared the aircraft ready for combat deployment after determining the criteria for performing effective patrols “were fully met,” Lieutenant Caroline Hutcheson, a Navy spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview.
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“The P-8A was ready, was needed in theater and continues to more than meet fleet commanders’ expectations,” she said. Hutcheson said Gilmore’s office has “consistently highlighted both effective warfare areas as well as recommendations for areas to re-visit.”
“Most issues cited have been collectively identified,” and the Navy has developed “software upgrades to correct deficiencies,” she said.
Boeing spokesman Charles Ramey said in an e-mailed statement that he hadn’t seen Gilmore’s report and was unable to comment directly.
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Boeing’s Comment
“Feedback we’ve received to date is that the Navy is very happy with the P-8A’s performance,” he said. “As always, Boeing will work hand in hand with the Navy to support any issues that come up.”
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, during a trip to Japan in October, lauded the P-8A’s “cutting-edge technologies.”
Gilmore spokeswoman Jennifer Elzea said the test office concluded the aircraft was effective in providing small-area searches similar to the P-3C Orion it’s replacing.
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The aircraft also is effective in conducting “unarmed anti-surface warfare missions,” and its radar and supporting sensors “provide an effective, all-weather surface target search,” she said in an e-mailed statement.
Gilmore’s office also concluded the airframe is reliable, offering “significant improvements in hardware reliability, maintainability and availability” over the P-3C, she said. Overall, the Boeing system “provides increased range, payload and speed,” she said.
Raytheon Radar
Gilmore’s report said the recent realistic combat testing confirmed earlier results on flaws in the P-8’s radar “and revealed the operational implications of the radar’s limitations for some targets.” It said details are classified. Raytheon Co. makes the ocean and land-surveillance radar.
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Deficiencies with on-board electronics to detect enemy anti-aircraft radar “limited threat detection” while “seriously degrading capabilities and aircraft survivability across all major missions,” the report found. Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC:US) makes the “Electronic Support Measures” equipment.
Elzea said the Navy is conducting additional testing “to evaluate several system technical improvements” that will be assessed by Gilmore’s office “as they are delivered.”
The Navy has plans for fielding two sets of aircraft upgrades to “improve anti-submarine warfare capability over several years” and has developed “an adequate test and evaluation master plan” to evaluate improvements, she said.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-01-23/boeing-surveillance-plane-found-not-yet-effective-for-missions

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UPDATE 2-Raytheon to keep next-generation jammer contract -U.S. Navy


Jan 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy on Friday said it was sticking with Raytheon Co as prime contractor for next-generation radar-jamming technology seen valued at billions of dollars in coming years, despite a November ruling by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) that upheld a protest against the award.

Raytheon in July beat out BAE Systems and a team comprised of Northrop Grumman Corp and Exelis Inc to win the Navy contract for the jamming system. The GAO in November backed a BAE challenge of the contract, which was initially valued at $279 million but could be worth many multiples of that over coming decades, according to analysts

"The Navy has completed corrective action as recommended by the GAO in the sustained protest filed by BAE Systems on the Next Generation Jammer Technology Development contract," said Navy spokeswoman Commander Thurraya Kent.

She said the Navy decided to stick with the Raytheon offer after carrying out a new cost and technical analysis of all three original bids, but gave no additional details.

The new jammer will replace the Northrop-built ALQ-99 tactical jamming system now used on the EA-18G Growler aircraft built by Boeing Co. The jamming pods will enable U.S. aircraft to render enemy radars useless.

"This confirms a huge breakthrough for Raytheon that potentially could generate over $10 billion in additional revenue during the next several decades," said Loren Thompson, chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute think tank.

Thompson said he expected the program to survive the current difficult budget environment given the U.S. military's need in wartime to prevent adversaries from tracking aircraft, communicating with ground forces or remotely detonating bombs.

It was not immediately clear if BAE or Northrop would protest the Navy's decision to keep Raytheon on the contract.

No immediate comment was available from Raytheon.

BAE spokeswoman Kristin Gossel said her company was weighing its options.

"We protested the award based on concerns with the Navy's evaluation of our offering and our protest was sustained by the GAO. We are disappointed with today's decision and are currently considering all of our options," Gossel said.

Northrop, which had not protested the Navy's award to Raytheon, said it was also disappointed by the decision.

"While we are disappointed, we remain committed to continue to provide our warfighters with the lowest risk, most affordable solutions," said Northrop spokesman Randy Belote.

When the GAO, the congressional agency that oversees federal contract protests, ruled in favor of BAE in November, it said the Navy had failed to reasonably evaluate the risk of the proposals, improperly credited Raytheon with outdated performance data, and did not adequately document its decision.

http://www.reuters.com

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Le feuilleton de l'Avenger prend fin

Le 27/01/2014 à 13:34   | Par Guillaume Steuer  


Vue d'artiste de l'A-12 Avenger II

Il aura fallu 23 ans. Vingt-trois années de bataille judiciaire entre le Pentagone, l'US Navy, Boeing et General Dynamics afin de pouvoir mettre fin à un feuilleton digne d'un "soap opera" à l'américaine : celui de la controverse liée à l'annulation brutale du programme d'avion d'attaque furtif A-12 Avenger II, dont la conception avait été confiée en 1988 à une équipe industrielle composée de McDonnell Douglas (aujourd'hui Boeing) et General Dynamics.

Comme le rapporte l'Air Force Magazine ce matin, un accord a été trouvé en juillet dernier et vient d'être annoncé par le département américain de la justice. Reconnus coupables d'avoir masqué les retards et surcoûts considérables du programme, Boeing et General Dynamics vont payer des réparations "en nature". General Dynamics va ainsi faire une "ristourne" de 200 millions de dollars sur le destroyer de classe Zumwalt USS "Lyndon B. Johnson", en cours de construction.

De son côté, Boeing va gracieusement faire don à l'US Navy de trois EA-18G Growler, pour une valeur totale également estimée à 200 millions de dollars. Ironie de l'histoire : c'est précisément l'arrêt du programme A-12 qui força l'US Navy à trouver d'autres solutions pour remplacer ses A-6 Intruder… notamment en lançant le programme Super Hornet, dont le Growler n'est autre que la variante d'attaque électronique.

Technologiquement très ambitieux, l'A-12 Avenger II devait être un biréacteur d'attaque biplace en tandem emportant son armement en soute, afin de réduire au maximum sa signature radar. Sa formule aérodynamique caractéristique, évoquant un triangle isocèle, lui valut le surnom de "Dorito volant". Son développement, lancé en 1983 dans le cadre du programme ATA (Advanced Tactical Aircraft), n'aboutit finalement qu'à la construction de la moitié d'une maquette d'essais systèmes avant l'annulation du programme en 1991.

http://www.air-cosmos.com/defense/le-feuilleton-de-l-avenger-prend-fin.html

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Carrier Cut Could Be Back on Table




WASHINGTON — The reality of finalizing the fiscal 2015 budget submission is driving top US defense officials and the White House to quickly make major decisions, and indications are growing that the elimination of one carrier and one carrier air wing could be among the defense request’s key features.
Pentagon officials would not confirm or deny the matter, citing the fluid nature of budget discussions. But numerous sources — in the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill, in the defense industry — agreed that the prospect is picking up steam.
“It’s quietly being socialized,” one source said, and others agreed.
Others emphasized that no decisions have been reached, and talks are being held in strict confidence.
“Stuff is in churn,” one source said.
That the US Navy and the Pentagon, faced with the need to come up with drastic budget cuts, have contemplated reducing the fleet’s vaunted carrier strength is nothing new — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned as much last summer.
“We would trade away size for high-end capability,” Hagel said July 31. “This would ... reduce the number of carrier strike groups from 11 to eight or nine.”
Hagel was discussing one scenario put forth in the Strategic Choices Management Review, an internal Pentagon effort to identify budget-cutting approaches and tactics.
The basic tradeoff, he explained, would be one of reducing capacity for “our ability to modernize weapons systems and to maintain our military’s technological edge.”
The Navy’s top leadership has said repeatedly over the past year that “all options are on the table” to reduce costs.
Asked for comment, the Navy declined to address the carrier issue directly.
“There is no question that we continue to face tough decisions in this fiscal environment,” Capt. Dawn Cutler, the Navy’s top spokeswoman, said Jan. 23. “Work continues on the fiscal 2015 budget and, at this point, conversations on our budget submission are both premature and pre-decisional.”
And if it’s happening, no one’s saying so publicly.
“This idea has probably been in and out the budget so many times that nobody feels comfortable prepping the battlefield,” observed Bryan Clark, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and, until last summer, an analyst for the Navy’s leadership. “If it’s in there, that’s certainly something you probably should be explaining — what’s the rationale, what are the tradeoffs.”
The carrier most often targeted is the Japan-based George Washington. Commissioned in 1992, GW is scheduled in 2016 to begin a three-year midlife refueling and complex overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia — where all active carriers were built — that is expected to cost well over $3 billion.
The Navy already has announced the carrier Ronald Reagan will replace the George Washington in Japan. Any move affecting the decommissioning of a carrier would have no effect on the American commitment to maintaining a forward-based carrier in Japan, Navy officials said.
Carriers are designed for a 50-year lifespan and undergo only one refueling overhaul, during which nearly every major system in the ship is rebuilt, renewed or replaced.
A reduction of the carrier force has been analyzed on many occasions. A 2011 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report looked at a 10-ship, nine-wing fleet, achieved by decommissioning the George Washington.
The report noted the Navy could save “about $7 billion over the 2012-2021 period,” when GW would be returned to service. The report did not include anticipated savings over the 2021-2042 period, during which a refueled George Washington would be operating.
Decommissioning GW would cost about $2 billion, CBO estimated, although those costs would be spread out at least through 2021.
Numerous internal and external studies have concluded the Navy could carry out its missions with a reduced carrier force, although many of those same studies acknowledge that a 15-ship force would be necessary to meet most regional combatant commander requirements.
The carrier force has been slowly whittled down since it reached a Cold War high of 26 flattops in 1962, a number that included many smaller ships built in World War II. The Reagan-era buildup of the 1980s brought the level up from 13 to 15 ships — reached briefly in 1991 — reduced to 14 in 1992, 13 in 1993 and 12 in 1994.
It was further reduced to 11 ships in 2007 — the level where, despite a temporary reduction to 10 ships caused by the retirement of the carrier Enterprise before its replacement, the Gerald R. Ford, can be completed, it remains. That level is set by law. The ships have crews of about 3,000 or more.
The Navy maintains 10 carrier air wings made up of strike fighters, airborne command-and-control planes, electronic attack aircraft and helicopters combined into a single group that deploys onboard the carrier.
Since at least one carrier is always in long-term overhaul, there is no need to have an equal number of wings to ships.
While there is no set number, a wing generally consists of about 65 aircraft, with 1,500 to 2,500 sailors who embark the ship for exercises and deployments.
It is not clear how the carrier wing reduction would be managed. Squadrons could be disbanded, their aircraft redistributed among remaining squadrons, or some could be retained and added to the ever-rotating squadron-wing mix.
A reduction of as many as four strike fighter squadrons would help the service retire more F/A-18C “legacy” Hornet twin-engine jets, already being rapidly replaced by newer F/A-18 E and F Super Hornets.
Politics and Fleet Size
The Navy, like the rest of the Pentagon, is under great pressure to reduce spending, but proposing cuts and getting them approved by Congress present different prospects.
The service has been in a back-and-forth struggle for more than two years to decommission seven Aegis cruisers and two amphibious ships, saving money from operations, modernization and personnel reductions.
Congress, particularly House Republicans, have strongly opposed the proposal and, in the 2014 defense bills, the service is directed to continue operating the ships and to modernize them.
But, according to Clark, the $2.24 billion appropriated is less than half of what the service needs to comply with Congress’ direction, and it is not clear how the ships will be kept viable. Various internal discussions have included “shrink wrapping” some of the ships, essentially laying them up until money and assets are available to begin work.
In 2008, the Navy asked Congress for permission to temporarily drop the carrier force to 10 ships for the gap between Enterprise and Ford. The request, put forth in an election year, met with widespread condemnation on Capitol Hill and was soundly rebuffed.
The next year, however, the same request was sent over and — in a non-election year — virtually no objections were raised. In all four major posture hearings before the House and Senate, not a single lawmaker asked about carrier levels, and the measure was quietly approved.
If the carrier-cutting proposal goes over in 2014, an election year, it is likely to meet with widespread bipartisan objections. The timing, however, is not necessarily by choice — if George Washington’s refueling overhaul is to proceed on time, major funding is required in the 2015 budget submission.
A year’s delay would cause serious disruptions in other work scheduled at Newport News, likely raising costs on other projects. Even so, it is not clear whether the White House supports the move.
It’s also possible the carrier reduction could be something of a ploy, an effort by the Navy to show it’s doing its part by cutting something not only significantly expensive, but near and dear to a large segment of the service. If the carrier reduction is soundly rebuffed, it could be a major element — eventually — in modifying the march of annual budget reductions.

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140126/DEFREG02/301270019/Carrier-Cut-Could-Back-Table

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Future USS Coronado (LCS 4) on its way to commissioning

The Navy's newest littoral combat ship, the future USS Coronado (LCS 4), departed from the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala., Jan. 27, en route to her commissioning site in Coronado, Calif. Coronado is the fourth littoral combat ship delivered to the Navy, and the second LCS of the aluminum, trimaran Independence variant. It is scheduled to be commissioned April 5, and will be homeported in San Diego, Calif.



"It is exciting to see Coronado, operated by her Navy crew, exiting the new construction yard en route to her homeport," said Capt. Tom Anderson, LCS Program Manager. "There is a great sense of pride among the many who were involved in her construction in seeing her headed to sea to do what she was built to do."

During her transit to the West Coast and prior to her commissioning, Coronado will conduct hull, mechanical, and electrical system shakedown events as well as navigation checks and combat systems test events. Additionally, the crew will participate in training events to continue honing their familiarity with the Independence variant.

Prior to sail away, the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) conducted acceptance trials aboard Coronado. INSURV found the ship's performance to be "strong" following what was hailed as "the most complete and rigorous trial on the Independence variant to date," and recommended the vessel be accepted.

LCS 4 incorporated a number of design changes based on lessons learned from the first ship of class, USS Independence (LCS 2). These changes are now part of the baseline design and are being incorporated in the construction of follow-on ships of the Independence variant.

The Austal USA team has Jackson (LCS 6), Montgomery (LCS- 8 ), Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) and Omaha (LCS 12) under construction in Mobile, Ala. In March 2013, construction contracts were awarded for Manchester (LCS 14) and Tulsa (LCS 16).

The littoral combat ship class is designed to defeat threats in coastal waters where increasingly capable submarines, mines, and swarming small craft operate. To deliver capabilities against these threats, the Navy introduced LCS with innovative concepts, such as modular mission packages, to quickly respond to an evolving threat.

Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships is responsible for delivering and sustaining the fleet's littoral mission capabilities. Consistent delivery of high-quality warfighting assets, while balancing affordability and capability, is key to supporting the Navy's Maritime Strategy.

http://www.navyrecognition.com

USS Coronado



Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUDs) students participate in Surf Passage at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Jan. 21







GULF OF OMAN (Jan. 12, 2014) A rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) transits toward the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4)

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Northrop Grumman Delivers 100th EA-18G Airborne Electronic Attack Kit

2014-01-28T06:00:00-0800

BETHPAGE, N.Y. – Jan. 28, 2014 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has delivered the 100 th airborne electronic attack (AEA) kit for the EA-18G Growler aircraft. The AEA kit is a critical component of the aircraft, which allows warfighters to target and attack the most complex enemy communication and air defense systems.

"This delivery milestone demonstrates the dedication of the Northrop Grumman team to the EA-18G Growler program. Every airborne electronic attack subsystem they have produced is of the highest quality, allowing us to stay ahead of current and evolving threats," said Capt. Frank Morley, U. S. Navy F/A-18 and EA-18G program manager.

The AEA kit features wing tip pods and gun bay pallets, in addition to antennas and receivers. The ALQ-218 Antenna/Tactical Jamming System Receiver allows for selective reactive jamming capability and accurate emitter identification, location and analysis. At the same time, the AN/ALQ-227 Communication Countermeasures Set/Electronic Attack Unit intercepts, processes and jams signals, while determining their direction.

"With the 100 th delivery of the EA-18G AEA kit, we continue to provide a high-quality product to those who protect our nation each and every day," said Doug Shaffer, director, electronic attack/maritime systems integration programs, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "We are proud to carry on the company's legacy in developing and producing world-class airborne electronic attack technology platforms."

The various AEA kit components are designed and manufactured at Northrop Grumman facilities in Bethpage, N.Y., St. Augustine, Fla., and Baltimore, Md., and by an expert supplier team. The 100 th kit was formally delivered to the EA-18G prime contractor, Boeing, Nov. 26, a week ahead of the contract date.

The Growler is the newest and most advanced airborne electronic attack platform used by U.S. Armed Forces, NATO and coalition forces around the world. Since reaching full-rate production and initial operational capability in 2009, the work of these aircraft in the fleet has been notable, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya. In 2019, Growlers will have replaced all of the Northrop Grumman-built EA-6B Prowlers operated by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Once this happens, the EA-18G Growler will serve as the only Joint Force airborne electronic attack option.

Northrop Grumman has delivered all 100 AEA kits on time and on budget, demonstrating the company's commitment to its customers. In addition to the kit, Northrop Grumman also produces the center/aft fuselage and vertical tails of the EA-18G Growler.

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.northropgrumman.com

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Navy Set to Accept First Virginia-Class Block III Sub




Groton, Conn. – While floating partially submerged in icy waters along a dock at a General Dynamics’ Electric Boat facility here, the Navy’s first Block III Virginia-Class attack submarine is being readied for sea-trials, certifications and delivery.
As a key step prior to formally handing the boat over to the Navy to begin service, Electric Boat engineers and Navy professionals are testing the electronics, wiring, missile tubes and propulsion system on-board the submarine, among other things, said Kurt Hesch,  vice president of Virginia-Class submarines, Electric Boat.
The USS North Dakota, the first Block III Virginia-Class submarine slated for delivery, is expected to be handed over to the Navy for service by April of this year.  An April or May delivery is several months in advance of its contracted arrival in August, Navy and Electric Boat officials said.

“The fact we’re delivering early to the contract delivery date demonstrates we did the re-design right, something clearly demonstrated in North Dakota’s bow taking two fewer months and 8,000 fewer mandays to build than the previous ship, USS Minnesota,” Capt. Dave Goggins, program manager,  Virginia-Class submarines told Military​.com in a written statement.
Christened in November, the USS North Dakota will be the first of eight Block III Virginia-Class boats delivered to the Navy, submarines engineered with a series of technological upgrades and innovations compared to earlier Blocks I and II boats, Navy officials said. Blocks I and II, totaling 10 ships, have already been delivered to the Navy.
All eight Block III boats are being built under a $14 billion Navy deal with General Dynamics’ Electric Boat in December of 2008.
Hesch and Navy officials explained that the sea trials involve three phases. They begin with an alpha-phase which assesses the ship’s ability to dive to depth and conduct emergency surfacing operations. The alpha trials also assess the submarines propulsion plant and many of the technologies.
The bravo-phase tests the acoustics and combat systems and looks to correct any problems, followed by the Navy Board of Inspection and Survey trials where an independent board comes to inspect the boat prior to certification. The idea is to identify and address any potential issues with the boat well before it enters service with the Navy.
“The first trial is very rigorous. We are making sure we understand the water tightness and ensuring we understand the propulsion capabilities and understand the emergency systems are working. We take these incremental steps to make sure it is a fully functional and safe ship,” Hesch said in an interview with Military​.com
Sea trials can last anywhere for eight to 12 weeks depending upon what issues are discovered, Hesch said.
There is a lot of testing that can only happen once the ship is underwater, such as an assessment of the nuclear-reactor, propulsion plant and dive and stern planes, Hesch explained.
“You start off going to a shallow depth to make sure everything is good, then you kind of work your way through the systems, making sure the propulsion plant is working the way it should,” he said.
The sea trials will assess everything from the sonar systems and missile tubes to on-board electronics, command and control technologies, navigation systems, sensors and submarine computer systems.
“We know what we want to test. We go out there and it is a very carefully orchestrated agenda that we follow without waiver,” said Michael Nowak, USS North Dakota ship manager, Electric Boat.
Nowak said his crew will assemble the requisite repair materials and mechanics in the event that sea trials reveal the need for changes. Some of the dockside testing includes shooting launch vehicles from torpedo tubes in order to verify that the launch lines are completed and ready, Nowak added.
The Block III subs, now under construction, are being built with new so-called Virginia Payload Tubes designed to lower costs and increase missile-firing payload possibilities, Navy officials explained.
Instead of building what most existing Virginia-class submarines have — 12 individual 21-inch in diameter vertical launch tubes able to fire Tomahawk missiles — the Block III submarines are being built with two-larger 87-inch diameter tubes able to house six Tomahawk missiles each.
While primarily done to lower costs for the boat, this technical change will allow the possibility of future missiles and off-board sensors to be launched from the tubes, Navy officials said.
All Virginia-Class submarines are also engineered with a computerized fly-by-wire touchscreen control system wherein boat operators use a joystick to navigate, unlike the mechanical hydraulic controls uses on prior models.
The Block III boats also have a Large Aperture Bow array which places a conformal sonar system in the bow of the boat, Hesch said.
While all Block III submarines are currently under construction, planning for 10 Block IV Virginia Class submarines is already underway. A Navy, General Dynamics’ Electric Boat contract for 10 submarines is currently being finalized and is expected to be finished in coming months, Navy officials said.
General Dynamics’ Electric Boat says they are planning a series of additional innovations for Block IV, such as a new radar and oxygen system.  The Block IV deal will span years 2014 to 2018.
Hesch explained that one of the goals with Block IV is to increase the number of deployments for the submarines over their 33-year service life from 14 to 15.  This can primarily be accomplished by engineering the boat with longer-lasting parts and increasing the efficiency of the ship’s maintenance availability, Electric Boat officials said.
Also, for Block V construction, the Navy is planning to insert a new 70-foot-long section designed to house additional missile capability. In fact, the Navy’s Capabilities Development Document, or CDD, for what’s called the Virginia Payload Modules is finished up and approved by the Pentagon’s Joint Requirements Oversight Council, Goggins said.
The Block V Virginia Payload Modules will add a new module or section of the submarine, increasing its Tomahawk missile firing capability from 12 to 40, Navy officials said. The idea is to have additional Tomahawk or other missile capability increased by 2026, when the SSGN Ohio-Class Guided Missile Submarines start retiring, he explained.
Hesch said that General Dynamics’ Electric Boat officials plan to work closely with the Navy to refine and solidify requirements in anticipation of doing early prototyping in 2015 and 2016.
The new module will add 28 missiles to the pressure hull section of the boat, using four large tubes each filled with 7 missiles. This will cause a slight, two-foot-long protrusion on the hull of the submarine to allow for a hatch to open, Hesch said.
In fact, the most recent Congressionally-passed budget deal approves $59 million for the Virginia Payload Modules, money which will move the developmental effort along.
The last six Virginia-class submarines have been delivered ahead of schedule, Navy officials said. The six submarines were Block I and Block II Virginia-class submarines.

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2014/01/29/navy-set-to-accept-first-virginia-class-block-iii-submarine/

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Le F-35C prépare ses premiers appontages sur porte-avions



La nouvelle version du F-35C, troisième et dernière variante du Joint Strike Fighter destinée aux porte-avions américains, vient d’achever avec succès ses essais terrestres d’appontage sur la base aéronavale de Lakehurst. C’est le CF3, troisième prototype de l’appareil et premier à être doté de la nouvelle crosse d’appontage..

http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/le-f-35c-prepare-ses-premiers-appontages-sur-porte-avions

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US Navy begins operational test phase of its RQ-21A Blackjack Tactical UAV

The US Navy and Marine Corps' newest small unmanned aircraft system RQ-21A Blackjack began its initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) in early January at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.

As part of IOT&E, this first low-rate initial production (LRIP) lot of the Blackjack, previously known as RQ-21A Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS), will demonstrate the system’s effectiveness and suitability in realistic combat conditions.



“Receiving the first production-level Blackjack is a great accomplishment for our government and industry team,” said Col. James Rector, program manager for the Navy and Marine Corps STUAS program office, who oversees the RQ-21A program. “It is a very capable system that will meet the needs of our warfighters deployed on land or at sea with our Marine expeditionary units.”

The Insitu Inc.-built Blackjack is a larger twin-tailed follow-on to the ScanEagle unmanned air vehicle. The system contains five air vehicles, two ground control systems, and launch and recovery equipment.

Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 1 is conducting ground and shipboard testing on Blackjack for the next several months. After completing IOT&E, the government and Insitu team will transition the system to Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron (VMU) 2, located at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. for operational use. A second LRIP lot, consisting of one system, is scheduled for delivery in the spring.

Lt. Col. Anthony Bolden, commanding officer for VMU-2, said the myriad of capabilities that come with the introduction of Blackjack will provide the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a platform that has the payload and persistence to significantly enhance situational awareness.

“RQ-21A brings a new level of flexibility and expeditionary capability not present in any UAS to date,” Bolden said. “As a result, having and operating the Blackjack will posture the Marine UAV squadrons at the forefront of MAGTF operations.”

At eight feet long and with a wingspan of 16 feet, Blackjack provides intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communications relay to the warfighter on land and at sea. The air vehicle’s open-architecture configuration can integrate new payloads quickly and can carry sensor payloads as heavy as 25 pounds.

Standard payloads include day and night full-motion video cameras, an infrared marker, a laser range finder, a communications relay package and automatic identification system receivers.

http://www.navyrecognition.com

The guided-missile destroyer USS HALSEY operates during exercise Koa Kai 14-1 on Jan. 29



the mobile landing platform John Glenn



On Friday, USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) departed her homeport of Norfolk, Va



The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier received approximately three inches of snow while training underway for future deployments.

Citation :

Two US warships, marines come to Black Sea - source

The guided missile frigate USS Ramage (DDG-61) and the command ship USS Mt. Whitney with 600 marines deployed aboard have come to the Black Sea, a military diplomat told the Russian news agency on Monday. "The frigate USS Ramage and the flag ship of the US Sixth Fleet, the USS Mt. Whitney, have arrived in the Black Sea. They have passed through the Dardanelles and Bosporus Straits lately with Turkish consent. More than 600 U. marines are stationed aboard the ships," the source said.

Judging by the vector of their movement, one may presume the US warships are headed towards the Ukrainian Black Sea coast.

A visit of the US warships to the Russian territorial waters is not on the agenda as of yet, the source said.

The USS Mt. Whitney, a Blue Ridge class command ship, is the flag ship of the US Sixth Fleet. It has a displacement of 18,400 tonnes, a length of 189 meters and a speed of 23 knots. The ship carries defensive artillery weaponry and a helicopter.

The USS Ramage (DDG-61) is a guided missile frigate commissioned on July 22, 1995. It has a displacement of 8,775 tonnes and a speed of 32 knots. It carries tactical strike weapons, Tomahawk cruise missiles, guided air defense missiles, artillery, anti-sub, mine and torpedo armaments, and a helicopter. The ship has a crew of 337, including 23 officers.

The Pentagon told reporters earlier that the ships would pay the visit as a part of standard military planning for security purposes during the Sochi Olympic Games.

Voice of Russia, Interfax

message a l´ukraine   et poutine par extension

Citation :

VIDEO RELEASE--Ingalls Shipbuilding's Amphibious Ship America (LHA 6) Sails the Gulf of Mexico for Successful Acceptance Trials



PASCAGOULA, Miss., Feb. 4, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The amphibious assault ship America (LHA 6) returned to Huntington Ingalls Industries' (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division Friday following successful acceptance sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico. Ingalls' test and trials team successfully demonstrated more than 220 test events to the U.S. Navy's board of inspection and survey (INSURV).

"It was a proud three days at sea, and America proved she is a quality ship," said LHA 6 Program Manager George Jones. "The LHA 6 team's tireless and diligent effort paid off as our scores from INSURV indicated. We will continue this effort over the next several weeks to have LHA 6 ready for the sailors and Marines who will man her as part of the U.S. Navy fleet."

Read more at http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2014/02/04/video-release-ingalls-shipbuildings-amphibious-ship-america-lha-6-sails-gulf-mexico-succe#iTkPKI7hwgutFgh0.99

http://www.virtual-strategy.com

Yakuza a écrit:

message a l´ukraine   et poutine par extension

non yak ils anticipent dans le cas d'un acte ou attentat terroriste contre les jeux olympiques d'hiver à Sochi pour l'évacuation de leurs compatriotes ..tiens un article qui parle de cette mission

Citation :

U.S. Warships Enter Black Sea in Support of Sochi Winter Olympics


Warships from the U.S. Navy’s 6^th Fleet have entered the Black Sea ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the service announced on Wednesday.
According to the Navy, the command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20), which carries 300 military and civilian personnel arrived in region on Tuesday.
The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Taylor (FFG-50) is expected to enter the Black Sea later today.

“Both ships will perform routine operations in the Black Sea to establish and enhance cooperation, mutual training and interoperability with regional partner nations and allies,” according to a U.S. Navy statement released to USNI News.
Though not explicitly stated, the two vessels would be used to evacuate U.S. citizens from Sochi in the event of a terrorist attack.
Russia has massively stepped up its security operations in the region because of the threat posed by Islamic militants who are trying to carve out an independent state out of the near-by Caucasus region—which includes Chechnya and Dagestan.

http://news.usni.org/2014/02/05/u-s-warships-enter-black-sea-support-sochi-winter-olympics

Citation :

Navy F-35 Set For Sea Trials After Tailhook Redesign


The naval version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is due to start flight tests on an aircraft carrier at sea in October after Lockheed Martin Corp. said it had fixed the tailhook used to arrest the plane's landing on a ship's deck.

Lockheed was forced to redesign the tailhook, and said Wednesday that the naval version of the advanced jet--known as the F-35C--was "on schedule and progressing well for sea trials" after a test plane successfully landed 36 times with the new version during trials on land.

The problems with the tailhook and a pricey new pilot helmet < http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304066404579128113083736686?KEYWORDS=3DLockheed+and+helmet//> had become symbolic of broader issues with the F-35 program as the complexity of trying to develop three different models simultaneously with a high level of shared parts led to a cascade of technical problems and cost overruns.

Lockheed and its partners on the F-35 program are looking to remove risks from the F-35C in the face an intense lobbying battle with Boeing Co., which wants the Navy to buy more of its F/A-18 planes, the mainstay of the U.S. Navy's existing carrier-based aircraft fleet.

The Pentagon plans to order 340 F-35Cs, 240 for the Navy and another 80 for the Marine Corps. The Navy aims to have its first squadron of jets ready to fly by early 2019, though a Pentagon watchdog last month cast doubt on whether the short-takeoff and landing version of the jet--known as the F-35B--would be ready for the Marines as planned by mid-2015. The U.S. Air Force is due to reach so-called "initial operational capability" with its F-35s in 2016.

Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon's director of Operational Test and Evaluation, said in a report to Congress that it could take an additional 13 months to finish testing software on the Marines' jets. The Pentagon said it remains confident the F-35B will be ready on time.

The Pentagon on Wednesday cautiously welcomed progress on the carrier version of the jet after the testing of the new tailhook, which has a different shape to catch the arresting wires used to slow and halt the plane on landing.

""We're not declaring victory. We have a lot more testing to do and more data to collect, but the initial results have been promising," said a spokesman for the F-35 Joint Program Office in an emailed statement.

The landing system faces another three to four months of land testing before being cleared for sea trials on the USS Nimitz, currently scheduled for October.

The Pentagon in October dropped plans for BAE Systems PLC to continue developing an alternative version of the pilot helmet after problems developed that included issues with its effectiveness at night and a latency snag that left pilots with delayed readings.

The original helmet became a trouble spot for Lockheed and its main partners in the project, Rockwell Collins Inc. and Elbit Systems Ltd., but the Pentagon said the problems had been resolved, while the competition from BAE had also driven down its cost.

Cost overruns, delays and technical glitches have dogged the F-35 program and made it a target for bipartisan attacks within Congress, but its funding has remained relatively unscathed. The U.S. still plans to buy more than 2,400 of the jets, and though some purchases have been pushed to the right, efforts to continue the ramp in production to reduce costs have been aided by recent wins from overseas governments.

Write to Doug Cameron at doug.cameron@wsj.com

http://online.wsj.com

Citation :

US Navy's Newest LPD SOMERSET Departs For Philadelphia

As carrier goes to torch

Yesterday saw the final departure of aircraft carrier USS FORRESTAL from Philadelphia, but the day before the US Navy also saw the departure from Avondale of their newest amphibious transport dock ship, on her way to commissioning.


She departed Huntington Ingalls in Avondale, February 3rd 2014, beginning her maiden voyage to her commissioning site in Philadelphia which will be held on March 1st

"The commissioning ceremony marks an important milestone in a ship's life and completes the cycle from christening and launching to full status as a ship of the United States Navy," said Commanding Officer, Capt. Thomas L. Dearborn. "On March 1, 2014 when you hear the words " ... bring my ship to life," Somerset will come alive and her crew stand ready to take our place in America's historic heritage of the sea."

Before Somerset could set sail, it had to completed several certifications, including light-off assessment (LOA), damage control material assessment, crew certification phase two, and anti-terrorism force protection. According to Somerset's Training Department, the certifications require a passing rate in order for the ship to operate independently.

"The certifications grades spoke volumes for the crews' training and preparations yielding high scores in all areas," said Somerset's Training Leading Chief Petty Officer, Chief Damage Controlman (SW/AW) Brian McGowan. "Afloat Training Group Pacific gave high reviews, even going as far as saying 'Somerset is one of the best ships on the west coast.' I'm proud to serve on board and impressed with the caliber of Sailors stationed here."

As Somerset prepared to depart HII Shipyard on the eight hour sea and anchor detail, Sailors stood on the weather and flight decks viewing the skyline of New Orleans for the last time, even cheering as the ship passed under the Huey P. Long Bridge.

"I've been a part of the Somerset crew for nearly two years now, with most of that time here in New Orleans," said Personnel Specialist 1st Class Katherine Limones. "Although it's a little bittersweet leaving, I'm so excited we are so close to commissioning. It's an honor to be on one of the Sept. 11 tribute ships and to be a part of a ship that represents so much heroism."

Somerset is the ninth San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock and is named in honor of the courageous passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 which crashed near Shanksville in Somerset County, Pa during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Somerset is the third of the three named in honor of those victims and first responders of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. USS Somerset represents the heroic actions of the 40 crew and passengers of United Flight 93 honoring their collective sacrifice and the tremendous courage displayed in the face of overwhelming adversity. Had it not been for their brave actions, the terrorists would have reached their intended target and countless more lives would have been lost.

http://www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item_10680.html

Citation :

Arrivée en Europe du premier navire américain pour le bouclier antimissile


BRUXELLES, 11 fév 2014 (AFP) -

Le premier des quatre destroyers américains déployés dans le cadre du bouclier antimissile de l'Otan est arrivé mardi dans le port espagnol de Rota, où il sera basé dans le but de défendre l'Europe, a annoncé l'Otan.

Le USS Donald Cook, équipé d'intercepteurs antimissiles Aegis, avait quitté son port d'attache de Norfolk, sur la côte est des Etats-Unis, le 31 janvier, pour rejoindre l'importante base navale de Rota, située dans le sud de l'Espagne près du détroit de Gibraltar.

"Pour la première fois, un navire de la Navy américaine équipé du système antibalistique Aegis est basé de manière permanente en Europe", a déclaré le secrétaire général de l'Otan, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, dans un communiqué publié à Bruxelles. Son "arrivée marque une étape supplémentaire pour l'Otan, pour la sécurité européenne et pour la coopération transatlantique", a-t-il ajouté.

Le USS Donald Cook devrait être rejoint à Rota par trois autres destroyers américains "au cours des deux prochaines années", selon l'Otan. Outre la défense antimissile, ces navires dotés d'une technologie très perfectionnée participeront à des opérations pour assurer la liberté de navigation et à des exercices internationaux.

Ils sont déployés dans le cadre de "l'Approche adaptative phasée" pour l'Europe qui prévoit la mise en place en plusieurs phases jusqu'à 2020, de missiles SM-3 sur les plates-formes navales Aegis, ainsi que dans deux pays d'Europe de l'est, la Roumanie et la Pologne.

Le programme du bouclier antimissile, basé essentiellement sur une technologie américaine, a été lancé par les 28 pays membres de l'Otan en 2010. Son but est officiellement "purement défensif" pour répondre à d'éventuelles "menaces provenant de l'extérieur", de pays comme l'Iran.

Le bouclier est depuis plusieurs années le principal sujet de discorde entre l'Otan et la Russie, qui le perçoit comme une menace pour sa sécurité.

http://www.marine-oceans.com/actualites-afp/7261-arrivee-en-europe-du-premier-navire-americain-pour-le-bouclier-antimissile

Citation :

Bush Carrier Strike Group to deploy Saturday



NORFOLK, VA. — Four ships, one air wing and more than 5,000 sailors that comprise the Bush Carrier Strike Group will get underway Saturday to conduct maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 5th and 6th Fleets, Fleet Forces Command said Wednesday.

The CSG includes two Norfolk-based ships: the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush and the guided missile destroyer Truxtun. Two escorts, the destroyer Roosevelt and the cruiser Philippine Sea, will leave the same day from Mayport, Fla.

The guided missile destroyer Arleigh Burke will also depart Norfolk on Saturday on an independent eight-month ballistic missile defense patrol to 5th Fleet, the FFC news release said.

Carrier Air Wing 8 is based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. It includes four strike fighter squadrons: the VFA-213 “Fighting Black Lions,” the VFA 31 “Tomcatters,” the VFA 15 “Valions” and the VFA 87 “Golden Warriors.” CVW 8 also includes tactical electronics warfare squadron 134 “Garudas,” carrier airborne early warning squadron 124 “Bear Aces,” fleet logistics support squadron 40 “Rawhides,” helicopter maritime strike squadron 70 “Spartans” and helicopter sea combat squadron 9 “Tridents.”

George H.W. Bush had some noteworthy trials and tests over the past year. These included tests of the MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft as a potential carrier onboard delivery aircraft and the first launch and trap of an unmanned drone, the X-47B.

http://www.navytimes.com

Citation :

Le 2ème exemplaire de MQ-8C Fire Scout a effectué son premier vol

http://www.journal-aviation.com/actualites/25867-le-second-mq-8c-fire-scout-effectue-son-premier-vol

USS Boxer en escale de plusieurs jours a Eilat

Citation :

Navy F-35C Prepares for Ship Trials, Faces Headwinds
By Sandra I. Erwin


Naval aviators plan to fly the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter from an aircraft carrier at sea this fall. Pilots who have operated the aircraft say they are cautiously optimistic about its future despite a string of technical setbacks.

During carrier tests scheduled for October, officials will have an opportunity to examine the performance of the airplane following a recent redesign of the arresting hook that catches the airplane when it lands on the carrier deck. Aviation commanders also hope the tests will provide early answers to questions about the role of the F-35C as part of an air wing.

The F-35C faces several more years of tests before it is ready to join carrier air wings. Whereas the Marine Corps is determined to start operations with its vertical-takeoff F-35B as early as 2016, the Navy is in less of a hurry. At the earliest, the Navy has said the F-35C would be operational in 2019, although that goal appears to be in flux.

“We are only half way through the initial development plan,” says Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael Burks, a test pilot with 150 hours in the cockpit of the F-35C and B.

Flight tests are planned through 2017, and operational-level trials would begin later. The $400 billion Joint Strike Fighter program includes three variants: one for the Air Force, one for the Marine Corps and one for the Navy.

The priorities for the Navy’s F-35C are to finish software development and to fix glitches in the helmet-mounted displays, Burks says during a recent industry conference in San Diego. Then the Navy will have to decide how to incorporate the F-35C into an already crowded air wing.

“There will be some challenges integrating the F-35 on the carrier. Most have been identified,” he says. A carrier air wing typically has anywhere from 44 to 54 fighter jets. The Navy expects that for the foreseeable future, most of the fighters in the air wing will be Super Hornets, and that the F-35C will have a niche role as an airborne intelligence nerve center.

The F-35C will be predominantly an “information collector and distributor in the air wing,” says Burks. As the Navy’s only “stealth” aircraft that can fly undetected by radar, it will be prepared to “go alone into highly contested areas,” he adds. But most of the time it will serve as the hub of a “network centric” air wing.

“It may not matter what weapon we have on board,” Burks says. F-35 pilots will pass information over the network that would allow other aircraft to engage targets. “I may pull the trigger in the cockpit but the weapon may come from a different platform,” he explains.

Routine aircraft operations and maintenance aboard the carrier will change dramatically when the F-35C joins the fleet, says Burks. The high-tech materials that give the F-35 stealth properties require special care. “There will have to be a paradigm shift … in the grimy flight deck environment,” he says. “Maintainers are going to have to come into the 21st century when it comes to maintaining these technologies,” says Burks. “No longer can we allow our aircraft to get grubby and grimy from wear and tear, and wash them once a month. They will require daily support, the effort of the entire squadron, especially on cruise,” he says. “That's different from the current mindset when we let the airplanes get dirty because of the operational environment.” In test squadrons, aircraft are kept indoors and in hangars, so maintenance problems at sea have yet to be experienced.

Another issue will be coping with louder than usual engines. “It is a very noisy jet,” Burks says of the F-35C. “We are looking at having to use noise-cancellation headsets for maintainers” and other operators.

The Pentagon’s Director of Test and Evaluation Michael Gilmore says in his 2014 annual report that engine noise is a “potential risk to personnel on the flight deck and one level below the flight deck.” Projected noise levels one level below the flight deck will require at least single hearing protection, he says. On most carriers this is a berthing area, but on the new carrier CVN-78 this is a mission planning space, Gilmore says. “Personnel wearing hearing protection in mission planning areas will find it difficult to perform their duties.”

A more significant concern is the performance of the redesigned tail hook, which has been tested six times so far. “It's a bit early to say we have definitely nailed this problem,” says Burks. “The tail hook has been a major issue for the development of this airplane. It was unexpected until it was discovered in 2011.” The first problem was not being able to catching the arresting wire. There was also a structural flaw that caused excessive stress to the bulkhead where the tail hook attaches to the airframe. The redesign took a year and a half. Manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp. has so far delivered one F-35C with the new tail hook at the Navy’s test site at Patuxent River, Md.

Gilmore says the arresting hook system “remains an integration risk as the JSF development schedule leaves no time for new discoveries.” He cautions about the “potential for gouging of the flight deck after a missed cable engagement due to an increase in weight of 139 pounds and the potential for sparking from the tail hook across the flight deck because of the increased weight and sharper geometry of the redesigned hook.”

One of the most anticipated features of the F-35C is an automated landing system called “delta flight path” that would take the pressure off aviators to nail landings on moving ships. “The delta flight path for the F-35C will make carrier landing so easy,” Burks says. “It will be a new era of carrier aviation. … Night landings will not be the number one task to focus on.” The system has been tested ashore but has yet to be tried at sea.

The glitches of the $500,000 F-35 pilot helmet have been well documented, but problems have yet to be fixed. Having a helmet-mounted display is central to how air warfare will be conduced with the F-35 because it eliminates the heads-up display in the cockpit, and everything is projected on the visor of the helmet.

“When it gets to the fleet and it's working right, it will provide a great capability,” says Burks. It would allow for a smooth transition from day to night, with no need for night vision goggles. The pilot would have a 360-degree view of his surroundings from the cameras around the aircraft. The helmet, though, has been plagued by the jitters. When the display is fixed to the aircraft, it is easy for the human eye to compensate for head motion. “It so happens now that your head is bobbing around when you're pulling G's, it's not quite as easy to stabilize the symbology on the visor,” he says. “We've been through many fixes.” The contractor built a tiny electronic device to sense aircraft vibration and buffeting. “It turns on filters in different regimes of flight to filter out the noise we're seeing in the display,” says Burks.

The redesigned helmet is now undergoing tests. The helmet’s night camera also will require major changes. “It continues to be a show stopper at night,” he says. One problem is that it leaks light at night when the pilot is trying to dim the display down. “You get a lot of leakage of light in the optics around the eyes. It's distracting,” says Burks. He predicts the transition from cockpit to helmet-mounted displays will be hard for most pilots. “It took me about 50 flying hours to adjust.”

William Gigliotti, F-35 test pilot at Lockheed Martin Corp., says glitches are to be expected in any major weapon development. During a panel discussion at the Navy’s West 2014 conference in San Diego, Gigliotti suggests that “nits” in the F-35 program get blown out of proportion. “It's the most scrutinized program around,” he says. “We can't afford to hide anything.”
Being in the middle of the flight test program, he says, “our job is to stress the aircraft, find problems and fix them.”

He says Lockheed engineers have come up with novel ideas for how to maintain sensitive stealth aircraft at sea. “When we go to the carrier this year, we have to see the normal wear and tear.”

A potential weakness of the F-35 is not the aircraft but its weapons, Gigliotti says. He worries about future conflicts where U.S. aviators may have to engage in dogfights against well-equipped enemies. “We have air-to-air missiles. But it's important we acknowledge that in the United States we need a new AIM 120,” he says referring to the newest air-to-air weapon used by the U.S. military. “We need a longer range air-to-air weapon. … As an industry, we need to get active in supplying a longer and more kinematic air-to-air weapon,” Gigliotti says. “That is a current limitation under some scenarios. … It is the Achilles’ heel across the U.S. Fighter fleet. We need better kinematics.”

The Pentagon plans to buy nearly 100 F-35s of the three variants by 2018. When the program’s schedule collapsed in 2009 and its costs started to soar, Pentagon officials halted development and directed all branches of the military to beef up the testing program to ensure problems were fixed before more airframes were produced.

The projected price tag of $391.2 billion for an eventual fleet of 2,443 F-35s is a 68 percent increase from the estimate in 2001. The officer in charge of the F-35, Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, says in a 60 Minutes interview that the price tag of at least $115 billion per aircraft is too high, but the Pentagon intends to stick with the plan. “I don’t see any scenario where we’re walking back away from this program.”

http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org

Citation :

Navy’s IRST system successfully completes first flight aboard F/A-18

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy’s Infrared Search and Track (IRST), a passive, long-range sensor that searches for and detects heat sources, successfully completed its first flight aboard an F/A-18 Super Hornet on Feb. 11, from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

The system can simultaneously track multiple targets and provide a highly effective air-to-air targeting capability, even when encountering advanced threats equipped with radar-jamming technology.

Because IRST is passive, unlike radar systems, it does not give off radiation and is harder to detect.

“Adding an advanced infrared sensor to the Super Hornet broadens the Navy’s warfighting ability,” said Capt. Frank Morley, the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office’s (PMA-265) program manager. “Combined with the Super Hornet’s advanced radar and the Growler’s electronic-attack radar-jamming ability, IRST will transform the way the Super Hornet conducts air-to-air operations and allows the fleet to dominate the skies in all threat environments. It is truly a game-changing capability.”

The requirement for an IRST on the Super Hornet is the direct result of advancements in threat electronic-warfare systems. The system, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, provides the F/A-18 Super Hornet an alternate air-to-air targeting system in a high-threat electronic-attack environment.

“I am proud of how we have worked with our industry partners, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, to bring this much-needed detection capability one step closer to the fleet,” said Brian Hall, deputy program manager for Spectrum Dominance in PMA-265. “As the current threat environment continues to evolve, PMA-265 continues to advance the fleet and warfighter in order to stay ahead of these threats.”

IRST is just one of the Navy’s F/A-18E/F flight-plan capabilities designed to ensure the Block II Super Hornet will stay ahead of known and emerging threats through 2025 and beyond.

Other F/A-18E/F Super Hornet next-generation capabilities included in the flight plan are advanced fused sensors, Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Counter Electronic Attack (CEA), Distributed Targeting System (DTS), Multi-sensor Integration (MSI), Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW), IP-Based Linked Networks and advanced air-to-ground and air-to-air precision weapons operating on an open-architecture backplane.

“With the successful completion of the IRST first flight, we are looking forward to moving on to the next steps required to field this invaluable capability,” Morley said.

PEO(T) Public Affairs
(301) 757-7178

http://www.navair.navy.mil

Citation :

Un navire américain envoyé en mer Noire pendant les JO s’est échoué dans un port turc

19 février 2014 – 17:54

Il est encore trop tôt pour savoir si l’on doit classer cet épisode dans la série “j’ai glissé, chef” que les cinéphiles doivent connaître (du moins ceux qui ont vu la “7e compagnie”). Depuis quelques temps, la marine américaine accumule des incidents de navigation. L’an passé, l’on se souvient que le chasseur de mines USS Guardian s’était échoué dans un sanctuaire marin aux Philippines. En 2012, plusieurs collisions avaient été rapportées, dont une impliquant un sous-marin nucléaire d’attaque et un croiseur.

Cette fois, il est question de la frégate USS Taylor (classe Oliver Hazard Perry), laquelle a été récemment mise sous le feu des projecteurs pour son engagement, avec l’USS Mount Whitney, le navire amiral de la VIe Flotte, en mer Noire, destiné à répondre à une éventuelle situation d’urgence lors des Jeux Olympiques d’hiver de Sotchi.

Seulement, en cas de problème grave, il ne faudra plus compter sur ce navire puisqu’il s’est échoué le 12 février alors qu’il s’apprêtait à entrer dans le port de Samsun, situé sur la côte Nord de la Turquie, pour s’y ravitailler. L’US Navy n’a publé qu’un bref communiqué 6 jours plus tard pour informer de l’ouverture d’une enquête visant à déterminer les causes de l’incident.

“Il est trop tôt pour déterminer quel sera l’impact” sur la capacité du navire à reprendre rapidement la mer”, a indiqué un porte-parole du commandement de l’US Navy en Europe. L’USS Taylor doit en effet subir une inspection our évaluer les dégâts qu’il a subis. A priori, ses hélices ont été  

http://www.opex360.com/

Citation :

Navy Launches Massive Ford-Class Carrier Test



The U.S. Navy is starting a 26-month test and technology integration phase for the recently christened USS Gerald R. Ford, the first in a series of next-generation Ford-class aircraft carriers slated for commissioning in 2016.

The testing plans for the 77,000-ton USS Ford are prolonged and more labor intensive because the first-in-class ship includes a wide range of new systems and technologies, said Rear Adm. Tom Moore, Program Executive Officer, Carriers.

"We're in the infancy stages of the 26-month test program. The test program is a little bit longer than it was for Nimitz-class carriers because of the number of new developmental systems on board. The early returns are that the program is going well," Moore said.

The Ford program has been the subject of scrutiny and criticism by lawmakers, analysts and watchdog groups for cost growth and reliability issues of some of its technologies. Navy officials point out that at least $3.3 billion of the Ford's $12.8 billion cost are part of what's called non-recurring engineering costs to design and produce a first-in-class ship with new technologies.

The Ford-class carriers are slated to replace the existing Nimitz-class carriers on a one-for-one basis in coming years as the Nimitz carriers come to the end of their service life. Since carriers have a life span of up to 50-years of service, Ford-class carriers are slated to remain in service until the year 2110, Moore said.

With this future in mind, the Ford-class carriers are being built with three times the electrical power generating capacity compared to Nimitz-class carriers, Moore said. The USS Ford will have four 26-megawatt generators bringing a total of 104 megawatts to the ship. This helps support the ship's developing systems such as its Electro-Magnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, and provides power for future systems such as lasers, and rail-guns, Moore added.

The ships are engineered with a redesigned island, slightly larger deck space and new weapons elevators in order to achieve a 33-percent increase in sortie-generation rate. The new platforms are built to launch more aircraft and more seamlessly support a high-op tempo.

The new weapons elevators allow for a much more efficient path to move and re-arm weapons systems for aircraft. The elevators can take weapons directly from their magazines to just below the flight deck, therefore greatly improving the sortie-generation rate by making it easier and faster to re-arm planes, Moore said.

He added that a decision was made to delay the launch by about four months in order to allow the shipbuilders -- Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries -- extra time to get more integration work done on the dry dock before putting the ship into the water.

"We've got four of the nine 1,100-ton air conditioning plants. We have 29 of 33 fire pumps up and running and we have tested the electric plant. We're doing diesel engine testing. We've turned over about 100 compartments to the ship's force who is now working on board the ship," Moore explained.

The USS Ford's EMALS, or electro-magnetic catapult system is being tested and built for the ship. Unlike previous Nimitiz-class carriers which use a steam-catapult, EMALS uses an electro-magnetic field and a series of cascading magnets to propel and then launch aircraft, Moore explained.

"By having this electrical pulse come down, you are pulling the aircraft down to the catapult to launch it. You can dial in the precise weight of the aircraft. As you accelerate the aircraft down the catapult, you can accelerate it to the precise speed it needs to launch," Moore said.

Unlike steam catapults which use pressurized steam, a launch valve and a piston to catapult aircraft, EMALS uses a precisely determined amount of electrical energy. As a result, EMALS is designed to more smoothly launch aircraft while reducing stress and wear and tear on the airframes themselves, he added.

"By the time the aircraft gets to the catapult it is at the right speed. Minimizing stress on the airframe, over time, reduces maintenance," Moore added.

On the ship, EMALS will be engineered such that any of the ship's four catapults will be able to draw power from any one of three energy storage groups on the ship, he said.

Although the catapult troughs for the USS Ford's EMALS system are now being built and integrated with the overall system, the technology has been in the process of extensive testing at a Naval Air Warfare Center facility in Lakehurst, N.J.

The EMALS catapults there have launched 200 aircraft flights from their system, including launches of an F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-35. In addition, the catapults there have launched more than 1,500 dead loads where they put a weight on a sled and shoot that off with the system.

Meanwhile, on the ship, the below-deck EMALS equipment has been installed. This consists of a series of transformers and rectifiers designed to convert and store electrical power through a series of motor generators before brining power to the launch motors on the catapults, Moore explained.

The USS Ford is able to generate 13,800 volts of electrical power, more than three times the 4,160 volts that a Nimitz-class carrier generates, Moore said.

The EMALS system is also engineered to work in tandem with the USS Ford's new Advanced Arresting Gear, or AAG. Unlike the existing hydraulic system used on current aircraft carriers, AAG is a mechanical electrical system with a cable that spins a water twister, Moore explained.

Similar to EMALS, the AAG is also designed to reduce stress on the airframe during the landing process.

"The idea is to provide a smoother run out and slow down in a more constant manner. What AAG will do is allow you to have a reduction in the force on the airframe as you arrest the plane," Moore said.

Once this 26-month test phase is complete, the USS Ford is scheduled to go through what's called builder trials and acceptance trials designed to make sure everything works before the ship enters service. The acceptance trials involve an independent inspection and survey of the ship, Moore said.

Once that takes place, the Navy will take the ship for a six to eight month post-shakedown period and certify the flight deck.

Moore said he expects the USS Ford to be ready to deploy as part of a battle group by late 2018 or early 2019.

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