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USAF to issue contract to Sikorsky for rescue helicopter


The US Air Force's combat rescue helicopter programme is moving forward.

The service announces on 4 March that it intends to issue a contract by the end of June to Sikorsky for the 14-year, $7 billion programme, which calls for up to 112 aircraft.

Sikorsky, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, was the only company to bid on the project with its proposed CRH-60, a modified version of its UH-60M Black Hawk.



Rendering of Sikorsky's CRH-60 combat rescue helicopter. Sikorsky.

The USAF says it will move $430 million from other programmes to the CRH programme though fiscal year 2019 due to "the criticality" of the combat rescue mission.

The project also received an injection of more than $300 million in the fiscal year 2014 budget.

The service warns, however, that the programme may need to be "reevaluated" should additional defense budget cuts take effect in fiscal year 2016.

"The competitive price and the funding provided by Congress will allow us to award the CRH contract, but we could still face significant challenges to keeping this effort on track," says USAF secretary Deborah Lee James in a statement. "We will need to work with Congress throughout 2015 budget deliberations."

The CRH is intended to replace the USAF's aging HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, which are also a Sikorsky product.

"Sikorsky and our teammate Lockheed Martin thank the USAF for enabling us to build a modern and affordable combat rescue helicopter that will replace the service’s rapidly aging HH-60G Pave Hawk fleet," says Sikorsky in a statement. "We look forward to working with the USAF to deliver CRH-60 aircraft in the prescribed timeframe."

http://www.flightglobal.com

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Holloman gets first 3 of its F-16s


Holloman Air Force Base’s newly designated 54th Fighter Group has received its first three F-16 Fighting Falcons, base officials announced.

Holloman is slated to receive 55 of the fourth-generation fighters by October 2015 as it becomes a formal F-16 training base. Most of those aircraft are coming from Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, which is switching from an F-16 training base to F-22 Raptor training. The F-22 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter.

Holloman lost the last of its F-22 Raptors to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., this year in an Air Force realignment.

Lt. Col. Scott Frederick, commander of Holloman’s 311th Fighter Squadron, said the squadron falls under the 54th Fighter Group. In addition to the 54th, Holloman plans to host a second flying squadron once additional F-16s arrive. Base officials said that 917 personnel are transferring from Luke, and that an additional 23 new positions will be created at Holloman.

http://www.abqjournal.com

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An F-15E Strike Eagle from RAF Lakenheath, England, takes on fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker from RAF Mildenhall March 28, 2014, during exercise Tonnerre Lightning. The exercise was a combined endeavor between U.S., British and French air force members to train for real-world operations. RAF Mildenhall regularly trains with allied armed forces to help strengthen partnerships and standardize training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dillon Johnston/Released)

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Boeing, Bombardier and Gulfstream attend JSTARS industry day

Airframe suppliers Boeing, Bombardier and Gulfstream were among companies to attend an industry day for businesses interested in the US Air Force’s next-generation joint surveillance target attack radar system (JSTARS) project.

Competing airframers with US manufacturing interests including Airbus, Cessna and Embraer were not among attendees at the 8 April event, according to an attendee list posted on the US government’s procurement website.

The project is an effort by the USAF to replace its current JSTARS platform, the Northrop Grumman E-8C, which was developed from a Boeing 707 airframe.

The USAF seeks a “significantly smaller and more efficient airframe” – something in the “business jet class” – for an E-8C replacement, according to procurement documents.



US Air Force

The USAF plans to invest $73.1 million in fiscal year 2015 on the project, according to a recently-released budget request, which still requires Congressional approval.

The service’s five-year plan calls for funding to jump to $334 million in FY2016 and $641 million in FY2017.

http://www.flightglobal.com

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USAF announces initial basing plans for KC-46A tanker




The US Air Force (USAF) has selected the first two bases to house the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus aerial refuelling aircraft when the type enters service from 2017, the service announced on 23 April.
Altus Air Force Base (AFB) in Oklahoma, has been selected as the KC-46A's formal training unit, with McConnell AFB in Kansas serving as the first active duty-led main operating base with 36 aircraft. McConnell AFB will also serve as the site for the new KC-46A Regional Maintenance Training Center.
United States Air Force (USAF) officials noted that they analysed operational considerations, installation attributes, and economic and environmental factors for each location before making a final basing decision. "The air force chose these bases using operational analysis, the results of site surveys, and military judgment factors," Timothy Bridges, USAF Deputy Assistant Secretary for Installations is quoted as saying in a service statement.
A final basing decision for the first Air National Guard (ANG) main operating base is expected this summer, with the first aircraft scheduled to arrive with the Guard in Fiscal Year 2018.
The USAF's basing announcement follows on from an earlier disclosure that the 418th Flight Test Squadron (FTS), Detachment 1, for the KC-46A stood up at King County International Airport (colloquially known as Boeing Field) near Seattle in mid-2013. The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Defense Contract Management Agency, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will also be located at Boeing Field. Test work will also take place at Edwards AFB in California, and from the test integrated product team in the programme office at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio.
Boeing is currently under contract to build four test KC-46A aircraft under the USD3.9 billion engineering, manufacture, and development phase of the USAF's KC-X programme. Manufacture of these airframes is now underway at the company's 767 airliner line at Everett, near Seattle in Washington. The first 'green' airframe is scheduled to fly the short distance to Boeing Field in the coming months, where it will be fitted with its aerial refuelling equipment and other military systems. The first flight of a fully provisioned KC-46A tanker slated to take place in the third quarter of 2015.
Under the KC-X programme, the USAF plans to replace approximately half of its 400 Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers with 179 KC-46A aircraft by 2028. Follow-on KC-Y and KC-Z requirements will be put out to tender to replace the remaining KC-135s and the 59 McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender platforms.

http://www.janes.com/article/36998/usaf-announces-initial-basing-plans-for-kc-46a-tanker

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B-2 software upgrade completes USAF review




Northrop Grumman has completed a US Air Force (USAF) review of a new software package for the 20-aircraft B-2 Spirit stealth bomber fleet.
The preliminary design review of the weapons management system software was conducted on 26-27 February at Northrop Grumman's B-2 facility in Oklahoma City, the company revealed in a 24 April press statement.
The upgrade, known as the USAF's 'Flexible Strike Phase 1' programme, was created to streamline weapons management software on the aircraft, according to Northrop Grumman. "We're simplifying the software used by the B-2 to manage its weapons," said Dave Mazur, vice president and B-2 programme manager in Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems division. The aircraft currently has several standalone software programmes that each manage a specific mission.
"We're replacing that software with a single programme that can manage all of those mission types," Mazur added. The simplification will reduce maintenance costs, and increase reliability, according to Northrop Grumman.
The Flexible Strike programme is the first B-2 modernisation effort to take advantage of the new communications infrastructure Northrop Grumman created for the first increment of the B-2 EHF satellite communications programme. That infrastructure included faster processors, a fibre optic network, and increased onboard data storage.
Northrop Grumman also began software and hardware upgrades to the aircraft's Lockheed Martin AN/APR-50 defensive management system (DMS) in February. Lockheed Martin's Mission Systems and Training division is developing a new avionics graphics processor, while L-3 Communications Randtron Antenna Systems and Ball Aerospace are working on new antennas for that upgrade. Northrop Grumman declined to provide an update on the progress of the DMS effort.
In October 2012, the company completed field installations of the B-2's active electronically scanned array (AESA)-upgraded Raytheon AN/APQ-181, under the radar modernization programme. Other enhancements to the B-2 include improvements to the cockpit weapon interfaces to accommodate new munitions, such as the Small Diameter Bomb II, and Massive Ordnance Penetrator; the fitting of enhanced communications; and the installation of a Universal Armament Interface.

http://www.janes.com/article/37039/b-2-software-upgrade-completes-usaf-review

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Tinker delivers first upgraded B-52

4/22/2014 - TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex just completed on-time delivery of its first B-52 Stratofortress retrofitted with an upgrade that allows the bomber to meet the digital demands of modern war.

A B-52 crew from Tinker's 10th Flight Test Squadron, flew the airplane home to Barksdale AFB, La., on April 21st, with state of the art displays, servers and communications uplinks installed as part of the Combat Network Communications Technology upgrade.

The aircraft arrived at Tinker in July 2013 and the 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group performed the work, which will allow the aircraft platform, born more than 60 years ago, to remain viable in the Air Force inventory to at least 2040.

"It is taking the B-52 from a rotary-dial phone to a smartphone," said Alan Williams, Deputy Program Element Monitor at Air Force Global Strike Command, when the program was announced.

"Now the crews will be able to do final mission planning enroute," Williams said. "They will be able to get targeting updates; they will be able to get intelligence updates, all while they are en route so that they can get the most current data."

The beyond line of sight, or BLOS, communications ability introduced in the CONECT upgrades will allow for a central air operations center to pass along updated threat and targeting data to the aircraft for rapid machine-to-machine retargeting, rather than having the crew and mission be dependent solely upon information available at take-off.

"The aircraft will be much more effective and safe for the crew because of being able to receive those threat and target updates," Williams said, adding that CONECT will also allow the aircrew to receive last-minute updates so that they are able to strike the most current or necessary targets and do it rapidly because of the new machine-to-machine targeting capability.

Eventually, every B-52 in the inventory will come through the maintenance line at the OC-ALC to receive the new technology, providing the fleet with a "digital backbone" compatible with additional networking and system upgrades.

http://www.barksdale.af.mil

nouveau B-52 CONECT

Citation :

 L'USAF s'essaie à la surveillance maritime avec le drone Global Hawk

Le 30/04/2014 à 18h24, par Duncan Macrae  


Un drone de reconnaissance RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40 © Northrop Grumman  

Dans un communiqué laconique daté du 28 avril dernier, l’US Air Force lève le voile sur une capacité jusqu’alors méconnue du radar MP-RTIP qui équipe son drone Global Hawk dans sa version Block 40. Il s’agit des « Modes Maritimes » du radar, à savoir le Maritime Moving Target Indicator (détection de cibles maritimes mobiles) et le MISAR (Maritime Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar, où radar maritime à synthèse d’ouverture inverse). Le MP-RTIP sera ainsi capable de détecter et de surveiller des cibles évoluant à terre, en région côtière ou en haute mer.

Premier pas vers cette future capacité « air-mer », les équipes d’essai de la base aérienne d'Hanscom AFB dans le Massachusetts ont réalisé « avec succès » un premier vol de réduction de risques du radar sur le Global Hawk Block 40. Le vol, qui a eu lieu dans la zone d’essai de l’US Navy à Point Mugu en Californie et qui a duré 11 heures et demie, aurait permis de recueillir des données sur une centaine de cibles.

Le communiqué de l’USAF précise que les modes maritimes font partie du cahier des charges du programme OTAN de surveillance AGS, alors que les documents de référence OTAN ont toujours désigné l’AGS et le radar MP-RTIP comme « système de surveillance terrestre » ou « radar de surveillance terrestre ». Le programme AGS, estimé à 3 Md€, comprendra cinq Global Hawk Block 40, basés à Sigonella (Italie). La mise en service est actuellement prévue entre 2015 et 2017.

Coincidence ou pas, cette annonce d’une capacité accrue du drone de Northrop Grumman intervient à un moment où le Global Hawk est en concurrence avec le vénérable avion de reconnaissance U-2 pour assurer les missions de renseignement à haute altitude de l’USAF dans les années à venir.

On peut s’interroger aussi sur l’opportunité de cette annonce de la part de l’USAF alors qu’une autre version du Global Hawk, le drone de surveillance maritime MQ-4C Triton, poursuit actuellement ses vols d’essai avec l’US Navy. Le Triton, équipé d’un radar en bande X à antenne active MFAS, vise une capacité opérationnelle initiale (IOC) en 2017.

En toile de fond également : la recherche d’un successeur pour l’avion radar de surveillance du champ de bataille E-8C JSTARS, pour lequel l’USAF penche pour l’adoption d’une plateforme type jet d’affaires et des équipements « sur étagère ». Le radar MP-RTIP figure parmi les candidats pour ce besoin. D'autant que MP signifie « multi-plateformes » et que ce radar n'équipe pour l'instant que le seul Global Hawk Block 40.

http://www.air-cosmos.com/2014/04/30/22137-l-usaf-s-essaie-a-la-surveillance-maritime-avec-le-drone-global-hawk  

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U.S. sending F-15s, KC-135 to Norway for exercise


The U.S. is sending four F-15E fighters and a KC-135 Stratotanker to Norway to participate in an exercise running from Tuesday through Thursday, according to U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

The planes and airmen will take part in the Nordic Defence Cooperation, a regularly scheduled exercise that was planned before Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region at the end of February, said Maj. Gerardo Gonzalez, a spokesman for USAFE.

The F-15s and about 40 airmen from RAF Lakenheath in Britain will go to Bodo Main Air Station in Norway to work with the air forces from Norway, Finland and Sweden, Gonzalez said. The KC-135 and about 25 airmen from RAF Mildenhall will be sent to Orland Main Air Station.

The threat of Russian expansionism has prompted both Sweden and Finland to consider becoming permanent members, which already includes Norway. Norwegian Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide has supported adding both countries to the alliance.

“I hope Finland and Sweden do join NATO,” he said at a news conference earlier this year. “They would be welcomed with open arms by Norway and the alliance.”

http://www.militarytimes.com

Citation :

Un avion espion « plante » le système informatique d'un aéroport

http://www.tomshardware.fr/articles/avion-espion-aeroport,1-47544.html

Citation :

USAF reveals notional specifications for JSTARS replacement


Replacing the Northrop Grumman E-8C JSTARS fleet could require an aircraft with a 10-13 person crew and a 3.96m-6.1m-long (13-20ft) radar array, according to newly-released US Air Force briefing documents.

The USAF earlier this year announced plans to acquire an E-8C replacement with an aircraft in the business jet class that could achieve an initial operational capability in 2022. A host of potential bidders – including Boeing, Bombardier and Gulfstream – attended an industry day hosted by the service on 8 April.

The contents of the briefings were initially withheld from public view, as the USAF claimed they were pre-decisional. Indeed, the briefings to potential bidders were held before the air force obtained a validated requirement and approval to launch a programme of record.

For unexplained reasons, however, the air force posted the industry day presentations on a federal acquisition web site on 13 May, with each slide stamped “notional”. The documents reveal that the replacement for the air force’s airborne system for detecting ground targets and managing air strikes could require a relatively large platform, compared to most business jets.



Although a 13-strong crew with a 6.1m radar array is a reduction from the 18-member team and 7.3m array on the Boeing 707-based E-8C (above), the staffing and sensor requirements for the new system could make it challenging to accommodate in a typical business jet.

By comparison, the Raytheon Sentinel R1 delivered to the UK Royal Air Force (below) – and based on the Bombardier Global Express business jet – can seat a crew of five.



The capabilities sought by the USAF compare more closely to the cancelled Northrop E-10A multi-sensor command and control aircraft (MC2A), which was the original planned replacement for the E-8C and based on the Boeing 767-400ER. The E-10A included a 16-person aircrew and a 6.1m sensor for wide area surveillance – the Northrop/Raytheon multi-platform radar technology insertion programme (MP-RTIP) sensor.

Boeing has developed a business jet version of the next-generation 737 family. A highly modified variant of the BBJ2, in fact, is the basis for the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon, which performs a similar role for maritime and littoral targets. Airbus also has adapted the A320 into the Airbus Corporate Jet, but company officials were not listed on the attendance roster for the industry day.

Despite still lacking a validated requirement, the briefing documents show that the USAF plans to complete the acquisition process quickly, with a contract award scheduled in less than three years; at the end of fiscal year 2016.

The pace of the acquisition process is driven partly by fears of budgetary poaching by other programmes, according to briefing slides attributed to Col Scott Owens, of the theatre battle control division at the air force lifecycle management centre.

The air force was forced to eliminate one JSTARS 'orbit' to comply with budget cuts imposed by sequestration, and now the service must acquire a replacement before future funding for the lost orbit is “used by other programmes”, the Owens presentation reads.

Replacing the ageing E-8C with a new aircraft avoids a nearly $11 billion operations and sustainment bill needed to keep the aircraft relevant and airworthy, Owens says.

http://www.flightglobal.com

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Air Force Evaluating New Targeting Monocle for F-22 Raptor



The U.S. Air Force’s elite 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron recently evaluated the Thales Visionix Scorpion helmet-mounted cueing system on the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., according to a senior service official.

The service had hoped to test the full-color lightweight paddle-shaped monocle display onboard the Raptor in the summer of 2013, however the Congressionally-mandated sequestration automatic budget cuts put an abrupt halt on those activities.

But even though money is tight, the Air Force personnel with the Nellis-based operational test community worked closely with the F-22 System Program Office (SPO) in Dayton, Ohio, to put a new test series together for the Scorpion.

“There were some close calls but the folks at Nellis working with the SPO made it happen,” says one senior Air Force official familiar with the effort to integrate the Scorpion onto the Raptor.
Thales Visionix Scorpion helmet-mounted cueing system. Thales Visionix Photo

Thales Visionix Scorpion helmet-mounted cueing system. Thales Visionix Photo

Pilots from the elite 422nd TES, who performed the evaluation, are in the process of writing their report, but initial feedback suggests that the operational testers are thrilled with the new helmet-mounted sight.

The integration of the Scorpion is a major step for the Raptor community, which currently lacks a helmet-mounted cueing system such as the Vision Systems International (VSI) Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) used on the F-15, F-16 and F/A-18 tactical fighters.

However, even though the Scorpion has been successfully tested on the Raptor, it is not certain the Air Force will be able to fund deploying the new helmet across the operational F-22 fleet even if there is a fielding recommendation.

Money is extremely tight, Air Force officials say, and there are mandatory upgrades for the Raptor that the service is struggling to fund. “The cuts are difficult. We have challenges trying to secure funding for all of our mandated items like Mode 5 [identification friend or foe],” the senior official says. Additionally, the Raptor must be brought up to compliance on the latest Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) air traffic management standards by around 2020.

The F-22 was originally intended to have a helmet-mounted cueing system, but the service ran into trouble integrating the JHMCS onto the jet because of problems with magnetically mapping the interior of the Raptor’s cockpit when the aircraft was still under development. Because of the added expense and technical complexity, the Air Force abandoned the JHMCS integration efforts and the F-22 was left without a helmet-mounted cueing system.

Further, at the present the Raptor is not able to carry the latest high off-boresight Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile, and is instead limited to the older AIM-9M version. Many Raptor pilots have expressed serious misgiving about the situation. Even though the F-22 grossly outperforms other aircraft at the “merge”, the Raptor can be at a disadvantage once it transitions into the within-visual arena against a threat aircraft equipped with a helmet-mounted cueing system and a high off-boresight missile.

However, the Air Force is currently testing new software called Update 5, which will add a rudimentary AIM-9X capability starting on October 2015. While the new software upgrade will allow Raptor pilots to take advantage of the performance of the new missile, the jet will not display the correct symbology for the AIM-9X. Instead, the weapon will have the same displays as the current AIM-9M.

The situation will not be rectified until a new enhanced stores management system (ESMS) is added to the frontline Block 30 and 35 Raptors in 2018 with the Increment 3.2B hardware upgrade. With Inc. 3.2B, the F-22 will display the proper symbology for the AIM-9X.

Raptor pilots will be able take advantage of superior capabilities of the AIM-9X even without a helmet-mounted cueing system. But to fully exploit the outer edges of the new Sidewinder’s greatly expanded weapons employment zone, F-22 pilots will need a helmet-mounted cueing system.

The Air Force currently has 186 Raptors in its inventory, of those, 143 are frontline combat aircraft. The breakdown is 123 combat-coded and 20 back-up inventory jets according to the service’s Air Combat Command.

http://news.usni.org

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1st B-52 Upgraded with Innovative Boeing CONECT System
Improves situational awareness, enables in-flight mission changes and weapons retargeting

OKLAHOMA CITY, May 12, 2014 -- The U.S. Air Force has introduced into its B-52 fleet the first aircraft upgraded with an advanced communications system, developed by Boeing [NYSE: BA], that keeps the bomber ahead of emergent threats while improving aircrew safety and situational awareness.

The Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) modification adds to the B-52 several communication data links, full-color LCD displays with real-time intelligence feeds overlaid on moving maps, a state-of-the-art computing network, and the ability to retarget a weapon, or mission parameters, in flight.

“The delivery of the first B-52 to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., with the CONECT upgrade is a landmark event between Boeing and the Air Force customer,” said Scot Oathout, Boeing B-52 program director. “CONECT not only provides valuable new capability to the aircraft, but does so in a cost-effective manner and ensures the aircraft will remain relevant in the future.”

The Air Force anticipates modernizing its entire B-52 fleet with the innovative CONECT capability. As part of its low-rate initial production contract, Boeing is supporting the Air Force’s installation of the first CONECT kits at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.

"Completion of this first installation and delivery of the CONECT capability to the warfighter are the result of our partners, from industry and government, working together to ensure our men and women in uniform have what they need to successfully complete their ever-changing mission,” said Michael Schenck, B-52 CONECT Program Manager. “The entire B-52 enterprise should be proud of this achievement."

The Air Force operates 76 B-52s primarily out of Barksdale Air Force Base, La.; Minot Air Force Base, N.D. and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

http://boeing.mediaroom.com

Citation :

Les États-Unis déploient des drones Global Hawk au Japon pour la première fois

http://www.lameuse.be/1012911/article/2014-05-23/les-etats-unis-deploient-des-drones-global-hawk-au-japon-pour-la-premiere-fois

Citation :

Eglin welcomes final F-35A



EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- The 58th Fighter Squadron became the Air Force's first complete F-35A Lightning II squadron after they welcomed their 26th and final F-35A May 28 at the 33rd Fighter Wing, here.

Maj. Scott Charlton, 58th FS pilot, ferried the aircraft, AF-45, from Lockheed Martin's F-35 production center in Fort Worth, Texas.

"We've been in a growth mindset for the last few years," said Lt. Col. Matt Renbarger, the 58th FS commander. "We've been focused on adapting our training levels to the availability of aircraft as a growing squadron. It's been exciting to see this mission develop, but we're more excited to dial-in all of our attention to training our team."

The arrival of the last Air Force joint strike fighter variant scheduled to be stationed at the wing marked a shift in priorities for the 58th FS and 58th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. Both units experienced a series of transitions and accomplishments since the arrival of the first F-35A here July 14, 2011.

Renbarger was trained in the initial cadre of F-35 instructor pilots. He witnessed the number of JSF pilots swell to 100 since the F-35 training mission was first established here in October 2009. Half of those pilots are Air Force.

"We are focusing now on refining our processes and training, improving our tactics, and really optimizing our overall program to meet the needs of the Air Force as our Airmen move out to other F-35 missions," said Renbarger.

The last F-35A delivered is more capable than the first F-35A delivered three years ago as a result of the F-35 program's concurrency development model. The concurrency model executes testing, training and development simultaneously and incorporates feedback from each area into subsequent Low Rate Initial Production blocks produced at Lockheed Martin's mile-long factory in Fort Worth.

Renbarger highlighted that AF-45 arrived with Block 2A software and upgrades, including the use of simulated weapons, datalinks, and night and Instrument Meteorological Conditions flight capabilities.

"The arrival of AF-45 is an incredible milestone for the Air Force as we move closer to F-35A Initial Operational Capability in 2016," said Col. Todd Canterbury, 33rd FW commander. "The men and women here are establishing the foundation for all F-35A training operations. Having our full end-strength grants our pilots and maintainers more flexibility in training, and that flexibility lets us advance the F-35 program at a faster rate than ever before."

The 33rd FW is home to the F-35 Integrated Training Center responsible for F-35 A/B/C Lightning II pilot and maintainer training for the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Air Force and, in the future, at least eight international partners.

http://www.af.mil

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Lockheed Martin Selected to Provide U.S. Air Force with Space Fence Radar to Safeguard Space Resources


MOORESTOWN, N.J., June 3, 2014 – The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $914 million contract to improve the way objects are tracked in space and increase our ability to prevent space-based collisions.

Lockheed Martin’s Space Fence solution, an advanced ground-based radar system, will enhance the way the U.S. detects, catalogs and measures more than 200,000 orbiting objects. With better timeliness and improved surveillance coverage, the system will protect space assets against potential crashes that can intensify the debris problem in space.

“Space-based technologies enable daily conveniences such as weather forecasting, banking, global communications and GPS navigation, yet everyday these critical services are being threatened by hundreds of thousands of objects orbiting Earth,” said Dale Bennett, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems and Training business. “Space Fence will locate and track these objects with more precision than ever before to help the Air Force transform space situational awareness from being reactive to predictive.”

Lockheed Martin will deliver up to two advanced S-Band phased array radars for the Space Fence program. The Space Fence radar system will greatly improve Space Situational Awareness of the existing Space Surveillance Network.

Construction of the new Space Fence system on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands is slated to begin in the early 2015 to meet the program’s 2018 initial operational capability goal. The total contract value is estimated at greater than $1.5 billion over an eight-year period of performance if all options are exercised.

With more than 400 operational S-band arrays deployed worldwide, Lockheed Martin is a leader in S-band radar development, production, operation and sustainment. The Lockheed Martin led team, which includes General Dynamics and AMEC, has decades of collective experience in space-related programs, including sensors, mission processing, cataloging, orbital mechanics, net-centric communications and facilities.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 113,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com

Citation :

U.S. deploys first advanced drones to Japan




MISAWA AIR BASE, JAPAN — The U.S. Air Force has deployed two of its most advanced long-distance surveillance drones to a base in northern Japan over the past week, enhancing its ability to monitor nuclear activities in North Korea and Chinese naval operations.

The deployment of the two unarmed Global Hawk drones to Japan, a key U.S. ally, is intended to demonstrate Washington’s commitment to security in Asia as part of its rebalancing of forces to the Pacific. But it will likely rankle with China and North Korea, which have been working to improve their own unmanned aircraft fleets.

Lt. Gen. Sam Angelella, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, said Friday the drones will remain here until October, when the typhoon season on the drones’ home base on the Pacific island of Guam is over. Similar rotations from Guam to Misawa are expected in the future, though Angelella said no firm plans have been made. He refused to comment on the specific missions the drones will carry out but noted that the Global Hawk’s “capabilities are well known.”

The drone is considered particularly valuable because it can conduct long-range missions without the limitations of pilot fatigue, is able to fly at a maximum 60,000 feet (18.3 kilometers) and can “loiter” around any particular site of interest for 24 hours or more.

From Japan, it can easily monitor areas on the Asian mainland — including North Korea’s nuclear sites — or targets at sea — such as areas where China and other countries have had confrontations over territory.

The military keeps much of the Global Hawk’s work secret, but Angelella spoke of its use in humanitarian missions including Japan’s 2011 tsunami and the devastating typhoon that hit the Philippines last year. More recently, he said, the drone was used in surveillance work following the mass abduction of more than 300 girls in Nigeria by Islamic extremists.

The deployment of the drones will also help Japan familiarize itself with the aircraft. Tokyo plans to buy three Global Hawks.

Angelella said the aircraft has proven itself to be one of the most reliable in the Air Force. While still under development, the Global Hawk began supporting overseas contingency operations two months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. As of September last year, it had surpassed 100,000 flight hours, three-quarters of which were performed in combat.

Safety is a key factor in Japan because many U.S. bases here are located in heavily populated areas.

Under a mutual security pact, the U.S. maintains about 50,000 troops in Japan, which is home to several major air bases, the headquarters of the U.S. 7th Fleet and more than 10,000 Marines.

Though some residents of the city of Misawa have raised concerns about the drone deployment, opposition has been notably muted compared to the often emotional and deep-rooted protests against the deployment of new aircraft or troops on the southern Japan island of Okinawa, where most of the U.S. military in Japan is based.

But the deployment comes at a politically sensitive time.

Tokyo is now hotly debating a significant revamp of the role of its military forces, which have since World War II been rebuilt and are now one of the strongest in Asia, though they remain restricted to a narrowly defined strategy of national defense.

Citing the perceived threats from China and North Korea, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is championing an effort to change that and allow the Japanese military to be able to fight more closely with U.S. troops in contingencies.

Abe’s focus has been on what the Japanese military should be allowed to do when an ally defending Japan comes under attack — what the Japanese call collective self-defense. But opponents fear loosening restrictions will open the door for the Japanese military to be drawn into broader U.S. conflicts that don’t have a direct connection to Japan’s national defense.

http://www.airforcetimes.com

Citation :

Les Etats-Unis envoient 3 bombardiers stratégiques B-52 en Europe

Posté dans Europe, Forces aériennes par Laurent Lagneau Le 05-06-2014



Au vu du contexte actuel, marqué par la crise russo-ukrainienne, l’annonce faite par les Etats-Unis de l’envoi de 3 bombardiers stratégiques B-52 en Europe peut être interprété comme étant un message politique envoyé aussi bien à l’intention de Moscou qu’a celle des pays alliés qui redoutent, à tord ou à raison, d’être à leur tour déstabilisés par la Russie. Et cela d’autant plus qu’elle vient un jour après la promesse du président Obama, de renforcer la présence militaire américaine sur à l’est du Vieux Continent.

Ainsi, deux B-52 Stratorfortress de la base de Barksdale (Louisiane) et un autre de celle de Minot (Dakota du Nord) sont arrivés le 4 juin en Angleterre, précisément à Fairford, où l’aviation américaine dispose de facilités.

« Au cours de ce déploiement, qui s’étendra sur environ 2 semaines, les bombardiers multi-rôles effectueront des vols d’entraînement dans la zone d’opération de l’US European Command, afin d’aiguiser les compétences des équipages dans plusieurs ensembles opérationnels et de les familiariser avec les bases aériennes et les opérations dans la région », a expliqué l’US Air Force, qui précise que les B-52 n’emporteront pas d’armes.

Et d’ajouter : « Le département de la Défense effectue régulièrement des missions de formation au profit de ses commandements régionaux pour garantir une capacité crédible et flexible visant à répondre à une variété de menaces potentielles ».

L’un de ces B-52 participera aux cérémonies marquant le 70e anniversaire du Débarquement en Normandie en survolant la commune de Graignes, le 7 juin, en signe de reconnaissance du rôle joué par l’aviation américaine dans cette opération.

Mais ces appareils – et le communiqué de l’US Air Force ne le précise pas – devraient prendre part aux exercice Baltops et Saber Strike (Coup de Sabre), qui dureront du 9 au 21 juin. Ces manoeuvres, qui rassembleront plus de 2.000 hommes venus de 9 pays, seront organisés dans les pays baltes et en Pologne.

La Russie pourrait prendre ombrage de la présence de ces 3 bombardiers stratégiques, qui ne sont pas les plus récents (l’envoi de furtifs B-2 Spirit ou de B-1 Lancer aurait une portée plus importante), près de ses frontières. Mais ce ne serait finalement qu’un prêté pour un rendu.

En mai dernier, le général Herbert « Hawk » Carlisle, commandant des Forces aériennes du Pacifique, avait indiqué, devant le Center for Strategic and International Studies, avoir constaté une hausse significative des vols de bombardiers stratégiques russes à proximité des côtes californiennes et de l’île de Guam, où est implantée une importante base américaine.

« C’est pour démontrer leurs capacités et recueillir du renseignement », avait-il commenté, ajoutant que les appareils russes s’étaient  également intéressés aux exercices militaires impliquant les forces américaines et sud-coréennes. « Certes, ce qui se passe en Ukraine et en Crimée est un défi pour nous… Et c’est aussi un défi pour nous en Asie-Pacifique », avait-il estimé.

http://www.opex360.com/2014/06/05/les-etats-unis-envoient-3-bombardiers-strategiques-b-52-en-europe/

Citation :

Un contrat d’entretien des B-2 à 9 milliards de dollars

http://www.operationnels.com/2014/06/04/un-contrat-dentretien-des-b-2-a-9-milliards-de-dollars/

Citation :

Global Hawk Again Recognized for Exemplary Sustainment Excellence

2014-06-09T08:00:00-0700

SAN DIEGO – June 9, 2014 – For the second year in a row, the U.S. Air Force awarded the prestigious Dr. James G. Roche Sustainment Excellence Award for superior performance in aircraft maintenance and logistics readiness to the U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk high altitude, long endurance unmanned aircraft program produced by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC).

The Sustainment Excellence Award is named for Dr. James G. Roche, the 20th Secretary of the Air Force. He served in the Air Force's top position from 2001 to 2005.

In a March 12, 2014 letter, Headquarters U.S. Air Force Logistics, Installations and Mission Support commends the Global Hawk Division of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center for the most significant improvement in aircraft performance and sustainment. High total aircraft availability, mission capability, and low non-mission capability rates for maintenance and supply from Oct. 2012 through Sept. 2013 contributed to the award. An upgraded signals intelligence payload, ground moving target indicator and synthetic aperture radar were also noted enhancements.

"Northrop Grumman is proud to provide logistical and maintenance support to the U.S. Air Force Global Hawk team that has earned this impressive sustainment award," said Mick Jaggers, Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft System program director, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "This recognition, combined with recent awards for safety and endurance, underscores Global Hawk's performance as a mission capable system our customers can rely on."

Global Hawk has flown 100,500 total flight hours supporting diverse global missions. Carrying a variety of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensor payloads, Global Hawk supports antiterrorism, antipiracy, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, airborne communications and information-sharing missions.

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

Citation :

Lockheed Martin Receives $109 Million Sustainment Contract For The Air Force’s Minuteman III Reentry Subsystem


KING OF PRUSSIA, Penn., June 12, 2014 – Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received a contract from the U.S. Air Force with an initial value of $109 million for sustainment of the reentry subsystem for the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Lockheed Martin’s work will include repair, modification and testing of hardware and software components in the reentry system-reentry vehicle (RS-RV) subsystem, as well as related support equipment. The contract is part of the Air Force’s Future ICBM Sustainment and Acquisition Construct, which is designed to ensure a safe, secure and reliable Minuteman III weapon system through 2030.

“This award represents an exciting new chapter in Lockheed Martin’s 50-year partnership with the Air Force ICBM enterprise,” said Doug Graham, vice president of ICBM and advanced programs, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. “This new contract will enable us to directly apply our specialized expertise to more effectively support this critical national mission area.”

As an example of this expertise, Lockheed Martin developed a process for refurbishing the 25-year-old arming and fuzing assemblies for the MK21 reentry vehicle at a fraction of the cost of producing new units. The intricate procedure replaces or reconditions electronic and mechanical components, extending the units’ service life to support the Minuteman III through 2030. The company delivered the 100th refurbished unit to the Air Force in May. In parallel, Lockheed Martin is working with the Air Force to support its refurbishment activities at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

The base period of performance for the RS-RV contract is one year, and with options for an additional four years, the total potential contract value is $452 million. Lockheed Martin will perform work principally at Hill Air Force Base, where the ICBM System Program Office is located, and in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Lockheed Martin has been the principal designer, manufacturer and sustainer of Minuteman III reentry systems since the 1960s.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 113,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com

Citation :

USA, augmentation de la dotation aérienne




Washington, le duel budgétaire pour 2015 est lancé avec l’approbation par la 
 entre le Lockheed Martin F-35 et Boeing EA-18G a produit deux vainqueurs dans la version du projet de loi budgétaire 2015 des dépenses de défense adoptées le 10 Juin par la House Appropriations Committee. Ce projet de loi d’acquisition sera prochainement envoyé pour le vote à la Chambre des représentants. 
 
 
Equilibre entre Boeing & Lockheed-Martin :
 
La loi fait une part belle, aux deux principaux avionneurs américains et se compose de la manière suivante : 
 
 

Lockheed Martin F-35		38
Boeing EA-18G Growler		12
Bell Boeing V-22		19
Boeing AH-64E Apache		28
Boeing CH-47F Chinoook		32
Airbus UH-72A Lakota		55
Sikorsky U/MH-60 Black Hawk		124
Bell Helicopter A/UH-1 Upgrades		27
Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye		5
Boeing P-8A Poseidon		9
Sikorsky U/MH-60 Black Hawk		19
General Atomics AMQ-9 Reaper		24
Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules		14
Boeing KC-46A Pegasus		7

 
 Cette loi demande 17 appareils de plus que la proposition initiale de la Maison Blanche, soit : 12 EA-18G (contre 0), 3 Apache supplémentaires, 1 E-2D et 1 P-8a supplémentaires.


Analyse : 
 
Il faut noter que la commande de F-35 pour 2015 est inférieure de quatre appareils à ce qui avait été prévu sur le calendrier de commande du Pentagone en 2012. Par contre, avec la commande de 12 EA-18G «Growler», Boeing dispose d’un tout petit sursis d’une année avec une production allongée à 2017.
Le projet ne prévoyant rien à ce stade au maintien opérationnel des derniers A-10, seul le Sénat pourrait encore sauver pour quelques années le vénérable aéronef.
A signaler la provision pour commande des 7 premiers nouveaux ravitailleurs Boeing KC-46A «Pegasus», dont on attend le premier vol en fin d’année.
 
Question hélicoptères, pas de nouvelle concernant le remplacement les OH-58 «Kiowa», mais une légère augmentation de la dotation d’AH-64E «Apache» avec 28 appareils au lieu de 25 programmés initialement.
 
Une nouvelle importante ponctue ces acquisitions, avec l’option envisagée au sein de l’US Air Force, de disposer d’une flotte mixte en matière de reconnaissance stratégique composée du vénérable Lockheed U-2 et du drone RQ-4. La raison invoquée, tient du fait que les systèmes du RQ-4 restent sensiblement inférieurs à ceux du U-2, lors de mauvaises conditions météorologiques. Il faudra donc les améliorer, avant de pouvoir retirer les U-2 du service.

http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/archive/2014/06/11/usa-augmentation-de-la-dotation-aerienne-856270.html

Citation :

La modernisation du RQ-4 coûtera 2 milliards



http://info-aviation.com/?p=16346

Citation :

Martin-Baker replaces final T-38 ejection seat

Martin-Baker has completed the installation of new-generation US16T ejection seats in the US Air Force’s entire fleet of Northrop T-38 Talon jet trainers, with the upgrade providing crews with a “zero-zero” escape system.

The last of 456 aircraft to have undergone the work was returned to use at Vance AFB in Oklahoma in mid-June.

The company, which was selected for the upgrade in June 2005, began replacing the T-38’s Northrop-produced seats in 2009, after what director of marketing and business development Andrew Martin describes as “a challenging qualification programme”.

“At the start of the programme we were retrofitting at a single base at a rate of seven aircraft per month," Martin says. “At the peak of the programme we were installing at a rate of two aircraft per week at two bases simultaneously.” Production work was performed in the UK and at the Martin-Baker America facility in Philadelphia.


US Air Force

One ejection has already occurred with the upgraded T-38, with a US instructor and German air force student having used their US16Ts “on take-off at low altitude and stall speed” at Sheppard AFB, Texas, in July 2013. Both survived the incident.

According to the company, some 1,813 Mk 16 ejection seats are now in operation with the T-38 and Beechcraft T-6 trainers, “with another 47 and counting in the [Lockheed Martin] F-35”. A zero-zero rating means pilots are able to employ the escape system even while an aircraft is stationary on the ground.

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

5th-To-4th Gen Fighter Comms Competition Eyed In Fiscal 2015

The U.S. Air Force is planning to request proposals from industry to finally provide needed communications connectivity between fifth- and fourth-generation fighters.

The service has long projected a need for so-called "5th to 4th" capability. This need is made even more urgent as the timeline for fielding the stealthy, fifth-generation F-35 has stretched out due to technical challenges in development and funding limitations at Air Force headquarters. And the service acquired far fewer stealthy F-22s from Lockheed Martin than originally planned, making the ability to connect each one to larger networks critical for campaign planning in future operations.

Though called "5th to 4th," a major long-term issue is how to allow for the F-22 and F-35 to communicate without using Link 16 alone, which would compromise their stealthy operations. Though both are manufactured by Lockheed Martin to meet Air Force needs, they were designed in different eras. F-22s can essentially only "talk" to other F-22s through a dedicated, low-probability-of-detection/low-probability-of-intercept system. The F-35, by contrast, uses the Multi-function Advanced Datalink (MADL) system, which employs a different waveform; the F-35 is slated for its Air Force operational debut as early as August 2016.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh highlighted the need for a 5th to 4th system in his speech at the annual Air Force Association conference in Orlando, Florida, in February. But Air Combat Command has not articulated what, specifically, is required. The command declined a request for an interview on the subject.

Underscoring the need for a quick program is the fact that communications are a limiting factor to using F-22s operationally. They were considered for use in the Libya campaign in 2011, but planners were stymied by an inability to deliver data collected by the F-22s back to other forces, according to one industry source.

The service has proposed a program, the Multi-Domain Adaptable Processing System (MAPS), to address this need with what will likely be a pod to act as a gateway between the two stealthy fighters. It is likely this will be placed on fourth-generation fighters such as the F-16 and F-15 families, thus putting a reliance on the involvement in these older systems to support communications requirements.

The operational concept would be for the stealthy fighters to penetrate behind the "bubble," or threat zone, of air defenses, and communicate with one another by transmitting data through the MAPS system.

Though it enhances the communications among combat air forces, this operational concept is dependent upon the availability not only of the stealthy platforms to penetrate forward in a fight, but also on the presence of a fourth-generation fighter orbiting within range to support communications; this will likely add cost to execute certain campaign plans.

The service plans to issue a draft request for proposals for MAPS by the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2015, or March 2015, says Col. Anthony Genatempo, the director for the aerial, space and nuclear networks division at the Air Force’s Electronic Systems Center, which will head up the MAPS procurement. He hopes to announce competitive awards by the end of fiscal 2015.

Requirements for MAPS, however, are still being finalized.

In addition to the communications gateway, the service is planning to potentially include an infrared search and track sensor (IRST) in the final MAPS hardware, he says. Air Force planners are hoping to spend less than $100 million developing MAPS, though a final cost has yet to be refined.

MAPS will build off experience that the Air Force gained through the Talon Hate program, which aims to field four pods in the middle of fiscal 2015 to provide inflight datalink (IFDL) connectivity from the F-22 to fourth-generation fighters. This will allow for fourth-generation pilots in the rear of an air campaign to benefit from the tactical picture collected by the F-22 as it operates forward in a battle. Boeing is building these pods for use on the F-15C, which it manufactures.

At an estimated weight of 1,800 lb., the Talon Hate pods are expected to be about 17 ft. long. They will include the IRST, a Multifunctional Information Distribution System (similar to Link 16) capability, a satellite communications capability and an air-to-ground link.

Talon Hate is being spearheaded by the Air Force’s Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities office, a congressionally mandated program designed to foster fielding capabilities across various service offices. Air Combat Command declined an interview request on Talon Hate but provided a data sheet on the subject. Boeing deferred all questions on the system to the Air Force.

Ultimately, the Air Force wants to have the ability for stealthy fighters to communicate among themselves, potentially independent of an external gateway, a capability notionally referred to as an advanced data link. For MAPS, though, "We are talking about a similar capability to Talon Hate in a different fashion – trying to reduce the size, weight and power of the components," Genatempo said. "It may be a pod, it may be partially in a pod. It may not be in a pod at all."

Both the F-22 and F-35 can receive Link 16 signals, but doing so might compromise their location if operations require stealth. So one question being addressed by Air Force officials is how to provide connectivity that is LPI/LPD while fifth-generation fighters are in the most dangerous airspace, where they were designed to operate.

Genatempo says the service is open to taking incremental steps toward the ultimate goal of fielding a direct link between the F-22 and F-35. He says cost is a key concern. "The biggest part I am trying to keep a cost control on is the development piece," he says. Production numbers would ultimately be dictated by the available budget.

The service hopes to eventually network the stealthy fighters and fourth-generation combat forces with other Pentagon assets, such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft and satellites, Genatempo says, although this is not a firm requirement.

Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin are all expected to submit concepts for MAPS. Northrop Grumman has demonstrated a similar gateway capability through the Jetpack joint capability technology program. Jetpack is designed to translate F-22 and F-35 messages into Link 16 messages to distribute the data to fourth-generation fighters (or forces operating on Link 16).

Lockheed Martin, by contrast, has demonstrated the ability to use a new waveform developed by L-3 Communications called Chameleon for direct communications among F-22s and F-35s without the use of a gateway. Lockheed Martin demonstrated Chameleon during flight trials in December; officials say signal strength remained under the detection threshold for an anti-access environment and the waveform can be transmitted via L-band antennas already on both platforms and only used for operations now at test ranges.

Lockheed Martin has spent its own internal research and development funding to develop the system, dubbed Project Missouri. What is unique about Project Missouri is its ability to allow for data to go back and forth using the Chameleon waveform without revealing the location of the stealthy aircraft, a plus for operations in highly defended airspace.

Lockheed officials are hoping the Air Force will provide funding for further demonstrations of Project Missouri.

http://aviationweek.com