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10 Oct 18. Can the Army pull off buying two new helicopters back to back? The Army’s track record over the past few decades hasn’t been good when it comes to trying to buy a new helicopter, but now the service wants to buy not one, but two different aircraft in order to modernize its force to be able to operate in increasingly challenging future environments against adversaries with similar capabilities.

The service decided this year that it would push to develop and field a long-range assault aircraft that would fit in the medium-lift aircraft category, as well as an attack reconnaissance aircraft, relatively back to back. The Army had already been developing a medium-lift Future Vertical Lift helicopter through its Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstration program. Bell and a Sikorsky-Boeing team are each building and flying aircraft that will inform requirements for an FVL program of record. And the Army just released a solicitation to industry asking for designs for a Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, unveiling plans that it will enter a competitive prototyping effort to ultimately buy and field the aircraft. Under the new Army Futures Command, tasked to develop a modernized force focused on six major priorities, Future Vertical Lift is the third highest priority behind Long Range Precision Fires and Next-Generation Combat Vehicle.

Yet skeptics are asking, “Can the Army pull it off this time around?”

While the Defense Department received an influx of cash from Congress in fiscal years 2018 and 2019, future defense budgets are not expected to rise. At the same time, the Army is undergoing one of its biggest modernization pushes since the 1970s and 1980s.

That was the last time it was able to bring on several different helicopter fleets in close succession — the CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter, the UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter and the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

The Army has acquired a commercial off-the-shelf helicopter since then — the LUH-72A Lakota — to perform missions in the continental U.S., medical evacuations and be the service’s initial rotary-wing trainer.

But the Army has tried, and failed, to buy a replacement for its aging OH-58 Kiowa Warrior armed scout helicopters three times — the Comanche program, the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter program, and an Armed Scout Helicopter fly-off that looked for commercial off-the-shelf offerings.

The Army decided nothing it saw during the demonstrations met all of its needs.

The service in 2013 retired the Kiowa without a replacement, choosing to fill the gap by teaming AH-64s and UAS — a less-than-ideal solution due to the expense of flying Apaches.

For Army leadership, this is not about whether the service can buy two new helicopters. In their minds, the Army has to get something new.

“We can’t just do one. We need both,” Lt. Gen. James Pasquarette, the Army G-8, in charge of planning, developing and resourcing programs, told Defense News.

The Apaches and Black Hawks have been “workhorses for 40 years,” he said.

But, “they are not going to be what we need in the future. Our competitors out there, that we anticipate having to be ready to operate against, the environment drives us to make decisions. We think we can do it where we are heading.”

The one-star in charge of making FVL a reality, Brig. Gen. Wally Rugen, said in a recent interview that “we are very much studying the decisions we made in Comanche to make sure we don’t repeat them.”

Rugen, who leads the FVL Cross-Functional Team — which resides under Futures Command — said the team has put together a “very innovative plan” this time around.

One of the main differences is that the Army has put affordability goals into its requirement documents, Rugen said, which is relatively unprecedented, at least when it comes to buying new aircraft within the service.

“We absolutely assess and feel that we can bring on and flow through these efforts,” Rugen said. “Funding is synchronized out through our long-term planning.”

And it’s also about making trades, something the Army has been less flexible with in the past when developing capabilities to match requirements.

“We are having early, and often, discussions with senior leadership about trades, and trades are important because that is what is really going to drive affordability,” Rugen said. “So, it’s important that we understand what is truly, truly important to us, what we must have, and what would be nice to have.”

Through Futures Command, communities from science and technology, requirements development, acquisition, testing, sustainment and logistics, and training all come to the table to hash out the road map, a big difference from the old stove-piped process.

The Army is also taking comfort in the fact the current leadership is knowledgeable and on board with the procurement plans.

“You’ve got a lot of senior leaders that were in positions in the past where they saw these things play out,” Army Under Secretary Ryan McCarthy said in a recent interview about past acquisition failures.

“They talk about it repeatedly,” he said, but added, “I’m encouraged because of the way we’re organized now, where you have much more operator feedback in your ability to prune requirements, then to work with the acquisition community to ensure you’re not chasing immature technologies.”

Jeff Schloesser, Bell’s executive vice president of strategic pursuits — which is building one of the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstration aircraft, the V-280 Valor tiltrotor — said the efforts his company has pursued over the last five years to develop future helicopter technology sets the Army up for progress.

Additionally, Bell as well as Boeing and Sikorsky have not just been building a one-off prototype to fly, but have also been tasked to develop how the aircraft would be built affordably if they were chosen to go into production.

While the Army plans to competitively prototype its FARA aircraft, the way ahead for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program is less clear. However, the program should begin to move through technology development and engineering and manufacuring development ahead of FARA.

Schloesser said he believes the Army needs to transition the JMR TD efforts into an competitive prototype program as well that supports the program of record.

For instance, Bell plans to offer a strategy to produce 10 operationally ready aircraft by 2028, Schloesser said.

“We’ve taken that on as a challenge and we think that is very possible,” he said. (Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)

09 Oct 18. Boeing concerned that CH-47F Block 2 could be targeted for cuts. Key Points:

• Boeing is concerned the US Army could target its CH-47F Block 2 effort for cuts
• A delay in deliveries could increase the aircraft’s unit price and trigger a Nunn-McCurdy breach

Boeing officials are concerned that the US Army could target the company’s CH-47F Chinook Block 2 heavy-lift helicopter effort for cuts to help pay for priorities.

“It’s logical to think that if you create new stuff that requires funding, there’s not a magic pot of gold anywhere,” Chuck Dabundo, vice-president of Boeing cargo helicopters and H-47 programme manager, told reporters on 8 October at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, DC. “It has to come from somewhere. We are concerned that Chinook could be a target for something to pull money out of.”

The US Army’s top priorities are long-range precision fires, a next-generation combat vehicle, future vertical lift (FVL), a network that is sufficiently mobile and expeditionary, air and missile defence, and improved lethality. Further to Dabundo’s comments, Randy Rotte, director for cargo helicopters and FVL at Boeing, said that unless sequestration relief continues into 2020, difficult decisions will have to be made. Rotte said he is concerned that CH-47F Block 2’s success of being ahead of schedule and under cost could make it a target among US Army leaders deciding to perhaps delay deliveries.

Rotte said CH-47F Block 2 could trigger a Nunn-McCurdy breach if the army ultimately decides to delay deliveries because it would increase the unit cost per aircraft. Dabundo said he was unsure how much of a production gap could cause a Nunn-McCurdy breach, but he believed a five-year pause would be sufficient.

A Nunn-McCurdy breach is when a programme’s cost growth exceeds statutory thresholds. This triggers increased scrutiny from Congress and the Pentagon and risks a potential cancellation unless the programme meets new standards. (Source: IHS Jane’s)

08 Oct 18. Google withdraws from $10bn Pentagon JEDI contract contest. Decision follows staff outcry over separate AI agreement for military drones. Google test drone: the company said it ‘couldn’t be assured’ the Pentagon work ‘would align with our AI principles’ © AP Share on Twitter (opens new window) Share on Facebook (opens new window) Share on LinkedIn (opens new window) Share Save Save to myFT Richard Waters in San Francisco YESTERDAY Print this page8 Google has taken itself out of the running for a major US defence department contract after concluding that the work might breach the principles it has laid out for the ethical use of artificial intelligence. The decision comes months after a staff outcry forced the company to say that it would not renew a separate AI contract for the Pentagon, supplying image recognition technology for use in military drones. The internal dissent over that assignment, called Project Maven, prompted Google to publish a set of guidelines earlier this year for how it would use its AI technology in future. Dropping its bid for the latest defence department work will rob Google of a shot at a far bigger contract expected to be worth $10bn over the next decade. The Pentagon is planning to shift much of its internal data storage and processing power to the cloud, hoping that this will help military commanders make quicker and better-informed decisions on the battlefield. Google said it “couldn’t be assured” the Pentagon work “would align with our AI principles”. Modern cloud computing capabilities can access, retrieve, manipulate, merge, analyse, and visualise data at machine speeds, providing substantial decision-making advantages on the battlefield Ellen Lord, a Pentagon official, announcing the JEDI project The withdrawal highlights a growing tension inside some of the biggest US tech companies, as some of their staff object to the way their technology is used by the military or to support controversial policies from the Trump administration. Workers at both Microsoft and Salesforce have protested this year about their employers’ work for the US immigration authorities. In a statement on Monday, Google said it had pulled out of the bidding partly because it lacked the full military clearances to handle all of the defence department’s work. It did not say whether it had been turned down for any clearances, or whether the lack of full approval would have prevented it from taking up the assignment if it had won. The Pentagon contract, called the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure project, has been closely watched in the tech world this year, given its large size and that it is to be awarded to a single bidder rather than broken up between several suppliers. The decision is seen to favour Amazon Web Services, the arm of the online retailer which presently dominates the cloud computing market. Oracle, the US database software company, filed a formal complaint in July challenging the decision. The common industry practice of sharing out work between several cloud companies “promotes constant competition, fosters innovation and lowers prices”, it argued. The Government Accountability Office has until November 14 to rule. Recommended Technology sector Google chief tries to quell staff anger over China project Google said it also supported the idea of sharing out work on the JEDI contract, and added that it would have submitted bids on those terms. The principles the company laid out for the use of its AI do not expressly rule out working with the military. But Google said it would not support “weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people”. The Pentagon has made clear that it views the shift to cloud computing — where information processing is centralised in the data centres of a large supplier such as Amazon or Google — as a chance to improve its chances on the battlefield.  “Modern cloud computing capabilities can access, retrieve, manipulate, merge, analyse and visualise data at machine speeds, providing substantial decision-making advantages on the battlefield,” Ellen Lord, a Pentagon official, wrote in announcing the JEDI project. This would “enable war fighters to better execute a mission that is increasingly dependent on the exploitation of information”, she said. (Source: FT.com)

06 Oct 18. Who will build the payload for the US Air Force’s new missile warning system? The payload on the next generation of the U.S. Air Force’s missile warning satellite system will be developed by the winner of a competition that pits two defense industry giants against each other. Raytheon and a team from Northrop Grumman and Ball Aerospace will compete to develop the mission payload for the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next Gen OPIR) Geo Synchronous (GEO) Block 0 missile warning system, according to an Oct. 4 release from Lockheed Martin.

The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $2.9bn contract in August to build three-geosynchronous Earth orbit satellites. Lockheed Martin then selected the two teams as potential sub-contractors on Sep. 28, about 45 days after the original contract was rewarded.

“The Raytheon and Northrop Grumman/Ball Aerospace teams were selected due to their ability to meet stringent schedule and capability requirements,” according to the Lockheed Martin release.

The two teams are now tasked with developing detailed mission payload designs and will compete their solutions for potential use on the Next Gen OPIR Block 0 GEO system. These mission payloads contain advanced sensors that meet national security satellite requirements and are used to help detect missile launches across the world.

The procurement of the Next Gen OPIR Block 0 GEO system also offers a look at the Air Force’s plans to achieve space supremacy through a series of rapid procurement programs, or as the Air Force dubbed it, “Go Fast” acquisition. Air Force officials say they are targeting the first GEO satellite delivery in 60 months.

“As we develop these new systems, speed matters,” said Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. “The next generation missile warning satellite will be a pace-setter.”

The Next Gen OPIR Block 0 GEO system will follow the current Space Based Infrared System. Lockheed Martin was the prime contractor on SBIRS with Northrop Grumman as the major subcontractor on the payload. The program took nearly 15 years from the Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology initial approval of the program to the launch of the first satellite in 2011. Lockheed Martin expects to select a winner in the payload competition in 2020, with the Air Force targeting the first Next-Gen OPIR launch in 2023. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

05 Oct 18. State Department cleared $70bn in foreign military sales requests for FY18. The U.S. State Department approved just under $70bn in foreign weapon orders in fiscal year 2018, as the Trump administration stepped up its focus on increasing defense sales abroad.

The $69.7bn in potential sales, spread over 70 individual notifications, fell short of last year’s record figure, during which the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of $75.9bn. But domestic industry is unlikely to be bothered by the slightly lower total, as the number shows America’s dominance on the defense export market remains solid.

These numbers represent potential arms sales that the State Department has cleared through its processes; it does not represent actual sales. State ok’s the sale, then it is notified by the DSCA to Congress; if Congress does not reject the potential sale, it then goes into negotiations, during which dollar figures and quantities of equipment can change.

However, while not solid dollars, notifications are a notable way of tracking interest in procuring American arms from foreign partners, and can be a leading indicator of final sales to come.

Geographically, Europe dominated, with 31 notifications for a potential $37.34 bn. The Gulf and Middle East region came in second with $22.12 bn over 23 notifications, followed by the Asia-Pacific region with $8.85 bn on 12 notifications. Mexico ($1.39 bn on three listings) and Canada (one listing for $140 m) round out the list.

As always with FMS notifications, a few specific projects drive the total way up. A Saudi request for THAAD ($15bn) and a Polish request for Patriot PAC-3 batteries ($10.5bn) accounted for over a third of the total dollar value on their own. Belgium’s request for F-35s ($6.53bn), Sweden’s request for Patriot systems ($3.2bn) and Japans’ request for E-2D Hawkeyes ($3.2bn) round out the top five largest requests.

Overall, 15 notifications came with an estimated price tag of over $1 bn.

In terms of total foreign military sales for the fiscal year, the Pentagon this week revealed in a report that through the end of August, the U.S. had inked $54.45bn in foreign weapon deals, easily eclipsing the $41.93bn total from FY17.

05 Oct 18. US clears armed helicopters for Iraq, surveillance aircraft for Canada. The U.S. State Department has cleared a pair of proposed military sales — armed helicopters for Iraq and surveillance planes for Canada — with a joint price tag of more than $380m.

The two notifications were posted on the website of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Thursday evening. Notifications are not guaranteed sales; members of the Senate could still choose to block the potential sale, and once it passes Congress, sale negotiations can change quantities and dollar figures.

The larger of the two packages is the Canadian one, which covers three King Air 350ER aircraft with “customer unique post-modifications for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance” requirements.

Along with the platforms comes a package of equipment, including three WESCAM MX-15D electro-optical and infrared imaging sensors; three AN/AAR-47B(V)2 missile and laser warning systems; three AN/ALE-47 countermeasure dispenser systems; three VORTEX Dual RF Ku LOS transceivers; three COMSEC modules (KGV-135A); two APM-424(V)5 transponder test sets; five KIV-77 Mode 4/5 crypto applique computers for identification friend or foe (IFF); three AN/APX-119 IFF digital civil and military transponders; six ARC-210 multimode voice and data transceivers; and three KG-250X National Security Agency-certified type 1 inline network encryptors, per DSCA.

Work will primarily be done at the Wichita, Kansas, facility of Beechcraft, a subsidiary of Textron. There is expected to be an industrial offset included in the deal.

Iraq was cleared to purchase five Bell 407GX helicopters, configured with M240 7.62mm machine guns, with an estimated cost of $82.5 m. The DSCA notification notes these would help “compensate for the combat loss of seven IA407 helicopters in recent years and increase the Iraqi Security Forces’ combat effectiveness against ISIS and other terrorist elements in Iraq.”

“The 407GX variant — an upgrade from the current IA407 configuration — includes Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) launchers,” DSCA writes. “Providing Iraq with this capability supports U.S. security goals by furthering the Iraqi Army Aviation Command’s ability to counter terrorism and protect critical infrastructure.”

Also included in the package are five RF-7850A secure communications radios; five AN/AAR-60 MILDS automatic plume detectors; five AN/ALE-47 airborne countermeasure dispenser systems; five M3P .50-caliber machine guns; five M260 rocket launchers (APKWS configuration); five MX-15Di EO/IR sensors; five GAU-19 .50-caliber machine guns; and various other components.

Work will be done at Bell’s Fort Worth, Texas, location; L3 WESCAM’s location in Ontario, Canada; Tekfusion Global’s Williamsburg, Virginia, location; Harris’ Melbourne, Florida, facility; and Fulcrum Concepts’ office in Mattaponi, Virginia. There are no known offsets.

05 Oct 18. Today, at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Bremen, Germany, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced it is studying interest in flying commercial payloads aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft. The market analysis is the first step toward the company’s vision of bringing commercial opportunities to deep space and fostering a thriving commercial marketplace beyond low-Earth orbit. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for Orion, the world’s only spacecraft designed for human deep space missions that will take astronauts farther into space than they have ever gone before. The company is asking for both domestic and international organizations to provide ideas of commercial payloads that would fly on one of Orion’s upcoming missions to the Moon and back. The payloads could be for science, STEM, art and entertainment, data or any other commercial endeavor. Payloads can be flown in the interior crew cabin or mounted to the exterior and can be static or deployable.  Lockheed Martin is working with NanoRacks to perform the study. NanoRacks is the leading provider of commercial access to the International Space Station, with services including safety, launch manifesting, payload integration, logistics and astronaut crew operations. The company has brought more than 700 payloads to the space station.

“Access to the Moon and deep space for commercial entities opens up new worlds for all of us. It advances science, powers innovation, and inspires a new generation of engineers,” said Mike Hawes, Orion program manager and vice president of Human Space Exploration, Commercial Civil Space at Lockheed Martin Space. “We’ve seen that model work on the International Space Station in low-Earth orbit, and now, working with NanoRacks, we’re applying that same successful model to deep space.”

Building on a proven and robust infrastructure in Orion, commercial access to deep space could be offered at a reasonable price and with a high degree of confidence in success.

“At NanoRacks, we pride ourselves on knowing exactly what our commercial customer needs are for a growing number of in-space platforms and knowing how to deliver efficient services at a competitive price. That is why we see this effort with Lockheed Martin as a win-win,” said Jeffrey Manber, CEO and Co-Founder of NanoRacks. “Lockheed Martin brings unmatched capabilities in engineering, mission management, and deep space vehicle design. NanoRacks delivers a strong understanding of the market and an ability to match the needs of customers with a technical solution. Working together, we believe we can prepare for future missions by creating unprecedented opportunities and building a solid foundation for commercial opportunities at the Moon and, one day, beyond.”

Commercial payloads on Orion are a natural starting point for future expansion into areas like the lunar Gateway, landers, and even Mars spacecraft. By starting with Orion, industry could work with NASA and the international community to standardize the interfaces between national exploration ships and commercial payloads. Doing so will make it much easier to plug into future exploration platforms and give commercial providers a predictable and simplified design and engineering framework.

Although NASA is aware of the market assessment there is no current agreement or commitment with NASA on how this would be implemented.

To submit an idea for a commercial payload or to learn more, visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/flyonorion

05 Sep 18. Boeing turns to remanufactures, international orders to fill two-year Chinook production gap. Key Points:

• Boeing hopes remanufactures and international orders will fill a two-year Chinook production gap
• The US Army will soon stop buying Block 1 aircraft and is uncommitted on its heavy-lift rotorcraft future

Boeing is turning to international and remanufacture orders for its CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter as it seeks to fill a two-year production gap between its Block 1 and Block 2 efforts.

Chuck Dabundo, vice-president of Boeing cargo helicopters and H-47 programme manager, told Jane’s in a recent interview that Boeing signed a contract with the US Army in August called ‘Final Block 1’ for six aircraft with options for 150 more. Calling it a bridge contract, Dabundo said these options are envisioned to be Foreign Military Sale (FMS) aircraft with the first batch going to Spain, which is looking to remanufacture 17 aircraft.

Boeing, Dabundo said, is also targeting Germany, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and existing Chinook customer Italy, to get on contract to fill this gap. The company, he said, has a goal of stabilising Chinook production at about three aircraft per month as it transitions from Block 1 to Block 2 production.

The US Army expected to end CH-47F procurement in fiscal year 2018 (FY 2018). With no follow-on Future Vertical Lift (FVL)/Joint Multi-Role (JMR) heavy variant in the service’s aviation modernisation plan, the army is executing an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)/depot H-47F/G Block 2 upgrade/remanufacture recapitalisation programme beginning in FY 2018 to extend the H-47F/G’s service life beyond FY 2040, according to the Pentagon’s annual aviation inventory and funding plan for FYs 2019-48 that was submitted to Congress in April and not previously reported on. The US Army did not return a request for comment prior to publication. Through this modernisation effort, the US Army will divest legacy CH-47D aircraft, which have reached the end of their economic useful life. (Source: IHS Jane’s)

REST OF THE WORLD

08 Sep 18. Global wrap-up: India pursuing next-gen Russian tanks, US future recon chopper program kicks off. This global wrap-up provides key updates of industry developments across the globe, including new procurement deals, capability introductions and key announcements.

Asia-Pacific:

• The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) helicopter carrier Kaga travelled to Sri Lanka in a flying the flag operation, which saw the ship tailed by several People’s Liberation Army-Navy frigates in the South China Sea and participated in naval exercises with the Philippines and Indonesia.
• India is in discussions with Russia to procure 1,770 multi-purpose future ready combat vehicles to replace ageing T-72 tanks. The Russian T-14 Armata tank is a key contender in the deal expected to be worth over US$4.5bn.
• India and France have signed a US$8.9bn deal for 36 Rafale fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force. France will invest 30 per cent of the total contract into India’s military aerospace research program and 20 per cent into local production of key Rafale components.
• China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) has begun construction of a S26T diesel-electric submarine for the Royal Thai Navy worth US $411m.
• The Singaporean Navy officially commissioned RSS Justice and RSS Indomitable Littoral Mission Vessels (LMV), the two ships will join the existing Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) to protect the waters of Singapore.
• US Navy and PLAN ships have had a close encounter in the South China Sea, the Arleigh Burke Class Guided Missile Destroyer, USS Decatur (DDG 73) came within in 41 metres of the Chinese Type 052C Luyang Class Guided Missile Destroyer as the tensions between the US and China in the region heat up.

Middle East:

• Iraq has secured a Foreign Military Sale worth US$82.5m to provide five Bell 407GX helicopters configured with M240 7.62mm Machine Guns, five GAU-19 .50 calibre Machine Guns, five M3P .50 calibre Machine Guns, five M260 Rocket Launchers and night vision compatible lighting systems, aircraft intercommunications systems (ICS), cockpit and seat armor kits, and bifurcated exhaust infrared suppressor systems, operating manuals, spare parts, maintenance and operator training for radio systems, technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support.
• Bahrain will purchase 120 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) M31 Unitary Rocket Pods, six rockets per pod for a total of 720, and 110 Army Tactical Missiles System (ATACMS) M57 T2K Unitary missiles. Also included are publications, personnel training and training equipment, software development, US government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The overall total estimated value is US$300m.
• In a US$30m deal, Boeing will provide aircrew and maintenance courses for the Qatari Air Force F-15QA. Qatar successfully secured 72 F-15QA in November 2016 worth US$21.1 bn, with another contract for 36 more aircraft signed in December 2017 worth US$6.1bn.

Europe:

• Elbit Systems UK has been awarded a contract by the UK MoD to provide the Morpheus Battle Management Application worth between £10m (about $18.4m) and £40m, over an initial three-year period. Under the contract, Elbit Systems UK will provide the British Army with an operationally proven battle management application for both headquarters and tactical units based on TORC2H, Elbit Systems’ command and control platform that has been delivered to many customers worldwide, including to the Australian Defence Force as part of its LAND 200 Tranche 2 battle management system.
• The UK MoD has announced that the Royal Navy’s new Type 26 Class frigate will be named HMS Birmingham. The Type 26 serves as the basis for Australia’s $35bn SEA 5000 Hunter Class frigate program.
• Finnish and Estonian navies started the Baltic Shield 2018 joint-naval exercise, which will be carried out in the Archipelago Sea and Gulf of Finland until 11 October.
• The UK MoD has announced its interest in procuring the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail AEWC aircraft to replace the RAF’s ageing E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, the E-7A is currently in service with the Royal Australian Air Force, Republic of Korea Air Force and Turkish Air Force.
• Sweden and Saab have offered eight Gripen MS20 fighter aircraft to Bulgaria. The training of pilots and technicians is included in the offer, with a full QRA capability to be achieved within the budget framework.
• The Airbus H225M helicopter successfully flew past 100,000 air hours. The 11-tonne H225M has proven its reliability and durability in combat conditions and crisis areas including Afghanistan, Chad, the Ivory Coast, the Central African Republic and Mali, while also supporting NATO-led operations in Libya.
• The Russian United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) is gearing up to secure a construction contract for the 10,000-tonne Leader Class nuclear powered guided missile destroyers. The Leader Class vessels will replace Sovremenny and Udaloy Class destroyers and can be armed with Kalibr and Onix missiles as well as shipborne S-500 air and missile defence systems.

North America:

• Raytheon secured a US$482.2 m contract with the US Navy to perform upgrades on the MK 15 Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS).
• Lockheed Martin locked in a US$315.7 m contract with the US Navy to procure support equipment for the F-35C under the Lot Order 11.
• Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems will provide engineering services and support for the US Navy under a US$13.5 m program support Link 16 system modernisation, optimisation and remapping capability for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.
• Canada has signed a Foreign Military Sale with the US worth US$300m for three King Air 350 ER intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft. Technical data; mission equipment, communication and navigation equipment, special tools and test equipment, ground support equipment, airframe and engine spare parts, publications, MWO/ECPs, technical assistance, repair and return, training, and transportation of aircraft, and other related elements of logistics and program support are also included.
• The US Army is formally soliciting proposals for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program to replace the OH-58 Kiowa returning some AH-64D/E Apache Longbows to their close air support role.
• Boeing and Saab won a US$9.2bn contract to supply the US Air Force with the next-generation pilot training program with the T-X trainer aircraft.

Australia:

• BAE Systems Australia has signed an interim contract with the Commonwealth government to support the supply chain of the $35 bn SEA 5000 Hunter Class frigate program.
• Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) has expanded its CH-47 Chinook support and maintenance capabilities in Australia as part of a new partnership agreement between BDA and CASG.
• Steel has been cut for the first Royal Australian Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) as part of the SEA 1180, which will see 12 OPVs delivered to the RAN.
• Australia’s Special Forces have kicked off the search for a light-support, reconnaissance helicopter as part of LAND 2097 Phase 4, with contenders including Airbus, Bell, Boeing and Leonardo.
• Northrop Grumman has begun construction of a $24m defence satellite ground station at Kapooka Barracks as part of JP 2008 Phase 5B2.
• Boeing has consolidated $1.5 bn worth of contracts to support the Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail AEWC aircraft.
• Queensland based Gilmour Space Technologies has secured $19 m worth of funding for next-generation rocket launches.
• Airbus has signed a statement of strategic intent with the Australian Space Agency to help support the development of Australia’s space industry. (Source: Defence Connect)

 

08 Oct 18. Sub scuttlebutt: SEA 1000 in deep water, or is it? It is the largest defence acquisition project in the history of the nation, but the $50bn, or is it $80bn, project to replace the ageing Collins Class submarines with 12 regionally-superior submarines is in deep water as growing concerns about cost, capability and delivery time frame begin to sow confusion.

When then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the DCNS, now Naval Group, Shortfin Barracuda as the successful design for the hotly contested SEA 1000 Future Submarine program in April 2016, it seemed as if the disastrous procurement of the Collins Class would be put aside, as the prime minister assured both defence and the Australian public: “The Competitive Evaluation Process (CEP) has provided the government with the detailed information required to select DCNS as the most suitable international partner to develop a regionally-superior future submarine to meet our unique national security requirements.”

The successful Shortfin Barracuda design is a conventionally powered variant of the nuclear powered Barracuda fast attack submarine currently under construction in France for the French Navy, and will, it is expected, deliver a quantum leap in the capability delivered to the Royal Australian Navy and its submarine service by leveraging technology and capabilities developed for nuclear submarines being implemented on a conventional submarine.

But now, more than two years after the initial announcement, contracting tensions between Naval Group and the Commonwealth are rising, there is growing public and parliamentary concern regarding the cost of the mega-project, concerns about the performance and apparent design changes for some of the key technologies, including the pump-jet propulsion system and battery system, and as recently expressed by a number of parliamentary and strategic policy leaders, capability gaps caused by the mounting delivery time.

South Australian senator Rex Patrick has been a prominent advocate for South Australian shipbuilding, particularly regarding SEA 1000 local content and workforce contribution, but as he recently told Defence Connect, new concerns are brewing around cost and contracting of the strategic project.

“With the project having gone from $50bn to $200bn and Australian content plummeting from 90 per cent to 50 per cent (maybe) and the build work on the Shortfin Barracuda not commencing until at least 2024, it would be irresponsible not to reassess the situation. Additionally, if we are having trouble with our strategic industry partner (Naval Group) in the contracting phase, it doesn’t bode well for the future of the program,” he said.

These concerns were just the tip of the iceberg for Senator Patrick, with him describing growing concerns around proposed changes to design, including the removal of the air-independent propulsion (AIP) system, the inclusion of lead-acid battery systems as opposed to the modern lithium-ion batteries installed upon contemporary submarines like the Japanese Soryu Class, German Type 212 and 214 classes, and Naval Group’s own Scorpene Class, currently in service with Brazil and India.

“As a former submariner, I am pro-submarine, I understand the strategic and tactical advantages these platforms provide us, but submarines at any price? No.” Senator Patrick explained. “We have to ask with the regional strategic situation changing since the original plan was announced in 2009, why would we be considering old technology, like lead-acid batteries for example, in what is supposed to be a regionally-superior submarine?”

It is important to identify that Senator Patrick is not advocating for the cancellation of the key naval shipbuilding project, rather he said, “Centre Alliance is not calling for the scrapping of the submarine project. The reality is that for less than $20 bn Australia could have up to 20 highly capable near off-the-shelf submarines, built in SA, with the build commencing two years sooner and modified and enhanced by Australian industry. Imagine what Defence could with more than $100 bn to spend on other capability.”

These technological and capability concerns were echoed by physicist Aidan Morrison who, in an extensive report developed in conjunction with assistance from DSTG scientists and considered by Defence, highlighted key concerns regarding the performance of the pump-jet propulsion systems to be installed upon the new submarines.

“The predicted performance of a submarine pump jet needs to be assessed with regard for the hydrodynamic performance of the submerged submarine, having considered how the design of the pump jet has been matched to the hull design to optimise the overall performance of the submarine for its intended roles,” the report states, highlighting concerns regarding the performance and capacity of the systems to meet the unique operating requirements presented by Australia’s operational environment, namely distance, current and ocean depth.

In response, Defence reinforced it’s commitment to pump jet propulsion, saying the design specifics of the future submarine was progressing according to plan, with all agreed upon technologies’ key components included.

“Its size remains appropriate to the inclusion of a pump jet that can be designed to optimise the performance of the submarine for its intended roles. Similar considerations apply to decisions about other technologies for the Future Submarine, including battery and other propulsion technologies,” Defence said.

Additionally, Defence maintains that decisions on these technologies would be informed by their intended applications when considered against proposed submarine missions, along with assessments of technical risk impacting cost, schedule and performance.

Now enter the growing capability gap concerns presented by an increasing number of Australia’s leading strategic policy thinkers. Dr Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute highlighted mounting concerns about the apparent capability gap presented by the delayed future submarine program and the declining capability of the existing Collins Class to Defence Connect, saying, “One of our key capability gaps is effective long-range strike, we need to develop that capability quickly, especially as the future submarines continue to face delay. This means we need to work with the United States on developing a potent, air-based long-range strike capability for Australia.”

Dr Davis further expanded on the concerns about the changing strategic environment raised by Senator Patrick, particularly growing concerns about the rapidly shrinking ‘Sea/Air Gap’ of Australia’s northern approaches, which has long been considered a defensive ‘moat’ which would provide the nation with adequate time to plan and respond to any contingency.

“We do need to think about more sharing of the regional strategic burden with the US. Especially in the face of an assertive China, not only in the South China Sea, but also in the Indian Ocean and south Pacific. Simply put the ‘Sea/Air Gap is the moat that no longer exists,” he said.

Reinforcing this, Associate Secretary at the Department of Defence Brendan Sargeant in a recent speech at ANU, titled ‘A Radical New Defence Policy’, highlighted the operational and strategic importance of getting the future submarine project and capability correct.

“Emerging capabilities such as the Joint Strike Fighter, the Future Frigate and the Future Submarine will change our strategic environment, increase Australia’s military power and will create new opportunities for engagement and capability building in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.

In response to the concerns rides the champion of Australia’s defence industry, Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, to reassure and strongly refute the claims and concerns raised regarding capability concerns and gaps, contracting dilemmas and cost overruns.

Recently, Minister Pyne discussed the status of the SEA 1000 project at great length with Andrew Bolt of the Bolt Report. Primarily, Minister Pyne was concerned with correcting the record on price, stating that “the envelope of money has not changed for the 12 submarines. It’s a $50bn project. It was at the beginning, and it still is now”.

When pushed regarding claims about the added cost of the submarines AN/BYG-1 weapons systems and the ongoing design and mobilisation contract, a key component of the strategic partnership between the Commonwealth and Naval Group, Minister Pyne was clear: “Yes, they (combat systems) are [included in the $50bn]. So, the contract that’s currently running the submarine project is the design and mobilisation contract; that’s exactly as it’s supposed to be.

“So, literally, it’s designing the shipyard, designing the submarine, mobilising the workforce, Australians at Cherbourg learning about how the Naval Group design a submarine so they can do it themselves in Australia. So, everything that needs to be being done is being done. The SPA – the Strategic Partnering Agreement – is the 30, 40-year long contract that needs to be signed. But certainly, there has been no ending of works or delay in the project at all.”

Regarding the issues surrounding pump jet propulsion and other design components, Minister Pyne explained, “Jean-Michel [Billig Naval Group executive director, SEA 1000] was new to Australia and new to that job and I don’t think he was necessarily well briefed. The decision that the government made is a propulsion system, a jet propulsion system. That was the offering by Naval Group in the competitive evaluation process. That has never changed and there’s no suggestion that it will be altered.”

Minister Pyne remained resolute in defending the capability to be delivered by the Shortfin Barracuda, despite concerns about the long lead time to deliver the submarines, with all 12 expected to be in operation by the mid-2050s. The minister went on to explain that the submarines, as with their global counterparts, will evolve throughout the construction cycle.

“So, the first submarine will be based on the most up-to-date technology when it goes into the water. The last submarine is obviously not going to be exactly the same as the first submarine. It will be based on the most up-to-date technology by the time it goes into the water,” he said.

Despite the best efforts, it appears as if the Future Submarine program is going to face a number of ongoing challenges prior to their introduction into service. It is, however, clear that more needs to be done directly by government, industry and the strategic policy leaders to address and resolve concerns regarding expected capability, improving the strategic partnerships and flow of communication, and the strategic reality these vessels will be operating in, in an articulate, concise manner to reassure both the Australian public and industry to ensure they can provide the support necessary to make the project a success.  (Source: Defence Connect)

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