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02 June 21. Team Sabre shortlisted for LAND 125 Phase 4 Integrated Soldier tender. Safran Electronics & Defense Australasia, Nova Systems Australia & New Zealand, and BAE Systems Australia have announce their consortium, Team SABRE, has been chosen to participate in the limited RFT for the LAND 125 Phase 4 Integrated Soldier System program. Team SABRE’s collective knowledge and experience as global leaders in soldier modernisation is a key to the joint effort according to Alexis de Pelleport, Safran Electronics & Defense Australasia’s CEO.
“A unique opportunity for the Australian soldier to benefit from the collective knowledge and experience of three globally recognised leaders in soldier modernisation, complex program delivery and autonomous systems,” de Pelleport said.
The collaborative effort will support the delivery and assurance of complex programs in the ADF environment, Steve Robinson, NOVA Systems Australia & New Zealand chief executive, added.
“Our experience supporting the delivery and assurance of complex programs in the ADF environment means that the warfighter will have more capability sooner,” Robinson said.
“We’re very excited to be working alongside our partners Safran and BAE Systems to support the Commonwealth in delivering the L125-4 Program.”
Team SABRE aims to deliver to deliver an optimal sovereign ISS solution, Brad Yelland, chief technology officer, BAE Systems Australia, affirmed.
“We are committed to bringing our diverse expertise in autonomous technologies and putting the best robotic and autonomous systems in the hands of the warfighter,” he said.
(Source: Defence Connect)
03 June 21. PLANMC may be re-equipping for combined arms, multidomain operations. A report by state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) on 2 June suggests that the People’s Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps (PLANMC) has started re-equipping to perform combined arms, multidomain operations. As part of this, the corps may also be operating the China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco) ZTQ-15 (also known as Type 15) lightweight battle tank, several examples of which were shown by the broadcaster being inspected by members of a PLANMC brigade at an undisclosed base. In this context CCTV stated that an infantry battalion had been re-equipped as a combined arms battalion.
The CCTV report was about how the corps is being modernised to fulfil its expanding role – from an amphibious to a combined arms, multidomain combat force – as part of a reorganisation drive that began in 2017.
More specifically, CCTV noted that the corps has moved beyond conducting a single “pure mission”, i.e. amphibious assaults, and is now moving towards the ability to conduct multiple overseas operations.
As evidence of this, the report referred to recent exercises conducted in “high-altitude” areas: language typically used to refer to Tibet or Xinjiang. The corps has also conducted training exercises to co-ordinate the effects of battle tanks with those of long-range artillery assets: a ubiquitous capability practised by most PLA Ground Force (PLAGF) units.
Moreover, footage made public by Chinese state media on 2 June showed a PLANMC brigade conducting a co-ordinated landing attack by land, sea, and air against enemy fortifications. (Source: Jane’s)
03 Jun 21. USMC mounting Tamir launcher on to trailer for cruise missile interceptor. The US Marine Corps is ‘repackaging’ key components of Rafael’s Iron Dome on to a trailer so that it is more suitable for expeditionary operations and can be used with the service’s AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) and its Common Aviation Command and Control System (CAC2S). If all goes as planned, the service will decide if it wants to deploy the capability in 2022.
Over the past several years, Janes has reported on the USMC’s effort to determine if it can integrate Iron Dome’s Tamir launchers and interceptors with existing equipment in its arsenal for a medium-range interceptor capability. Then, on 11 and 12 May, the service conducted a “successful” design review and greenlit production of a Medium Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) prototype, Program Manager for Ground Based Air Defense and the Program Executive Officer Land Systems Don Kelley said during a 2 June interview.
This prototype includes two key components that the service will work on to improve the interfaces in-between. The first component is a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) integrated with a ‘shelter’ that houses the CAC2S and a mini-battle management control system (BMC) for the Tamir missile.
To construct the second component, the Tamir launcher will be moved off its “heavy base” and “on to the back of a trailer” for expeditionary operations, Kelley explained.
“It’s not cemented to the ground and stationary, it is able to be moved,” David Forrest, the Capabilities Development Directorate’s deputy director for the aviation combat element, said during the interview. “If we can move it easier, that’s the ultimate objective …and it can defend a host of sites but primarily temporary [and] fixed sites.”
(Source: Jane’s)
04 June 21. Dynetics unveils Enduring Shield, its solution for the US Army to counter cruise missiles. Leidos-owned Dynetics has been tight-lipped about the product it offered to the U.S. Army and demonstrated in a live-fire event for the service’s enduring indirect fires protection capability, designed to defend against a variety of airborne threats.
While it’s been well-known that one team consisted of Rafael and Raytheon, offering up the Iron Dome launcher and Tamir interceptor, Dynetics would not previously publicly admit its participation in the competition.
The Army is using Iron Dome as an interim cruise missile defense capability as it works to adopt an enduring solution to counter drones and cruise missiles. Part of that effort involved releasing a solicitation to industry for a prototyping effort and hosting a shoot-off for two teams at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Eventually, the service will add a capability to counter rockets, artillery and mortar threats.
Each team that participated in the shoot-off brought a launcher and interceptor combination. The demonstrations happened over several weeks beginning at the end of April and ending in early May.
Defense News first reported that, according to several sources familiar with the activity, Dynetics was bringing a launcher based off the Army’s internally developed, but then canceled, Multi-Mission Launcher along with the Raytheon-produced AIM-9X Sidewinder interceptor.
Dynetics would not tell reporters what interceptor it brought to the live-fire event as part of its offering due to an internal decision based on the interceptor manufacturer’s desire not to name it, according to Ronnie Chronister, the company’s, senior vice president for weapons technology and manufacturing.
“Our selection of that effector was based on the fact that the Army’s sense of urgency was very high in getting capability into the field,” he said during a June 3 briefing.
But its launcher — Enduring Shield — takes know-how from the Multi-Mission Launcher’s development and improves upon it, Chronister said. “Our offering is not MML,” he said, “but it is derived from the heritage and the things that we’ve learned from MML.”
Chronister said the company redesigned the stack system of the MML to obtain cost efficiencies and has worked to make the launcher more producible and less complex, which is critical to the Army’s requirement to build 16 launchers and 80 interceptors in a short period of time.
“Our offering has a 360-degree envelope and an ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously,” he said, adding that it was demonstrated to fully integrate with the Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System — a key requirement.
The system is built with a modular, open-system architecture, Chronister said, meaning any interceptor can be used with the launcher.
“We are basically missile agnostic,” he said, “so if the customer comes back and wants to integrate another effector into our system, we have designed it such that that integration will be seamless and relatively easy to accomplish.”
The MML had trouble with reloading, and the AIM-9X had issues with overheating. But Chronister said that with changes to the launcher, all issues — found over three years ago — are resolved, including thermal problems with the interceptor itself.
The company has relevant experience designing launchers — from its history on the MML program to current efforts to build the launcher for the Army’s ground-launched hypersonic missile. Dynetics is also building the first glide bodies for those hypersonic missiles.
The company received the contract roughly 20 months ago to build the launcher for hypersonic missiles. Chronister said the firm is already delivering hardware to the Army.
Dynetics also has experience on the Indirect Fires Protection Capability program, developing a 300-kilowatt laser on a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck, to serve as a possible countermeasure for an enduring solution.
Taking its work hardening cyber and electronic warfare systems, Dynetics is also baking into its IFPC offering the ability to protect it from cyber and EW attacks, according to Chronister.
The Army is expected to choose a winner to proceed in building an initial lot of prototypes in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. The winner must deliver all prototypes to the Army in time to reach initial operational capability by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023.
“We feel very confident in our ability to meet this aggressive schedule that the Army has laid out,” Chronister said. “We have invested our own internal funds, our research and development funds into this program, so we have skin the game with this one.” (Source: Defense News)
04 June 21. Get rid of CT40, get rid of the problem? Did CT40 kill WCSP and cause the insurmountable problems on Ajax? BATTLESPACE readers (and others!) have followed our coverage of the CT40 project in the UK since its inception and the problems and huge cost overruns it has caused to both Lockheed Martin, estimated at £100m, GDELS, estimated at £250m and the MoD over £100m. One of the biggest problems is the 20,000lb recoil of the canon. However, there are a myriad of other problems which were identified by a US Technical Evaluation of the DoD Cased Telescoped Ammunition and Gun Technology Program (Project No. 5PT-8016) 1996 GAO REPORT. Quite clearly no one in the MoD or the Army read this report and arrogantly ploughed on at the expense of the taxpayer and two large defence contractors. In our view if the project were cancelled and a new turret with a Northrop Bushmaster 44, for which studies were done by GD and rejected by the MoD, then, with modifications, the various problems identified on Ajax would be overcome. As the MoD Report, which BATTLESPACE has seen states, the problems with the current specification are critical.
GDLS-UK statement: We continue to work closely with the British Army and Ministry of Defence to complete the remaining demonstration phase activities. Recent trials have confirmed many of the required capabilities across the AJAX Family of Vehicles, including operations across the full range of speed and reverse step obstacle climb. A small number of remaining issues are being reviewed and closed out in partnership with the British Army and Ministry of Defence ahead of Initial Operating Capability (IOC).
03 June 21. Indonesia acquires A-220M naval guns for KCR-60M attack craft. The Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Laut: TNI-AL) has acquired two A-220M 57 mm naval guns from Russia, and is now installing the first unit on a KCR-60M fast-attack craft. Images provided to Janes from two separate industry sources confirm that one of the naval gun units is being incorporated as the primary weapon for the second-of-class, KRI Tombak (629). Janes first reported in February 2018 that the TNI-AL was considering the A-220M for two vessels in the KCR-60M class.
These new weapons are replacing the vessels’ older Bofors 40 mm cannons that were salvaged from the decommissioned landing ship tank (LST) vessel, KRI Teluk Semangka (512), as an interim measure to provide the KCR-60M with naval gunfire support capabilities.
According to product literature published by JSC Central Research Institute Burevestnik, the А-220М is designed to engage air, surface, and coastal targets. It has a maximum range of up to 12 km when engaging surface targets, and 8 km when engaging aerial targets.
Janes understands that the A-220M that was supplied to Indonesia features a deck mounting and a barrel-cooling system that has been customised specifically for the KCR-60M class, given space constraints beneath the vessel’s deck. The weapon is also equipped with its own electro-optical and radar-guided weapon control system and can accommodate up to 400 on-mount ammunition rounds. (Source: Jane’s)
03 June 21. US Army chooses winner to build its new Stryker gun system. The U.S. Army has chosen Oshkosh Defense to build its new Medium Caliber Weapon System — a 30mm, unmanned turreted auto-cannon — for the Stryker combat vehicle. The first delivery order covers 91 vehicles valued at roughly $130m. The Army could build up to six Stryker Brigades with the MCWS version so the potential contract value is roughly $942m over six years, according to a June 3 Army announcement.
The first unit to receive the MCWS Strykers will be the I-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team out of Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington State. Fielding will be complete by December 2023 with that unit, Col. Bill Venable, the program manager for the Stryker Brigade Combat Team within the Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems, told reporters June 3.
Oshkosh beat out two other teams and while the Army would not name competitors, sources familiar with the process have told Defense News it was a General Dynamics Land Systems and Kongsberg Defense team and a Leonardo DRS and Moog team.
The Oshkosh team is comprised of Pratt Miller, which began the competition as a separate company, but in December 2020, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle-maker Oshkosh purchased the company for $115m. Pratt Miller was teamed up with Rafael.
The Army decided to outfit three out of six of its brigades equipped with Double V-Hull A1 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicles with 30mm guns — a total of 83 vehicles per brigade — following an Army Requirements Oversight Council review evaluating the performance of the 30mm Stryker Dragoon operated in Europe by the 2nd Cavalry Regiment. The Army chief of staff directed the Army to ensure the new MCWS capability be applied to the more mobile protected DVH ICVVA1 that will be the basis for the future Stryker fleet.
In May 2019, the service selected five companies to come up with designs, awarding each a study contract. Those companies were General Dynamics Land Systems, Kollsman Inc., Leonardo DRS, Raytheon and Pratt & Miller Engineering and Fabrication Inc. Following a protest, the Army awarded a sixth contract to EOS Defense Systems USA, Inc.
The companies had to come up with integration designs using a government-furnished XM813 gun on a government furnished Stryker DVH A1 hull. As part of the design study, competitors were required to build a production-representative vehicle.
The Army began its full-and-open competition to award a production contract and took three teams with production representative bid samples into government testing in August 2020 at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
While the schedule experienced some delays due to the pandemic and also due to decisions aimed at preserving competition, “we did have a robust competition,” Venable said. “We had several fantastic solutions evaluated over the course of nearly a year now and what resulted was the best value award selection to a winning vendor.” (Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)
BATTLESPACE Comment: This is good news for Oshkosh and its team. The U.S. Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal (ACC-DTA) awarded Oshkosh Defense, a wholly owned subsidiary of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK), a $942.9m contract to integrate a 30MM Medium Caliber Weapon System (MCWS) onto the Stryker Double V Hull Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICVVA1). This upgrade will provide precision lethality capability to the Army’s Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT). Oshkosh Defense teamed with Pratt Miller and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to deliver an MCWS that provides increased lethality, accuracy, and range while maintaining the mobility and survivability of the Stryker ICVVA1. Oshkosh will integrate onto the ICVVA1 chassis a 30mm weapon system based on Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ proven SAMSON family of turrets. The contract calls for the integration of the Oshkosh MCWS onto three Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCTs) as well as a full spectrum of system technical support, interim contractor logistics support, and integrated product support.
“The Oshkosh team brought together best-in-class capabilities for weapon system design, manufacturing, and integration to provide a highly capable solution that meets the Stryker MCWS program requirements today and offers the flexibility to upgrade tomorrow,” said Pat Williams, Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “Our experienced team looks forward to supporting the Stryker program office to quickly field this capability to the Warfighter.”
The U.S. Army’s selection comes after the completion of the test and evaluation of Production Representative Sample Systems (PRSS) at Aberdeen Test Center in Maryland. The PRSS were evaluated against stringent vehicle and turret performance requirements.
The Rafael SAMSON turret has been chosen for the Lithuanian Boxer fleet and BATTLESPACE understands that it has been offered for consideration to the UK for its Boxers.
About Oshkosh Defense and Pratt Miller
Oshkosh Defense is a global leader in the design, production and sustainment of best-in-class military vehicles, technology solutions and mobility systems. Oshkosh develops and applies emerging technologies that advance safety and mission success. Setting the industry standard for sustaining fleet readiness, Oshkosh ensures every solution is supported worldwide throughout its entire life cycle.
Oshkosh Defense, LLC is an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE: OSK].
02 June 21. Surveillance planes test Harpoon missiles in NATO exercise. A coordinated missile strike during an exercise in Norway was the first use of Harpoon missiles by Poseidon P-8A planes, the U.S. Navy said on Wednesday.
The three planes, modified Boeing 737s outfitted for surveillance and reconnaissance use, are equipped with AGM-84D air-to-surface missiles, and demonstrated their capability on Monday during NATO’s three-week At-Sea Demo/Formidable Shield 2021 exercise. Two missiles were used against a target barge off Norway’s east coast, a Navy statement said.
“Having multinational allies, with whom we are capable of integrating seamlessly within the air and maritime domains, is critical to our strategic and operational objectives in the North Atlantic,” said Cmdr. Johnny Harkins, commanding officer of Patrol Squadron Four, or VP-4, attached to the Navy’s 6th Fleet.
“Our Combat Aircrews demonstrated their expertise using the P-8A to enhance the common operating picture in support of multi-unit strike operations,” Harkins said.
The missiles give the P-8As the ability to challenge enemy naval movements, either in support of offensive operations or in order to defend friendly forces, the Navy said.
The planes are also capable of carrying and releasing AN/ALE-55 towed decoys, carried in under-wing pods similar to those carrying the missiles, which can jam enemy radar or lure incoming radar-homing missiles away from the aircraft.
The exercises are led by the United States and centered on Scotland’s Hebrides Range and The Andoya Space Defense facility in Andenes, Norway. Ten nations, with 16 vessels, 10 aircraft and about 3,300 personnel, are participating. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/UPI)
02 June 21. SIG SAUER Introduces the Full-Size P320 AXG Pro. SIG SAUER is pleased to introduce the P320 AXG Pro, the first full-sized P320 pistol featuring the metal AXG grip module, with the AXG detachable magwell, and paired with the full-length SIG SAUER Pro-Cut slide.
“The hottest ticket in the world of P320 is the AXG series of pistols which combines the modern features and modularity of the P320 platform, with the performance and feel of a metal frame,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales, SIG SAUER, Inc. “With the lightening cuts of the pro-cut slide and the added weight of the AXG metal grip, the P320 AXG Pro is the perfect combination of style and performance, from fit to finish, in a full-size package.”
The SIG SAUER P320 AXG Pro is a metal, 9mm striker-fired pistol, with a black anodized AXG full-size grip module with a detachable AXG magwell, custom Hogue black G10 grip panels, a precision machined deep undercut, and an extended beavertail for an ergonomic, comfortable fit. The pistol features an XSERIES flat trigger and a Nitron® full-size SIG Pro-Cut slide with lightening cuts, XRAY3 Day/Night sights, comes optic-ready, and is compatible with direct-mount options for the SIG SAUER Electro-Optics ROMEO1Pro, the soon to be released SIG SAUER Electro-Optics ROMEO2, Delta Point Pro, and RMR Reflex Optics. The P320 AXG Pro ships with (2) 17-round steel magazines featuring Henning Group basepads.
P320AXG Pro:
Overall length: 8.2 inches
Overall height: 5.5 inches
Overall width: 1.6 inches
Barrel length: 4.7 inches
Sight Radius: 6.6inches
Weight (w/magazine): 35.4 oz.
The SIG SAUER P320 AXG Pro is now shipping and available at retailers. To learn more about the SIG SAUER P320 AXG Pro, or watch the product video with Phil Strader, Pistol Product Manager, visit sigsauer.com.
01 June 21. Saab Unveils and Demos New Guided Multipurpose Munition. Saab, in cooperation with the U.S. Army and Raytheon Missiles & Defense, has successfully demonstrated the new Guided Multipurpose Munition (GMM). The GMM System Capability Demonstration was a joint activity between Saab and Raytheon Missiles & Defense, funded under a U.S. Government Rapid Innovation Funding (RIF) effort awarded by the U.S. Army. This three-year contract effort culminated in a live firing demonstration in November 2020. RIF efforts are intended to support the development of promising technologies that address military capability to fulfill an operational or national need.
On November 5 2020, at the Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, Saab, in collaboration with the U.S. Army and Raytheon Missiles & Defense, fired Guided Multipurpose Munitions for the first time with live warheads. GMM was fired from both the Carl-Gustaf recoilless rifle and an adaption of an AT4 disposable launcher. The munitions were guided to their target using a semi-active laser guidance system and designator.
Through a series of live fire engagements, multiple targets were engaged and destroyed at ranges from 1550 to 2500 meters. The targets were triple brick wall, double-reinforced concrete wall, and an up-armored vehicle, demonstrating the devastating combination of a high-performance break-in charge, and a follow-through charge designed to ensure effects even in hardened targets. The increased range, in combination with a Confined Space capability, will offer troops greater tactical flexibility when selecting a firing position.
GMM represents the next step in both the evolution of guided man-portable munitions and the Saab-Raytheon collaboration, and expands the shoulder-launched guided capability to the AT4. GMM also has the capability for future applications on remote weapons stations, manned and unmanned aerial and ground systems, and indirect fire.
“GMM marks the next step in the evolution of our shoulder-launched systems. It is the most advanced munition yet and will offer greater precision, outstanding performance with pin-point accuracy and multi-target capability,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab business area Dynamics.
“Raytheon and Saab have been working together on the GMM, and take pride in the fact that they can provide the Army with a standard guided munition they can fire from prolific soldier-borne launchers as well as weapons stations and unmanned vehicles. This universal munition will increase overall lethality and help prepare for every conceivable conflict on the spectrum,” says Tom Laliberty, vice president of Land Warfare & Air Defense, a Raytheon Missiles & Defense mission area.
The initial work on GMM began in 2017, which resulted in the concept of the Guided Carl-Gustaf Munition that was demonstrated in September 2019.
Saab’s Carl-Gustaf and AT4 weapon systems are used by the U.S. Armed Forces as well as the ground forces of more than 40 other countries.
(Source: ASD Network/Saab)
01 June 21. AEL Sistemas develops new red dot sight for Brazilian Army. The Brazilian Army is to receive 974 Guará tactical red dot reflex sights from AEL Sistemas, a Brazilian operation of Elbit Systems.
The devices were purchased in December 2020 by the Logistics Command for the IMBEL IA2 5.56 × 45 mm assault rifle, and deliveries are scheduled between July and August, the army told Janes. The tender was launched in late of 2019. AEL Sistemas is working to start deliveries in June, the company told Janes. The Guará egan development in 2016 with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, the Brazilian Company of Research and Industrial Innovation, and the SENAI Institute of Innovation in Polymer Engineering – and was done to the MIL-STD-810G standard.
It is a polymer reflex-style sight with night vision capability, and was designed for rifles and shotguns to use with both eyes open. Guará measures 57mm wide, 78mm high, and 125mm long, and weighs 350g with a battery.
A rectangular heads-up display provides 25 × 30mm rectangular viewing and a dot reticle with LED technology, and has optical magnification of 1x and 3–10 MoA (minute of angle) adjusting. Guará comes with on/off and brightness adjustment switches and a locking quick-release lever or fixed mount, designed to fit onto a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail.
The side-mounted power source compartment for one AA-type 1.5V battery provides approximately 3,000 hours of continuous operation. The Guará, which is water-resistant up to 10m and Parallax-free, is compatible with magnifiers. (Source: Jane’s)
01 June 21. Pentagon Eyes New Bombs for War With China, Not ISIS. The Air Force will buy fewer Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMs; Hellfire missiles; and small-diameter bombs as it prepares to invest in state-of-the art, long-range weapons that are better-suited for operations in the Pacific, according to its fiscal 2022 budget request.
The service has requested $161m to buy an initial production of 12 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, or ARRW (pronounced “Arrow”), hypersonic weapons to move it out of the research and development phase. Despite the service shifting more resources toward the ARRW program last year, the missile failed its first flight test a few weeks ago.
The Air Force also wants to increase its procurement of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range, or JASSM-ER, stealth cruise missile, an advanced weapon with a range of roughly 600 miles, the budget documents state. Officials have previously stated the JASSM and its cousin, the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, or LRASM, can be used for stand-off precision strikes throughout the vast expanses of the Pacific region.
To fund those efforts, the service will reduce its purchases of JDAMs, the first iteration of the small-diameter bomb, and Hellfire missiles, said Maj. Gen. James D. Peccia, the Air Force deputy assistant secretary overseeing the budget at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller.
Peccia told reporters Friday that the service has reached “healthy inventory levels” of those munitions and now will focus on the more advanced weapons.
The Air Force will ask Congress for about 1,900 JDAM munitions, according to the documents, compared to 16,800 last year. The service wants to buy only 1,176 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles this year, down from 4,517 last year. And it plans to reduce its buy of GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb I, or SDB I, to 998 from 2,462 last year.
To bolster its inventory of conventional munitions that allow aircraft to stay outside the range of enemy air defenses, the service’s funding request for JASSM-ER, which incorporates low-observable technology, has increased by $211m “to grow production line capacity.” The Air Force wants to buy 525 missiles this year, up from 400 last year, the budget states.
Over the years, the Air Force has added thousands more JDAMs, SDBs and Hellfire missiles in its effort to build up its precision-guided munition inventory.
In 2017, the service raced to buy more JDAMs and the SDB I as the Pentagon grappled with a bomb shortage driven in part by the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
The arsenal was further strained when the joint force began sharing weapons with coalition partners engaged against the terrorist group in the Middle East, then-Lt. Gen. John Raymond, deputy chief of staff for operations at Headquarters Air Forces, said in 2016. Raymond is now chief of the U.S. Space Force.
To boost its stockpiles, the service worked with defense companies to procure precision-guided bomb packages, including tail-kits that use GPS to guide the bombs to their intended targets.
The Air Force purchased about 27,800 JDAM munitions a year between fiscal 2018 and 2020. It slowed JDAM procurements for the first time last year. (Source: Military.com)
01 June 21. The US Navy’s Railgun Looks Like It’s Finally Facing The Axe In New Budget Request. The Navy has been working to make the idea of a railgun an operational reality since 2005.
After some 16 years of research and development, the U.S. Navy appears poised to kill its electromagnetic railgun program. The service has not asked for any new funding for the project in its latest budget request and says it will wrap up all the work it has planned now by the end of the current fiscal year, before effectively putting what’s left of this effort into storage.
The Navy’s proposed Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which it released on May 28, 2021, as part of the larger U.S. military-wide request, zeroes out two separate line items related to railgun research and development. It also shows that the service did not ask for, or receive, any funding for the project through the Innovative Naval Prototypes (INP) Applied Research account in the Fiscal Year 2021 budget. It did, however, get nearly $9.5m in requested funding, plus another $20m that Congress decided by itself to add on top of that, through the INP Advanced Technology Development portion of the budget for that fiscal cycle.
Since the Office of Naval Research (ONR) formally began work on the railgun project in 2005, funding for it has come through a number of different line items. In the past, this sometimes caused confusion and led to erroneous reports that the program had been canceled. The Navy’s plans now seem to be clear.
With regards to the INP Advanced Technology Development account, the budget documents say that “the decrease in funding from FY 2021 to FY 2022 is due to the completion of Advanced Technology Development efforts under this Activity.” This line item also says that the objectives for this program in the 2022 Fiscal Year are “N/A” and does not make any mention of future work funded through other portions of the budget.
“Railgun technology and knowledge attained will be documented and preserved,” according to a separate section describing the purpose of the extra funds Congress added to the program in the 2021 Fiscal Year, further indicating that the plan is now, at best, to shelve the project indefinitely. “Railgun hardware will be realigned to maximize its sustainability to facilitate potential future use.”
The War Zone has reached out to ONR for further information on the exact fate of the railgun program and how it or other entities within the U.S. Navy or elsewhere across the U.S. military might leverage any of the project’s existing work.
The Navy has tested at least two different railgun designs since 2005, one from BAE Systems and one from General Atomics, with the former being the primary prototype the service has used in its previous research and development efforts. Both of these weapons functioned in the same way, launching solid projectiles using powerful electrically-generated magnetic fields.
As of 2017, ONR said that it had demonstrated the ability of at least one of these weapons to fire rounds at speeds greater than 4,500 miles per hour, or around six times the speed of sound, in land-based testing. That same year, it also showed that it could fire a salvo of rounds in relatively rapid succession from the BAE Systems prototype. The stated goal at that time was to develop a design capable of hitting targets of various kinds, ranging from ships and threats ashore to aircraft and incoming missiles, up to 100 miles away. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/https://www.thedrive.com/)
28 May 21. Pentagon budget 2022: Hypersonic weapons would get USD3.8bn boost. Hypersonic speed strike weapons remain a top development priority in the Pentagon’s fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget. The department requested USD3.8bn for several emerging projects, according to budget documents released on 28 May.
In June 2018 the Pentagon announced that the US Navy (USN) would lead development for a common glide vehicle for use on hypersonic weapon programmes across the services. The common glide vehicle is based on the Alternate Re-Entry System that was originally developed by Sandia National Laboratories and the US Army.
DoD’s previous budget request, in FY 2021, for all hypersonic-related research was USD3.2bn — up from USD2.6bn the year before that.
For its part, the USN’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) would receive USD1.374bn, up from USD1.008bn in FY 2021. “The Navy’s CPS program will design a missile comprised of a Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) and a 34.5 inch two-stage booster”, the service said. The USN hopes to achieve an initial operational capability in FY 2028 on a Virginia-class submarine with Virginia Payload Module, but some of the FY 2022 funding would support early efforts to add CPS capability on Zumwalt-class destroyers. Meanwhile the US Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) is requested to get USD412m. LRHW is intended to pair the C-HGB with a booster for a range of 1,400 miles. The service requested USD801m for the project in FY2021 and said it plans to conduct flight tests for LRHW in FY 2022 and “field combat rounds in future years”. The army had previously said it was aiming for LRHW to become a Program of Record in 2024. (Source: Jane’s)
02 Jun 21. Thales 120 mm 2R2M mortar system deliveries to begin for Griffon. Thales’ mortar production facility at La Ferte-Saint-Aubin will deliver the first of its 120 mm Rifled Recoiled Mounted Mortars (2R2Ms) to the Nexter Roanne production facility in the last quarter of 2021, the company told Janes.
The 2R2M system will then be integrated into the rear of a specialised version of the Griffon 6×6 armoured personnel carrier (APC) that is in production and in service with the French Army.
Griffon, officially called the Véhicule Blindé Multi-Role (VBMR), or Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle, is the replacement for the Arquus (previously Renault Trucks Defense) Véhicule de l’Avant Blindé 4×4 APC that began service with the French Army as early as 1976.
In service with the French Army the complete 120 mm 2R2M system is called the Mounted Mortar for Front-line Fire Support (Mortier Embarque Pour l’Appui au Contact: MEPAC).
France’s Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) contracted for one prototype system and 54 production systems. Qualification is to take place from 2022–23, followed by production and service entry in 2024, with final deliveries in 2027, according to Thales.
The 120 mm 2R2M is mounted in the rear of the Griffon and fires through power-operated roof hatches. When retracted, the Griffon fitted with the 2R2M appears almost identical to the standard Griffon APC.
The turntable-mounted mortar can be traversed through 360°, with an elevation of 40–85 º under hydraulic power. It is coupled to a Thales computerised fire-control system (FCS), automatic laying system (ALS), and inertial navigation system (INS). (Source: Jane’s)
01 Jun 21. Turkey’s ULAQ USV completes first live-firing trial. Turkey’s ULAQ unmanned surface vehicle (USV) prototype has been put through its first live-firing trial on 26 and 27 May, its developers have announced.
The ULAQ is an armed USV being developed under a joint venture between Ares Shipyard and defence electronics company Meteksan. The ULAQ programme was first announced to the public in October 2020, with development work being funded by both companies since 2018. The principal design studies and concept definition was completed in 2018 and 2019 respectively, with prototype construction starting in June 2020.
The prototype was launched at Ares Shipyard’s facility in Antalya in February and has been put through extensive at-sea testing.
The live-fire trials occurred off the coast of Antalya with the main test conducted on 27 May. The ULAQ prototype fired two Cirit laser-guided 70mm missiles with live warheads – which have a maximum stated range of 8km – to engage a stationary target placed on a small island at a distance of 4km. Both missiles were seen hitting the target successfully in video footage released by the companies. The prototype was controlled from a van-based mobile command station, with the test witnessed by representatives from the Turkish Navy, Turkish Coast Guard, and the Qatari Armed Forces, as well as senior officials from the Presidency of Defence Industries (Savunma Sanayi Başkanlığı: SSB) and local industry.
The live-firing demonstration is a milestone for the ULAQ programme, which is expected to introduce further variants designed to undertake missions including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare (EW), mine warfare, anti-surface warfare (ASuW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and firefighting. (Source: Jane’s)
27 May 21 IDF Explores Ground-to-Ground Rockets; US Co-Production? Following the recent rocket attacks from Gaza, Israeli experts say the IDF needs more versions of ground-to-ground rockets to hit enemy rocket launchers.
An Israeli defense source told BD that the use of Israeli ground-to-ground missiles in the recent Nagorno-Karabach war “increased the interest in these missiles, especially the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Lora.
“I cannot go into details but I can say that American companies, including the IAI subsidiary Stark Aerospace, can easily make parts of this missile using FMF funds. Stark manufactures parts of the Israeli Arrow 3 ballistic missile interceptor and can easily start making the Lora and other Israeli made ground-to-ground missiles — some that are still classified. The administration will back any such decision as it adds jobs to U.S companies.”
The LORA consists of a long-range tactical ground-to-ground missile developed by IAI’s MALAM division. Its got a range of 400 km and it’s got a CEP of 10 meters or better. The Lora was used heavily by the Azeri army in the Nagorno-Karabach war.
The defense source added that the U.S has followed the use of the Israeli ground-to-ground missiles in the many reported attacks on Iranian targets in Syria. According to Syria the missiles hit the targets with great accuracy.
The recent U.S–Israeli FMF agreement decreases the portion of the defense grants that can be converted to local Israeli currency, so this may force Israeli companies to form joint ventures with American companies to manufacture the long range missiles.
Some years ago, former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberaman tried to create a dedicated ground-to-ground missiles unit in the IDF, but the plan was opposed by the Israeli air force.
Miki Bar, former commander of one of the IAF’s main bases, told BD that while the IAF has diversified its weapon systems, “I have no doubt that more long range accurate ground-to-ground missiles will be a very cost-effective capability that will complement this of the air force.”
According to the latest assessments, Hezbollah currently possesses between 120,000 to 140,000 short-range rockets (with a range of 25-28 miles), which cover Israel’s north, several thousand medium-range rockets (range of 56 miles); and several hundred long-range rockets and missiles (ranges of hundreds of miles) able to hit targets anywhere in Israel.
Hezbollah’s rockets and missiles are dispersed throughout Lebanon. Its short-range rockets are mostly stored in the south near the Israeli border, to maximize their range. They are hidden in homes in 230 Shiite villages. If the IDF decides to enter these villages on the ground to stop this barrage, it will be met with an array of fortifications and ambushes
After its accelerated armament in the wake of the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah began investing in improving its precision capabilities with extensive Iranian help.
The IAF has performed hundreds of attacks on facilities in Syria connected to Iran’s effort to improve accuracy of the long-range rockets but Israeli intelligence knows the terror organization still has a “considerable” number of precision rockets. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
28 May 21. US Navy conducts first live-fire test of hypersonic missile motor. The U.S. Navy and its industry team conducted the first live-fire test of the rocket motor Thursday, which will propel the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike offensive hypersonic missile and the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon. The Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs office tested the first-stage solid rocket motor, or SRM, in Promontory, Utah. Northrop Grumman developed the motor and Lockheed Martin serves as the prime weapon systems integrator to provide boost capability to the two armed services’ respective hypersonic strike missile.
“The first stage SRM will be part of a new missile booster for the services, and will be combined with a Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB) to create the common hypersonic missile. Each service will use the common hypersonic missile, while developing individual weapon systems and launchers tailored for launch from sea or land,” a Navy news release said. “This successful SRM test represents a critical milestone leading up to the next Navy and Army joint flight test, which will take place in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2022, and ultimately the fielding of the CPS and LRHW weapon systems.”
The common glide body was successfully tested in March 2020, and the Army and Navy are now working with government-run national laboratories and industry on development and production. The Navy led the glide body design effort, and the Army is leading the production effort.
The director of Strategic Systems Programs, Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, said last year at the Naval Submarine League annual conference that a key challenge ahead for the Navy, Army and industry would be to “take all the successes we’ve had in the research and development of flight testing. And how do we start to productionize that? And how do we transition that into a military capability that we can give to the Army — because we’re kind of doing this collaboratively with the Army — for what they want to do for their first all-up round capability in about the 2023 time frame? And then how do we continue to push that forward so that we get to a Navy capability on [guided-missile submarines] in the 2025 time frame?”
The Navy has since changed its plans for the Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missile: Rather than fielding it on a guided-missile submarine first, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday said last month the Navy will instead prioritize putting the large missiles on its Zumwalt-class destroyers.
The common hypersonic weapon will fit into an Army ground launcher or a Navy launcher installed on a submarine or surface ship.
In a separate news release Thursday, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman announced that, during the first-stage solid rocket motor test, “the motor fired for the full trial duration and met performance parameters and objectives within anticipated ranges.”
“We’re pleased to celebrate this important event with the U.S. Navy, Army and Northrup Grumman. This outcome today is due to our shared effort and determination to see this test on the Conventional Prompt Strike program succeed,” Steve Layne, program director of conventional strike programs at Lockheed, said in the release. “This live fire event is a major milestone on the path to providing hypersonic strike capability to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army warfighters.”
“Northrop Grumman is proud to leverage our expertise in flight-proven solid rocket propulsion to support the nation’s efforts to develop an advanced end-to-end missile system capable of deterring emerging and future threats,” added Charlie Precourt, vice president of propulsion systems for Northrop.
Hypersonic weapons can fly at greater than five times the speed of sound and would put most targets around the globe at risk within minutes. The Navy has talked about hypersonic weapons being a top priority as the service modernizes its fleet for a high-end threat like China. (Source: Defense News)
29 May 21. U.S. fails to intercept test missile target. A U.S. warship failed to intercept a medium-range ballistic missile test target on Saturday, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said.
“The objective of the test was to demonstrate the capability of a ballistic missile defense-configured Aegis ship to detect, track, engage and intercept a medium-range ballistic missile target” with a salvo of two Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) Dual II missiles, the agency said in a statement.
“However, an intercept was not achieved,” it said without giving further details. It did not say where the test was conducted.
The MDA, an agency under the Department of Defense, routinely conducts missile defense tests. It has previously conducted successful intercept tests using types of SM-6 missiles. (Source: Reuters)
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Arnold Defense has manufactured more than 1.25 million 2.75-inch rocket launchers since 1961 for the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and many NATO customers. They are the world’s largest supplier of rocket launchers for military aircraft, vessels and vehicles. Core products include the 7-round M260 and 19-round M261 commonly used by helicopters; the thermal coated 7-round LAU-68 variants and LAU-61 Digital Rocket Launcher used by the U.S. Navy and Marines; and the 7-round LAU-131 and SUU-25 flare dispenser used by the U.S. Air Force and worldwide.
Today’s rocket launchers now include the ultra-light LWL-12 that weighs just over 60 pounds (27 kg.) empty and the new Fletcher (4) round launcher. Arnold Defense designs and manufactures various rocket launchers that can be customized for any capacity or form factor for platforms in the air, on the ground or even at sea.
Arnold Defense maintains the highest standards of production quality by using extensive testing, calibration and inspection processes.
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