09 Dec 22. China’s DF-17 designed to strike Pacific bases: US. China’s Dong Feng-17 (DF-17) hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV)-powered medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) has been designed to strike foreign military bases and fleets in the Western Pacific, a US Pentagon report said. In its 2022 China Military Power Report (CMPR), the US Department of Defense (DoD) said that the DF-17 is transforming the People Liberation Army’s (PLA’s) missile force. “The system, fielded in 2020, is possibly intended to replace some older short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) units,” the DoD added, citing Chinese media.
“The DF-17 passed several tests successfully and is deployed operationally. While the DF-17 is primarily a conventional platform, it may be equipped with nuclear warheads,” the Pentagon said. Citing a claim by a Chinese military expert, the Pentagon added that the “primary purpose of the DF-17” is striking bases and fleets in the Western Pacific. (Source: Janes)
08 Dec 22. Hanwha Hands Over 24 K9PL Howitzers to Polish Armed Forces.
- A batch of 24 K9PL Self-Propelled Howitzers have arrived in Poland, following an executive contract signed in August
- Poland serves as a key pillar of the international K9 User Community, as Hanwha plans to build K9 production and MRO facilities in Poland to support K9 user nations in Europe
- The K9PL is expected to strengthen Poland’s deterrence capability, with the artillery system’s proven firepower, mobility and survivability
Hanwha Aerospace has successfully delivered a batch of 24 K9 Self-Propelled Howitzers to the Polish Armed Forces, meeting the requirements of the Polish deterrence capability.
Upon arrival on December 5, the155mm/52-calibre howitzers, called “K9PL,” were unloaded from a cargo ship at the Port of Gdynia where a reception ceremony was to take place.
The official ceremony was held on December 6 to celebrate the arrival of K9PLs, with the attendance of Polish Government leaders including President Andrzej Duda and Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak.
Among the South Korean participants were Minister Eom Dong-hwan of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration; Deputy Minister Yoo Dong-joon of the Ministry of National Defens; Son Jaeil, President and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace; and Executive Vice President Lee Boo-hwan of Hanwha Aerospace’s Business in Europe.
“The handover of K9PLs is a key milestone in the development of partnership between Hanwha Aerospace and the Government of Poland,” said Lee Boo-hwan, head of Hanwha Aerospace’s European business. “Meeting the requirements of the Polish Armed Forces is our top priority, and we’re proud of having produced and delivered the best-quality equipment to Poland so quickly.”
The K9PL delivery took only about three months after an executive contract was signed in late August. Under the first executive contract, Hanwha will deliver hundreds of K9PLs by 2026, with plans are also in place to manufacture hundreds of more K9PLs in Poland from 2026 in cooperation with Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), the largest defence group in Poland, which also manufactures the Krab Self-Propelled Howitzer.
In addition, Hanwha Aerospace also plans to build an advanced MRO center in Poland to provide efficient logistics support to Poland and other K9 user countries across the European region.
“There is no doubt Hanwha Aerospace is the most reliable partner for Poland to contribute the Polish defence capability and industry growth,” said Son Jaeil, President and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace. “Hanwha is committed to making Poland as a hub for the supply of K9 systems in Europe based on stronger partnership with the Government of Poland.”
With the expansion of countries operating K9 artillery systems, Hanwha launched the K9 User Community in April 2022 to share experience on the operation of the K9, including logistics support capability. K9 user countries include South Korea, Turkey, Poland, India, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Australia and Egypt.
The K9 Thunder is the world’s most popular tracked self-propelled gun with over 2,000 units are already in service around the globe. The howitzer can deliver consistent, accurate, rapid effects at +40km range with high rates and volumes of fire. In particular, the K9 is optimized for “Shoot-and-Scoot” capability to fire multiple rounds and immediately move to a different location to avoid potential counter-fire.
In a recent milestone, the K9 and K10 Ammunition Resupply Vehicle were successfully tested by the US Army to prove their compatibility with various US munitions. The test was conducted at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona in mid-September 2022 to fire different types of US munitions including 155mm M795 projectiles and XM1113 Rocket Assistance Projectiles. (Source: ASD Network)
08 Dec 22. Evolving Time-tested Technology to Outmatch Hypersonic Weapons Inside the Atmosphere.
- Raytheon Missiles & Defense builds on its Standard Missile legacy as it designs the first-of-its-kind Glide Phase Interceptor
When it comes to defending against hypersonic weapons that move and maneuver at more than five times the speed of sound, you need layers of defense and multiple opportunities to take out the threat.
Seeking the first missile specifically designed to defeat hypersonic threats in their most vulnerable phase of flight, the glide phase, the MDA selected Raytheon Missiles & Defense, or RMD, a business of Raytheon Technologies, as one of the companies to develop the Glide Phase Interceptor, or GPI.
Recently, the company reached a milestone in its GPI program when it completed the Systems Requirements Review – Prototype. That review confirmed that RMD and the government agency have a shared understanding of the interceptor’s requirements and allows further design maturation.
And, in developing this new offering, the company is drawing on decades of experience producing the world’s most trusted group of naval interceptors: the long-proven Standard Missile family.
New capability for layered defense
When the Glide Phase Interceptor is launched from a ship to intercept lower-altitude hypersonic missiles in their glide phase of flight, it will cover an extra layer of defense alongside RMD’s longtime Standard Missile, or SM, family.
Thus, GPI will bridge the crucial gap between SM-3, which destroys incoming missiles outside Earth’s atmosphere, and SM-6, which hits targets in the terminal phase of flight.
A hypersonic missile goes into its glide phase when it re-enters the atmosphere and continues toward its target.
“GPI will be the first effector to operate against hypersonic threats in that phase,” said Patrick Hollen, who works on both RMD’s GPI and SM-3 programs. He added that “it also enhances layered defense and enables more opportunities to intercept a hostile hypersonic threat farther from its target.”
Benefits of experience
The hypersonic threat poses significant challenges. But, when RMD set about designing its Glide Phase Interceptor, the team did not have to start from scratch: The company has some 70 years in air and missile defense. So, today, it is harnessing its certified Standard Missile technology for GPI’s hypersonic mission—enabling a rapid timeline by integrating proven components and systems, among other strategies.
“Our adversaries are already fielding hypersonic missiles, so the time to act is now,” said Julie Leeman, RMD’s GPI program director. “We have the technology today to be able to do this, and we have the ability to upgrade as the threat evolves and as technology evolves.”
The company recently delivered its 500th Standard Missile and variants have been used in dozens of intercepts. To underscore the advantages of that successful track record, Hollen used this analogy: “If you’ve never built a car before and you don’t understand how the steering wheel connects with the wheels, you have to figure that out. But we’ve had that figured out for years. And we’ve already trained the mechanics on how to fix that car.”
Utilizing technology from Standard Missile allows RMD to spend more time reducing risk and refining the design for GPI’s evolving, critical technologies. “We’re leveraging as much as we possibly can from our prior and current SM programs, so we can focus on the aspects that are unique to GPI,” Leeman said.
Plus, the team is drawing on digital technologies—models, requirements derivations, test workbooks, software and simulations—to help design the new interceptor. “As we build GPI, we’re doing it in a digital way that links its systems,” Leeman said. “A great example of how that’s propelling our work was when we got a new version of the MDA’s requirements, we were able to implement that in our systems by the push of a button. That propels our GPI program.”
Integration and the human factor
In its requirements for GPI development, the MDA has stipulated that “any prototypes designed will fit into the current Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system” which fires from a naval vessel’s vertical launching system.
Here, again, RMD has a key advantage: Its capabilities have been integrated with that system for 18 years. “Our Standard Missiles and Aegis are already tightly coupled,” Leeman said. “They talk to each other; they exchange messages with each other. We’re able to tweak and reuse a lot of that interface for GPI.”
But there’s more than interceptor technology and systems at stake in a successful ship-based launch. There’s also the safety of those on board.
“Shipboard qualification and the ship environment are unique because the ship carries human life,” Leeman said. “So, safety boards and the qualification process are very involved, very rigorous … to protect everyone on the ship. We’re now bringing that commitment to the development of the new Glide Phase Interceptor.” (Source: ASD Network)
09 Dec 22. Vietnam upgrades ZSU-23-4M anti-aircraft guns with missiles, electro-optics. The People’s Army of Vietnam (PAV) has upgraded selected units of its ZSU-23-4M self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (SPAAGs) with a locally developed electro-optical system and Russia-supplied Igla surface-to-air missiles.
An example of the upgraded system was displayed by the service at the Vietnam International Defence Exhibition (VIDEX) 2022, which is taking place in Hanoi from 8 to 10 December. The ZSU-23-4M has been in service with the PAV since the late 1970s.
A PAV representative who spoke to Janes at the exhibition disclosed that an upgrade programme for the SPAAGs began in 2014 and it was conducted over the span of approximately four years.
As part of the upgrade, each SPAAG unit has been incorporated with four Igla missile launchers. This extends the unit’s effective engagement range from 2,500 to 5,500 m and target kill altitude from 1,500 to 3,000 m. (Source: Janes)
09 Dec 22. Russian company positions 9A52-4 rocket system for regional requirements.
A teaming of Russian companies has completed development works on a lightweight variant of the Smerch 300 mm Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and is positioning the weapon for regional requirements.
Speaking to Janes at the Vietnam International Defense Exhibition (VIDEX) 2022 in Hanoi, a representative from Russian arms company Splav described the system, which utilises the 9A52-4 launcher and a Kamaz 63501 vehicle, as one that has been under development for several years.
The lightweight variant has been developed to fulfil requirements for a lighter, more easily deployable MLRS for challenging terrains such as those found across the Southeast Asian region where soil conditions are usually softer and muddier.
“After years of development, the system is now ready for export and we are marketing the weapon system in Vietnam for the first time,” said the representative who added that Russia is also receptive to exporting the MLRS to other services besides the People’s Army of Vietnam.
(Source: Janes)
08 Dec 22. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has completed the fourth successful flight test of its AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile Extended Range (AARGM-ER). The U.S. Navy launched the missile from an F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft on November 30 at the Point Mugu Sea Range off the coast of southern California, successfully engaging an operationally-representative, moving maritime target.
“AARGM-ER’s performance during testing continues to validate the missile’s ability to detect, identify, locate and effectively engage critical air-defense targets from an extended range,” said CAPT. Alex Dutko, Navy Program Manager for Direct and Time Sensitive Strike (PMA-242). “This test proved the systems’ ability to engage moving maritime targets, a vital capability supporting our Navy’s ability to control sea lanes during conflict. Congratulations to the government/industry team for their continual focus on delivering this crucial capability to our warfighters.”
Northrop Grumman is currently under contract to deliver production units of AARGM-ER to support Initial Operational Capability fielding within the next two years. Northrop Grumman has received a low-rate initial production contract for the first and second lots of AARGM-ER.
AARGM-ER leverages existing AARGM sensors, electronics and digital models with the addition of a new high-performance air vehicle, solid rocket motor and advanced warhead to provide vital counter-air-defense capability for U.S Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps warfighters.
“The necessity for a reliable, standoff, survivable weapon continues to grow as our adversaries’ threat systems become longer range and more lethal,” said Gordon Turner, vice president, advanced weapons, Northrop Grumman. “AARGM-ER continues to demonstrate the ability to affordably meet mission requirements and safeguard those protecting our country.”
AARGM-ER is being integrated on the Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft as well as the F-35 aircraft.
07 Dec 22. UK orders thousands more anti-tank weapons to bolster stockpiles. A £229m deal will see thousands of Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon (NLAW) systems assembled in Northern Ireland and delivered to the British Army. Thousands of new anti-tank weapons will be assembled in Northern Ireland and delivered to the British Army, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced today (7 December).
A £229 m deal has been agreed with Swedish manufacturer Saab for Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon (NLAW) systems, which are assembled at Thales’ facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The UK has provided thousands of NLAWs to Ukraine to support the defence of their nation following Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion. With NLAW, a single soldier can take out a heavily protected modern main battle tank from 20 to 800 metres away.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “These next generation light anti-tank weapons have played a decisive role in supporting Ukraine’s army to drive back Russia’s illegal invading forces.
Working with our first-class industry partners, we are continuing to fulfil our commitment to NATO by ensuring our Armed Forces will receive a steady supply of these weapons over the coming years, whilst supporting UK jobs across the length and breadth of the country.”
Secured through Defence Equipment and Support – the MOD’s procurement arm – today’s agreement will see several thousand units delivered to UK Armed Forces across 2024-2026, in addition to around 500 being delivered in 2023 through a separate procurement.
NLAW is a shoulder-launched missile system that attacks a tank from above. It combines the simplicity of light anti-armour weapons with the advantages of heavy, crew-operated guided missile systems.
It is as a result of this agility, reliability and accuracy that the NLAW has been an important capability in Ukraine’s fight back against Russia’s illegal invasion, making up part of the 10,000 anti-tank weapons the UK has supplied to the Ukrainian armed forces.
The UK continues to be actively engaged with industry, allies and partners to ensure we can equip Ukraine with vital military support while replacing, at pace, equipment and munitions granted in kind from UK stocks. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
06 Dec 22. NSTIC OTA Delivers Accelerated Hypersonic Weapons Testing. Pentagon leadership has sent a clear signal that the Department of Defense (DoD) must accelerate hypersonic weapon system development activities to counter rapid expansion of hypersonic capabilities both in China and Russia. The Army, Navy, and Air Force all now have prototype hypersonic weapon systems in various stages of development, with growing budget requests to support development, test, and demonstration activities. The acceleration of hypersonic development and testing is increasing strain on the nation’s major test ranges and the limited number of mobile instrumentation assets to support hypersonic weapons testing. To address the widening gap between the need to test new weapon systems and available test assets, the DoD needs to rapidly field cost-effective test assets in the near term while putting in place long-term strategies to support dramatically increased testing requirements in the future.
Faced with the compounding problem of needing to accelerate weapon systems development, increase flight testing complexity and cadence, and modernize range test and evaluation assets, the DoD has begun to increasingly rely on the utility, timeliness, and flexibility of Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contracts. OTAs are binding agreements between the DoD and industry partners that offer greater flexibility than traditional FAR-based contracts and allow for rapid acquisition of commercial technologies or development of prototype technologies to meet Defense requirements. Whereas traditional acquisitions with FAR-based contracts can take years to contract, OTAs can often be executed within a few months.
The speed of the Naval Surface Technology Innovation Consortium’s (NSTIC) OTA, managed by Advanced Technology International (ATI) and Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren, allowed for a 90-day turn from Request for Prototype Proposal (RPP) to contract award, enabling the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic development program to contract with a Non-Traditional Defense Contractor to provide new, low-cost sensor technologies to support critical flight test activities. The award of the Maritime Networked Test Asset (MaNTA) OTA prototype demonstration effort to Raven Defense, a Non-Traditional Defense Contractor in Albuquerque, NM, enabled the rapid development and fielding of new high-performance test assets capable of being deployed in the Broad Ocean Area (BOA) to collect mid-course and terminal area sensor data critical to flight test objectives. The prototype system was built, tested, and fielded within 18 months. Had a traditional FAR-based contracting approach been used for this rapid and evolving need, the new test capability could not have been contracted in time to support the first use need, delaying critical hypersonic test milestones and increasing test costs.
The flexibility of this OTA has enabled the DoD to access up to four commercially leased MaNTA systems simultaneously to support multiple flight test events for multiple DoD agencies in multiple areas of operation. In addition, rapid modification of the base contract has expanded technical requirements for the MaNTA system resulting in the procurement of multiple enhanced MaNTA systems. The government-owned ‘MaNTA+’ system will be outfitted with advanced technologies including multi-beam phased array tracking systems to support ongoing test operations in a Government Owned/Contractor Operated arrangement, reducing long-term operations and maintenance costs.
The ongoing partnership between NSWC Dahlgren, ATI, and Raven Defense highlights the best facets of DoD use of OTAs. Open and transparent communications between the team members, rapid response to an ever-changing environment with shifting test schedules, and agile contracting delivered significant value to the DoD on an otherwise impossible schedule. A bridge in testing capability is now in place to support cost-effective hypersonic testing in the BOA with plans in motion to continue to develop assets to support the increasing demand signal for test and answer the Pentagon’s call to support accelerated hypersonic weapon system testing.
ABOUT ATI
ATI, a public-service nonprofit based in Summerville, South Carolina, builds and manages collaborations that conduct research and development of new technologies to solve our nation’s national security challenges. Fueled by a community of experts from industry, academia, and government, ATI accelerates impact by using the power of collaboration to help the federal government quickly acquire novel technologies. ATI is a subsidiary of Analytic Services, Inc. (ANSER), a public-service research institute organized as a nonprofit corporation, which is dedicated to informing decisions that shape the nation’s future.
ABOUT NSTIC
The Naval Surface Technology & Innovation Consortium (NSTIC) advances naval surface technology innovation through a consortium that researches, develops, tests, and integrates complex naval warfare systems across a broad range of technology areas and disciplines. NSTIC is sponsored by Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) and managed by Advanced Technology International (ATI).
ABOUT RAVEN DEFENSE
Raven Defense is a non-traditional Defense Contractor based in Albuquerque, NM which specializes in the development of highly specialized technical equipment to meet our customer’s demanding requirements in satellite communications and ground stations, deployable sensors, and cutting-edge research, development, test and evaluation systems. Within the company’s initial five years in business, Raven Defense has leveraged internal investments to rapidly develop and deploy key technologies supporting strategic DoD flight test requirements across three core product lines. The Raven Advanced Phased-array Telemetry Resource (RAPTR) is a modular and scalable multi-beam antenna system which has been fielded and continues to successfully support flight test operations installed on airborne, maritime, and ground platforms. The Telemetry and Launch Operations Node (TALON) is a high performance and scalable, motion compensated parabolic reflector based antenna system. TALON is scalable from 2.4m to 9m and beyond with single and multi-band feeds available from UHF through Q-Band. The company’s Maritime Networked Test Asset (MaNTA) brings both RAPTR and TALON together with advanced C2 functions, a physical and cybersecurity framework, and multi-redundant SATCOM resources in a Roll-On / Roll-Off maritime flight test support platform. All of these product lines are currently supporting key DoD objectives and continue to be enhanced to provide greater utility at lower costs for future test events. (Source: PR Newswire)
06 Dec 22. Pentagon Awards Strategic Kinetic Contracts.
To support production of kinetic capabilities needed to ensure national security, the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment is making targeted investments aimed at mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities, ranging from raw materials and chemical shortages to critical subcomponent suppliers.
In response to Executive Order 14017 Securing Defense-Critical Supply Chains, the capabilities addressed by these investments include missile systems and advanced missile capabilities, such as hypersonic technologies and directed energy weapon systems — key elements of the Defense Department’s modernization efforts.
“Kinetic capabilities are composed of multiple subsystems,” Halimah Najieb-Locke, deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial base resilience, said. “Sustained access to these subsystems’ components, as well as to materials such as critical chemicals, is vital to ensure that the U.S. armed forces have the ability to project power, defend U.S. interests, and protect its friends and allies.”
As DOD procurements for kinetic weapons shift from a conflict-driven pattern to a focus on addressing vulnerabilities for existing and future operational platforms, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, known as OASD(IBP), within DOD’s acquisition and sustainment office is leading the effort to ensure there’s a resilient flow of mission-critical materials to the warfighter.
In support of this mission, A&S is utilizing its two investment levers, the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, dubbed IBAS, and the Defense Production Act Title III Program, to ensure the timely availability of essential domestic industrial resources to support national defense and homeland security requirements. These investments are often made in tandem with investments from the private sector.
Recent investments include:
- $28.9m for expansion of ultrahigh- and high-temperature composites production capability. OASD(IBP) recently entered into a $12.97m agreement with Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies Inc. to build new production capabilities, expand existing manufacturing spaces, and acquire capital equipment for the manufacture of large complex assemblies made of carbon-carbon, known as C-C. C-C is a class of advanced composite material that is critical for various defense and aerospace applications. This effort will support increased production rates for C-C nose tips and aeroshell assemblies, the primary external structures that must endure the extreme thermal and mechanical loads of hypersonic flight, for ongoing DOD-sponsored pilot production programs. Similarly, General Electric was awarded a $15.93m contract to increase capacity for high- and ultrahigh-temperature composites, as well as accumulate capital equipment to support the scale-up aeroshell production. Both contracts address the challenge of reducing reliance on foreign and sole-source dependency, as outlined in the report on Securing Defense-Critical Supply Chains.
- $2.1m for high priority chemicals and energetic materials. OASD(IBP) is also supporting a larger strategy to on-shore production of high-priority chemicals and address vulnerabilities in this sector. The DPA Title III Program recently entered into a $2.1m agreement with Nalas Engineering Services to establish capability to produce 17,000 pounds of DOD-compliant aminoguanidine bicarbonate, a chemical precursor for energetic materials in DOD armaments. This investment will enable Nalas to be classified as a domestic supplier of critical chemicals.
The IBAS and Title III programs plan to invest more than $200m into the hypersonic industrial base to de-risk supply chains and increase throughput of critical components for the Navy’s and Army’s hypersonic programs. The planned efforts address significant gaps in the industrial base’s ability to produce at capacity and enable process improvements targeting more affordable hypersonic systems. Additionally, the Title III and IBAS programs continue to invest in multiple levels of the domestic rare earth element supply chain to include light and heavy rare earth separation and processing capabilities, as well as rare earth magnet manufacturing. REEs that provide the U.S. with critical access to HREEs. REEs are present in virtually every DOD weapon system, including hypersonic missiles.
In line with the National Defense Strategy that was presented to Congress in March 2022 and sets out how the DoD will safeguard vital U.S. interests, OUSD(A&S) is also building enduring advantages by prioritizing efforts with domestic partners in the defense ecosystem. Ongoing collaborations include energetics production with the Department of Energy, space industrial base investments in conjunction with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and efforts with interagency stakeholders to address production challenges of hydrazine, a chemical component used by F-16 fighter jets and aerospace energy.
Through awards and strategic collaborations, OUSD(A&S) and DOD as a whole are addressing challenges facing the kinetic capability sector. By informing investments and taking a predictive approach to potential kinetic shortfalls, OUSD(A&S) is ensuring the warfighter has the materials and armaments to outpace the threat.
For More Information: Executive Order 14017 Securing Defense-Critical Supply Chains : https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/02/24/executive-order-on-americas-supply-chains/ (Source: US DoD)
01 Dec 22. Europeans say Iranian satellite launcher could be intermediate-range ballistic missile. The Ghaem-100 satellite launch vehicle (SLV) that Iran unveiled on 5 November could be used as an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), the British, French, and German governments said in a joint letter to the United Nations Security Council.
“Modelling and simulation of the elements constituting the Ghaem-100 indicate that, if converted to a ballistic missile role and equipped with a 500 kg warhead, it would provide Iran with a rapid route to an intermediate-range ballistic missile,” they said in the letter, which was released on 29 November.
It did not give a specific figure, but IRBMs are generally classified as having ranges between 3,000 and 5,500 km, meaning one based on the Ghaem-100 would be able to reach Berlin and possibly cover all of Europe.
The letter noted that the Ghaem-100 was launched by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), which includes Iran’s strategic missile force, using a mobile launcher, and demonstrated an “extensive crossover of technologies with the development of long-range ballistic missiles”.
(Source: Janes)
05 Dec 22. Lockheed delivers first Typhon missile launcher prototype to Army. Typhon, also called the Mid-Range Capability, is designed to hit targets between the ranges of two other high-profile Army weapons.
— Lockheed Martin recently delivered to the US Army the first of four prototype Typhon weapon systems, one of several systems the service is developing as part of its long-term plan for long-range precision fires.
Also dubbed the Mid-Range Capability (MRC), Typhon is designed to fire Standard Missile-6 or Tomahawk missiles around the range gap between the Precision Strike Missile and the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon. The former reaches approximately 300 miles while the latter is envisioned to travel up to 1,725 miles.
“The MRC rapidly progressed from a blank piece of paper in July 2020, to the soldiers’ hands in just over two years. The [Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office] team, as well as our joint service and industry partners, delivered this hardware so soldiers can begin training as quickly as possible,” said Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, a senior officer overseeing the weapon’s development at RCCTO.
The delivery took place on Friday, and Lockheed announced the milestone today.
The Army selected Lockheed to build the weapon system in November 2020, and earlier this year the service and company announced that four prototypes would be delivered by the end of 2022. MRC is expected to be fielded to soldiers late next year. Meanwhile, the LRHW is scheduled to reach soldiers’ hands by the end of fiscal 2023, Rasch said earlier this year during the AUSA exposition.
Lockheed’s partnership with the Army “enabled us to leverage technologies across our ships, launchers and combat systems programs to design, develop, integrate and quickly deliver a solution to meet the Army’s mission requirements,” said Joe DePietro, Lockheed general manager and vice president. “We created new capabilities through integration of existing and evolving technology to ensure our warfighters are ahead of ready.”
The service’s current plans call for fielding one MRC battery in the strategic fires battalions of its five Multi-Domain Task Forces. The Army in its fiscal 2023 budget request is seeking $404 m in research and development funding for the MRC.
The defense policy and spending bills had been stalled on Capitol Hill as lawmakers awaited the results of the mid-term elections, but Rep. Adam Smith said the House will vote on the final National Defense Authorization Act this week. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Breaking Defense.com)
06 Dec 22. Russia’s Buyan-class corvette conducts firings in Baltic Sea.
The Project 21631 vessels are deployed to safeguard the country’s economic zone. The Russian Navy’s Project 21631 or Buyan-class small missile corvette, named Grad, has performed live-firing tests to validate the capabilities of its weapon systems. The recent trials were carried out in the Baltic Sea region. The lead ship of its class, Grad, is equipped with two cruise missiles, including Caliber and Onyx.
The tests saw the small missile ship intercept a target at sea using its guided-missile weapon Gibka and A-190 naval artillery system.
It was executed by the ship’s crew members in collaboration with the representatives of the factory delivery team and state admission commission.
The navy informed that the target, which was a ship’s shield, was shot down successfully during the trials.
Other tests conducted by the team include systems and components tests of the vessel, manoeuvrable and high-speed tests, navigation system test and radio equipment test.
The objective of performing all the trials was to assess and validate the performance and capabilities of the ship and its onboard systems.
The teams also checked whether the ship met the tactical and technical characteristics that were specified under the approved project.
According to press service of the Western Military District, the country’s naval flag was raised on the ship after the successful completion of the trials.
This marks the vessel’s entry into service with the navy’s Baltic Fleet.
The multi-purpose small missile ships of Project 21631 are equipped with latest weapon systems, missiles, anti-sabotage, anti-aircraft and radio weapon systems.
It is also installed with water-jet propulsion system that allows the ships to perform wide variety of shallow water combat missions. (Source: naval-technology.com)
05 Dec 22. US Army approves $162m for new ‘terrain-shaping’ system. The US Army has awarded a $162m contract to Textron Systems to develop the first increment of its close terrain shaping obstacle. The company will, “design an advanced anti-vehicle, soldier-in-the-loop munition system.”
This is in part to both replace obsolete, treaty-restricted or banned devices and to increase terrain-shaping capabilities in the Army, according to a Textron Systems statement.
“This munition will increase tactical protection for our troops who are facing increasingly sophisticated enemies. For the adversaries and the types of conflicts we see emerging, this will represent a true next generation anti-vehicle weapon,” said Henry, Finneral, senior vice president of Textron’s weapon systems.
The munition will have stand-off and top attack capabilities, which aim to deny enemy armored vehicles freedom to maneuver.
“The system will be rapidly emplaced and highly portable and will be designed to be employed alone, in multiples or in tandem with other terrain shaping systems,” according to a Textron statement.
The Army is looking at a five-year period of performance timeline.
The recent award is targeted for increment 1, which includes design, qualification testing and delivering the hardware. The device must eventually show increased effectiveness over legacy systems. Designers will develop a remote-control station to allow soldiers to run the systems and include the ability to turn the system on and off on command.
The key features include a system that can be rapidly emplaced and recovered and is non-persistent, removing problems with older landmines and similar systems.
The company won a contract worth up to $353m in August for its work on the XM204. The suitcase-sized terrain-shaping obstacle is part of a type of new-generation terrain-shaping obstacles that can target and deter tanks or other tracked vehicles. Some of its features are derived from the legacy XM1100 Scorpion system.
Army Times reported on early testing and development of the system that involved soldiers at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona in 2021.
With new technologies and new restrictions in recent decades on landmine-styled weapons systems, the Army is seeking a “smart” option that would allow for remote control and deactivation of these types of explosive obstacles.
The company showcased its most recent version of the XM204 at the annual Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting & Exposition in October.
At the same event, top Army leaders in the combat engineer community shared details about future implementation for such a system.
Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, chief of engineers and commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said his regiment’s no. 1 priority for modernization is terrain shaping.
The tool allows soldiers to “control of the battlefield tempo,” Spellmon said.
Col. Kyle T. Moulton, assistant commandant of the Engineer School, said that disuse for the past 20 years, many of the existing systems for emplacing mines and other obstacles are approaching obsolescence.
U.S. Army Europe put out the call for an XM204-like option, Lt. Col. Isaac Cuthbertson, product manager for terrain-shaping obstacles said in a previous Army news release.
In 2019, Army Times reported on the Army’s initial push into the area of updating “dumb landmines” with “smart terrain shaping.”
At the time, some of those included plans for the devices to do their own radio frequency signal jamming, which helps prevent adversaries from using RF to locate or detonate communications-enabled devices.
Two other such systems are the 1980s-era Volcano Scatterable Mine System, which has both anti-personnel and anti-tank mines and the GATOR canister munitions, often an air-delivered batch of 72 anti-tank and 22 anti-personnel mines.
The Volcano uses a UH-60 Black Hawk to create a 1,000-foot minefield in under a minute. Other devices include the Standoff Activated Volcano System and the Common Anti-Vehicle Munition. Both systems will be more portable, have more delivery options, use a common munition across platforms and have self-reporting features so soldiers can conduct remote self-deactivation and self-destruct. (Source: Defense News)
05 Dec 22. Lockheed Martin and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to Collaborate on High-Energy Laser System. Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Ltd., of Israel, have signed a teaming agreement that includes jointly developing, testing and manufacturing a High Energy Laser Weapon Systems (HELWS) in the U.S. and Israel. The future joint-development will be based on the assets that have been developed independently by RAFAEL and the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) within the framework of the IRON BEAM project. The cooperation will be geared towards developing a variant of the system for the American market as well as others.
After years of joint development by the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) and RAFAEL, the IRON BEAM project was initiated by the DDR&D. In the last year, a series of tests on the system was carried out that proved the operational capability of the system. IRON BEAM is a 100kW-class HELWS, expected to be the first-ever operational system for ground-based air defense against threats such as rockets, mortars and UAV’s, delivering engagement at the speed of light.
RAFAEL CEO and President Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Yoav Har-Even: “This strategic teaming agreement serves as a force multiplier for RAFAEL and the Israeli market. We are working to ensure our customers receive the most advanced, effective, and best in class systems. This agreement will expand and diversify the capabilities we can offer to a variety of customers.”
Lockheed Martin Chief Operating Officer, Frank St. John: “Lockheed Martin’s mission is to deliver the best security solutions that help our customers stay ahead of their adversaries. Working with Rafael, our joint team will help bring this new, life-saving capability to our customers. This unique capability will enhance Israel’s vital air and missile defense system with state-of-the-art laser technology, and we are honored by the opportunity to expand Lockheed Martin’s role as a security teammate for the State of Israel.” Lockheed Martin Chief Operating Officer, Frank St. John
25 Nov 22. Estonian future Junior Non-Commissioned Officers (JNCO) practised marksmanship and fired the new Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifle in Sirgala. The junior non-commissioned officer course organised by the Kalev Infantry Battalion was held this week from Monday to Thursday at the shooting camp at the Sirgala training ground. Small arms and team weapons were fired during various exercises.
with the students. They were good and willing. There is still room for improvement, but that’s what we train for,” said Captain Aleksei Gussev, commander of the junior non-commissioned officer course.
Shooting skills tests were conducted at the shooting camp, and for the first time the students could try firing the MG3 machine gun and the new Carl-Gustaf weapon. Live firing exercises took place up to section level. In addition, shooting was also done using night vision devices in conditions of limited visibility.
“The shooting was interesting. It was exciting to try different weapons. Adrenaline was high at times, especially during night shootings with a night vision device,” said student Renzo Limbak from Kalev’s infantry battalion. The Kalev Infantry Battalion is a subdivision of the 1st [EST] Infantry Brigade, whose task is to train combat-capable mechanised reserve manoeuvre and support units. (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
02 Dec 22. KMW and Elbit Systems intensify Rocket Artillery Cooperation . After having signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding in June this year, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), Ulm based defence company Elbit Systems Deutschland and Elbit Systems Land have agreed to intensify their strategic cooperation.
Background is the modernisation and the capability extension of the European Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS / MARS II). Elbit provides a modern effector portfolio, to fully comply with the MLRS-user demands from extended range rockets to new training ammunition which will enable the user to “train as you fight” on national proving grounds.
KMW and Elbit have established the concept “EuroPULS” for the next generation European Long Range Rocket Artillery as the successor system for the MLRS. This concept has already been offered to the first European customers. The EuroPULS system is based on Elbit Systems’ operational and in-service Precise & Universal Launching System (PULS) and a range of precision guided munitions. KMW complements the EuroPULS with decades of know-how as system house and vast experience in building and customizing (rocket) artillery systems complying European standards. This provides the capability to integrate every rocket according to user’s requirements. Both companies envision a local rocket production to ensure Europe’s independence.
This means a Future Rocket Artillery System made in Europe.
Yehuda (Udi) Vered, General Manager of Elbit System Land, commented: “I am confident that the EuroPULS will provide effective and timely solution for both the operational and industrial needs of European countries. I am encouraged by the level of interest this initiative is already drawing from European and NATO countries.”
“I welcome the cooperation with Elbit. In this partnership, we see a chance to underline the potential of our artillery capabilities. The potential opportunities allow KMW to become one of the most
modern system houses for rocket artillery”, comments Ralf Ketzel, Chairman of the KMW Management Board.