Monthly Archives: February 2020

Air

Coast Guard

Lockheed Martin representatives joined U.S. Coast Guard leaders and crew members for a ceremony on January 31 at the Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, celebrating the completion of operational testing of the first Coast Guard HC-130J Super Hercules outfitted with the Block 8.1 upgrade.

The first U.S. Coast Guard HC-130J Super Hercules outfitted with the Block 8.1 upgrade takes flight

This upgrade was installed on a previously delivered HC-130J Super Hercules at the Lockheed Martin facility in Greenville, South Carolina. The aircraft recently completed initial operational testing and will be placed into operational service. Lockheed Martin is currently contracted to deliver a minimum of six Block 8.1 upgrade kits to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The U.S. Coast Guard HC-130J Block 8.1 upgrade adds new and advanced capabilities:

  • a new flight management system that complies with Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS)/Air Traffic Management (ATM) mandates, and includes vertical navigation with coupled auto throttle;
  • Civil GPS;
  • Ground power modes;
  • Updated Identification Friend or Foe (IFF);
  • CNS/ATM Data Link;
  • Enhanced inter-communication system;
  • Enhanced approach and landing systems;
  • Expanded diagnostics;
  • Improved PA system;
  • Additional covert lighting;
  • International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) compliant search pattern programming.

«The U.S. Coast Guard has relied on its Hercules fleet for more than 60 years to support complicated missions that ensure our nation’s safety and security», said Peter London, director of Tactical Airlift Programs for Lockheed Martin’s Air Mobility & Maritime Missions line of business. «The advanced features and purpose-built design enhancements found in the Block 8.1 upgrade ensure that Coast Guard crews will rely on the HC-130J Super Hercules for mission support for many more decades to come».

In addition to the Block 8.1 upgrade, the Coast Guard is also integrating Minotaur mission system architecture into its fixed-wing aircraft. Missionization includes post-production modification of new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to incorporate the specialized equipment necessary to carry out Coast Guard missions.

The Coast Guard’s HC-130J Super Hercules long-range surveillance aircraft provides heavy air transport and long-range maritime patrol capability. Each aircraft is capable of serving as an on-scene command and control platform or as a surveillance platform with the means to detect, classify and identify objects and share that information with operational forces.

The Coast Guard is acquiring a fleet of 22 new, fully missionized HC-130J Super Hercules aircraft to replace its older HC-130Hs.

The C-130J Super Hercules is the current production model of the C-130 Hercules airlifter. The Super Hercules is the global standard in tactical airlift, providing a unique mix of versatility and performance to complete any mission – anytime, anywhere. The global C-130J Super Hercules fleet has more than 2 million flight hours and is the airlifter of choice for 20 nations.

Air

Unmanned Growlers

Boeing and the U.S. Navy successfully flew two autonomously controlled EA-18G Growlers at Naval Air Station Patuxent River as Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) using a third Growler as a mission controller for the other two.

Test show ability of F/A-18 Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler pilots to remotely control fighter and attack platforms from the cockpit

The flights, conducted during the U.S. Navy Warfare Development Command’s annual FLeet EXperiment (FLEX) exercises, proved the effectiveness of technology allowing F/A-18 Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers to perform combat missions with unmanned systems.

«This demonstration allows Boeing and the Navy the opportunity to analyze the data collected and decide where to make investments in future technologies», said Tom Brandt, Boeing Manned-UnManned Teaming demonstration lead. «It could provide synergy with other U.S. Navy unmanned systems in development across the spectrum and in other services».

Over the course of four flights, 21 demonstration missions were completed.

«This technology allows the Navy to extend the reach of sensors while keeping manned aircraft out of harm’s way», Brandt said. «It’s a force multiplier that enables a single aircrew to control multiple aircraft without greatly increasing workload. It has the potential to increase survivability as well as situational awareness».

Navy

Synthetic Aperture Sonar

Northrop Grumman Corporation’s µSAS (pronounced «micro-sas») will be integrated onto L3Harris Technologies’ Iver4 Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) for a 12-month test period for the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Next Generation Small-Class UUV program.

The Northrop Grumman µSAS (pronounced «micro-sas») mounted on a L3Harris UUV

The µSAS is a Low-SWaP (Size, Weight and Power), high-performance interferometric synthetic aperture sonar that enables longer sorties and higher area coverage rates for UUV missions. Integrated onto a 9-inch/22.86-centimeter diameter, 99-inch/250.46-centimeter long, 200-pound/90.7-kilogram UUV, the installation will occur at L3Harris’ Fall River, Massachusetts facility and the system will be tested in San Diego, California by the U.S. Navy. The integration of synthetic aperture sonar on a small diameter UUV is a significant step forward in small class vehicle capability.

«The Northrop Grumman µSAS advanced imaging sonar is a minehunting force multiplier designed specifically for UUVs», said Alan Lytle, vice president, undersea systems, Northrop Grumman. «This integration will help to deliver a significant increase in the platform’s ability to detect objects on the seafloor and in the water column».

«The Iver4, integrated with µSAS, is a major advancement in small-class UUV capability for the warfighter», said Daryl Slocum, president and general manager, unmanned maritime systems, L3Harris.

Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.

The Northrop Grumman µSAS (pronounced «micro-sas»)
Air, Air Force, Fighters

Fifth-Generation Fighters

On January 31, 2020, Poland signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance to purchase 32 F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) Aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin, and 33 Pratt & Whitney F-135 Engines.

General Jeff Harrigian, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, presents Major General Jacek Pszczola, Inspector of the Polish Air Force, with an official invitation to the European F-35 Users Group, in Dęblin, Poland, January 31, 2020 (USAFE photo)

The supersonic F-35A Lightning II represents a quantum leap in air dominance capability with enhanced lethality and survivability in hostile, anti-access airspace environments.

The United States’ offer to Poland for 32 F-35A Lightning II multi-role aircraft is valued at $4.6 billion.

The United States is providing a Total Package Approach that not only includes delivery of the 32 aircraft, but also provides aircraft, pilot and maintenance support training; advanced flight simulators, and ongoing aircraft maintenance; and a robust logistics support system.

Navy

New Emden

The «Emden» (F-266) is the seventh ship in the Braunschweig class of the German Navy. The Navy put the first five of this type of warship into service between 2008 and 2013. The Bundeswehr deploys them internationally, including for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission off the coast of Lebanon.

A rendering of the German Navy’s second batch of K130 corvettes; ships of the original batch already in service will be brought up to the same standard as they go through scheduled maintenance periods (GE Navy image)

In 2017, the Bundeswehr placed an order for five additional class K130 corvettes. Work on the new «Koln» (F-265) corvette then began in February 2019.

From 2022, ships six to ten will join the Navy. They are supplied by a consortium of three companies: Fr. Lürssen Werft, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and German Naval Yards Kiel.

«Today’s keel laying shows impressively how the team of employees from different companies has grown together and works in close cooperation with the customer», said Tim Wagner, Managing Director of Lürssen Werft.

Two of the five foreships are being built at the Lürssen shipyard in Bremen, three are being manufactured and pre-equipped at the German Naval Yards site in Kiel. The final five ships are manufactured at the Wolgaster Peene shipyard. The Lürssen subsidiary Blohm + Voss in Hamburg is responsible for the union of the fore and aft sections of the ship.

The roughly 89-meter-long/292-foot-long corvettes will also be fully equipped and put into operation there. They also go through their functional tests and approvals from Hamburg – in coordination with the specialist departments of the client, the Bundeswehr and the Navy.

 

Adjustments to new standards and five traditional names

For the new ships in the class, changes to the first five corvettes in some systems and in the IT information technology systems are necessary to take account of the current status of laws and regulations.

Future upgrades during scheduled docking times should also bring the older corvettes up to date. These changes are visible in a new cladding for the turret of the main gun and in a second speed boat as a dinghy for the ships.

Last but not least, the construction of the «Emden» (F-266) is a special step for the navy, because the new corvette will take on a traditional name. As the third ship of the Bundeswehr, it will be called «Emden». The Navy’s previous «Emden» was a Bremen-class frigate that had been decommissioned in 2013. The Navy decided on the name in 2018.

Air, Air Force

Aerial Tanker

The new capability for Airbus’ C295 to serve as an aerial tanker brings additional flexibility for this tactical airlifter, further increasing its already-proven versatility and opening additional mission opportunities.

Air-to-air refuelling broadens the Airbus C295 tactical airlifter’s operational versatility

Airbus Defence and Space developed a removable Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) kit for the twin-engine aircraft that utilises a 100-foot-long/30.5-meter-long deployable hose with a «basket» at the end – enabling the transfer of fuel to receiver aircraft equipped with a probe. A remote vision system allows crewmembers aboard the Airbus C295 tanker to monitor refuelling operations from the cargo cabin.

Recent flights to test the kit involved an Airbus-owned C295 that refuelled a C295 from the Spanish Air Force, as well as proximity tests with the Airbus C295 and a fast fighter aircraft – a Spanish Air Force F-18 Hornet.

The Airbus C295’s removable refuelling system – which weighs 1,500 kg/3,307 lbs. – consists of up to three additional fuel tanks, an operator’s console, and the hose drum unit.

 

Making the Airbus C295 an even more valuable platform

«Customers are increasingly interested in purchasing not just an aircraft, but a versatile platform that can be used for different missions», explained Martín Espinosa, the Airbus Defence and Space engineering technical manager responsible for the Airbus C295’s aerial refuelling test campaign. «The development of the air-to-air refuelling capabilities of the Airbus C295 forms part of this strategic vision».

The Airbus C295’s aerial refuelling capability would be a highly valuable mission-extender for customers using Airbus C295s. These customers include the armed forces of current and future Airbus C295 operators responsible for civil and military Search and Rescue (SAR) missions.

Additionally, it could serve as a cost-effective platform to train fighter pilots in the skills needed for air-to-air refuelling. «The Airbus C295 tanker kit could facilitate training of fighter pilots for missions involving refuelling, or even for AAR services on a lease-by-the-hour basis at a fraction of the cost of heavier aircraft», explained Luis Díaz-Miguel, the Tactical Airlifters Marketing Manager.

Captain Gabiña, a Spanish Air Force pilot involved in the aerial refuelling tests, gave high marks to the Airbus C295 in its new role as tanker. «The degree of difficulty in flight test is always high since it involves performing manoeuvers that no one has done before. It should be noted that due to the positive behaviour of the aircraft, the operation has been good and straightforward», he said.

Air Force

Training System

The Spanish Air Force, Ejército del Aire, is the third European air force to opt for the Swiss-produced PC-21, the Next Generation Trainer. Pilatus has committed to delivering a total of 24 PC-21s to Spain. The single-engine turboprop trainer aircraft will replace the Casa C-101 jet trainers used since 1980.

The Spanish Air Force Buys PC-21 Training System Including 24 Aircraft

The Ministry of Defence was looking for a new, highly efficient training platform to provide advanced training for Spain’s future military pilots tasked with protecting future generations. After a long and extremely professional evaluation, Pilatus beat several prestigious competitors to win the tender with the PC-21. The contract, which is worth over 200 million euros, was signed on 01 January, 2020 evening with the Spanish Dirección General de Armamento y Material (DGAM). Comprising an integrated training system, the order includes simulators developed and produced by Pilatus, spare parts and logistics support in addition to the PC-21 aircraft.

Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman of Pilatus, is enthusiastic about this major order from Spain: «As a small Swiss aircraft manufacturer I’m delighted at our repeated success in winning through over large, international competitors. This result is proof that, with our PC-21, we can deliver the very best training system in the world».

 

Pilot training starts in 2021

The PC-21 will provide Spain with the most advanced training system currently on offer, and will also deliver a cost-effective, ecologically viable training platform. Experience with existing PC-21 customers has shown that the cost of training for a military pilot can be reduced by over 50 percent with the PC-21. These single-engine turboprop aircraft require much less fuel than any comparable jet trainer.

Oscar J. Schwenk commented further: «I’m delighted to see us win a new air force to add to our existing customer portfolio. We shall provide Ejército del Aire with the first-class customer service they are entitled to expect from Pilatus. Bienvenidos a Pilatus y muchas gracias por elegir el PC-21 – viva España»!

 

About the PC-21 success model

For years, people believed that single-engine turboprops would never replace jet trainers. But with defence budgets coming under increasing pressure, air forces are looking for new ways of managing and maintaining their complex systems in mission-ready condition. Seeking to support this change, Pilatus developed performance-related services specifically tailored to the PC-21 Training System. The goal is to ensure an affordable product to match the performance criteria defined by air force customers. That is achieved by providing a highly sophisticated and integrated service package in line with current air force requirements.

Prestigious air forces around the world have chosen the cost-effective, highly efficient training platform created by Pilatus. They are the proof that the PC-21 is the training system of the future. Since 2006, with the order for Spain, Pilatus has already sold 235 PC-21s to nine air forces – including Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, France and Australia.

Ground Forces

Armoured Vehicle

On 29 January 2020, Finland and Latvia signed a Technical Arrangement on launching a development programme for sustained army mobility enhancement. Finland’s Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen and Latvia’s Minister of Defence Artis Pabriks signed the document for the participating nations.

Finland and Latvia agreed on developing an armoured vehicle system – a Patria vehicle chassis platform chosen for the development in-progress

The cooperation programme aims to develop a common armoured wheeled vehicle system. In case this development leads to vehicle system procurement in the future, the resulting common system enhances mobility, cost-efficiency, interoperability and security of supply of the armies of the participating nations.

At this stage, this is cooperation between Finland and Latvia, but the following phases allow also other countries to join the cooperation programme. This sets an excellent example of deepening defence cooperation between EU member states, Defence Minister Kaikkonen said at the signing event.

With the Letter of Intent signed in December, Estonia together with Latvia and Finland has shown interests for acquiring armoured vehicles for their national armed forces. Based on national and multinational tests and evaluations, the vehicle chassis platform chosen for the development in-progress is a Finnish-made Patria 6×6 armoured wheeled vehicle chassis platform that meets the set capability requirements.

As the programme advances, public information on its progress will be released on a regular basis.

Radars

Advanced Electronics

BAE Systems was awarded a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop the next generation of mixed-signal electronics that could enable new Department of Defense (DoD) applications including high capacity, robust communications, radars, and precision sensors, and lead to solutions that enhance situational awareness and survivability for the warfighter.

DARPA selects BAE Systems to build powerful next-generation advanced electronics

Recognizing that the DoD has performance demands that far exceed the capabilities of the commercial world in terms of speed, fidelity, capacity, and precision, DARPA created the Technologies for Mixed mode Ultra Scaled Integrated Circuits (T-MUSIC) program to enable disruptive Radio Frequency (RF) mixed-mode technologies by developing high performance RF analog electronics integrated with advanced digital electronics on the same wafer.

The next-generation capabilities that could be made possible with this program include a combination of wide spectral coverage, high resolution, large dynamic range, and high information processing bandwidth. These capabilities, which can cut through the electronic signal clutter, provide leap-forward performance that is mission critical as services rely on electronic sensors in highly congested environments. The new developments could be integrated into electronic warfare, communications, precision munitions, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms.

«T-MUSIC will incorporate analog and digital signals on a single chip for high-performance data converters and digital processing and intelligence», said Chris Rappa, product line director for Radio Frequency, Electronic Warfare, and Advanced Electronics at BAE Systems’ FAST Labs. «The advanced electronics we are developing under the T-MUSIC program could create the foundation for greatly enhanced Department of Defense capabilities in advanced RF sensors and high capacity communications».

As part of the $8 million contract, BAE Systems FAST Labs research and development team – working closely with program foundries – will design and develop wafer-scale technology on a silicon foundry platform that can enable U.S.-based production of next-generation DoD electronics.

The T-MUSIC contract adds to BAE Systems’ advanced electronics portfolio and is based on many years of investment on various programs with the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), U.S. Army, and DARPA, including DARPA’s CONverged Collaborative Elements for RF Task Operations (CONCERTO) and DARPA’s Radio Frequency Field Programmable Gate Arrays (RF-FPGA) programs. Work for the contract will be completed at the company’s facilities in Merrimack, New Hampshire; Lexington, Massachusetts; and Manassas, Virginia.