Monthly Archives: December 2022

Navy

Noshiro

According to Naval News, on December 15, 2022, the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Forces (JMSDF) commissioned the third Mogami-class frigate, JS Noshiro (FFM-3), with a ceremony held at Nagasaki Shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

JS Noshiro (FFM-3)
JMSDF Commissions 3rd Mogami-Class Frigate JS Noshiro (FFM-3)

During the ceremony, the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries flag was lowered and the JMSDF flag was raised. JS Noshiro‘s (FFM-3) keel was laid on July 15, 2020, and launched on June 22, 2021. The frigate is commissioned ten months after its launching.

JS Noshiro (FFM-3) takes its name from the Japanese river Noshiro, she shares her name with a World War II light cruiser and a Cold War destroyer escort.

The FFM (also known as 30FFM and previously known as 30DX) is the next generation multi-mission frigate designed for the JMSDF. A total number of 22 Frigates are expected to be procured for the JMSDF.

The two shipyards in charge of building the first two frigates of the class are Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in Nagasaki and Mitsui E&S in Okayama.

According to MHI, the Mogami-class multi-mission frigate will have a full load displacement of about 5,500 tons, with a length of 132.5 meters/434.7 feet and a beam of 16.3 meters/53.5 feet. It will have a maximum speed in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h. The crew complement will be quite low, at about 90 sailors, indicating a high level of automation on board.

Initially, the Mogami-class was only «fitted for but not with» (FFBNW) Mk. 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS). This changed at the end of 2021: According to Japan-based contributor, Yoshihiro Inaba, in late November, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced the supplementary budget for FY2021, which included a budget for two VLSs sets for FFM ships. Two FFM frigates will get 16 cells each (allowing for a total of 32 quad-parcked ESSM each). The total supplementary budget is about $6.8 billion, of which about $74 million is for the purchase of the VLS shipsets. Originally, the FFM 9 and 10 specified in the defense budget request for FY2022 included a budget for VLS. Therefore, the VLS specified in this supplemental budget is for installation on any of the FFM ships 1 through 8.

The FFM will be equipped with a wide variety of weapons and systems as listed below.

  • BAE Systems Mk.45 mod.4 5-inch/127-mm naval gun system ×1
  • Japan Steel Works 12.7-mm Remote Weapon System ×2
  • 41 VLS
  • Raytheon SeaRAM ×1
  • MHI Type 17 anti-ship missiles ×8
  • Mitsubishi Electric OPY-2 multifunction Radar
  • Mitsubishi Electric OAX-3 Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) sensors
  • Hitachi OQQ-11 anti-mine sonar
  • NEC OQQ-25 anti-submarine sonar (VDS/TASS – Variable Depth Sonar/Towed Array Sonar System)
  • Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (OZZ-5 by MHI) and Unmanned Surface Vehicle (unknown type) for mine counter measures
  • Sea mines for offensive mine warfare

 

Air, Unmanned Systems

First Flight

Türkiye’s first indigenous unmanned fighter aircraft Bayraktar Kızılelma, developed by Baykar Technologies, has completed its test take-off in a video shared by Selçuk Bayraktar, the company’s chief technology officer.

Kızılelma
Baykar’s unmanned fighter aircraft completes first flight

«We couldn’t hold it on the ground any longer! Thank God», Bayraktar tweeted, sharing the Kızılelma’s departure from the runway and the moment of its rise.

The drone was showcased at Teknofest, Türkiye’s largest aerospace and technology festival, in the northern province of Samsun, attracting great attention despite ongoing design and development efforts.

Kızılelma, whose engine integration test was carried out on September 19, successfully completed taxi and ground driving tests with safety ties first on November 20. Then, the first test runs without safety ties were directed by Bayraktar.

On December 3, the maiden flight test was carried out, announced by Bayraktar on Twitter, tweeting, «We are holding it hard… Bayraktar Kızılelma swept its feet off the ground. Almost there, I hope».

Kızılelma is planned to make a difference on the battlefield, especially with its «landing and take-off capability on ships with short runways».

Developed considering short-runway ships such as the TCG Anadolu, Türkiye’s first LHD-class vessel, the fighter jet will play an important role in overseas missions thanks to this feature. It will have a low radar signature thanks to its design.

Kızılelma will be able to carry 1,500 kilograms/3,307 lbs. of payload (weapons and devices, etc.). Its flight range is 930 kilometers/558 miles/502 NM, while the operating altitude was declared as 10,668 meters/35,000 feet. It can operate in the air for five hours and has a maximum speed of 900 km/h/559 mph/486 knots.

It will be equipped with the locally made Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.

The first flight of Kızılelma is expected to take place in 2023, according to Bayraktar.

The Turkish drones got worldwide fame amid the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War that broke out on September 27, 2020, between Armenia and Azerbaijan when Türkiye, a rising drone power in the international arena, supplied its ally Azerbaijan with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for use in the conflict and significantly contributed to Azerbaijan’s victory.

Navy

Start of Fabrication

The Navy and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) marked the start of fabrication for the future USS Sam Nunn (DDG-133) with a ceremony at HII’s shipyard on December 12.

USS Sam Nunn (DDG-133)
Future USS Sam Nunn (DDG-133) Marks Start of Fabrication

The USS Sam Nunn (DDG-133) will be a DDG-51 Flight III guided missile destroyer centered on the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and will provide greatly enhanced warfighting capability to the fleet. The Flight III baseline begins with DDGs 125-126 and continues with DDG-128 and follow on ships.

The ship is named for Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr., a United States Senator who represented Georgia from 1972 to 1997 and served as Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

«The future USS Sam Nunn will provide 21st Century offensive and defensive warfighting capabilities for decades to come», said Captain Seth Miller, DDG-51 program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships.

In addition to Sam Nunn, HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is also currently in production on future destroyers USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128), USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG-129), and USS George M. Neal (DDG-131).

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, boats and craft.

 

CHARACTERISTICS

Length Overall 510 feet/160 m
Beam – Waterline 66 feet/20 m
Draft 30.5 feet/9.3 m
Displacement – Full Load 9,700 tons
Power Plant 4 General Electric LM 2500-30 gas turbines; 2 shafts; 2 CRP (Contra-Rotating) propellers; 100,000 shaft horsepower/75,000 kW
Speed in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h
Range 4,400 NM/8,149 km at 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h
Crew 380 total: 32 Officers, 27 CPO (Chief Petty Officer), 321 OEM
Surveillance AN/SPY-6 AESA 3D radar (Raytheon Company) and Aegis Combat System (Lockheed Martin); SPS-73(V)12 Navigation; SPS-67(V)3 Surface Search; 3 SPG-62 Illuminator; SQQ-89(V)6 sonar incorporating SQS-53C hull mounted and SQR-19 towed array sonars used with Mark-116 Mod 7 ASW fire control system
Electronics/Countermeasures SLQ-32(V)3; Mark-53 Mod 0 Decoy System; Mark-234 Decoy System; SLQ-25A Torpedo Decoy; SLQ-39 Surface Decoy; URN-25 TACAN; UPX-29 IFF System; Kollmorgen Mark-46 Mod 1 Electro-Optical Director
Aircraft 2 embarked SH-60 helicopters ASW operations; RAST (Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse)
Armament 2 Mark-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) with 96 Standard, Vertical Launch ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) & Tomahawk ASM (Air-to-Surface Missile)/LAM (Loitering Attack Missile); 5-in (127-mm)/62 Mark-45 gun; 2 (1) CIWS (Close-In Weapon System); 2 Mark-32 triple 324-mm torpedo tubes for Mark-46, Mark-50 ASW torpedos or Mark 54 Lightweight Torpedo

 

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

 

Flight III

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-125 Jack H. Lucas HIIIS 06-04-21 San Diego, California
DDG-126 Louis H. Wilson, Jr. GDBIW
DDG-128 Ted Stevens HIIIS
DDG-129 Jeremiah Denton HIIIS
DDG-130 William Charette GDBIW
DDG-131 George M. Neal HIIIS
DDG-132 Quentin Walsh GDBIW
DDG-133 Sam Nunn HIIIS
DDG-134 John E. Kilmer GDBIW
DDG-135 Thad Cochran HIIIS
DDG-136 Richard G. Lugar GDBIW
DDG-137 John F. Lehman HIIIS
DDG-138 GDBIW
DDG-139 Telesforo Trinidad HIIIS

 

Ground Forces

CV90MkIV

As part of a government-to-government agreement between Sweden and the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic has signed a $1.37 billion (€1.3 billion) agreement for the delivery of 152 CV9035 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) from BAE Systems.

CV9035 IFV
Slovakia signs $1.37 billion deal for 152 CV90s under government-to-government agreement

The CV90s will be produced and delivered in several configurations with the full cooperation of Slovak industry including ZTS – ŠPECIÁL as the main industry partner to BAE Systems. Other Slovak state-owned and private companies will take critical roles in producing the vehicles and supporting the program in the longer term.

The Slovak Army will receive the newest iteration of the CV9035, known as the CV90MkIV, with the latest advanced capabilities and digital technology. The vehicle combines improved battlefield speeds and handling with an upgraded electronic architecture to support future growth and meet the needs of the evolving battlefield.

The Slovak CV90s will be equipped with the new state-of-the-art D-series turret with a 35-mm gun. The turret provides CV9035 crews with improved protection and amplified combat efficiency through the latest generation of sensors, artificial intelligence and augmented reality software, increasing the CV9035s multi-domain capabilities on the battlefield. The Slovak CV9035 will also be equipped with Elbit Systems’ «Iron Fist» Active Protection System (APS) solution and an integrated, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ SPIKE-LR (Long Range), an advanced anti-tank guided missile.

Of the 152 vehicles, 122 will be delivered in the Infantry Fighting Vehicle variant. Twelve IFVs will be built in a new configuration for the Anti-Material Rifles and Grenade Launcher Squad. The remaining vehicles will include Command & Control, Reconnaissance and Engineer and Recovery variants, aimed at providing specialist combat logistics support. The contract also covers training and education systems, as well as tactical simulators.

«I am excited for another major modernisation project for our land forces. With these vehicles, we are fulfilling our commitment from a few years ago – to build a heavy mechanized brigade. I am looking forward to close cooperation with our partners who are already using the Swedish vehicles», said Minister of Defence Jaroslav Naď.

«The Swedish IFV CV90 meets the criteria of the Slovak Armed Forces. Today, we upgraded the cooperation not only between our armed forces, but also between our countries. I am glad that modernisation of the Slovak Armed Forces is rapidly moving forward. In the last two years, the pace of our army’s modernization achieved levels that have not been seen in decades», said Marian Majer, State Secretary of Defence.

«The collaboration between Sweden and Slovakia will further strengthen the relationship between the nations. CV90 has been the backbone of the Swedish Armed Forces for decades», said Pål Jonson, Minister for Defence for Sweden. «Sweden now looks forward to supporting Slovakia in introducing the CV90, the leading Infantry Fighting Vehicle, as a key capability also for the Slovak Army».

«We are committed to delivering an Infantry Fighting Vehicle that meets the Slovak Army’s requirements now and in the future», said Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, managing director of BAE Systems Hägglunds in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, which designs and produces the CV90.

«This is an important moment in our nations’ relations and we are honored to be part of this alongside our Slovak industry partners. We look forward to cooperating with Slovakia and we are building the program to deliver these vehicles on a proven industrial cooperation approach», added Gustafsson-Rask.

The contract will provide Slovak industry with a significant opportunity to invest in its skills and capabilities for many years to come. Strategic collaboration with local suppliers enables them to play a high-value role throughout the production and lifecycle of the CV9035 and all its variants.

The Slovak Republic joins the CV90 User Club as the 8th member. The organisation currently consists of seven countries, four of them members of NATO: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

Navy

2nd Logistic Support Ship

The LSS Programme achieved an important milestone with the keel laying ceremony of the bow section of the 2nd Logistic Support Ship (LSS) for France, ordered by Chantiers de l’Atlantique to Fincantieri under the LSS programme.

LSS Jacques Stosskopf (A726)
Keel laying event in Castellammare di Stabia shipyard (Credit: OCCAR)

The event took place at the Fincantieri shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia (Next to Naples) on 06 December 2022, 22 months after the keel laying of her elder sister, the bow section of LSS «Jacques Chevallier» (A725). This important step officially marks the laying of the First Ship Hull Blocks for the bow section on the slipway in the Fincantieri construction yard.

After its completion, the bow section will be transferred to Saint-Nazaire for the final assembly of the LSS «Jacques Stosskopf» (A726). The second and third French LSS are to be built under the auspices of the French-Italian cooperation and the contractual framework of OCCAR for a delivery scheduled in 2025.

The Franco-Italian Logistic Support Ship (LSS) Programme is led by OCCAR on behalf of DGA, the French Armament General Directorate, and its Italian counterpart, Naval Weaponry Direction (NAVARM). The LSS programme consists of the development and the production of six ships (two for Italy and four for France) along with in-service support, with a third-one for the Italian Navy as on option.

LSS Jacques Chevallier (A725)
LSS «Jacques Chevallier» (A725) (Credit: Chantiers de l’Atlantiq)

 

LSS Technical Information

Overall Length 165 m/541.3 feet
Width 24 m/78.7 feet
Displacement 27.200 tonnes
Maximum Speed 19.8 knots/22.8 mph/36.7 km/h
Crew 167 people
Accommodation up to 235people
Range 7000 NM/8,055 miles/12,964 km

 

Ground Forces

Self-Defense Force

The Japan Ministry of Defense has announced on December 09, 2022 that Patria AMVXP 8×8 has been selected for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) as their next Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier 8×8 vehicle under the WAPC programme. The selection includes manufacturing licence of the vehicles in Japan, with a solid contribution to the local economy and technology development securing the supply and service in Japan. The Patria AMVXP 8×8 vehicles will be replacing the Type-96 8×8 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicles which are currently in service by Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.

Patria AMVXP 8x8
Patria AMVXP 8×8 vehicle selected by Japan as a new Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier (WAPC) for Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

«The selection of Patria AMVXP 8×8 and our proven licensing model is great proof of Patria’s capability to deliver the latest technology and to enable local security of supply. Patria AMVXP 8×8 has successfully proven its superior performance, as well as its mobility and protection, in various crisis management missions, and Japan will be the ninth user country of Patria’s Armored Modular Vehicle (AMV) vehicle family. Patria has industry-leading experience of licensing and cooperation with local industries in many countries, and we are committed to this in Japan as well. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force will receive state-of-the-art and high performance Japanese manufactured AMVXP 8×8 vehicles to support critical operations for decades to come», says Janne Räkköläinen, Senior Vice President of Market Area World at Patria.

Patria has worked for the WAPC programme since 2018 and it has also established a local subsidiary, Patria Japan Ltd., to support its activities in Japan. The next step in the programme is licence negotiations which will start immediately. Patria has a very strong heritage of providing services and high-technology systems engaging successfully with local industries and providing the local security of supply. Patria sees the selection of Patria AMVXP 8×8 as a great opportunity to further develop cooperation in Japan with new services and solutions as well as to establish long-term strategic partnerships with Japan and its industries.

 

Technical specifications

DIMENSIONS
Length 8.4 m/27.56 feet
Height over hull 2.4 m/7.87 feet
Width 2.8 m/9.19 feet
Track width 2.5 m/8.2 feet
Maximum payload 15,000 kg/33,069 lbs.
Maximum combat weight 32,000 kg/70,548 lbs.
PERFORMANCE
Maximum Speed >100 km/h/62 mph
Climbing capacity 60%
Side slope, maximum 30%
Obstacle 0.7 m/27.5 inch
Trench crossing 2.1 m/6.89 feet
Fording 1.8 m/5.9 feet
Operating distance 600-1000 km/373-621 miles
Swimming (optional) 6-10 km/h/3.7-6.2 mph
PROTECTION
Modular ballistic, mine and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)-protection system according to customers’ requirements
Readiness for future protection technologies
ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION
Generator 350 A
Optional 560 A
ENGINE
Power output 450 kW/603 hp
Torque output 2250 Nm
Engine type 6 inline
TRANSMISSION
Automatic 7+2 gears
DRIVELINE
Continuous all-wheel drive
Integrated Terrain Control System (ITCS)
Hydraulically operated disc brakes with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
Central Tyre Inflation System (CTIS)
SUSPENSION
Fully independent suspension with double wishbones
Hydropneumatic spring elements, height adjustment optional
STEERING
Hydraulically assisted steering with mechanical linkage for 1st and 2nd axle, rear axle steering optional

 

Navy

Acceptance Trials

USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120) completed Acceptance Trials on Friday, December 9, 2022 with a General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (GDBIW) operating crew demonstrating a number of ship systems for the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) over three days in the Gulf of Maine.

USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120)
Future USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120) Completes Acceptance Trials

«Carl M. Levin reflects well on the dedication of all the shipbuilders who have contributed to its success», said Bath Iron Works President Chuck Krugh. «We look forward to delivery of this fine ship to the U.S. Navy».

During Acceptance Trials, a Bath Iron Works crew operates the ship and demonstrates its hull, mechanical and electrical systems perform as expected. The INSURV team determines whether the ship’s systems are operational prior to the U.S. Navy taking delivery.

DDG-120 is named for former Michigan Senator Carl M. Levin, longtime chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who helped oversee adoption of the National Defense Authorization Act, the blueprint for the nation’s military spending, over 35 consecutive years.

Bath Iron Works currently has under construction the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS John Basilone (DDG-122), USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG-124) and USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG-127) as well as the Flight III configuration destroyers USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG-126), USS William Charette (DDG-130) and USS Quentin Walsh (DDG-132).

 

Ship Characteristics

 

Length Overall 510 feet/156 m
Beam – Waterline 59 feet/18 m
Draft 31 feet/9.5 m
Displacement – Full Load 9,217 tons/9,363 metric tons
Power Plant 4 General Electric LM 2500-30 gas turbines; 2 shafts; 2 CRP (Contra-Rotating) propellers; 100,000 shaft horsepower/75,000 kW
Speed in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h
Range 4,400 NM/8,149 km at 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h
Crew 380 total: 32 Officers, 27 CPO (Chief Petty Officer), 321 OEM
Surveillance SPY-1D Phased Array Radar (Lockheed Martin)/AN/SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar (Raytheon Company) and Aegis Combat System (Lockheed Martin); SPS-73(V) Navigation; SPS-67(V)3 Surface Search; 3 SPG-62 Illuminator; SQQ-89(V)6 sonar incorporating SQS-53C hull mounted and SQR-19 towed array sonars used with Mark-116 Mod 7 ASW fire control system
Electronics/Countermeasures SLQ-32(V)3; Mark-53 Mod 0 Decoy System; Mark-234 Decoy System; SLQ-25A Torpedo Decoy; SLQ-39 Surface Decoy; URN-25 TACAN; UPX-29 IFF System; Kollmorgen Mark-46 Mod 1 Electro-Optical Director
Aircraft 2 embarked SH-60 helicopters ASW operations; RAST (Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse)
Armament 2 Mark-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) with 96 Standard, Vertical Launch ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) & Tomahawk ASM (Air-to-Surface Missile)/LAM (Loitering Attack Missile); 5-in (127-mm)/54 (62) Mark-45 gun; 2 (1) CIWS (Close-In Weapon System); 2 Mark-32 triple 324-mm torpedo tubes for Mark-46 or Mark-50 ASW torpedos

 

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

 

Flight IIA: Technology Insertion

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-116 Thomas Hudner GDBIW 04-23-17 12-01-18 Mayport, Florida
DDG-117 Paul Ignatius HIIIS 11-12-16 07-27-19 Mayport, Florida
DDG-118 Daniel Inouye GDBIW 10-27-19 12-08-21 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-119 Delbert D. Black HIIIS 09-08-17 09-26-20 Mayport, Florida
DDG-120 Carl M. Levin GDBIW 05-16-21 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr. HIIIS 07-13-18 05-14-22 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-122 John Basilone GDBIW 06-12-22
DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee HIIIS 01-27-20
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum Jr. GDBIW
DDG-127 Patrick Gallagher GDBIW

 

Missiles & Guided Weapons, Rocket

Extended Range

Northrop Grumman Corporation 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
Northrop Grumman’s Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile is launched from a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft (credit U.S. Navy)

«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 captain 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 (IOC) fielding within the next two years. Northrop Grumman has received a Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) 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 Lightning II aircraft.

Navy

Cottonmouth

Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. company, on 08 December 2022 announced the delivery of Cottonmouth, a vehicle purpose-built for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) program. The hand-off of the prototype vehicle occurred 01 December 2022 at the Nevada Automotive Test Center (NATC) in Silver Springs, Nevada.

Cottonmouth
Textron Systems Delivers its Cottonmouth Purpose-Built Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle to the Marine Corps

Created to serve as a Naval Sensor Node supporting expeditionary operations, the Cottonmouth vehicle provides lightweight multi-modal capability for the Marines, consistent with the service’s Force Design 2030 vision. A multi-domain command and control suite integrated into the vehicle as part of the Command, Control, Communication and Computers Unmanned Aerial Systems (C4UAS) Mission Role Variant allows it to coordinate data and serve as the quarterback, or battlefield manager, for the modern battlefield. The amphibious 6×6 platform is equipped for sustained reconnaissance with organic unmanned systems capabilities and multi-spectrum sensors which provide seamless communication between the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

The Cottonmouth vehicle’s smaller footprint allows rapid transport of four vehicles on a Ship-to-Shore Connector (LCAC-100). Supporting the mission of a mobile scout vehicle, the easy-to-deploy platform swims in open ocean and navigates littoral water obstacles such as bays, estuaries, rivers, light surf and handles any terrain.

«Our Cottonmouth vehicle is a completely clean-sheet design that provides transformative reconnaissance capabilities and meets Marine Corps requirements», said David Phillips, Senior Vice President, Land and Sea Systems. «The vehicle was designed from its inception by listening to customer requirements. Because of its smaller size, the Marines can quickly deploy next generational combat power to the fight and lets commanders meet any mission anywhere».

The prototype is the second iteration of the vehicle informed by lessons learned from an original Alpha prototype vehicle and approximately 3,000 miles/4,828 km of testing. Textron Systems’ Cottonmouth vehicle has completed contractor verification testing of its mobility, swim capability, vetronics integration and C4UAS mission capabilities. In addition to delivery of the fully integrated ARV platform, the company also delivered a blast hull to the Aberdeen Test Center and a Systems Integration Lab (SIL) to the Naval Information Warfare Center-Atlantic, both of which have been undergoing government evaluation and testing. The prototype vehicle now enters its formal government evaluation phase, expected to last through 2023.

Air, Navy

New Zealand Poseidon

New Zealand on December 7, 2022 received the first of four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in a ceremony at the Museum of Flight.

P-8A Poseidon
New Zealand’s first P-8A Poseidon aircraft (Boeing photo)

«As a maritime nation, delivery of the P-8A Poseidon will ensure New Zealand maintains a patrol and response capability that will protect and support law enforcement in our Exclusive Economic Zone and Southern Ocean», said Sarah Minson, acting Deputy Secretary Capability Delivery, New Zealand Ministry of Defence. «The P-8A Poseidon will also assist our South Pacific neighbors and deliver long-range search and rescue capability».

The milestone comes four years after the New Zealand Government entered into an agreement with the U.S. Navy for the P-8A Poseidon.

«The unmatched, multi-mission maritime patrol capabilities of the P-8A Poseidon will provide New Zealand the ability to extend their reach into the Pacific and beyond», said Philip June, vice president and program manager, P-8 Poseidon Programs. «New Zealand joins eight other global customers including nearby Australia that have selected or already operate the P-8A Poseidon and benefit greatly from its long-range maritime surveillance and warfare capabilities».

Boeing Defence Australia will provide sustainment services for New Zealand’s fleet with the support of the P-8 Poseidon International Program.

New Zealand’s three remaining P-8A Poseidon aircraft are all in advanced stages of production and will be delivered in 2023. The aircraft will replace New Zealand’s current fleet of six P-3K2 Orions and will be based at Royal New Zealand Air Force Base Ohakea.

To date, the global operating P-8 Poseidon fleet has amassed more than 450,000 mishap-free flight hours. The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations. In addition, the P-8 Poseidon performs humanitarian and search and rescue missions around the globe.

 

Technical Specifications

Wing Span 123.6 feet/37.64 m
Height 42.1 feet/12.83 m
Length 129.5 feet/39.47 m
Propulsion 2 × CFM56-7B engines; 27,000 lbs./12,237 kgf/120 kN thrust
Speed 490 knots/564 mph/908 km/h
Range 1,200 NM/1,381 miles/2,222 km with 4 hours on station
Ceiling 41,000 feet/12,496 m
Crew 9
Maximum Take-Off Gross Weight 189,200 lbs./85,820 kg