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  July 16, 2021 | International, Land

  Tanks are here to stay: What the Army’s future armored fleet will look like

  Armored vehicles and formations may be unrecognizable in the next decade. But the mission remains the same — take and hold terrain.

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  June 3, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Lockheed to Retrofit F-35s for Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses Role

  June 2, 2020 | By John A. Tirpak The Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a $26.7 million contract on June 1 to develop a structural modification for the F-35 strike fighter to improve its Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses capability (SEAD/DEAD). The retrofit design will be applied to both U.S. and foreign F-35s in Lots 14 and 15, and will be completed by August 2022. The contract, issued by Naval Air Systems Command on behalf of all F-35 users, says Lockheed will perform the engineering necessary to modify the aircraft to perform “full up” SEAD and DEAD. When the Air Force declared the F-35 operational in 2016, it described the F-35's SEAD/DEAD suite as able to perform the mission in a “limited” fashion. The need for a structural modification indicates the aircraft will be fitted with new munitions and/or sensors to carry out the role, which usually involves detecting, fixing, and attacking ground-based air defense threats, which can be mobile or stationary. When the service declared initial operational capability for the F-35A, the aircraft was in the 3i configuration, which gave it capability to release satellite-guided bombs. With the 3F version, the F-35 gained capability for the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb and AGM-154 Stand-Off Weapon—both used for SEAD/DEAD. The Block 4 upgrade will enable the F-35 to carry the in-development Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW). The Navy plans to field its AGM-88E Anti-Radiation Guided Missile, a successor to the HARM anti-radiation missile, and the Air Force is considering the weapon, as well. The ARRGM and HARM home in on the last known emissions of a surface-to-air missile radar at high speed; their presence and success in previous conflicts has dissuaded enemies from turning their radars on in some instances, hence “suppression.” The F-35's ASQ-239 electronic warfare system can passively detect an enemy air defense system's emissions and geo-locate these targets in concert with the F-35's other systems. Air Force leaders have said the F-35, by virtue of its stealth, will become the main platform for the SEAD/DEAD mission in the coming decade. That role is now primarily performed by the F-16 with the HARM. https://www.airforcemag.com/lockheed-to-retrofit-f-35s-for-suppression-destruction-of-enemy-air-defenses-role

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  June 10, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Honeywell and U.S. Army to demo next-generation T55 engine for Chinook helicopters

  Honeywell has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Army to demonstrate and fly its upgraded T55 engine on the heavy-lift, twin-engine Chinook helicopter. The new 6,000-horespower engine is 25% more powerful and consumes 10% less fuel than the current T55. New modifications also make the next-generation T55 easier to maintain with lower operating costs and increased readiness for the warfighter. The new T55-GA-714C engine is specifically designed for next-generation military operators, and will improve the Chinook helicopter's ability to lift troops and heavy cargo for the U.S. Army and National Guard. Because the engine is based closely on the T55 version currently in use, almost no airframe changes are required — the same intake, exhaust and engine airframe mounts are used. This provides the Army and National Guard with a major engine improvement without the need to retrain their maintenance and operational staff. The design improvement will be demonstrated as part of the Cooperation Research and Development Agreement process with the U.S. Army. The engine upgrade can be incorporated either by modifying existing engines at overhaul in the U.S. fleet or with new production engines. "Honeywell has spent years designing and developing the T55-GA-714C engine as part of our commitment to push the T55's power beyond the needs of the Chinook helicopter," said Dave Marinick, president, Engines and Power Systems, Honeywell Aerospace. "For 60 years, we've powered the world's most premier heavy-lift helicopter, and this latest improvement increases performance while saving important program dollars and maintenance hours as well as increasing mission readiness. We are proud of our legacy on the Chinook helicopter, and we are committed to continuously improve the T55 engine." The installation and demonstration of the advanced T55 engine will take place on a CH-47F Chinook at Fort Eustis in Newport News, Virginia, under the supervision of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center. The demonstration will show the ease of installation and prove out the engine's new compressor design that brings additional performance and reduces fuel burn. After that, Honeywell will complete the final qualification process for the new engine design. Honeywell first delivered the T55 engine to the U.S. Army in 1961 at 2,050 shaft horsepower on the CH-47A helicopter. Since that time, the engine's power has nearly tripled to 6,000 shaft horsepower. Each performance increase on the T55 is accompanied by reduced fuel burn, increased reliability and decreased maintenance hours. The T55 engine is the world leader in powering heavy lift helicopters. Over 900 CH-47 helicopters are operated today by various militaries around the world. Press release issued by Honeywell Aerospace on June 4, 2020 http://www.airframer.com/news_story.html?release=74824