April 12, 2023 | International, Aerospace
Saab Receives Order for Gripen C/D Development
The order ensures continued operation and a cost-effective solution regarding maintenance and availability of the system
March 31, 2020 | International, Aerospace
State Dept. approves $194M upgrade deal for South Korea's F-16s
ByEd Adamczyk
March 30 (UPI) -- The State Department approved a sale of upgrades to South Korea's F-16 fighter planes, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Monday.
The $194 million sale, expected to be approved by Congress, calls for South Korea to obtain Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe equipment, known as IFF, and Link 16 Technical Datalink equipment for its F-16 Block 32 fleet.
IFF, in use since the 1940s and improved regularly, identifies and tracks military aircraft, and Mode 5 is the most recent implementation of the system. It uses waveform modulation, coding, and cryptographic techniques to quickly determine the identity and heading of an aircraft.
Link 16 is a military data link network allowing military ships and aircraft to share tactical picture of a situation in real time, and offers an offers an exchange of text messages, imagery data and two channels of digital voice transmission. Each system is currently in use by NATO countries.
The proposed deal includes the sale of radios, Combined Interrogator Transponders, a Joint Mission Planning upgrade, secure voice modules, crypto fill devices, aircraft ferry support, training, integration support and test equipment, and contractor, engineering, technical and logistics support services.
The Republic of Korea Air Force has 180 F-16s, in two variants.
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June 11, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Lord: Defense Contractors Need Billions In COVID-19 Relief
The Pentagon is likely to seek double-digit billions of dollars to reimburse defense contractors that were authorized to seek the money by the CARES Act to preserve their workforce during the COVID-19 crisis, the Pentagon's top procurement officer told lawmakers June 10. The problem is that while the section of the $2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill allows contractors to seek that reimbursement, the bill did not provide any related funding. For just one prime contractor, the estimated costs to keep its workforce in a steady state throughout the crisis exceeds $1 billion, Ellen Lord, the under secretary of acquisition, logistics and technology, said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. Without additional funding, Lord warns that the Pentagon will “eat into readiness and modernization and slow down readiness and modernization on an ongoing basis.” Aviation and aviation propulsion are two of the hardest-hit areas of the defense industrial base, because of the implosion of the civil aviation industry, she said. Satellite launches also have been hit, given their dependence on the commercial industry, Lord said. Lawmakers were looking for details about how much would be needed for defense contractors, as they anticipate a new COVID-19 spending bill will move through Congress at the end of July. According to Lord, there have been 960 closures and 859 reopenings due to COVID-19. The average closure is about 57 days. But contractors will be specifically requesting reimbursement for issues that affected their employees. So far, contractors are holding back from seeking claims because they are aware that no appropriation exists yet. The Pentagon's internal acquisition group has been tracking data from prime contractors; subcontractors, though, may not be sharing all of their issues to avoid revealing proprietary data, she said, while pledging to provide specific guidance on allowable costs within 30 days. “The defense industrial base is the nexus of economic and national security and it's vitally important to make sure it stays as healthy as possible,” she said. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/budget-policy-operations/lord-defense-contractors-need-billions-covid-19-relief
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September 22, 2020 | International, Naval
BOLLINGER AWARDED CONTRACT FOR FLOATING DRY DOCK FOR COLUMBIA SSBN
Seapower Staff LOCKPORT, La.–Bollinger Shipyards LLC (“Bollinger”) will construct a state-of-the-art, floating dry dock for General Dynamics Electric Boat to support the construction and maintenance of the United States' new Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarines, the company said in a Sept. 16 release. “Bollinger Shipyards is pleased to expand our current relationship with Electric Boat and to play a critical role in increasing the number of U.S. built dry docks to meet the expanding need to modernize and refurbish our nation's aging fleet,” said Ben Bordelon, Bollinger president and chief executive officer. “We're honored to have been selected to build this dry dock, which will be a national asset, to meet the complex needs of our Navy's fleet modernization plans. To build 21st century American vessels, it requires 21st century American tools and equipment manufactured here in the United States. Bollinger is committed to continuing to be a leader in pushing our industry forward and ensuring that the U.S. industrial base is fully self-sufficient.” The detail design engineering will be performed at the Bollinger facility in Lockport, Louisiana. The concept and contract design for the 618-foot-by-140-foot dry dock was performed by the Bristol Harbor Group in Rhode Island. The dry dock is scheduled to be delivered to Electric Boat's Groton Connecticut shipyard in 2024. Electric Boat is the prime contractor on the design and build of the of the Columbia Class submarine, which will replace the aging Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines. This is Bollinger Shipyards' second contract awarded with General Dynamics Electric Boat. In late 2019, Bollinger Shipyards was selected to construct the 395ft x 100ft Ocean Transport Barge for Electric Boat, scheduled to be delivered in 2021. https://seapowermagazine.org/bollinger-awarded-contract-for-floating-dry-dock-for-columbia-ssbn/