December 28, 2023 | International, Security
Big moves ahead on light tank, Bradley replacement and robot vehicles
Added firepower, better troop protection and robotic escorts add punch to ground combat.
February 17, 2021 | International, Aerospace
The drone defense dilemma: How unmanned aircraft are redrawing battle lines
By: Tom Kington
ROME — First there was the video from Libya of a Turkish drone destroying a Russian Pantsir missile defense system.
Next came the veteran S-300 air defense system — also Russian — being taken out in Nagorno-Karabakh by an Israeli-built Harop loitering munition.
In the conflicts in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh last year, unmanned platforms often made short work of the ground-based systems designed to neutralize them, paving the way for easy attacks on vulnerable troops.
What is more, experts say, is that the balance of power between drones and air defense systems is shaping up to be a key to global wars in the near future.
“Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and also Syria have just showed us that if a fielded force cannot protect its airspace, then the large scale use of UAVs can make life extremely dangerous,” said Justin Bronk, an air force research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in England.
Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 armed drone grabbed the headlines during the Libya conflict last year, which saw Turkey deploy the platform to defend the U.N.-backed Tripoli government against strongman Khalifa Hifter, who relied on Russian Pantsir systems.
Able to fire their Roketsan munitions from outside the range of the Russian systems, the TB2s scored hits, helping stop Hifter's advance.
“Turkey also sent in engineers who improved the software of the drones on the fly, while there was no similar learning curve with the Chinese UAVs operated by the UAE to assist Hifter,” said Jalel Harchaoui at the Switzerland-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
“The bold and effective use of TB2s in Nagorno-Karabakh in October was made possible by the previous success in Libya,” he added.
An enclave belonging to Azerbaijan but governed by breakaway ethnic Armenians, Nagorno-Karabakh has been a flashpoint between Azerbaijan and Armenia for years. It exploded in a brief and bloody war between September and November.
Turkey, which backed Azerbaijan, reportedly sent in UAV trainers ahead of the conflict. TB2s alongside Israeli loitering munitions were soon racking up successes, with Dutch warfare research group Oryx reporting 134 Armenian tanks destroyed compared to 22 lost by Azerbaijan.
“Turkey built up its UAV expertise after leasing Israeli UAVs, then put that expertise to use building its own after frustrations over the limits placed on its use of the Israeli systems,” Bronk said. “The TB2 has a similar aerodynamic profile to the Heron, while the Turkish Anka UAV is similar to the Hermes 450.”
Manufacturer Bayraktar has sold the TB2 to Qatar and Ukraine, while Serbia is eyeing a purchase, raising the TB2′s profile as a competitor to the Chinese Wing Loong II, 50 of which have been exported.
“China and Turkey are vying for sales, which begs the question: Why doesn't Russia have the equivalent of a TB2 to sell? I am very surprised they are almost absent in this market,” Harchaoui said.
The drone's contribution to the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh came with a price, as Canada suspended arms exports to Turkey amid claims the TB2 contained Canadian parts, while a U.K. firm supplying parts to the drone also canceled its contract.
A number of nations, including the U.K., are meanwhile beefing up their defenses for ground forces, said Bronk.
“In light of this threat, the British Army has recently ordered a short/medium-range [surface-to-air missile] system called Sky Sabre. If deployed forward in significant numbers, it should dramatically reduce the Army's vulnerability to both surveillance and attack by hostile UAVs in situations where friendly air cover is unavailable,” he said.
Drones are not, however, invulnerable, he added. “U.S. and British Reapers and Predators in Syria had lots of problems with Russian electronic warfare. Since the Reaper can be targeted, you can imagine that less sophisticated platforms can be more easily affected,” he said.
Bronk expects that more militaries will spend more money on air defense to balance out the drone threat — “particularly countries which don't have strong air forces.”
“One option is the Russian SA-17 system, which has a 75-kilometer range compared to the 10 kilometers of TB2 missiles, or the cheaper and more contained SA-15 with a 10-kilometer range. Western products include the [National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System] NASAMS, which already helps to defend Washington, D.C., with a roughly 15-kilometer range and the NASAMS 2 with a 30- to 40-kilometer range,” he said.
Peter Roberts, the director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, said the world is waking up to the reality of modern warfare. “For a while there was the romantic view that either drones or tanks or missiles would win wars on their own,” he said. “There is no silver bullet on the battlefield, and this is an era which is rediscovering that.”
Roberts added that urban warfare is also undergoing a revival, as is the art of deception in war. “Whether it's the Russians in Ukraine or the Iranians, the use of decoys is back — something we once knew about, then forgot in the 1990s.”
The world is also returning to an era of proxy wars, he said, from Libya to Nagorno-Karabakh to Yemen.
“That means wars fought on the edge of great powers using mercenaries and sponsored guerilla groups and insurgents,” he said. “It also means more sophisticated weapons in the hands of smaller, nonstate groups like the Houthis in Yemen using cruise and ballistic missiles and drones. It is potentially very nasty.”
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October 4, 2018 | International, Aerospace
Lockheed Martin Selects Industry Mission Payload Providers for Next Gen OPIR Missile Warning System
Key Suppliers for "Go Fast" Program Selected Just 45 Days from Prime Contract Award SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has selected Raytheon and a Northrop Grumman/Ball Aerospace team to compete as potential mission payload providers for the U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next Gen OPIR) Geosynchronous (GEO) Block 0 missile warning satellite system. This payload competition between Raytheon and Northrop Grumman/Ball Aerospace will be executed as part of the Phase 1 contract for the Air Force's Next Gen OPIR Block 0 GEO satellites. The competition includes development scope through the Critical Design Review (CDR) phase. As part of a program heralded by the Air Force as a pacesetter for "Go Fast" acquisition, Lockheed Martin selected the two suppliers on September 28 -- just 45 days after the company's own prime contractor award. The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin the contract for rapid development of the Next Gen OPIR Block 0 GEO system on August 14. The Raytheon and Northrop Grumman/Ball Aerospace teams were selected due to their ability to meet stringent schedule and capability requirements. They are now tasked to develop detailed designs and compete their solutions for potential use on the Next Gen OPIR Block 0 GEO satellites. A final down-select is expected at the end of the CDR phase in 2020. Next Gen OPIR is a new missile warning satellite system acquisition program that will deliver advanced capabilities to keep pace with adversary advancements. It will succeed the Space Based Infrared System by providing improved missile warning capabilities that are more survivable and resilient against emerging threats. The Air Force implemented Next Gen OPIR as a rapid acquisition program with Lockheed Martin targeting the first GEO satellite delivery in 60 months. "Next Gen OPIR is a very important program for our nation, with a challenging schedule, and set of technical and resiliency requirements, different than prior programs," said Tom McCormick, Lockheed Martin's vice president for OPIR systems. "We recognize that this is a watershed program for the Air Force, and we understand the need to 'Go Fast' to ensure our national security posture stays ahead of emerging global threats." Lockheed Martin is working with the Air Force on a variety of initiatives to increase the speed of satellite acquisition, including introducing more commonality of parts and procedures into production, building predictability into schedules and supply chain orders, and incorporating additive manufacturing. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. This year the company received three Edison Awards for ground-breaking innovations in autonomy, satellite technology and directed energy. SOURCE Lockheed Martin https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2018-10-04-Lockheed-Martin-Selects-Industry-Mission-Payload-Providers-for-Next-Gen-OPIR-Missile-Warning-System
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October 17, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 16, 2019
NAVY The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is awarded a $193,318,432 modification (P00003) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, time and material, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00019-18-D-0113. This modification provides CFM56-7B27A/3 and CFM56-7B27AE engine depot maintenance and repair, field assessment, maintenance repair and overhaul engine repair, and technical assistance for removal and replacement of engines for the P-8A Poseidon aircraft in support of the Navy, the government of Australia and Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will be performed in Atlanta, Georgia (94%); and Seattle, Washington (6%), and is expected to be completed in October 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. StandardAero Inc., San Antonio, Texas, is awarded a $174,743,115 modification (P00004) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, time and material, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00019-18-D-0110. This modification provides CFM56-7B27A/3 and CFM56-7B27AE engine depot maintenance and repair, field assessment, maintenance repair and overhaul engine repair, and technical assistance for removal and replacement of engines for the P-8A Poseidon aircraft in support of the Navy, the government of Australia and Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will be performed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (93%); and San Antonio, Texas (7%), and is expected to be completed in October 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. AAR Aircraft Services Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana, is awarded a $44,865,877 modification (P00005) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, time and material, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00019-18-D-0111. This modification provides P-8A Poseidon aircraft depot scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, fulfillment of depot in-service repair/planner and estimator requirements, technical directive incorporation, airframe modifications, aircraft on ground support, and removal and replacement of engines in support of the Navy, the government of Australia and Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be completed in October 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Corp., King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a $108,322,296 contract for the Mk21A Reentry Vehicle (RV) program. This contract is to conduct technology maturation and risk reduction to provide a low technical risk and affordable RV capable of delivering the W87-1 warhead from the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Weapon System. Work will be performed at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and other various locations as needed, and is expected to be completed by October 2022. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,033,916 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8219-20-C-0001). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY DRS Network & Imaging Systems LLC, Melbourne, Florida, has been awarded an $18,451,845 firm-fixed-price contract for wired housing assemblies. This was a sole source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one year base contract with one one-year option period being exercised at the time of award. Location of performance is Florida, with a Nov. 27, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-20-C-0022). UPDATE: Textron GSE/TUG Technologies Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia (SPE8EC-20-D-0050), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract issued against solicitation SPE8EC-17-R-0002, announced Dec. 2, 2016. ARMY Bristol Construction Services LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska, was awarded a $10,086,761 modification (P00004) to contract W9126G-18-C-0066 for construction of open storage areas with fencing, lighting and limited security. Work will be performed in Texarkana, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 25, 2020. Fiscal 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $10,086,761 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1990450/source/GovDelivery/