December 19, 2018 | International, Land
By: Aaron Mehta
WASHINGTON — Amidst an ongoing row concerning Turkey's decision to buy a Russian air defense system, the U.S. State Department has cleared Ankara to purchase a package of Patriot systems, with an estimated price tag of $3.5 billion.
The announcement, posted late Tuesday evening on the website of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, would cover the procurement of 80 Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced and 60 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement missiles, as well as associated equipment.
Turkey has twice passed over the Patriot — in 2013 when it chose a Chinese system that it later dropped out of, and in 2017 when it said it finalized the S-400 deal.
In both cases, Turkey insisted on a transfer of missile technology regarding the Patriot before it would consider the system, something the U.S. declined to do. The DSCA solicit said industrial offsets of some kind are required with the deal, but “at this time offset agreements are undetermined and will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and contractors;" whether that offset will include tech transfer remains to be seen.
The S-400 is a major sticking point in the military relationship between the U.S. and Turkey. Pentagon officials and NATO leadership have been vocal that Turkey cannot be allowed to plug the S-400 into allied systems, such as integrating it with the F-35. Turkey is a member of NATO.
The two systems are different in capabilities. The S-400 is a mobile system, designed for deployment behind the lines to protect critical infrastructure, with a very long range. The Patriot, meanwhile, is a medium-range system.
A department spokesperson, speaking on background ahead of the announcement, said Turkey “will use Patriot to improve its air and missile defense capability, defend its territorial integrity, and deter regional threats. The proposed sale will increase the defensive capabilities of the Turkish military to guard against hostile aggression and shield NATO allies who might train and operate within Turkey's borders.”
In addition to the missiles, the package includes four AN/MPQ-65 Radar Sets, four Engagement Control Stations, 10 Antenna Mast Groups, 20 M903 Launching Stations, and five Electrical Power Plant III systems.
As with all DSCA announcements, dollar values and quantities may vary at the end of the day; the Senate must OK a sale before the customer and the U.S. government enter contract negotiations.
December 23, 2024 | International, Land
The Bundeswehr and TAURUS Systems GmbH (a joint venture between MBDA and SAAB) have signed a contract for the maintenance and modernization of the TAURUS stand-off weapon system.
January 25, 2021 | International, Aerospace
by David Donald - January 20, 2021, 6:53 AM General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has revealed that it has completed the development and testing of a self-contained anti-submarine warfare (ASW) package, the first such equipment for an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The package comprises podded sonobuoy dispenser systems (SDS) and a sonobuoy management and control system (SMCS). GA-ASI has been studying unmanned ASW capability for some years, demonstrating sonobuoy remote processing capability from an MQ-9A Reaper in 2017. Subsequently an SMCS has been added, and the SDS has been developed. It employs a pneumatic launch system, and each pod can carry up to 10 A-size sonobuoys or 20 G-size buoys. On November 24 last year GA-ASI carried out a trial at the U.S. Navy's Pacific range in which a company-owned MQ-9A Block 5 released seven SSQ-53G Directional Frequency Analysis and Recording (DIFAR) and two SSQ-62F Directional Command Activated Sonobuoy System (DICASS) sonobuoys, and a single SSQ-36B bathythermograph buoy. Using a General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada UYS-505 processing system the trial successfully tracked an MK-39 expendable mobile ASW training target (EMATT) for three hours, data being relayed by a satcom link to the Laguna flight operations facility at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The ASW capability is being developed for the SeaGuardian configuration of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, which can carry up to four SDS pods under its wings. The SeaGuardian is intended to perform as a stand-alone maritime patrol asset or to act with traditional maritime patrol aircraft as part of a manned-unmanned team. A key part of the SeaGuardian mission set is a surveillance radar, and GA-ASI is working with Leonardo to integrate the Seaspray 7500E V2 AESA radar into the UAS's centerline pod. The radar offers a variety of modes, including inverse synthetic aperture radar that works with the automatic identification system (AIS, a form of maritime IFF) to provide accurate identification of detected surface targets. It can spot submarine periscopes and humans in the water during search and rescue operations. A high-definition optical/infrared full-motion video capability is also included. Another option from Leonardo is the SAGE electronic surveillance system. GA-ASI reports that two undisclosed export customers have ordered the SeaGuardian capability, which was included in the recently approved request for up to 18 MQ-9Bs from the United Arab Emirates. In its standard SeaGuardian configuration the MQ-9B has an endurance of more than 18 hours and can mount an eight-hour patrol at a radius of 1,200 nm. Another store that has recently been trialed by GA-ASI is the Legion Pod, in this case, the carrier being the company's jet-powered Avenger remotely piloted aircraft. The Legion Pod, which is carried by F-15 Eagles, features a Lockheed Martin IRST21 infrared search and track sensor in its nose and datalinks to network the sensor and carrier with other platforms. n early January GA-ASI was selected to support the U.S. Air Force's Skyborg Vanguard program that is developing artificial intelligence/machine-learning autonomous capabilities for future combat aircraft. Two company-owned Avengers are being modified with updated links and the Skyborg System Design Agent software to support this activity, which will test the ability of manned aircraft to control the Avengers in flight and to pass critical mission information between them. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2021-01-20/general-atomics-advances-seaguardian-systems
March 3, 2024 | International, Aerospace