3 juin 2020 | International, Aérospatial
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.
4 septembre 2024 | International, Terrestre
The aim of the cooperation is to jointly realize the construction of the MEKO A-400 AMD – a pioneering ship concept from TKMS that was specially developed to meet the requirements...
24 avril 2023 | International, Aérospatial
Brazil's Defence Minister Jose Mucio said on Friday his country's planemaker Embraer SA would manufacture aircraft that meet NATO's requirements in a partnership with Portuguese aerospace company OGMA.
29 novembre 2019 | International, C4ISR
November 27, 2019 FAIRFAX, Va. – On November 8, the U.S. Navy awarded General Dynamics Mission Systems a $731.8M cost-plus-award-fee and firm-fixed-price indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity sole-source contract for the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) ground system sustainment. MUOS is a next-generation satellite communications system that provides secure voice and data communications for U.S. forces worldwide. General Dynamics Mission Systems provides the integrated ground segments for MUOS, which will soon provide secure cell phone-like communications for warfighters on the move. “MUOS will provide our warfighters with the ability to communicate securely, anywhere, anytime, with voice clarity and data transmission speed similar to using a civilian cellphone,” says Manny Mora, vice president and general manager for the Space and Intelligence Systems line of business at General Dynamics Mission Systems. “This capability delivers a whole new level of connectivity for troops in the field.” MUOS was recently deemed operationally effective, operationally survivable, and cyber survivable, following successful completion of its Multiservice Operational Test and Evaluation (MOT&E). This summer's rigorous MOT&E, conducted by the U.S. Navy's Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force, included participation from the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps. Most of the MUOS work will be completed in Scottsdale, Arizona, and completion is expected by November 2029. For more information about General Dynamic Mission System's support to the MUOS program, visit: https://gdmissionsystems.com/satellite-ground-systems/mobile-user-objective-system General Dynamics Mission Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD). For more information about General Dynamics Mission Systems, please visit gdmissionsystems.com and follow us on Twitter @GDMS. View source version on General Dynamics Mission Systems : https://gdmissionsystems.com/articles/2019/11/27/gd-receives-10-year-sustainment-contract-for-next-generation-satellite-communications-system