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Defense Update
News Analysis:
Having passed the tragic milestone of 4,000 Americans killed,
world focus is once again, on the war in Iraq. 
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Recently
published Headlines:
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 French
Special Forces Select Israeli Skylark I Mini UAVs from Elbit
Elbit Systems will supply Skylark
I mini UAVs to the French Special Forces. Ten of the
world's leading UAV providers competed for this tender,
which could lead to future procurement by other branches
of the French Armed Forces. Haim Kellerman, General Manager
of Elbit Systems UAV Division and Corporate Vice President,
is hopeful the new agreement will pave Elbit System's way
to the French market. Kellerman hopes that this win will
be followed by further agreements with European NATO member
countries. Skylark I systems demonstrated their effectiveness
during the 2006 Lebanon War and are currently deployed by
several countries as part of the coalition forces in Afghanistan
and Iraq.
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The Phoenix unmanned aerial vehicles is officially withdrawn
from active service with the British Army this month. The
32 Regiment Royal Artillery, the army's tactical unmanned
air vehicle (UAV) regiment retired the UAV in an official
parade at its barracks on March 20, 2008. The 32 regiment
operates two batteries, the 22 (Gibralter) Battery and 57
(Bhurtpore) Battery. These units are currently operating
Desert Hawk 3
mini UAVs and larger, more capable Hermes
450, acting as interim replacements for the Watchkeeper
UAV, to be fielded by 2010. The Royal Air Force also
operates three larger Predator
B (Reaper) in Afghanistan.
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Testing of the Meteor Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air/Air
Missile (BVRAAM) developed by MBDA continue in Sweden. The
recent missile test flights were conducted by Gripen fighter
aircraft on 6 March, as the Meteor was fired at an MQM-107B
‘Streaker’ high-subsonic subscale aerial target
at the Vidsel Missile Test Range in Sweden. This test concluded
a series of development firings to prove the overall performance
of the missile and its various subsystems in terms of guidance,
propulsion, data link and fuse. The next phase in the program
will test fully capable pre-series production missiles.
These tests will commence towards the end of 2008 and will
continue progressively through to the end of the development
program by late 2011.
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The Pentagon released last week (March 14, 2008) five
new contracts for the dlivery of 2,243 Mine Resistant Ambush
Protected (MRAP) vehicles at a total value of these contracts
is over $1.14 billion. These new orders will to be completed
by November 2008. Sharing these new orders are BAE Systems,
International Military and Government LLC (IMG), and, to
a lesser volume – Force Protection International.
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L-3 Infrared Products is developing a new line of uncooled
thermal imaging products called Thermal-Eye 'Series 17'.
According to Mike Studer, VP Marketing, L-3 Infrared Products,
the new line is based on a new and promising technology
called 'Amorphous Silicon' representing new and revolutionary
sensing capabilities.
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ICx
Technologies to Develop a new Radar for GDRS's Patrol Robot
Sensor technology specialist ICx Technologies (NASDAQ:ICXT)
will develop a new Intruder Detection Radar Sensor for General
Dynamics Robotic Systems (GDRS)' Mobile
Detection Assessment and Response System (MDARS) robotic
patrol vehicle. The new radar will be based on ICx Technologies’
STS-350 radar system, added with higher angle scanning and
extended range capability. The initial award is for five
systems, with additional quantities in the out years.
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The Boeing Company has been awarded a $130 million U.S.
Air Force contract to upgrade 16 Air Force and Air National
Guard F-15C Eagles with the APG-63(v)3 Active
Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. This contract
follows a similar agreement signed in September 2007 to
equip seven aircraft. Raytheon, The radar producer's share
of this contract will be about $89.5 million. According
to Jim Means, director of proprietary programs for Boeing
Global Strike Systems, the new orders extend the APG-63(V)3
upgrade program through 2010.
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MQ-8B
Fire Scout to Demonstrate Maritime Search Radar Operability
The U.S. Navy has decided to commit funds in 2009 to develop
a radar capability on Fire
Scout. The VTUAV has already demonstrated radar capability
in 2003, flying General Atomics Lynx Radar on the early
version of the early FireScout version, the RQ-8A. A similar
demonstration is now scheduled on a more advanced RQ-8B,
carrying the Telephonics RDR-1700B maritime surveillance
and imaging radar and an electro-optical/infrared system.
The purpose of the demonstration is to demonstrate the operational
advantage for on-board radar.
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The GE-Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team recently completed
a high-altitude afterburner testing program of the F136
engine. This engine is scheduled to begin flight testing
in the F-35 in 2010 with continued test and development
through 2013; the first production F136 engines are scheduled
to be delivered in 2012 for the F-35 Lightning II aircraft,
to be available for the fourth lot of F-35 aircraft production.
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A new submarine rescue system, owned jointly by France,
Norway and the UK, has successfully completed trials off
the coast of Norway. When it comes into service it promises
to offer a complete rescue package for trapped submariners,
should the unthinkable happen on their submarine, anywhere
in the world. The new submersible vehicle will be complement
the new US Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System
based in San Diego. Both are due in service this year, are
capable of worldwide deployment and will be available to
all submarine-operating nations.
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Ensign-Bickford
to Supply Reactive Armor for the Abrams Tank
Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Co. was awarded
$69 million firm-fixed price contract for the delivery of
485 XM19 Abrams reactive armor tile sets. The work is expected
to be completed by June 2009. The Army evaluated two bids
for this program. About two years ago General Dynamics ATP
received the first contract for the supply of reactive tiles
for the Abrams tank.
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 The
U.S. Army is increasing the number of 8x8 Heavy Expanded
Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) it is ordering from Oshkosh,
adding $321 million to a contract awarded in early February
2008. The contract modification is funding a total production
lot of 1,745 HEMTT A4 heavy trucks.
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Puma
Small UAV Flys 9 hour Mission Powered by Fuel-Cell Technology
AeroVironment recently demonstrated unprecedented endurance
record for a electrically powered, small unmanned aerial
vehicle (SUAV), flying the Puma on a continuous mission
lasting nine hours. The SUAV was powered by an onboard fuel
cell battery hybrid energy storage system. The flight demonstration
was part of an ongoing US Air Force Research Laboratory
(AFRL) small business innovation research (SBIR) program
pursuing advanced energy storage and propulsion technologies
for unmanned aircraft. The battery pack, power electronics
and controls was developed by AeroVironment, utilizing a
hybrid energy storage system based on Protonex Technology
Corporation’s Pulse UAV fuel cell. Previous tests
utilizing the system, performed in May and July 2007, achieved
five and seven hour mission endurance.
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Australia
cancells the SH-2G(A) SeaSprite Helicopter Program
The Australian Government announced its intention to cancel
the SH-2G(A) Seasprite helicopters from the US company Kaman.
After 11 years in the process, none of the 11 refurbished
ex US Navy SH-2F helicopters is operational. In the near
term the Australian Navy will improving the operational
availability of the current Seahawk fleet. For the longer
term, a planned replacement of the SH-60B will be outlined.
Kaman Corp, the helicopter's manufacturer confirmed receiving
an Australian request to negotiate the program termination
on mutually agreed terms. Sofar Australia already paid the
majority of the A$1.3 billion cost of the program.
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The first prototype of the Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E multi-role
fighter made its first flight on February 19, 2008. Flown
by Sukhoi test pilot Sergey Bogdan from Zhukovsky airfield
near Moscow, the Super Flanker's flight lasted 50 minutes.
Two additional planes are currently being completed at the
United Aircraft Corporation's plants in the Russian Far
East, and on schedule to join the test flight, in anticipation
for delivery of the first aircraft (designated Su-27SM2)
to the Russian Air Force by 2010 and achieving initial operational
capability a year later. Export deliveries are planned a
short while thereafter.
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British
Warriors Get New Armor
Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles operated by the British
Scots Guards, operating under the command of the 4 Mechanized
Brigade in Iraq has received a major boost with the introduction
of the new 'Wrap Two' armor kit. The new armor replaced
the bar armor (slat) previously used to augment the Warrior's
protection against shaped-charge threats. The new armor
improves the vehicle's survivability to roadside improvised
attacks (RSIED) as well as RPGs and other shaped-charge
attacks.
(Photo: Carl Schulze VS-Books)
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Force
Protection to Deliver Cougars, Buffalos to NATO Armies
The British MOD is buying 174 additional Mastiff heavy
armored vehicles from Force protection, under a new order
worth $115 million. These vehicles will be supplied by the
end of the current year (December 2008). The British forces
are using the Mastiffs for patrol, troop transportation
and convoy protection in Afghanistan. Force Protection will
also deliver six Cougar 6x6 transport vehicles and four
Buffalo route clearance vehicles to the Italian Ministry
of Defense. The vehicles will be delivered in July 2008.
Italy and France share the command of the U.N. peacekeeping
force in Lebanon. In past months, these forces suffered
several casualties under a series of attacks by roadside
and vehicle borne IEDs.
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India's major arms procurement programs are discussed in
this overview of the hot topics at Defexpo 2008, India's
bi-annual arms bazzar. A more comprehensive report of Defexpo
and Singapore Airshow will be published just after these
upcoming events.
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Tehran successfully launched an experimental research rocket
called Explorer-1 last week. According to Iranian information,
the new launcher will be able to carry a small satellite
into orbit. According to the Iranians, the Explorer-1 was
launched to determine the exact orbital position for the
satellite. Tehran unveiled the first indigenous satellite
called Omid (Hope). According to Iranian plans, Omid will
be launched by March 2009 and operate in low-earth orbit,
hinting on the potential use of the satellite for strategic,
earth observation mission (reconnaissance).
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General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded a first
order, under a multi-year upgrade modernization of 435 M1A1
Abrams main battle tanks into M1A2
Systems Enhancement Package (SEP) Version Two (V2) configuration.
The first increment of this multi-year contract is valued
at $39 million, funding upgrades for 20 M1A1 Abrams tanks.
An earlier $12.4 award announced in January million funded
parts for this upgrade.
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The U.S. Navy awarded three industry teams $1.25 million
five month contracts (each), to help develop the system
concept for the Navy's EPX – the future manned SIGINT
platform expected to replace the current EP-3. Planned as
a replacement for the EP-3 Aries aircraft, the EPX will
be a manned multi-mission, multi-intelligence, surveillance,
reconnaissance and targeting (ISR&T) platform.
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Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Space & Mission
Systems were awarded $8.6 and $5.9 million contracts (respectively)
to design prototype hardware for EAPS Battle Element. Both
companies are expected to present their competing systems
to the Army by the end of 2012. A parallel Israeli program
is in more advanced stages, with RAFAEL expecting to conduct
initial test demonstrations of the Iron-Dome Wide Area Counter-RAM
system later this year. In Novebmer 2007 Raytheon was contracted
by the pentagon to build 12 Centurion units to protect coalition
operating bases in Iraq. In this role, the LPWS is integrated
with counter-battery radar systems such as TPQ-36/37 which
will be augmented in the future multi-mission radar known
as EPQ-36.
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The U.S. Army exercised an option for additional procurement
of RQ-11B Raven Small Unmanned
Aerial Systems (SUAS) from AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:
AVAV). The total award value is $45.8 million. Each Raven
system typically consists of three aircraft, a ground control
station, system spares, and related services. and is fully
funded.
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