Friday 31 December 2021

Royal Thai Air Force wants eight F-35

Thomas Pougheon


Air force eyes F-35 stealth jets

New tech 'vital' to modern warfare

PUBLISHED : 31 DEC 2021 AT 04:00

NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS

WRITER: WASSANA NANUAM

 
The Royal Thai Air Force plans to seek around eight F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets from Lockheed Martin in the fiscal year 2023. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

The Royal Thai Air Force is eyeing the procurement of eight US-made F-35 stealth jets, the world's most advanced warplane, to strengthen national defence, said its commander-in-chief ACM Napadej Dhupatemiya.

ACM Napadej said the air force needs a new fleet of fighter jets as the ageing F-5 and F-16 aircraft have been in service for more than three decades.

As aircraft age, maintenance costs and safety risks are likely to increase.

The F-35 jets, manufactured by US defence giant Lockheed Martin, have emerged as the best choice now that costs are lower, down to US$82 million (2.7 billion baht) each from $142 million when the model first hit the market, he said.



With the new Swedish-made Saab Gripen priced at $85 million per unit, Lockheed Martin's product is not out of reach, ACM Napadej said. Depending on negotiations, unit prices of the F-35 can be brought down to just above $70 million each, he said.

ACM Napadej said the budget planning for an F-35 acquisition project will be initiated in the 2023 fiscal year, which started in October, and the air force is prepared to answer all questions if it chooses to press ahead with the purchase.

A panel will be set up to study the aircraft procurement programme to justify the air force's request for funding, he said.

According to ACM Napadej, the air force is not buying weapons but is implementing security to defend the people and the nation's interests. He expressed confidence that if the public is on the same page as the air force, it will support the programme.

Given their technological advantages, the F-35 jets will suit the country's needs to enhance its airpower, a vital part of modern warfare, he said.

The air force is aware of budget constraints brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, noting that it plans to make the purchases in phases and select high-quality products that come with the transfer of technical know-how.

ACM Napadej said the air force is also interested in modern air operations, especially those involving the Loyal Wingman, an unmanned aerial vehicle, in warfare.

Developed by Australia's air force and Boeing, it flies in teams with other aircraft to provide support and it can be fitted with a weapons system, he said.

"We don't require a full fleet of F-35 jets. We may use just eight to 12 and use drones to fly alongside the manned aircraft," ACM Napadej said.

"This will help save costs. This is relatively new but these technologies are likely to develop fast."

"If the air force receives support from the public, including politicians, and if we can afford it, [the air force] will move to upgrade and strengthen its airpower," he said, adding a proposal will be submitted to Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for consideration when it is finalised by the air force.

Under the plan, the new fighter jets would be deployed from the Nakhon Ratchasima-based Wing 1.

Source  bangkokpost.com


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Thursday 30 December 2021

There is an image of a new hypersonic missile for the Su-57

NickJ 1972


Появилось изображение новой гиперзвуковой ракеты для Су-57 — Российская газета

12/29/2021,  09:35

Text:  Anton Valagin



An image of a new hypersonic missile from the arsenal of the fifth generation Su-57 aircraft has appeared on the Web. Commentators suggest that this is "Sharpness" (item 21).

Ammunition lit up on a poster of the Tactical Missiles Corporation, telling about the holding's plans for 2022. Moreover, the Su-57, which simultaneously fires six missiles of different types, illustrates an obscure complex of diagnostics and preparation for combat use of Oka-E-1 aviation ammunition. Judging by the index, these KTRV products are intended for export.

But the picture is still interesting: the tomorrow of Russian aviation ammunition, which is about to come. Left - air-to-air missiles from the Su-57 arsenal: long-range RVV-BD and RVV-SD medium-range. In the second rocket on the right, commentators recognized the Russian-Indian BrahMos with a characteristic air intake. However, there are other opinions.

- Hypersonic "Sharpness", item 21? - suggested Mikhail Zherdev, who published the image.

Very little is known about the hypersonic aircraft air-to-surface missile being developed as part of the Ostrota R&D project. It will be small-sized (matches the picture) and high-precision. A ramjet engine was developed for it, also known so far only under the code "Product 71". Supposed carriers of the missile: front-line bomber Su-34 and long-range missile carrier Tu-22M. Well, since it is compact, it is logical to assume that the Ostrota will also fit into the Su-57's armament bay.


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Wednesday 29 December 2021

New Compact Jamming System Ready for F-16s After Demo Flight

Bruce Smith


New Compact Jamming System Ready for F-16s After Demo Flight


In late October 2021 a Danish F-16 conducted a series of flight demonstrations of the Leonardo Compact Jamming System (CJS) integrated in Terma’s ECIPS-pylon. The two companies are now ready to provide the integrated solution to potential customers.

Fighter jets like the F-16 have a need for protection and the ability to jam enemy radars. The Leonardo CJS-jammer has a small form factor and incorporates modern Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) technology, making it the obvious choice to integrate into the Terma modified F-16 Wing Weapon Pylon while still retaining the full use of the underwing station to carry standard external stores.

“ECIPS-CJS provides F-16 operators with a persistent, gold-standard DRFM jamming capability without taking up a weapons station, so it’s ideal for customers looking for a simple and cost-effective way to equip their aircraft with high-powered protection from radar-guided threats,” said Matt Glanville, Head of Strategic EW Campaigns, Leonardo UK.

Both companies have jointly invested and worked together to develop the concept over the last couple of years and during 2021 the system was tested at Terma and Leonardo System Integration Laboratories:

“Having supported the F-16 warfighter community for over 44 years, supplying over 15.000 pylons and 2.500 ALQ-213 EW Controllers, Terma is excited to be working with Leonardo to bring this advanced self-protection capability to the F-16 warfighter”, stated David Martin, Senior Vice President of Terma Aeronautics.

After thorough laboratory tests were passed successfully, the system was put to the ultimate test onboard a Royal Danish Airforce (RDAF) F-16 operated by the test pilot, “POL”. He conducted safety of flight sorties followed by several performance demonstrations against an RDAF radar test site with a challenging ground threat emitter.

Several different techniques were employed, and after the test flight, “POL” stated: “It has been a very positive experience to be part of the Terma/Leonardo demo programme and I am impressed with the performance of the system, especially since it was the first F-16 flight”.

Terma and Leonardo are now looking forward to discussing more details on the ECIPS-CJS with potential customers.

Source: Terma
Date: Dec 24, 2021

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F-16C/D: Details
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Tuesday 28 December 2021

‘For all the marbles’: Black Hawk replacement decision looms for Sikorsky in 2022

Paul Carter



Alexander Soule

Dec. 25, 2021

Updated: Dec. 26, 2021 2:21 p.m.

STRATFORD — Paul Lemmo is a bit anxious heading into the new year as the Sikorsky president awaits a Pentagon decision that could produce thousands of Connecticut jobs for decades.

With Sikorsky’s Black Hawk the aerial workhorse of the U.S. military for more than 40 years, the Lockheed Martin subsidiary is competing with Bell to win the contract to replace the storied helicopter with a bigger, faster and more powerful alternative under the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft competition.

The Department of Defense has yet to announce when a decision will be made with Lemmo not expecting news of the award before July.

Sikorsky and Boeing are teaming up on Defiant-X, based on a Sikorsky design that has twin, stacked sets of rotors spinning in opposite directions for greater stability, maneuverability and lift. The counter-rotating blades allow Sikorsky to swap out the stabilizing rear rotor on standard helicopters in favor of a propeller to generate greater speed.

Bell is countering with its V-280 Valor, which like its existing Osprey aircraft, takes off like a helicopter then swivels rotors vertically to fly forward like a turbo-prop airplane. Lockheed Martin was a co-developer of the V-280 prior to acquiring Sikorsky in 2015.

Two radically different options for the Department of Defense — and from two manufacturers that made it to the final “fly off” as much based on their ability to deliver as the technical promise of their designs.

“That source selection decision is for all the marbles,” Lemmo said during an interview last week in Stratford. “We certainly feel good — but we certainly will feel nervous about it, coming up on that decision.”

‘Not a cargo-delivery aircraft’

It is the kind of high-stakes competition Connecticut has experienced recently. General Dynamics has been on a hiring boom at its Electric Boat subsidiary in Groton as it prepares to build a fleet of new ballistic missile submarines for the U.S. Navy. After losing out as prime contractor, rival Huntington Ingalls Industries has been relegated to producing portions of the sub that will be barged to the Thames River for final assembly at Electric Boat.

Lemmo says he does not anticipate the Pentagon will propose any shared production with Bell, with the expectation that the contract will be a winner-take-all outcome. Sikorsky and Bell are also competing to make armed scout helicopters for the U.S. Army, with that decision still a few years away.

In touting Sikorsky’s capabilities, Lemmo points to the two assembly lines in Stratford. Running up one side, several Black Hawk helicopters are in varying stages of completion. On the other, Sikorsky workers are piecing together CH-53K King Stallion helicopters that are in the initial echelon of about 200 the Pentagon plans to order for the Marine Corps.

For the King Stallion, Lemmo said Sikorsky is using digital platforms to fuse design, production and maintenance to extend the lifespan of helicopters, and save the Pentagon money in the long run. He said Sikorsky and Boeing plan to refine those techniques further for Defiant X production.

“The innovation going into the manufacturing line, that’s driven by our push to have a digital thread from womb to tomb in our products — from design all the way through sustainment,” Lemmo said. “The learning curve that we would usually experience by the 100th aircraft, we’re now experiencing by the 20th aircraft. The CH-53K — we’ll have a much steeper learning curve than on the Black Hawk.”

Having built more than 4,000 Black Hawks and variants like the Seahawk, Sikorsky has proven it can produce, including during the intensified demands of war.

Sikorsky already has drawn up schematics on how the factory floor would look producing Defiant X helicopters and any other models that the Pentagon might want for across military branches.

“Black Hawks have dominated this assembly line for the last 45 years — what you’re now starting to see is the 53K,” said Michael Ambrose, vice president of enterprise business transformation at Sikorsky. “You’ll see the transition over the next couple of years.”

Workers will remain the most important cog in that factory, according to Bob Perchard, director of manufacturing engineering for Sikorsky, but with digital tools allowing them to assemble parts with exacting precision.

Many of those tools are evident on the floor today, from handheld torque wrenches that tighten rivets to precision specifications, to tablets that allow engineers to illustrate steps for workers to take in troubleshooting any issues that arise during assembly.

For the King Stallion, Defiant X and future models, Sikorsky designers are working to reduce the number of parts going into the helicopter — the Black Hawk has roughly 10,000 — through a number of techniques, including the use of composite materials as a replacement for metal parts. That also helps reduce the weight of the King Stallion, which is the biggest helicopter ever flown by the U.S. military.

The Pentagon’s decision will rest as much with pilots as those who plan out military budgets — and both Defiant-X and Valor have comparative advantages to offer.

Lemmo said while the Defiant-X does not match the Valor’s top speed, the helicopter can swoop into tight landing zones and quickly get back airborne, and maneuver nimbly otherwise while hovering — a key consideration for pilots carrying troops into hostile zones.

“This is a long-range assault mission — that’s what it is, it’s not a cargo-delivery aircraft.” Lemmo said. “In a drag race, their aircraft is faster, no doubt about it. In the total mission time, ours will be faster. It flies like a helicopter — it’ll get there quick and it can get into much tighter spaces, just like a Black Hawk.”

Source ctinsider.com


UH-60M: Details
V-280 Valor Helicopter: Details

Boeing-Sikorsky SB-1 DEFIANT: Details

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This Beastly F-22 Was Reconstructed After Take Off Incident

Raven Harris


This Beastly F-22 Was Reconstructed After Take Off Incident

It took four years to rebuild the powerful jet.


By  Loukia Papadopoulos

Dec 24, 2021 (Updated: Dec 26, 2021 09:29 EST)   

DVIDS

In the past, we have brought you this video on the engineering of an F-22. Now, we have images of the beastly jet's reconstruction courtesy of the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. (DVIDS)

In April 2018, the F-22 07-4146 was damaged due to an incident that involved incorrect takeoff and landing data of the runway length at Fallon Naval Air Station in Nevada. This resulted in the pilot retracting the aircraft's landing gear sooner than they should have, causing the jet to crash back down on the runway. 

Source: DVIDS

Although the pilot was unharmed, the same could not be said about the jet which suffered severe damages. It took nearly four years at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to rebuild the plane but the work is almost done and the images are impressive.

The rebuilding process began with more than a year of running models and simulations to determine whether or not the aircraft was salvageable and to conceive of a plan for repairing it. Once that was done, the crew was ready to go.

Source: DVIDS

“Everything worked out in the simulations, so the aircraft was put in our hangar in January 2020 and put on stands,” U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kevin Fitch said in a DVIDS statement. “That’s when the complete strip started — the wire harnesses, the struts, and the bulkhead. It was down to the bones of the fuselage at that point."

“Contractors, engineers, and structures personnel spent about 16 months replacing almost the whole bottom of the aircraft, the fuselage stations, and more than 40 wire harnesses,” Fitch continued. “Our active-duty guys didn’t start having a hand in the rebuild until June this year.”

Source: DVIDS

The team had to coordinate with multiple different backshops and agencies to get all the parts necessary to build the jet but in the end, the effort and years of work were well worth it. The F-22 should be back in operations soon.

If this story piqued your interest read this one about upgrading the F-22s.

Source interestingengineering.com


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Monday 27 December 2021

Nuclear submarine "Generalissimo Suvorov" was taken out of the boathouse by "Sevmash"

nevnov.ru


Атомную подлодку "Генералиссимус Суворов" вывели из эллинга на "Севмаше" - Армия и ОПК - ТАСС

The company clarified that this nuclear-powered submarine belongs to the fourth generation of nuclear-powered ships of the improved Borey-A project.

© Maxim Vorkunkov / press service of JSC PO Sevmash

MOSCOW, December 25. / TASS /. The second serial missile carrier of the Borei-A project, Generalissimo Suvorov, was withdrawn from the boathouse at Sevmash (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, USC). This was reported to TASS by the press service of PO Sevmash JSC.

"Today, on December 25, at Sevmash, a solemn ceremony of withdrawal from the boathouse of the second serial missile carrier of the Borei-A project, Generalissimus Suvorov, took place," the press service noted.

The event was attended by representatives of the command of the Navy, authorities and industry.

"The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Nikolai Evmenov congratulated the shipbuilders on their next production victory and stressed that the ships of the Borei-A project had already proved their reliability, guarding the country's borders. The construction participants were also congratulated by the Governor of the Arkhangelsk Region Alexander Tsybulsky, Deputy General Director for Military Shipbuilding of USC JSC "Vladimir Korolev and general director of CDB MT Rubin, Igor Vilnit," the press service said.

In "Sevmash" it was reported that the start of the withdrawal of the ship from the boathouse was given by the general director of the enterprise Mikhail Budnichenko. The nuclear submarine "Generalissimo Suvorov" began to move from the boathouse at a speed of 3 m / min. The commander of the nuclear-powered ship, Captain 1st Rank Viktor Artyomov symbolically smashed a bottle of champagne on the side of the ship.

Budnichenko congratulated the shipbuilders of the enterprise, designers of the Central Design Bureau "MT" Rubin ", representatives of the Military Representation and contractor organizations on an important production event and stressed that this year was not an easy one for the enterprise." We worked without holidays and weekends to fulfill the acceptance program. Just four days ago, Sevmash hosteda big event - the transfer to the Navy of two nuclear submarines at once. This has not happened in domestic nuclear shipbuilding for 50 years. The launch of the combat service of the nuclear submarines "Prince Oleg" and "Novosibirsk" was given by President Vladimir Putin. And today we have another important production event. The second ship of the Borey-A project, Generalissimo Suvorov, has approached a new stage of construction - the beginning of a large test cycle. At the embankment of the enterprise and in the sea, the nuclear submarine will be tested in all modes, "the press service quoted Budnichenko as saying.

"Generalissimo Suvorov"

Sevmash clarified that the nuclear-powered submarine Generalissimus Suvorov belongs to the fourth generation of nuclear-powered ships of the improved Borei-A project (designed by the Rubin St. Petersburg Central Design Bureau of Marine Engineering).

"Fundamentally new technical solutions have been implemented in the project, equipment has been improved, the level of physical fields has been increased, safety has been increased, a complex of work on import substitution has been carried out. The agro-industrial complex" Generalissimus Suvorov "was laid down at Sevmash on December 26, 2014," the message says.

The lead ship of the Borey-A project, Knyaz Vladimir, was built at PO Sevmash JSC and transferred to the fleet on June 12, 2020. The first serial missile carrier Knyaz Oleg was transferred to the Navy on December 21, 2021.

This year "Sevmash" handed over to the fleet three nuclear submarines: "Kazan", "Prince Oleg", "Novosibirsk". The nuclear submarines Krasnoyarsk and Generalissimus Suvorov were taken out of the boathouse, two more nuclear submarines - Dmitry Donskoy and Prince Potemkin - were laid down on the slipway.


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Thursday 23 December 2021

Hudong Shipyard launched three warships today, one for China navy , one for Thai Navy and one for Pakistan Navy

Kunlunshan (Hull 998) / Photo by Liu Jian / chinamil.com.


 彩云香江 on Twitter: "Hudong Shipyard launched three warships today, one for #China navy , one for #Thai Navy and one for #Pakistan Navy. 🇨🇳 (Images via HSH) https://t.co/6ZYLbkRRUn" / Twitter




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First F-35C on USS George HW Bush

F-35C / U.S. Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Erin C. Zorich



from EDITORIAL

DECEMBER 18, 2021



On December 12, 2021, the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush (CVN 77) launched and recovered an F-35C Lightning II aircraft for the first time.

“I am proud of the work our team is doing every day to operate at sea and to increase warfare and naval aviation capability , ” said Captain Robert Aguilar, commander of USS George HW Bush (CVN 77). “As we relentlessly prepare to advance the interests of the nation, we also keep an open bridge to support fleet-level training and qualifications. We know our mission and we will carry it out ”.

The launch and recovery of the F-35Cs from the HW Bush aircraft carrier also have special significance for the ship. The ship's seal features the outline of three planes; a P-3 Avenger plane, the plane that President George HW Bush flew in World War II, the silhouette of an F / A-18 and an F-35C. When the ship was commissioned in 2009, this represented the past, present and future of naval aviation. This week, that idea of ​​the future of naval air warfare became a reality with more than a hundred launches and recoveries of the Lightning II. This important milestone comes as the Navy approaches the centennial of aircraft carriers in 2022.

The CVN 77 aircraft carrier provides the national command authority with flexible and customizable warfare capabilities as the flagship of an aircraft carrier strike group that maintains maritime stability and security to ensure access, deter aggression and defend the interests of the United States, allies and partners.


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Retrofit kit for US Navy and Royal Australian Air Force Super Hornet and Growler satellite communications systems

Kevin Martin


Kit di retrofit per sistemi di comunicazione satellitare dei Super Hornet e Growler dell'US Navy e Royal Australian Air Force

from AURELIO GIANSIRACUSA

DECEMBER 22, 2021

The Boeing Company obtains an amendment worth approximately $ 9.5 million from the United States Department of Defense, against a previously awarded contract, to provide 94 retrofit kits for satellite communications systems, including 82 for the US Navy (32 for EA-18G aircraft; 25 for F / A-18E aircraft and 25 for F / A-18F aircraft) and 12 for Royal Australian Air Force AEA-18G aircraft. 

USAF photo

The works will be carried out in El Segundo in California (for 80%) and in St. Louis, Missouri (for the remaining 20%), and is expected to be completed in April 2025.

The contracting station is Naval Air Systems Command of Patuxent River in Maryland.

The Royal Australian Air Force, over 24 Boeing F / A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighter bomber fighters, also purchased 12 EA-18G Growlers (named localmenye AEA-18G) for electronic warfare, escort and suppression of anti-aircraft defense missions.

One of the twelve AEA-18G aircraft under the RAAF was lost in January 2018; this aircraft will be replaced with a new production aircraft which was ordered in September 2021.


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Wednesday 22 December 2021

Another submarine of the Borey-A project became part of the Navy

RIA Novosti / © Pavel Lvov


Очередная подлодка проекта "Борей-А" вошла в состав Военно-морского флота - РИА Новости, 21.12.2021

Another submarine of the Borey-A project, armed with Bulava, was accepted into the Navy

© RIA Novosti / Oleg Kuleshov Go to the photo bank


MOSCOW, December 21 - RIA Novosti. The Borey-A submarine with Bulava ballistic missiles has been admitted to the Navy, said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu .

"The Navy has accepted another nuclear-powered submarine of the Borei-A project, armed with Bulava ballistic missiles," Shoigu said at an expanded meeting of the Defense Ministry board with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin .


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