MBDA unveils Team Tempest weapon system concepts

baesystems.com

MBDA unveils Team Tempest weapon system concepts | Jane's 360

MBDA in the United Kingdom, in collaboration with its partners in Team Tempest, has unveiled a range of advanced weapon system concepts designed to complement and exploit the technologies that will inform the development of a sixth-generation fighter platform under the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) Future Combat Air System Technology Initiative.

MBDA

Team Tempest is a UK government-industry partnership comprising MoD personnel from the Royal Air Force (RAF) Rapid Capabilities Office, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Defence Equipment & Support and industry partners, BAE Systems, Leonardo, MBDA, and Rolls-Royce.

"We are looking at how future weapons concepts and the future platform can work together," Chris Allard, group head of surface attack and future systems at MBDA, told Jane's . "Rather than the more traditional approach, where we integrate weapons after the platform has been designed, we are now looking at how we can design the weapons and the platform together to optimise overall mission effectiveness. Being involved in the development of novel interfaces, bay designs, and integration processes will be a key enabler to the spiral development of complementing effectors in the future," he added.

Working with Leonardo and BAE Systems, MBDA is advancing a hard-kill defensive aid system (HK-DAS) concept as part of the platform's integrated defensive system. Designed to track, target, and intercept incoming missiles, HK-DAS is a compact < 1 m length, 10 kg-class imaging infrared (IIR) hit-to-kill missile, released from launchers integrated within the platform airframe. In keeping with its commonality, modularity, and reuse principle, the company is also considering, as part of the same conceptual family, a scalable Ground Attack Micromissile in the same form factor, but furnished with a small explosive payload to enable a close-air support role from the platform.

In the air-to-air domain, leveraging its current in-service 88 kg class, 166 mm calibre, IR-homing Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) technologies, MBDA is exploring new within-visual-range air-to-air missile (WVRAAM) concepts.

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Lockheed Gets $353M IDIQ Modification for F-35 Helmet Display Procurement

F-35B - pinterest.com

Lockheed Gets $353M IDIQ Modification for F-35 Helmet Display Procurement – GovCon Wire: 

Lockheed Martin’s (NYSE: LMT) aeronautics business will obtain updated helmet mounted display systems for the F-35 program under a $352.7M U.S. Navy contract modification.

The modification will cover the procurement of lots 12 to 14 of third-generation helmet displays and increase the ceiling value of a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, the Department of Defense said Monday.

F-35's Generation 3 display system is designed to help fighter pilots visualize data for situational awareness and features a distributed aperture system for relaying imagery in real time from infrared cameras.

Work under the latest award will take place in Fort Worth, Texas, through December 2020.


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F/A-18 and EA-18 reach 80% mission capability as F-35 struggles

salute.org

F/A-18 and EA-18 reach 80% mission capability as F-35 struggles

The US Navy’s (USN) Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler have surpassed an 80% mission capability rate, complying with a directive set by former defense secretary Jim Mattis last year.

But the USN’s premier fighter aircraft, the Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II carrier variant, will not reach the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) 80% goal, the USN announced on 24 September.

Defense secretary Mark Esper told the US Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing in July that was partly the result of transparency (canopy) supply shortages, among other issues.

The USN says the mission capability rate for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G was at about 50% last year. An 80% rate translates into 343 mission-capable F/A-18E/F fighters and 95 mission-capable EA-18G fighters, says the service.

Mattis in 2018 had called for US fighter and strike aircraft to exceed an 80% capability rate by September 2019.

Mission capability rates are the percent of fleets able to perform at least one assigned mission over a period of time. The rate is important as it gives the DOD a rough understanding of how ready any fleet of aircraft is to conduct combat missions.

The USN says it boosted mission capability rates by borrowing best practices from the commercial industry, which resulted in better maintenance practices. Esper said in his hearing that those reforms included periodic inspections, adding extra maintenance personnel, improving the process for component production and bettering supply chain data collection and circulation.

The US Air Force’s (USAF) Lockheed Martin F-16 is also expected to reach a mission capability rate of 80%.

In addition to the USN’s F-35C, the USAF’s F-35A conventional variant and US Marine Corps’ F-35B short take-off and landing variant are expected to miss the mission capability rate goal. So too, is the USAF’s fleet of Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors, which are suffering from lack of low-observable maintenance capacity, made worse by damage at Tyndall Air Force Base from the effects of Hurricane Michael in October 2018, said Esper.


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Bell Hopeful of Philippines Deal as APAC Region Seeks More Attack Helicopters

U.S. Navy

Bell Hopeful of Philippines Deal as APAC Region Seeks More Attack Helicopters | Defense News: Aviation International News: 

Despite selecting the T129, the Philippines could turn to Bell for attack helicopters, while the AH-1 is in the running for other Asia-Pacific requirements

Helicopter OEM Bell is still in talks with the Philippines even as its defense ministry’s technical working group has recommended the Turkish Aerospace (TAI) T129 ATAK. Although the program is now in a relatively ambiguous state, Victor Chin, Bell senior manager of global military sales and strategy confirmed that the U.S. company is still in talks with Manila.

Although no formal contract has been signed for the T129, the deal is in jeopardy as Turkish Aerospace currently cannot get the LHTEC T800-4A turboshaft engine imported. LHTEC, a joint venture between Honeywell and Rolls-Royce, is prevented from exporting the T800 to Turkey under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The diplomatic dispute continues with the United States after Turkey proceeded with its acquisition of the Russian S-400 SAM missile system. The Philippines believes it can afford eight to 10 ATAKs based on its budget.

As the Philippines is also in the process of receiving two ex-Jordanian AH-1Ss, Chin thinks that surplus AH-1Ws sold under the DoD FMS or DMS could be the short-term solution for the nation, followed by the AH-1Z Viper as its long-term plan. He said that, as a treaty ally, the Philippines must also consider the interoperability of the helicopter and its armament with NATO standards.

Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region, countries such as Australia, Japan, and South Korea all have announced RFIs to acquire attack helicopters to be stationed on amphibious vessels, or to protect their maritime interests. Japan is looking to replace its legacy AH-1Ss for the Japan Ground Self Defense Force’s amphibious brigade, which is modeled after the U.S. Marine Corps. These helicopters will be used for island defense and also posted on ships. Similarly, the South Korea Marine Corp (ROKMC) is considering 24 attack helicopters for its two Dokdo-class amphibious helicopter carriers, alongside the locally-built Surion utility helicopter.

Australia has issued an RFI for 29 attack helicopters to replace 22 Airbus Helicopter Tigers and has highlighted the need for them to be embarked for long periods of time on Canberra-class amphibious assault ships. During an AIN visit to U.S. Marine Corps squadron HMLA-169 at MCAS Futenma in Okinawa, the squadron commented that an Australian Defence Force officer was attached to the squadron for an extended period of time, and had attained one of the highest levels of qualification on the AH-1Z platform.

Bell has offered the AH-1Z to meet all three RFIs, and believes that the marinized features of the helicopter make it the most suitable option for shipborne operations. Chin, a former Marine CH-46 pilot, said, “While anyone can land helicopters on ships, it takes great consideration for prolonged operations.” He averred that these navies would have to consider factors such as ship roll, electromagnetic environment protection, and sealing from the elements; all of which are built into the Viper at the factory. These features include tie-down hooks, zinc chromate primer and seals, and rotor brakes to prevent rotor damage from strong winds on the high seas.

In the meantime, Naval Air Systems Command issued an RFI to industry on September 16 to consider concepts for a new generation of Marine Corps rotary-wing aircraft. The Attack Utility Replacement Aircraft (AURA) would come in both attack and utility versions with considerable commonality, and is intended to replace the UH-1Y and AH-1Z. The specifications are similar to those issued by the U.S. Army for its Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), and it is expected that variants of the Bell V-280 Valor and Sikorsky/Boeing SB>1 Defiant would be proposed for AURA.


List: Philippine Air Force defense acquisitions and contracts in 2019

T129 Attack Helicopter: Details
AH-1Z Viper: Details

Royal Thai Navy holds Ship Delivery Ceremony HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan - กองทัพเรือจัดพิธีรับมอบเรือหลวงประจวบคีรีขันธ์ - YouTube

HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan - SATTAHIP NEWS

กองทัพเรือจัดพิธีรับมอบเรือหลวงประจวบคีรีขันธ์ - YouTube

HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan  - SATTAHIP NEWS

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Israeli military aircraft flew near the base of the Russian Navy

airforce-technology.com

Syria News September 26, 2019. Israeli military aircraft flew near the base of the Russian Navy, CAA strikes, but does not attack: 

Translated by google

Provocative flight?

Despite the existing agreements between Russia and Israel regarding Syria, several hours ago, an Israeli military reconnaissance aircraft was seen near the Russian military base in Tartus, approaching the Russian Navy base at a distance of 60-65 kilometers.

The exact purpose of the Israeli military aircraft flying near the base of the Russian navy is not known, but experts believe that Tel Aviv is interested in deploying and activating both Russian and Syrian air defense systems, which, obviously, also indicates early possible attacks Israel on the territory of the SAR.

There are blows, no offensive

Syrian troops continue to strike at militant positions in the provinces of Latakia and Idlib, however, at the moment, there is no talk of resuming the offensive operation, due primarily to the lack of appropriate support from the air forces.

On the other hand, experts note that the initial task of the completed offensive operation was to ensure the security of Russian military bases, since the Russian side continues to adhere to the agreements on the creation of a de-escalation zone in Idlib.

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The 22nd Destroyer Type 052D was launched today at Jiangnan Changxing Shipyard

East Pendulum

Rick Joe on Twitter: "If the 22nd overall 052D was launched at JN, let's remember JN launched 5th overall 055 around 12th September too. ~2 weeks between launches at JN; not bad -- a plus of having more than one DDG line. Question is; will JN or DL be able to launch more DDGs before the year is out? https://t.co/yYkTksPc02" / Twitter: 

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