Rapid Fire Nov. 30, 2012: US Senate Gets Closer to NDAA

Desk Iron Dome. Make it happen.
Ash is going to be SO jealous!

If you throw pens at Leon Panetta’s desk, the small Iron Dome replica he received as a gift from Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak won’t shoot to intercept. Panetta hid his disappointment gracefully but he would not say whether the anti-rocket system (marketed at full size by Raytheon in the US) would end up on the FY14 budget request. Joint press conference transcript.

Australia’s Submarine Program in the Dock

Buoy oh buoy…

The January 2010 failure of a generator aboard HMAS Farncomb was just the latest in a long history of problems faced by its fleet of 6 Collins Class diesel-electric submarines – which have sometimes been reduced to just 1 operational vessel. That readiness issue presents an immediate financial headache for Australia’s government, and adds a longer-term challenge to the centerpiece of Australia’s future naval force.

With just 6 submarines in its fleet, Australia’s current deployment set-up leaves little room for error. Even a normal setup of 2 in maintenance, 2 for training but available if needed, and 2 on operations makes for a thin line, given Australia’s long coastline and sea lanes. Almost 15 years after the first Collins Class boat was delivered, they are still short of this goal. When crewing problems are added to the mechanical issues, the failings of its current fleet are creating sharp questions about the Australia’s 2009 White Paper plan to build 12 new diesel-electric fast attack submarines, as the future centerpiece of the 2030 Australian Navy.

Rapid Fire Nov. 29, 2012: US Helicopter Prospects

• Sikorsky remains upbeat on the chances that the Pentagon will fund Combat Rescue Helicopters as well as a “Future Vertical Lift” combat helo program. US Defense Undersecretary Frank Kendall told investors gathered at a Credit Suisse event that he would indeed like to fund at least initial development work in that area, if only to sustain the industrial base.

• China’s Wanxiang Group would like to acquire A123 Systems Inc, a bankrupt manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries that can be used in civilian and military vehicles. But they are facing objections from several sources, from the US federal government – because of pending grants to the company – to the Strategic Materials Advisory Council, an advocacy group for the American industry which fears [PDF] that dual-use technology will end up being reverse-engineered in China.

Saudi Arabia Orders $600M+ National Command System

Saudi Arabia

In late November 2012, Raytheon announced a $600+ million contract to deliver a national-level Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) system to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Raytheon Network Centric Systems was awarded the deal as a Direct Commercial Sale, which means that the Saudi Ministry of Defense will manage the buy and the implementation project themselves. This is in contrast to the Foreign Military Sale process, which routes contract negotiations and management through a selected department of the US military.

None of this is any kind of magic. Poor command and poor training, coupled with the best C4I system money can buy, just means that your military can watch itself lose conventional fights in near-real time. Having said that, a system that removes some of the “fog of war” can help a force possessing basic or better competence, and national-level C4I is critical to any nation considering missile defense. So, what do the Saudis want?

Rapid Fire Nov. 28, 2012: Autonomous Systems Must Be Kept on Short Leash

• The US Department of Defense released directive 3000.09 [PDF] stating that autonomous weapon systems are to be designed in a way that ensures humans call the shots:

“Semi-autonomous weapon systems that are onboard or integrated with unmanned platforms must be designed such that, in the event of degraded or lost communications, the system does not autonomously select and engage individual targets or specific target groups that have not been previously selected by an authorized human operator.”

• The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) think tank ran a series of budgeting simulations last summer that required its participants to make meaningful choices and tradeoffs in a way that tries to preserve strategic interests within budget constraints. Navigating Austerity [PDF]. Their tool was set up to force the consideration of weapon systems and force structure elements to be funded (or not). Too often budget discussions are either too broad (procurement vs. R&D vs. maintenance as if they were lump sums) or too granular and parochial (don’t you dare touch this program in my county!).

2012: $300M CLSSA to Support Saudis’ “American Brigade”

Saudi Humvee,
Mogadishu 1993

Nov 26/12: The US DSCA announces [PDF] Saudi Arabia’s intent to buy blanket order requisitions, under a Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Agreement (CLSSA). The Government of Saudi Arabia wants to be able to issue these blanket order requisitions under the CLSSA for spare parts in support of its M1A2/S Abrams Tanks, M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs), construction equipment, and support vehicles and equipment in the inventory of the Royal Saudi Land Forces Ordnance Corps.

AMDR Competition: The USA’s Next Dual-Band Radar

DBR testbed, Wallops

The US Navy’s Dual-Band Radar that equips its forthcoming 14,500t Zumwalt class“destroyers” and Gerald R. Ford class super-carriers replaces several different radars with a single back-end. Merging Raytheon’s X-band SPY-3 with Lockheed Martin’s S-band VSR allows fewer radar antennas, faster response time, faster adaptation to new situations, one-step upgrades to the radar suite as a whole, and better utilization of the ship’s power, electronics, and bandwidth.

Rather than using the existing Dual-Band Radar design in new ships, however, the “Air and Missile Defense Radar” (AMDR) aimed to fulfill future CG (X)/ DG-51 Flight III cruiser needs through a new competition. It could end up being a big deal for the winning radar manufacturer, and for the fleet. If, and only if, the technical, power, and weight challenges can be mastered at an affordable price.

Heavy Lifting Down Under: Australia Buys C-17s

C-17 #1 Arrives

In March 2006, the Australian government announced that the Australian Defence Forces would acquire up to 4 new Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlift planes and associated equipment for A$ 2 billion ($1.49 billion then conversion). In April 2011, Australia upped their order to 5 aircraft, and will soon add a 6th plane to their fleet.

Since that first contract, RAAF C-17As have been rolling off the assembly line, arriving on or ahead of schedule, and flying the (un)friendly skies to support Australia’s military and humanitarian efforts around the globe. The first plane arrived in Australia in December 2006, and the 4th plane arrived in March 2008. Even that didn’t mean C-17 expenses were done. Ongoing maintenance, training facilities, and more must still be paid for, and Australia liked the Globemasters so much that it decided to buy more. DID chronicles the entire process, and its associated contracts.

Rapid Fire Nov. 27, 2012: Land Mobile Radio Systems

• The US Army is working on a draft RFP for Land Mobile Radio Systems (LMRS) for a maximum combined value of $228.6M over 3 years. No industry day is planned, rather interested contractors can book a teleconference with the contracting officer by December 3rd. ASFI | FBO.

• Debate on the US Senate floor to consider the FY13 defense authorization bill may finally start tomorrow, as Republicans sort out their differences on the detention of US citizens accused of terrorism. Roll Call.

• The fact that USS Nimitz’ deployment to the Persian Gulf has been delayed because of propulsion repairs is worrying some observers, while others remain unfazed.

Blast Hounds: UK Land Forces Order Mine-Resistant Vehicles

Mastiff, Afghanistan

In 2006 Britain started purchasing a trio of very different vehicles intended to upgrade the survivability of army patrols in high-threat areas, as part of a general trend among Western militaries toward high-survivability vehicle designs. One of those purchase sets involved blast-resistant, v-hulled wheeled vehicles from US-based Force Protection, in conjunction with its British partners.

Specific figures were not given initially – but those figures have emerged over time, along with field experience to back up the initial pros and cons of Britain’s modified Cougar design. Force Protection Inc. ramped up production capacity to produce the “Mastiff Protected Patrol Vehicles” – and now finds itself in the position of having Britain and Iraq as its most important customers. Britain originally chose Force Protection’s Cougar vehicles over BAE’s RG-33 family, and has elected to continue that trend by adding the 4×4 “Ridgeback” patrol vehicles, 6×6 “Wolfhound” cargo variants, and now the modular 4×4 “Foxhound” light patrol vehicle.