Army C-RAM Intercepts 100th Mortar Bomb in Iraq

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May 21, 2008

The U.S. Army announced its counter mortar weapon systems successfully intercepted 100 enemy fired mortar bombs protecting multi-national Corps Iraq assets. The Centurion systems, a ground based version of the 20mm Naval Phalanx point defense weapon was declared initial operational capable in July 2005. It scored its first intercept in March 2006. Since then, C-RAM system deployed in theater provided over 1,500 localized warnings, allowing troops time to take protective cover.

Systems are currently developed as an Integrated Base Defense System of Systems, protecting a training base, combat training centers and selected U.S. and Coalition forward operating bases in Iraq. In each deployment the capabilities of C-RAM are tailored specifically to the location.

“Defeating the RAM threat is not accomplished by any one piece of equipment, tactic, organizational or individual effort, but by a comprehensive effort with many contributing sources,” said C-RAM Program director, Michael J. Van Rassen. He explains that C-RAM effects are not necessarily only kinetic. In addition to the kinetic effect (target kill) the system proved valuable when its data could enhance situational awareness, and, with timely distribution of data, has made it possible for soldiers to kill or capture enemy units firing on coalition forces. The system also proved its capability to integrate with airspace management as it automatically aborted intercepts to preclude endangering friendly aircraft from rounds fired by C-RAM’s intercept system. The current C-RAM system comprises existing field artillery and air defense sensors, a commercial industry produced warning system, and the Phalanx guns. The system is tied to various response systems via U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps and Army battle command systems.

The C-RAM program was initiated at the request of the U.S. Army Chief of Staff in May 2004. C-RAM has been on a rapid development path, conducting its proof of principle test in November 2004 which was followed by a series of spiral developments, operational demonstrations, and staged deployments beginning in 2005.

After initially rejecting the Centurion as a possible countermeasure that could defeat rocket attacks from Gaza, Israel Ministry of Defense reassessed its position and has ordered one system for evaluation in country. According to initial plans, several systems would be required to protect an area the size of the city of Sderot, which suffers daily Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza strip for the past seven years.

British MoD Gives Go-Ahead to Navy Carriers

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May 21, 2008

The Ministry of Defence today gave industry the green light that it was ready to go-ahead with contract signature for the two new super aircraft carriers. Industry is now expected to press ahead with forming the joint venture company that will help build the carriers. The joint venture is expected to be formed by BAE Systems and VT Group will be a key member of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance of companies which will construct and assemble the new carriers at shipyards in Portsmouth, Barrow-in-Furness, Glasgow and Rosyth. Other major suppliers, expected to join the Alliance include Babcock, Thales UK, BAE Systems Submarine Solutions at Barrow and BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies (Insyte).

The carriers, to be named HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and HMS PRINCE OF WALES, will be the biggest and most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK. Once they enter service in 2014 and 2016 respectively they are expected to remain in the fleet for up to fifty years.

“Today’s confirmation that we are proceeding with the two aircraft carriers underlines our commitment to both the Royal Navy and to the UK shipbuilding industry.” Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Baroness Taylor, said “We are investing about £14bn in the Navy and in the maritime industry over the next ten to fifteen years. The future carriers will provide an important military capability and will sustain many jobs – around 10,000 at the peak of production.”

The new carriers are planned to be about 280m long by 70m wide. Each will displace 65,000 tons full load and carry up to 40 F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

MBDA to Market Sagem’s AASM Precision Guided Weapons

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May 21, 2008

MBDA France and Sagem Défense Sécurité signed a cooperation agreement shifting the sales and marketing of Sagem’s modular air-to-ground weapon (AASM) to MBDA. and infrared guidance for tactical missiles. Under the terms of the agreement, MBDA France will be responsible for all sales and marketing of the AASM family developed by Sagem Défense Sécurité. The two companies will also combine their respective areas of expertise to form a close partnership for the joint development of future versions of the AASM family.

The AASM is an all-weather precision weapon, comprising a guidance kit and a range extension kit that can be added to standard warheads. It is made in two versions. The version with inertial guidance and GPS, offering “10-meter” accuracy, is already deployed by the French air force in foreign operations. A “1-meter” version, including an infrared seeker, is now being qualified. French armed forces have already ordered 700 AASM systems, including both versions.

Watchkeeper’s First Flight

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May 20, 2008

The Watchkeeper made its maiden flight on 16 April from Megiddo airfield in northern Israel. This unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is the first produced version of the Watchkeeper, based on the proven Elbit Systems’ Hermes 450 platform, to meet the specific requirements of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The visual differences between the baseline Hermes 450 platform and Hermes 450B which represents the Watchkeeper configuration are the landing gear, wing root assembly and engine air intake duct. The 450B uses a blended wing root while the Hermes 450 has a raised wing. Its air intake is curved, compared to the rectangular shape of the baseline version. The undercarriage uses beefed up landing gear to take the additional load. Hermes 450B is designed to fly with dual payload as a standard. (separate EO and SAR payloads in the fore and aft section.) The Hermes can fly with two payloads but usually operates with a single payload.

The Watchkeeper air vehicle is fully autonomous, including Automatic Take-Off and Landing (ATOL), and has a de-icing capability, to expand its ability to operate in all weather operational environment. The system is capable of rapid deployment and operations anywhere in the world. Watchkeeper will support the information requirements of the British Army, Air Force and Navy. Thales UK, as Prime Contractor for the Watchkeeper program, will deliver equipment, training and facilities, with the capability coming into service from 2010. Production of the Watchkeeper system will take place at U-TacS (UAV Tactical Systems Ltd), the Thales UK and Elbit Systems joint company, based in Leicester.

Commenting on this major program milestone, Richard Deakin, Managing Director of Thales’ aerospace business in the UK, says: “Thales UK’s Watchkeeper program is on track and has been steadily moving forward since June 2007 when the company unveiled its final configuration following a Critical Design Review undertaken by the MoD. We have made tremendous progress since the contract was signed in 2005 and all the customer-agreed program milestones have so far been met on or ahead of schedule.”

Looking forward to the plans for the rest of the year he adds: “2008 is an important year for the program as it will also see the testing and integration of the ATOL system, the I-Master radar and EO/IR/LTD payloads. The I-Master radar flight trials have been extremely encouraging. The SAR imagery seen in the initial trials is outstanding and testing the GMTI functionality has just commenced. The combination of these sensors operating in a networked manner will certainly provide a transformational step in ISTAR capability for the UK armed forces.”

Watchkeeper will provide the UK armed forces with an essential intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability, and will be a key component of the UK’s network enabled capability (NEC).

US Army Selects Army Selects Lockheed Martin, Raytheon-Boeing to develop JAGM – A Successor for the Tow, Hellfire and Maverick

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May 20, 2008

Development of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), was launched September 18, 2008 with the U.S. Army’s Aviation and Missile Command award of$125 and $122 million, competitive contracts to Lockheed Martin and the Raytheon-Boeing industry team. The 27 month development program will proceed toward final selection by the end of 2010. The new weapon is designed to replace seven types of missiles currently in the inventory of US forces. While JAGM has yet to become a formal ‘program of record’, the need for such weapon is clear and most of the technologies are mature, as it roots to the Joint Common Missile, cancelled by the Army few years back. The entire program is expected to cost about US$7 billion.

JAGM is designed as a single missile replacing seven different variants of TOW, Hellfire and Maverick carried by helicopters, attack aircraft and UAVs. JAGM will have a range exceeding 20 km, more than doubling the current Hellfire range. single insensitive-munition rocket motor that provides required propulsion in extreme temperatures to deliver maximum range from all required platforms.

Unlike the current weapons it will replace, optimized for specific environmental and target conditions, JAGM will be equipped with a tri-modal seeker (laser homing, thermal and mm wave radar). The missile has a multi-purpose warhead that packs a highly lethal shaped- charge to defeat the most advanced armored threats and a blast fragmentation capability to defeat ships, buildings, bunkers and other “soft” targets by penetrating them with a precursor warhead and then detonating a time-delayed main warhead to incapacitate the target from within. It will also have a built-in precursor warhead, standardized electronic safe, arm and fire and improved low-signature propulsion improving performance and reliability compared to current weapons. Another advantage over current weapons will be advanced countermeasures, against active protection systems (CAPS).

The missile will retain flexible targeting methods, including autonomous target acquisition, ‘lock on before launch’ and ‘lock on after launch’ capability. This missile will carry an integral internet protocol (IP) based data radio, providing access to ‘targeting during fly’, from multiple sources.

The U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps are expected to procure approximately 35,000 JAGM rounds to replace the HELLFIRE II and Longbow HELLFIRE missiles on the U.S. Army’s Apache attack helicopter, the Warrior extended-range multi-purpose UAS, the Arapaho armed reconnaissance helicopter, the Marine Corps’ Super Cobra attack helicopter and on the U.S. Navy’s Seahawk armed reconnaissance helicopter. JAGM will also replace the Maverick missile on the F/A-18 Hornet jet fighter.

Potential extension to other platforms, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and future international sales could push the total number of rounds much higher. The Lockheed Martin JAGM team includes more than a dozen major suppliers located across the United States and in the United Kingdom.

JAGM is expected to remain compatible with the currently used with US Army, Air Force Marines and Naval aircraft and helicopters, thus reducing developmental, engineering and logistical impact associated with the fielding of a new weapon system. Several companies are positioned to compete for the new program.

Related Topics:

A Successor for the Tow, Hellfire and Maverick

AGM-88E AARGM – The Sensor is the Weapon

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May 20, 2008

An example of a specialized weapon expanding its capabilities to match new and illusive target is the AGM-88 High Speed Anti-Radiation (HARM) missile. This weapons, originally developed to suppress and kill active (emitting) radars, associated with surface-to-air (SAM) missiles and anti-aircraft artillery is being enhanced to assume the role of an active, homing missile designated Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM AGM-88E). The primary advantage of the original missile was its range and speed, providing strike fighters supersonic ‘fast kill’ capability when engaging enemy air defenses. Its main drawback was the analog radar homing seeker, which could not ‘memorize’ the target location. Furthermore, the analog seeker homes in on the strongest signal, thus lacking the capability to aim at the target’s most vulnerable spot.

The AARGM upgrade currently in development for the HARM addresses these weaknesses and introduces many additional capabilities transforming the missile into a modern network-enabled weapon. Primarily, the analog RF seeker is replaced by a digital receiver, providing advanced features such as autonomous detection (not dependent on aircraft radar warning receivers) and target recognition (Target ID). The new seeker supports a conformal antenna, clearing the nose cone for a Millimeter Wave (MMW) seeker. With the two seekers AARGM supports ‘blended strike solutions’, implementing INS/GPS for midcourse navigation and active or passive RF techniques for the terminal phase (active MMW or passive RF seeker).

With the new seekers the missile can ‘memorize’ a target signature and location, therefore pursuing the attack even when the target ceases to emit (switched off). It also has the ability to employ a selective aimpoint, by attacking the target’s most vulnerable parts (i.e. the processor) rather than the emitting elements (radar antennae). The weapon’s geolocation capability enables the AARGM to memorize Impact Avoidance Zones (IAZ), eliminating much of the risks of fratricides and collateral damage typically restricting the use of standoff weapons in close proximity to friendly forces or in situations where the risk of collateral damage is too high.

As a fully netted weapon, the AARGM’s uses an Integrated Broadcast Service Receiver (IBS-R) enabling the missile to receive target updates from remote sources, just before launching. AARGM is also equipped with Weapon Impact Assessment (WIA) capability, sending a terminal attack-message burst via satellite, just prior to detonation. WIA provides attack planners with preliminary assessment of the lethal effects employed against planned enemy targets.

The development of the conversion of HARM into AARGM began in 2003 supporting F/A-18A/D, with further support for F/A-18E/F/G, F-35 and EA-6B. Support for Tornado IDS/ECR was introduced in 2005 under a cooperative development agreement between the US and Italy. Germany is also interested in the program. In nine test firings, the missile demonstrated 100% success rate. The program is scheduled for an operational assessment in summer 2008.

Related Topics:

Guided Weapons Become Smarter
AGM-88E AARGM – The Sensor is the Weapon
APKWS – The Smart Rocket
A Successor for the Tow, Hellfire and Maverick

Keeping the Old Horses Flying

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May 20, 2008

How the US Air Force Combat Command plans to Maintain its ‘Shooters’ Effective for Years to Come.

Reliability and safety problems encountered with aging fighters have already highlighted a problem the US Air Force is facing in recent years – the aging of its aircraft fleet. Despite the introduction of the F-35 Lightning II in the next decade and the potential increase in the procurement of F-22 Raptors, the Air Force will remain dependent on a combat fleet made primarily of old fighters and bombers, through the next two decades, or so.

Although the problematic F-15 A/B fighters, initially fielded in 1974 will be retired by 2010, the air force does not plan further retirement of F-15s, F-16s or A-10s for the next 16 years. According to current plans, the F-16s which entered service in 1978 will be retired by 2024 followed a year later by F-15C/Ds (part of which are currently being upgraded with new AESA radars). Recently upgraded A-10s introduced in 1973 will remain in service at least until 2028.

The Air Forces’ Strike Eagles (F-15Es) will be maintained at least until 2035 (after 68 years in service). Two of the bombers currently in service will be retired in 2040. B-1Bs which entered service in1986 will be phased out after 54 years while the B-52Hs which entered service in 1961 is expected to remain in active service for at least32 years, scheduled to be maintained in service for 79 years! The fleet of B-2 which entered service in 1993 is scheduled to be maintained in service at least for the next 50 years, until 2058.

Maintaining the operational effectiveness of such an aging fleet of aircraft presents a significant challenge and requires substantial huge investments. The USAF awarded contracts worth over $4 billions to modernize and upgrade its current fighters, 85% of the amount is dedicated to keep them flying. The remaining 15% will improve capabilities. According to Col. Robert Stambaugh, Wing Commander 312th, 326 th Aeronautical Systems, these upgrades focus on shortening the kill chain.

In the following pages, Defense Update reports how the USAF plans to maintain its ‘Shooters’ effective for years to come.

New Avionics for the F-16 Vipers

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May 20, 2008

Part I of a series covering the US Air Force Combat Command plans to Maintain its ‘Shooters’ Effective for Years to Come

The F-16s (Vipers) are being upgraded with several new components, primarily a larger, faster and more modern modular mission computer running a new version of the common software version M4.2, soon to be upgraded into M5+ and the introduction of Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS) enabling the pilot to effectively point or view targets ‘heads-up’, while maintaining eye contact within a formation or with the target. Viper carrying Sniper advanced targeting pods are also being improved with upgrades introducing video data link for the pod. 12 of the 99 upgrades ordered were delivered last year. The next software upgrade planned for the F-16 is 5+, to be followed in the longer term by Version 6 and 6+ scheduled for implementation by 2012.

This upgrade will be implemented in aircraft from Block 40 and up. The most important element of this upgrade will be the implementation of a new universal armament interface, supporting the small diameter bomb (SDB-1) and AIM-120D AMRAAM missiles.

A future standard weapon interface known as UAI will simplify and accelerate the integration of new or enhanced smart weapons, simplify software interface issues between weapons and aircraft, moving weapon specific data from the aircraft to the mission planning. UAI is planned for integration into future F-16 through the next decade, as it matures to become a standard, enhancing the current 1790 protocol.

The capability to carry small diameter bombs on the F-16 will markedly expand the weapon load of the F-16 Viper. It will also expand the support for Litening targeting pods (through the use of existing interfaces). This upgrade will also implement a major improvement in navigation precision, introducing Differential GPS Correction capability. The aircraft will be fitted with modern IFF Mode 5.

Among the most essential upgrades are improvements in communications, introduction of new datalinks, and the capability to carry new weapons. For example, the introduction of ARC-210 SLOS radios provide ‘shooters’ with the capability to directly communicate with ground forces. This radio has anti-jam FM/AM capability covering VHF/UHF wavebands, supporting both air/air and air/ground communications. These radios, designed as ‘form fit’ replacement for older radios, filled an essential capability gap in theater and received excellent reviews from pilots in theater.

Another important improvement embedded in the F-16s was the night vision cueing display, enabling pilots to better employ their weapons at night. Equally important for rapid engagement is the introduction of Situational Awareness Datalink (SADL) in the F-16s. This low-rate datalink enables F-16s to engage time sensitive targets within few minutes, compared to at least half an hour required with pre-SADL procedures.

In the following pages, Defense Update reports how the USAF plans to maintain its ‘Shooters’ effective for years to come.

US Offers F-16s to Romania

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Noam Eshel

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May 19, 2008

Romania could buy up to 24 F-16 new Block 50/52 aircraft and additional 24 upgraded F-16 Block 25 aircraft, as part of an arms deal worth up to US$4.5 billion. The planned sale was officially unveiled in a US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notification to the Congress published last week. The source of the used F-16s has not been identified. These aircraft could be retired US Air Force aircraft or, utilize surplus F-16 operated by other countries.

In the past Romania expressed interest in obtaining upgraded F-16s from Israel and Belgium. The refurbished component of the package will consist of Block 25s aircraft. They are equipped with the F100-PW-220 Increased Performance Engines (IPE) engines and APG-68(V)1 radars. Romania has been considering the procurement a combination of new and refurbished fighters for several years. These aircraft should replace the aging Lancers (upgraded MiG-21s) currently in use. However, a formal decision has not been made public yet. Officially, Bucharest is still considering all options, including the leas/buy option for the Gripen, and a possible procurement of the Eurofighter Typhoon, to name only a few.

If the F-16 will be chosen, the final configuration of the aircraft will have to be determined. Generally, the aircraft is considered to be similar to the fighters bought by Poland. Some of the aircraft could be configured for ground attack, fitted with SINCGARS and HAVE-QUICK radios, Link-16 datalinks and AN/APX-113 advanced Identification Friend/Foe (IFF) systems, enabling the Romanian F-16s to operate as part of joint NATO operations. The Romanian air force will receive 12 targeting pods (either Litening or Sniper could be selected). Others will be configured to carry DB-110 reconnaissance pods (four pods are included in the package).

Rumania will have a choice of two engines for the new fighters, either the F100-PW-229 or F110-GE-129 Increased Performance Engines (IPE). All new aircraft will be fitted with the APG 68(V)9 radar. All aircraft will be delivered with an electronic defense suite. DSCA indicated that the Romanians will have a choice of three systems – the AN/ALQ- 211 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite (AIDEWS), the AN/ALQ-187 Advanced Countermeasures Electronic Systems (ACES), or AN/ALQ-178 Self-Protection Electronic Warfare Suites (SPEWS).

APKWS – The Smart Rocket

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May 19, 2008

A new class of guided weapons currently being introduced is a guided version of the free-flight rocket, (2.75″ and 80mm). Formerly known as Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) the system employs standard or new production 2.75″ rockets, fitted with new mid-body or fore section containing seeker assembly, electronics and guidance system. At a cost estimated between US$10,000-15,000, APKWS will dramatically increase kill-per-sortie rate, and reduce the risk of collateral damage, particularly in asymmetric warfare scenarios, while improving platform survivability. APKWS is developed by an industry team led by BAE Systems (teamed with Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics).

Several development programs are currently underway in the US. The US Navy is leading the development of APKWS to augment the Hydra 70 or 5″ Zuni rockets employed by the US Marine corps. Another type of rocket, known as Low Cost Guided Imaging Rocket (LOGIR) is under evaluation for special operations MH-60S helicopters. These rockets will interface with the aircraft systems through a new digital rocket launcher. It will receive targeting data from an on-board FLIR. After launch, LOGIR will use inertial navigation midcourse and low-cost bolometric IR imager for precision terminal attack. LOGIR will retain the MK66 rocket motor and M151 warhead, introducing a new fore section comprising the imaging terminal sensor, guidance and control modules.

Since the technological risk associated wit such program is minimal, and the marketing potential is high, many missile producers are developing guidance kits for the Hydra 70/2.75″ rockets. Among these are Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, original producers of the Hellfire and TOW missile systems. Lockheed Martin developing the Direct Attack Guided Rocket (DAGR) while Raytheon, which lost a previous APKWS program, announced a teaming agreement with Emirates Advanced Investments of the United Arab Emirates to develop and produce semi-active laser guided rockets. According to plans, the laser guided rocket will be qualified on a single platform in the UAE platform, to be followed by integration onto additional platforms. Israel’s Elbit Systems is also developing its own version for the laser kit converting standard 68/70mm rockets into an affordable guided weapon, offering ‘metric’ precision.

Related Topics:

Guided Weapons Become Smarter
AGM-88E AARGM – The Sensor is the Weapon
APKWS – The Smart Rocket
A Successor for the Tow, Hellfire and Maverick

Global Hawk RQ-4N Sense and Avoid Systems

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May 19, 2008

Sense and Avoid (SAA) technologies will be an important element in the US Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program, making it safer for the unmanned aircraft to share airspace with piloted aircraft. One of the most challenging requirements for BAMS is “due regard”, the ability to ensure that the unmanned aircraft can operate safely with otheraircraft when outside controlled airspace not under normal flight procedures. Northrop Grumman has been working with the US Government on sense-and-avoid technologies for more than five years.

NGC proposed a low risk solution using an existing radar based ‘due regard’ system as a primary sensor and additional data sources in the mission control system (MCS) to assist the unmanned aircraft pilot on the ground. “The challenge is that once the unmanned aircraft has detected another aircraft as a potential collision threat, the unmanned aircraft pilot has little time to respond” said Carl Johnson, vice president and Northrop Grumman’s BAMS program manager. “You need a fail-safe solution to guarantee avoidance, so we have developed algorithms to assist the pilot in choosing the right maneuver. We’ve found the best way is to combine the features of radar and EO sensors. This EO sensor can generate visual images to provide the equivalent of human sight”. According to Johnson, because radar is more mature, it will be the primary sensor for collision avoidance, but EO sensors will be added to meet sense-and-avoid requirements still being developed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The baseline BAMS Global Hawk RQ-4N solution includes a pilot-in-the-loop as the cognitive maneuver decision maker using Northrop Grumman’s initial aircraft collision avoidance system (ACAS) algorithm. The ACAS software provides radar and cooperative system contact detection and tracking, which provides a recommended maneuver direction for collision avoidance while maintaining at least 500 feet of separation.

As this process is tested, matures and actions can become autonomous, a Jointly Optimal Collision Avoidance (JOCA) algorithm will be employed on the RQ-4N as it processes conflict resolution decisions. JOCA works with many competing objectives such as following right of way rules, keeping the contact within radar field of view and ensuring there will be no new conflict with nearby traffic to expeditiously maintain separation from potential conflicting traffic. As a result, the unmanned aircraft will be able to generate aggressive maneuvers to avoid close-in contacts without exceeding flight limits.

To verify their approach Northrop Grumman designed a ground laboratory for SAA hardware–in-the-loop testing and evaluation, which will be used to support its BAMS solution.

Smart Weapons Become Smarter

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May 16, 2008

While fighter aircraft are being upgraded to extend their operational lifespan, longer lead times are required to field new weapon systems. Through phased upgrading and enhancement, yesterday’s air delivered ordnance becomes valid in the modern and future battlefield.

Addressing the 5th Sensor to Shooter summit, sponsored by Defense Update in April 08, US Navy Commander Matt Bohlin, responsible for development of Direct and Time Sensitive Strike at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), outlined some of the weapons development pursued by NAVAIR, in an effort to improve the service’s capability to attack time sensitive targets. Defense Update selected three types of weapons outlined by Bohlin – each addressing the obsolecense and modernization of current weapons in a different way. The HARM successor, designated AGM-88E introduces new sensors, communications and electronic systems while retaining the aerodynamic and kinematic envelope. A new missile designated JAGM – introduces a common weapon to replace seven different missiles currently in the inventory while the conversion of free-flight rockets into guided weapons, will introduce a new ‘price point’ for precision attack, utilizing lightweight, cost effective alternative to heavy and expensive guded missiles which could be deployed in large numbers on manned or unmanned platforms.

Related Topics:

Guided Weapons Become Smarter
AGM-88E AARGM – The Sensor is the Weapon
APKWS – The Smart Rocket
A Successor for the Tow, Hellfire and Maverick

Russia Discusses US$6 Billion Arms Exports with Saudi Arabia, Venezuela

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May 15, 2008

Russian news agency Novosty reports on two major arms export negotiations expected to be announced later this month. The agency reports that negotiations between Moscow and Riyadh on a groundbreaking arms deal worth about US$4 billion with Saudi Arabia are nearing completion. A second arms deal with Venezuela is also in progress.

The arms deal with Venezuela is being finalized, this large weapons procurement program worth at least US$2 billion. Novosty quotes Moscow daily enewspaper Kommersant, reporting the deal could be announced by the end of May 08. The first arms transfer program worth $3.4 billion began in 2005. In the following years Caracas received 24 Su-30MK2V fighters, Tor-M1 air defense missiles, and various helicopters including Mi-26 heavy transport, Mi-17B assault and Mi-35 Hind E attack helicopters. According to the Russian news agency, the follow-on package could include up to 10 Mi-28N ‘Night Hunter’ gunships, 10 IL-76 transport planes, two IL-78MK flying tankers which will replace US made Boeing-707-320C and C-130H Hercules transports currently in service. Venezuela and Russia also agreed on the purchase of four Project 636 (Kilo) diesel-electric powered attack submarines.

The agency quotes the Russian Gazeta daily that informed about Riyadh’s interest to buy 150 T-90S main battle tanks, worth around $500 mln, a large consignment of BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, over 100 Mi-35 (Hind) attack helicopters, and Mi-17 (Hip) multirole helicopters, as well as around 20 Buk M2E surface-to-air medium-range missile systems.

Automatic Target Recognition by Radar Could improve Air Support

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May 15, 2008

Raytheon is planning to demonstrate an advanced target recognition technology which could accurately detect hostile moving targets from stand-off range. By autumn 2008 the new technology will be tested in a laboratory and subsequently tested in flight by spring 2009.

Raytheon expects to demonstrate the new Air-to-Ground Radar Imaging II technology program, validating its capability to detect, track and target hostile mobile ground targets from a significant standoff distances. Advanced high-resolution radar can monitor activity from distances of more than 50 miles. However, conventional ATR requires high resolution data commonly obtained at much closer distances. The software developed by Raytheon and team members BAE Systems and SAIC, is designed to provide automatic target recognition system at standoff range, based on feeds obtained from radars, carried by manned or unmanned aircraft.

Defense-UpdateMilitary Technology & Defense News

Defense-UpdateMilitary Technology & Defense News

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