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Transhumanist
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Yes, there are preparations being made for C(X), which will replace the C17 and C130.
There was a good article on it a couple years ago, which I will quote.Air Force Seeks Jets Beyond C-17 and Even JSF | Military.com
"While the sixth generation fighter and CX cargo plane programs are considered important to the Air Force's future, service officials say the uncertain budget environment raises questions about how, or if, these programs will be funded.Nevertheless, many of the Air Force's roughly 222 C-17s are expected to approach the end of service in the 2030s, the large C-5 cargo planes are slated to remain operational through 2040, and the last Joint Strike Fighter is slated to enter service in 2037, service officials said."
The sixth-gen FA-18E/F replacement and C(X) could be inducted around the same time (2030), which could be interesting because two expensive programs at the same time will suck up a lot of budget money . Right now we don't even have a concept image of what C(X) could look like.
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Kongsberg, Raytheon NSM teaming targets USN's future frigate programme
Grace Jean, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
07 May 2015
Kongsberg's Naval Strike Missile is fired from the USN's LCS USS Coronado (LCS 4) in September 2014 on the Point Mugu sea test range, southern California. Kongsberg and Raytheon have signed a teaming agreement to offer NSM to potential customers including the USN's frigate programme. Source: US Navy
Key Points
The teaming agreement between Kongsberg and Raytheon is designed to enable the two companies to offer NSM to potential customers in the United States and elsewhere. Company officials said that the joint venture's first US business opportunity is via the USN's frigate (FF) programme, under which acquisitions are planned to begin in fiscal year 2019 (FY 2019).
"The timing for this is optimal," Thomas Bussing, vice-president of Raytheon advanced missile systems, told reporters during an April briefing on the agreement at Kongsberg's Alexandria, Virginia, office. "The USN is looking for innovative low-cost solutions for anti-surface warfare weapons, anti-ship weapons. This teaming relationship allows us to bring a very cost-effective [weapon] to the marketplace at this particular time."
NSM is a Kongsberg-developed, stealthy surface-to-surface guided weapon that is currently operational on board the Royal Norwegian Navy's (RNoN's) corvettes and frigates. With a range of 200 km, the canister-launched sea-skimming missile is able to discriminate targets autonomously, as well as employing evasive manoeuvres to defeat close-in shipboard defensive systems.
Poland also has acquired the missile for a mobile coastal defence system.
Kongsberg and Raytheon officials said that they hope to make inroads into the USN's small surface combatant programme, a 52-ship class comprising two Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) variants and a future upgraded flight 1 vessel (which in early 2015 was re-designated as a frigate). The frigate is intended as a 20-vessel programme to be based on a modified design from the current LCS programme. The navy is acquiring 32 LCSs, currently split between two variants, the Freedom steel monohull and the Independence aluminium trimaran design.
At the annual Navy League Sea-Air-Space symposium in April, USN's frigate programme manager Captain Dan Brintzinghoffer told reporters that he anticipates the navy selecting only a single missile system that would be fitted onto the vessel - even if the service opts to continue procuring two different ship variants. Whichever missile is selected could also be retrofitted onto LCS.
"It'll be a defining of the requirement - how far, how big, how long, what type of targeting capability it has - and then figuring out which missile meets that requirement, either through competitions that have already occurred, or competitions that will occur," said Capt Brintzinghoffer. "We'll end up putting [one missile] on both. I don't see a scenario playing out where the missile would be different on the ships."
For the USN's small surface combatants, Kongsberg officials told IHS Jane's in April that they would employ the same launcher that they use to deploy the weapon from the RNoN's corvettes and frigates. "If the US should select NSM, it's the same canister concept," said Harald Annestad, president of Kongsberg Defence Systems. "We'll be using the mission modules there."
He added that Kongsberg has a 'ready design' to incorporate NSM into the LCS mission modules, which consist of 20-foot ISO shipping containers housing weapon systems that plug directly into the vessel's mission bay area. IHS Jane's previously reported that the company had undertaken work to design a six-round NSM launcher to fit inside the LCS mission module (a four-round NSM launcher operates on board the Norwegian ships). The mission module would reside in the mission bay belowdecks while the NSM canister launcher would be placed topside on the deck and integrated with the ship via a mission control suite.
"We wouldn't look to have ... the vessel radically modified to include vertical cells," Bussing noted.
Annestad added, "NSM is already integrated to the Aegis system on the Norwegian frigates, and we're already working with Raytheon on system integration on the air warfare destroyers in Australia, so we have our hands very well around integrating NSM into [the] LCS' combat system."
Raytheon's expertise in integrating a variety of missiles into ships and submarines offers potential advantages for the partnership should NSM be selected for any USN platforms, officials said. "We've done this routinely with everything from Griffins to Tomahawks to a variety of other weapons that are launched from surface ships," said Bussing. "We do ESSM [Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile], RAM [Rolling Airframe Missile], SM-6, SM-3. Each of these have different launchers, different ways in which they're integrated into the machine control systems, into the CICs [combat information centres]."
NSM would be no different, Bussing argued. "This one is fairly straightforward, especially in the fact you can place it on the deck - not much modification to the ship. [It's] a matter of running power and communications to it and up to the CIC, and incorporating it into the CIC such that it's integrated with the fire-control systems on the ship."
Bussing also revealed to IHS Jane's that Raytheon officials had briefed the USN's chief of naval operations and his staff on NSM as part of a broader discussion on advanced missiles during a March visit to the company's Arizona facilities. He added, "It hits a need that they fundamentally have."
Officials from both companies acknowledged that cost will play a large role in any USN decisions, and emphasised that NSM is an affordable solution.
"On production, with the teaming [agreement] we will work closely with Raytheon to ensure that we get the costs down as far as possible, both combining purchases [and] working on similar components, using the bigger buying power that Raytheon has," Annestad told IHS Jane's .
While Kongsberg officials declined to disclose the cost of the missile, they said that the system compares favourably to competitors in terms of price per missile.
While some systems require multiple missiles to penetrate ship air defences and hit the same target, NSM's cost effectiveness derives from its ability to engage a target in the end phase by manoeuvring to avoid close-in weapon systems.
In September 2014 on the Point Mugu sea test range off southern California, Kongsberg conducted an NSM demonstration on board an Independence variant LCS, USS Coronado (LCS 4). Fired from the flight deck, the missile struck a mobile sea target 100 n miles away.
The US Navy's ex-USS Ogden (LPD 5) is hit by a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) fired from the Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen (F 310) during a sinking exercise at the 'RIMPAC 2014' exercise. (US Navy)
NSM's titanium warhead weighs around 250 lb but officials classify it as a 500-lb class warhead because of the effects that it has against targets, officials told reporters. In two previous demonstrations, including a live-fire shot at an ex-USN ship during the 2014 'Rim of the Pacific' exercise, the NSM was able to hit the targets with lethal accuracy. Kongsberg officials said that around eight to 12 NSMs would fit on board the LCS variants, depending upon the weight capacity of each vessel.
Raytheon's Bussing said that NSM is comparable in cost to a Block IV Tomahawk missile. "I would say they're the same price point, maybe a little more expensive than Block IV," he said. However, he noted that Tomahawk is intended for "very long-range applications" and so is "not intended to survive the same way against the ship" as NSM.
According to the USN, the unit price for 214 Block IV Tomahawk missiles acquired in FY 2015 was USD1.074 million each. In its FY 2016 budget submission, DoD is requesting USD210 million to acquire a final batch of 100 Block IV Tomahawk missiles.
Officials from both Raytheon and Kongsberg said that because NSM is operational and is being manufactured already in Norway, the USN would not have to pay non-recurring engineering and development costs. As for where the missile would be built if the United States or another customer placed orders, they said the teaming agreement allows for flexibility.
"If a customer comes in with a fairly low volume, it's not cost effective to pick up a new production line. So we will co-operate on technical stuff and on smaller volumes. That will be an existing production line," said Annestad, "but a bigger quantity by [the] USN makes it cost effective to set up a parallel production line in the United States. The agreement is flexible on what makes sense for the two companies and for the customer."
Kongsberg would be able to reduce NSM costs by leveraging Raytheon's worldwide supply chain, officials said. "Raytheon has a huge supply chain. Many of the parts are made in the United States. Just through common buys, we can reduce costs by virtue of ... our own supply chain network," said Bussing.
Raytheon's own manufacturing methods could also help drive out costs, along with swapping out components for less expensive ones, Bussing added. Making use of existing missile production lines at its Arizona-based facility also represents a potential cost saving. "Typically on a line, we make multiple missiles. That allows you to keep the group of individuals that are responsible for manufacturing those things to a minimum, because there's no down time. They move from one system to another so the line is always hot," he said.
In addition to pursuing options with the USN, the team is also marketing the missile concurrently to other potential customers. It has seen success in Malaysia, where NSM was selected for the Royal Malaysian Navy's Gowind 2500-design Second Generation Patrol Vessel - Littoral Combat Ship (SGPV-LCS).
Kongsberg officials see a growing international market, with navies seeking to offset growing threats with new equipment.
"If you look at it, NSM is at the start of its lifetime ... and it's meeting the threats today," Annestad said, "but it also has the capacity to take on new technology to meet the threats in 2025, 2030. I think that's also a big advantage."
Kongsberg, Raytheon NSM teaming targets USN's future frigate programme - IHS Jane's 360
Grace Jean, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
07 May 2015
Kongsberg's Naval Strike Missile is fired from the USN's LCS USS Coronado (LCS 4) in September 2014 on the Point Mugu sea test range, southern California. Kongsberg and Raytheon have signed a teaming agreement to offer NSM to potential customers including the USN's frigate programme. Source: US Navy
Key Points
- The Naval Strike Missile expected to be offered as an anti-ship weapon for the frigate and LCS programmes
- Raytheon's global supply chain and US-based missile production line could help lower NSM costs
The teaming agreement between Kongsberg and Raytheon is designed to enable the two companies to offer NSM to potential customers in the United States and elsewhere. Company officials said that the joint venture's first US business opportunity is via the USN's frigate (FF) programme, under which acquisitions are planned to begin in fiscal year 2019 (FY 2019).
"The timing for this is optimal," Thomas Bussing, vice-president of Raytheon advanced missile systems, told reporters during an April briefing on the agreement at Kongsberg's Alexandria, Virginia, office. "The USN is looking for innovative low-cost solutions for anti-surface warfare weapons, anti-ship weapons. This teaming relationship allows us to bring a very cost-effective [weapon] to the marketplace at this particular time."
NSM is a Kongsberg-developed, stealthy surface-to-surface guided weapon that is currently operational on board the Royal Norwegian Navy's (RNoN's) corvettes and frigates. With a range of 200 km, the canister-launched sea-skimming missile is able to discriminate targets autonomously, as well as employing evasive manoeuvres to defeat close-in shipboard defensive systems.
Poland also has acquired the missile for a mobile coastal defence system.
Kongsberg and Raytheon officials said that they hope to make inroads into the USN's small surface combatant programme, a 52-ship class comprising two Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) variants and a future upgraded flight 1 vessel (which in early 2015 was re-designated as a frigate). The frigate is intended as a 20-vessel programme to be based on a modified design from the current LCS programme. The navy is acquiring 32 LCSs, currently split between two variants, the Freedom steel monohull and the Independence aluminium trimaran design.
At the annual Navy League Sea-Air-Space symposium in April, USN's frigate programme manager Captain Dan Brintzinghoffer told reporters that he anticipates the navy selecting only a single missile system that would be fitted onto the vessel - even if the service opts to continue procuring two different ship variants. Whichever missile is selected could also be retrofitted onto LCS.
"It'll be a defining of the requirement - how far, how big, how long, what type of targeting capability it has - and then figuring out which missile meets that requirement, either through competitions that have already occurred, or competitions that will occur," said Capt Brintzinghoffer. "We'll end up putting [one missile] on both. I don't see a scenario playing out where the missile would be different on the ships."
For the USN's small surface combatants, Kongsberg officials told IHS Jane's in April that they would employ the same launcher that they use to deploy the weapon from the RNoN's corvettes and frigates. "If the US should select NSM, it's the same canister concept," said Harald Annestad, president of Kongsberg Defence Systems. "We'll be using the mission modules there."
He added that Kongsberg has a 'ready design' to incorporate NSM into the LCS mission modules, which consist of 20-foot ISO shipping containers housing weapon systems that plug directly into the vessel's mission bay area. IHS Jane's previously reported that the company had undertaken work to design a six-round NSM launcher to fit inside the LCS mission module (a four-round NSM launcher operates on board the Norwegian ships). The mission module would reside in the mission bay belowdecks while the NSM canister launcher would be placed topside on the deck and integrated with the ship via a mission control suite.
"We wouldn't look to have ... the vessel radically modified to include vertical cells," Bussing noted.
Annestad added, "NSM is already integrated to the Aegis system on the Norwegian frigates, and we're already working with Raytheon on system integration on the air warfare destroyers in Australia, so we have our hands very well around integrating NSM into [the] LCS' combat system."
Raytheon's expertise in integrating a variety of missiles into ships and submarines offers potential advantages for the partnership should NSM be selected for any USN platforms, officials said. "We've done this routinely with everything from Griffins to Tomahawks to a variety of other weapons that are launched from surface ships," said Bussing. "We do ESSM [Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile], RAM [Rolling Airframe Missile], SM-6, SM-3. Each of these have different launchers, different ways in which they're integrated into the machine control systems, into the CICs [combat information centres]."
NSM would be no different, Bussing argued. "This one is fairly straightforward, especially in the fact you can place it on the deck - not much modification to the ship. [It's] a matter of running power and communications to it and up to the CIC, and incorporating it into the CIC such that it's integrated with the fire-control systems on the ship."
Bussing also revealed to IHS Jane's that Raytheon officials had briefed the USN's chief of naval operations and his staff on NSM as part of a broader discussion on advanced missiles during a March visit to the company's Arizona facilities. He added, "It hits a need that they fundamentally have."
Officials from both companies acknowledged that cost will play a large role in any USN decisions, and emphasised that NSM is an affordable solution.
"On production, with the teaming [agreement] we will work closely with Raytheon to ensure that we get the costs down as far as possible, both combining purchases [and] working on similar components, using the bigger buying power that Raytheon has," Annestad told IHS Jane's .
While Kongsberg officials declined to disclose the cost of the missile, they said that the system compares favourably to competitors in terms of price per missile.
While some systems require multiple missiles to penetrate ship air defences and hit the same target, NSM's cost effectiveness derives from its ability to engage a target in the end phase by manoeuvring to avoid close-in weapon systems.
In September 2014 on the Point Mugu sea test range off southern California, Kongsberg conducted an NSM demonstration on board an Independence variant LCS, USS Coronado (LCS 4). Fired from the flight deck, the missile struck a mobile sea target 100 n miles away.
NSM's titanium warhead weighs around 250 lb but officials classify it as a 500-lb class warhead because of the effects that it has against targets, officials told reporters. In two previous demonstrations, including a live-fire shot at an ex-USN ship during the 2014 'Rim of the Pacific' exercise, the NSM was able to hit the targets with lethal accuracy. Kongsberg officials said that around eight to 12 NSMs would fit on board the LCS variants, depending upon the weight capacity of each vessel.
Raytheon's Bussing said that NSM is comparable in cost to a Block IV Tomahawk missile. "I would say they're the same price point, maybe a little more expensive than Block IV," he said. However, he noted that Tomahawk is intended for "very long-range applications" and so is "not intended to survive the same way against the ship" as NSM.
According to the USN, the unit price for 214 Block IV Tomahawk missiles acquired in FY 2015 was USD1.074 million each. In its FY 2016 budget submission, DoD is requesting USD210 million to acquire a final batch of 100 Block IV Tomahawk missiles.
Officials from both Raytheon and Kongsberg said that because NSM is operational and is being manufactured already in Norway, the USN would not have to pay non-recurring engineering and development costs. As for where the missile would be built if the United States or another customer placed orders, they said the teaming agreement allows for flexibility.
"If a customer comes in with a fairly low volume, it's not cost effective to pick up a new production line. So we will co-operate on technical stuff and on smaller volumes. That will be an existing production line," said Annestad, "but a bigger quantity by [the] USN makes it cost effective to set up a parallel production line in the United States. The agreement is flexible on what makes sense for the two companies and for the customer."
Kongsberg would be able to reduce NSM costs by leveraging Raytheon's worldwide supply chain, officials said. "Raytheon has a huge supply chain. Many of the parts are made in the United States. Just through common buys, we can reduce costs by virtue of ... our own supply chain network," said Bussing.
Raytheon's own manufacturing methods could also help drive out costs, along with swapping out components for less expensive ones, Bussing added. Making use of existing missile production lines at its Arizona-based facility also represents a potential cost saving. "Typically on a line, we make multiple missiles. That allows you to keep the group of individuals that are responsible for manufacturing those things to a minimum, because there's no down time. They move from one system to another so the line is always hot," he said.
In addition to pursuing options with the USN, the team is also marketing the missile concurrently to other potential customers. It has seen success in Malaysia, where NSM was selected for the Royal Malaysian Navy's Gowind 2500-design Second Generation Patrol Vessel - Littoral Combat Ship (SGPV-LCS).
Kongsberg officials see a growing international market, with navies seeking to offset growing threats with new equipment.
"If you look at it, NSM is at the start of its lifetime ... and it's meeting the threats today," Annestad said, "but it also has the capacity to take on new technology to meet the threats in 2025, 2030. I think that's also a big advantage."
Kongsberg, Raytheon NSM teaming targets USN's future frigate programme - IHS Jane's 360
Indus Falcon
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Kongsberg NSM
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is a fifth generation high subsonic, anti-ship / land attack cruise missile developed by Kongsberg Defence Systems.
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is used against sea and land-based targets in littoral and open sea environments. Image courtesy of Pibwl.
A rear-side view of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) on display at a defence exhibition.
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is installed on Nansen Class frigates and Skjold Class missile fast patrol boats of the Royal Norwegian Navy. Image courtesy of George Hutchinson.
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/naval-strike-missile-nsm/
Note: I had to edit the PDF file, to reduce it's size, so that it could be uploaded.
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is a fifth generation high subsonic, anti-ship / land attack cruise missile developed by Kongsberg Defence Systems.
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is used against sea and land-based targets in littoral and open sea environments. Image courtesy of Pibwl.
A rear-side view of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) on display at a defence exhibition.
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is installed on Nansen Class frigates and Skjold Class missile fast patrol boats of the Royal Norwegian Navy. Image courtesy of George Hutchinson.
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/naval-strike-missile-nsm/
Note: I had to edit the PDF file, to reduce it's size, so that it could be uploaded.
Last edited:
AMDR
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Navy Christens Sixth Joint High Speed Vessel
Navy Christens Sixth Joint High Speed Vessel - USNI News
The Navy christened the Joint High Speed Vessel Brunswick (JHSV-6) on Saturday in Mobile, Ala., marking a milestone for the sixth craft in a class still exploring its full potential.
Shipbuilder Austal USA has three JHSVs under construction in its Mobile yard and expects to launch Brunswic by the end of the month.
“Brunswick is the result of the successful industry/[Department of Defense] partnership that has developed between Austal USA, Military Sealift Command and the Navy,” Craig Perciavalle, president of Austal USA, said in a company news release.
“We’re very excited about how stable and mature the JHSV program has become as we prepare JHSV-6 for trials and delivery in the fall.”
Originally designed for intratheater lift and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HADR) support, the ship class has already found new roles for itself, including filling in the gap in the counter-narcotics and counter-trafficking mission in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific as the Oliver Hazard Perry-class of frigates (FFG-7) decommission.
The Navy also announced last month that the recently delivered USNS Trenton (JHSV-5)will host the first at-sea test of the Navy’s electromagnetic railgun next year.
The Navy stood up an Auxiliary Platforms and Payloads Council to explore the full potential of the JHSV class and others, including the Large Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ship (LMSR), Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) and T-AKE dry cargo ship.
“The fast-growing JHSV fleet has proven to be flexible in ways we didn’t even consider when this program first started,” Perciavalle said in the news release.
Brunswick is named after the seaport city in southern Georgia and is the fourth Navy ship to bear that name. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus spoke at the christening ceremony and chose his office manager and scheduler, Alma Booterbaugh, to serve as the ship sponsor. Booterbaugh joined the office of the secretary of the Navy in 1999 and has worked for the federal government for more than 30 years, according to Austal.
Navy Christens Sixth Joint High Speed Vessel - USNI News
The Navy christened the Joint High Speed Vessel Brunswick (JHSV-6) on Saturday in Mobile, Ala., marking a milestone for the sixth craft in a class still exploring its full potential.
Shipbuilder Austal USA has three JHSVs under construction in its Mobile yard and expects to launch Brunswic by the end of the month.
“Brunswick is the result of the successful industry/[Department of Defense] partnership that has developed between Austal USA, Military Sealift Command and the Navy,” Craig Perciavalle, president of Austal USA, said in a company news release.
“We’re very excited about how stable and mature the JHSV program has become as we prepare JHSV-6 for trials and delivery in the fall.”
Originally designed for intratheater lift and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HADR) support, the ship class has already found new roles for itself, including filling in the gap in the counter-narcotics and counter-trafficking mission in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific as the Oliver Hazard Perry-class of frigates (FFG-7) decommission.
The Navy also announced last month that the recently delivered USNS Trenton (JHSV-5)will host the first at-sea test of the Navy’s electromagnetic railgun next year.
The Navy stood up an Auxiliary Platforms and Payloads Council to explore the full potential of the JHSV class and others, including the Large Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ship (LMSR), Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) and T-AKE dry cargo ship.
“The fast-growing JHSV fleet has proven to be flexible in ways we didn’t even consider when this program first started,” Perciavalle said in the news release.
Brunswick is named after the seaport city in southern Georgia and is the fourth Navy ship to bear that name. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus spoke at the christening ceremony and chose his office manager and scheduler, Alma Booterbaugh, to serve as the ship sponsor. Booterbaugh joined the office of the secretary of the Navy in 1999 and has worked for the federal government for more than 30 years, according to Austal.
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Deal Will Bring Selex Infrared Tech to US
By Tom Kington 12:43 p.m. EDT May 11, 2015
A consortium led by Selex has developed the passive infrared airborne tracking equipment (PIRATE) used on the Eurofighter Typhoon.(Photo: Selex)
ROME — As the market grows for infrared search and track (IRST) sensors that can function like radars on fighters, one American firm has signed a deal with a European counterpart that will bring to the US infrared technologies already honed on the Eurofighter.
Northrop Grumman has launched a partnership with Italian firm Selex ES under which Selex's infrared know-how will enter the US and possibly be turned around for export products for Foreign Military Sales customers.
"Selex has partnered with Northrop Grumman to bring IRST to the US," a Northrop Grumman spokeswoman told Defense News, adding that further details on the applications for new IRST products would be announced in May.
The deal pushes into the US market the technology Selex has worked on for the Eurofighter's PIRATE (passive infrared airborne tracking equipment) sensor, for the European Neuron UCAV technology demonstrator, and, most recently, for Sweden's Gripens.
As passive sensors, IRST systems cannot be jammed like radar, nor do they give away the position of the emitter, like radar. They are also a useful complement to radar when it comes to tracking aircraft with a low radar cross-section. Even if the target aircraft are nearly invisible to radar, they will generate heat thanks to air friction, leaving an infrared signature.
IRST can be used for air-to-air, air-to-ground and land-based tracking, although humidity and clouds can interfere with results, unlike radar.
One US analyst said that IRST had not received much attention from the Pentagon over the past few decades.
"The US has lagged on development after getting a strong start in the 1980s when Lockheed Martin put a system on F-14s," said David Rockwell, senior electronics analyst at the Teal Group. "The US dropped back for 20 years, but IRST is potentially a huge market," he added.
"There was a requirement for IRST on the F-22 but the program was cut due to lack of funding, while the IR sensor that Northrop Grumman has put on the F-35 is 360 degrees without an equivalent long-range search-and-track sensor," he said.
In February, Lockheed unveiled its Legion IRST pod, which it claimed will bring long-range infrared tracking to fourth-generation aircraft like the US Air Force's F-15 and F-16 fighters.
The 500-pound pod carries the firm's IRST21 sensor, which was approved for low-rate initial production on the Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet in January.
An Air Force request for proposals is expected for an IRST to mount on the F-15C, with a 2018 delivery date.
A Lockheed official has said the pod-to-pod communication allowed by its Legion pod could also facilitate communication between newer and older fighters.
"If they enter the market, Northrop Grumman and Selex could benefit if the US wants competition, but today Lockheed has the market sewn up. However, it is unlikely Northrop will benefit from the same combination of market factors — including immediate needs after 9/11 — that made Litening successful in the US," he added.
On the other hand, Rockwell said there could be a large market for adding pods to existing fighters around the world, just as US firms are now marketing active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar upgrades for fighters.
Northrop has already had success by teaming with Israel's Rafael to market its Litening targeting pod. It also has a track record with Selex. The Italian firm, which is a unit of Finmeccanica, has long supplied components for Northrop Grumman's directional infrared countermeasure system.
Selex has meanwhile worked on the PIRATE air-to-air sensor for the Eurofighter, which can act as an IR camera or a passive radar operating in the 8-12 micrometers IR band.
Other contracts have followed. The firm built an air-to-ground IRST sensor for the European Neuron UCAV and a sensor for the Turkish Navy in 2012. The Italian Navy has requested a multiheaded version of an IRST for its new multifunctional vessels. A version is already on board Italy's Cavour carrier.
Selex has used the testing of its sensors to improve the algorithms that ensure the IRST can exclude false signals and identify vehicle or vessel types tracked.
This month, Saab awarded Selex a production contract to supply 60 Skyward-G IRST systems for its Gripen E fleet, and Selex is also expected to supply the system to go on board Brazil's Gripens.
Selex is also supplying its AESA radar, identification-friend-or-foe and decoy systems to the Gripen, making it responsible for 30 percent of the aircraft's avionics.
Meanwhile, the firm is waiting for an order to upgrade the PIRATE sensor on Eurofighters.
The Skyward system, which weighs 40 kilograms and consumes about 380 kilowatts of power, projects images onto the plane's head up display.
Likely to interest Northrop is Selex's parallel work on a pod version for use on existing aircraft.
Deal Will Bring Selex Infrared Tech to US
@Desertfalcon
By Tom Kington 12:43 p.m. EDT May 11, 2015
A consortium led by Selex has developed the passive infrared airborne tracking equipment (PIRATE) used on the Eurofighter Typhoon.(Photo: Selex)
ROME — As the market grows for infrared search and track (IRST) sensors that can function like radars on fighters, one American firm has signed a deal with a European counterpart that will bring to the US infrared technologies already honed on the Eurofighter.
Northrop Grumman has launched a partnership with Italian firm Selex ES under which Selex's infrared know-how will enter the US and possibly be turned around for export products for Foreign Military Sales customers.
"Selex has partnered with Northrop Grumman to bring IRST to the US," a Northrop Grumman spokeswoman told Defense News, adding that further details on the applications for new IRST products would be announced in May.
The deal pushes into the US market the technology Selex has worked on for the Eurofighter's PIRATE (passive infrared airborne tracking equipment) sensor, for the European Neuron UCAV technology demonstrator, and, most recently, for Sweden's Gripens.
As passive sensors, IRST systems cannot be jammed like radar, nor do they give away the position of the emitter, like radar. They are also a useful complement to radar when it comes to tracking aircraft with a low radar cross-section. Even if the target aircraft are nearly invisible to radar, they will generate heat thanks to air friction, leaving an infrared signature.
IRST can be used for air-to-air, air-to-ground and land-based tracking, although humidity and clouds can interfere with results, unlike radar.
One US analyst said that IRST had not received much attention from the Pentagon over the past few decades.
"The US has lagged on development after getting a strong start in the 1980s when Lockheed Martin put a system on F-14s," said David Rockwell, senior electronics analyst at the Teal Group. "The US dropped back for 20 years, but IRST is potentially a huge market," he added.
"There was a requirement for IRST on the F-22 but the program was cut due to lack of funding, while the IR sensor that Northrop Grumman has put on the F-35 is 360 degrees without an equivalent long-range search-and-track sensor," he said.
In February, Lockheed unveiled its Legion IRST pod, which it claimed will bring long-range infrared tracking to fourth-generation aircraft like the US Air Force's F-15 and F-16 fighters.
The 500-pound pod carries the firm's IRST21 sensor, which was approved for low-rate initial production on the Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet in January.
An Air Force request for proposals is expected for an IRST to mount on the F-15C, with a 2018 delivery date.
A Lockheed official has said the pod-to-pod communication allowed by its Legion pod could also facilitate communication between newer and older fighters.
"If they enter the market, Northrop Grumman and Selex could benefit if the US wants competition, but today Lockheed has the market sewn up. However, it is unlikely Northrop will benefit from the same combination of market factors — including immediate needs after 9/11 — that made Litening successful in the US," he added.
On the other hand, Rockwell said there could be a large market for adding pods to existing fighters around the world, just as US firms are now marketing active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar upgrades for fighters.
Northrop has already had success by teaming with Israel's Rafael to market its Litening targeting pod. It also has a track record with Selex. The Italian firm, which is a unit of Finmeccanica, has long supplied components for Northrop Grumman's directional infrared countermeasure system.
Selex has meanwhile worked on the PIRATE air-to-air sensor for the Eurofighter, which can act as an IR camera or a passive radar operating in the 8-12 micrometers IR band.
Other contracts have followed. The firm built an air-to-ground IRST sensor for the European Neuron UCAV and a sensor for the Turkish Navy in 2012. The Italian Navy has requested a multiheaded version of an IRST for its new multifunctional vessels. A version is already on board Italy's Cavour carrier.
Selex has used the testing of its sensors to improve the algorithms that ensure the IRST can exclude false signals and identify vehicle or vessel types tracked.
This month, Saab awarded Selex a production contract to supply 60 Skyward-G IRST systems for its Gripen E fleet, and Selex is also expected to supply the system to go on board Brazil's Gripens.
Selex is also supplying its AESA radar, identification-friend-or-foe and decoy systems to the Gripen, making it responsible for 30 percent of the aircraft's avionics.
Meanwhile, the firm is waiting for an order to upgrade the PIRATE sensor on Eurofighters.
The Skyward system, which weighs 40 kilograms and consumes about 380 kilowatts of power, projects images onto the plane's head up display.
Likely to interest Northrop is Selex's parallel work on a pod version for use on existing aircraft.
Deal Will Bring Selex Infrared Tech to US
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Air Force: SpaceX certification expected next month
By Brian Everstine,
May 11, 2015
The Air Force expects to certify SpaceX no later than June to compete for space launches, under an updated agreement that streamlines the certification process
Once certified, SpaceX, with its Falcon 9 launch vehicle, can compete for national security space launches against United Launch Alliance, the Boeing-Lockheed Martin team that currently has a monopoly on Air Force launches.
The new agreement, announced May 8 by Air Force Space Command, clarifies that the commander of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center can certify SpaceX as long as the company has demonstrated its ability to design, produce, qualify and deliver the launch system. SpaceX must be able to provide future mission assurance support required to deliver national security payloads to specific orbits on schedule.
"I am very pleased with all we have accomplished," SMC Commander Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves said in a news release. "The updated [agreement] captures important lessons learned along the way about the process and allows the flexibility to certify SpaceX when ready, while maintaining our 'laser focus on mission success.' "
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James told Congress on April 28 that she is confident the vehicle will be certified and be able to compete for two launches this year, along with seven more in 2016 and 2017. The company, founded by PayPal founder Elon Musk, has already carried multiple payloads for NASA.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement the new agreement is welcomed.
"We look forward to completing the certification process and competing for EELV [evolved expendable launch vehicle] missions," Shotwell said.
The move comes as the Air Force faces increasing pressure to open up its launches to new entrants, to break the monopoly that ULA has on the launches and ULA's reliance on a Russian-made rocket engine in its vehicles.
Air Force: SpaceX certification expected next month
@Desertfalcon
By Brian Everstine,
May 11, 2015
The Air Force expects to certify SpaceX no later than June to compete for space launches, under an updated agreement that streamlines the certification process
Once certified, SpaceX, with its Falcon 9 launch vehicle, can compete for national security space launches against United Launch Alliance, the Boeing-Lockheed Martin team that currently has a monopoly on Air Force launches.
The new agreement, announced May 8 by Air Force Space Command, clarifies that the commander of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center can certify SpaceX as long as the company has demonstrated its ability to design, produce, qualify and deliver the launch system. SpaceX must be able to provide future mission assurance support required to deliver national security payloads to specific orbits on schedule.
"I am very pleased with all we have accomplished," SMC Commander Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves said in a news release. "The updated [agreement] captures important lessons learned along the way about the process and allows the flexibility to certify SpaceX when ready, while maintaining our 'laser focus on mission success.' "
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James told Congress on April 28 that she is confident the vehicle will be certified and be able to compete for two launches this year, along with seven more in 2016 and 2017. The company, founded by PayPal founder Elon Musk, has already carried multiple payloads for NASA.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement the new agreement is welcomed.
"We look forward to completing the certification process and competing for EELV [evolved expendable launch vehicle] missions," Shotwell said.
The move comes as the Air Force faces increasing pressure to open up its launches to new entrants, to break the monopoly that ULA has on the launches and ULA's reliance on a Russian-made rocket engine in its vehicles.
Air Force: SpaceX certification expected next month
@Desertfalcon
