Friday, March 27, 2015

DTN News - U.S. DOD: Raytheon Co., Was Awarded Contract By Naval Air Systems Command To Procure AN/APG-79 Related In Support of The F/A-18 E/F Aircraft

DTN News - U.S. DOD: Raytheon Co., Was Awarded Contract By Naval Air Systems Command To Procure AN/APG-79 Related In Support of The F/A-18 E/F Aircraft
Source: DTN News + U.S. DoD No: CR-056-15 Dated March 26, 2015
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 27, 2015: Raytheon Co., El Segundo, California, is being awarded $16,380,000 for firm-fixed-price delivery order 0062 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-10-G-0006) for the procurement of six AN/APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar systems in support of the F/A-18 E/F aircraft. 

Work will be performed in Forest, Mississippi (50 percent); Andover, Massachusetts (30 percent); and El Segundo, California (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2017. 

Fiscal 2013 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $16,380,000 are being obligated on this award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. 

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

The US Navy F/A-18 E and F Super Hornet maritime strike attack aircraft, manufactured by Boeing, flew for the first time on November 29 1995. The Super Hornet is about 25% larger than its predecessor, the F/A-18C/D, but contains 42% fewer structural parts. The single-seat F/A-18/E and the two-seat F/A-18/F fly greater ranges with heavier payloads, have more powerful engines and provide greater survivability.

F/A-18 Super Hornet orders and deliveries
The first low-rate initial production aircraft was delivered in December 1998, and all 12 of the first batch were delivered by November 1999.

In February 1999, the US Navy placed an order for 30 Super Hornets, in addition to the 12 already ordered. Following successful completion of operational evaluation, in June 2000 the USN ordered 222 fighters to be produced over five years.

The Super Hornet is a maritime strike attack aircraft.
The first full-rate production aircraft was delivered in September 2001.

A second multi-year contract was signed in January 2004 for 42 aircraft to be purchased between 2005 and 2009. Total requirement was for at least 545 aircraft. Over 500 aircraft had been delivered by April 2011.

In July 2002, the F/A-18E/F began its maiden operational deployment on board USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). In November 2002, the aircraft made its combat entry, striking air defence sites in Southern Iraq with Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). The aircraft was also deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003.

Improvements scheduled for Block 2 aircraft include a redesigned forward fuselage which has fewer parts and changes to the aircraft's nose to accommodate the Raytheon APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. The first aircraft was delivered in September 2003.

The aircraft is fitted with new mission computers, fibre-optic network, Raytheon AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR targeting pod, Boeing joint helmet-mounted cueing system and Raytheon AIM-9X next generation Sidewinder air-to-air missile.

In April 2007, Boeing announced that it had been asked by the US Navy to provide an Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system for the F/A-18E/F. Boeing has selected Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control to supply the system. In November 2011, the US Navy awarded a $135m contract for engineering and manufacturing development of the IRST sensor system. The IRST system is expected to achieve initial operating capability by 2016.

In February 2007, Australia requested the FMS of 24 F/A-18F Block 2 aircraft. The contract was placed in May 2007. The first five aircraft were delivered in March 2010 and and rest of them were delivered by October 2011. The F/A-18F Block 2 aircraft cover the capability gap between the retirement of the F-111s in December 2010 and the delivery of the first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to Australia in 2013.

The US Navy has approved System Development & Demonstration (SD&D) for an electronic attack version of the Super Hornet, the EA-18G, to replace the EA-6B Prowler. The EA-18G incorporates the Improved Capability III (ICAP III) suite developed for the Prowler. Two SDD aircraft were delivered. First flight of the EA-18G was in August 2006.

In May 2009, Boeing received a contract worth $48.9m for the development of Distributed Targeting (DT) system for super hornet aircraft.

In November 2011, the US Navy awarded a $48m contract to develop the Type 4 Advanced Mission Computer (AMC) for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which will replace the Type 3 AMC currently in use. It is expected to be completed by 2012.

In September 2011, Boeing and the US Navy proposed to offer F/A-18E Super Hornet Block II version aircraft to the Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF).


In September 2011, the US Navy awarded a $5.297bn contract that includes delivery of 66 Super Hornet aircraft between 2012 and 2015.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources + U.S. DoD No: CR-056-15 Dated March 26, 2015
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - U.S. DOD: Naval Air Systems Command Awarded Contract $11.7 Million To Beechcraft Corp., For Procurement of One UC-12W Aircraft For The Navy

DTN News - U.S. DOD: Naval Air Systems Command Awarded Contract $11.7 Million To Beechcraft Corp., For Procurement of One UC-12W Aircraft For The Navy
Source: DTN News + U.S. DoD No: CR-055-15 Dated March 25, 2015
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 27, 2015: Beechcraft Corp., Wichita, Kansas, is being awarded an $11,703,143 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of one UC-12W aircraft for the Navy, including engineering technical services. 

Work will be performed in Wichita, Kansas, and is expected to be completed in July 2016. 

Fiscal 2015 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $11,703,143 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. 

This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). 

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-15-C-2017).

*UC-12W ~ U.S. Navy version based on the King Air 350 - UC-12W  Provides Essential Airlift Capabilities For VIPs, Cargo

Like “Rudy” Ruettiger of the 1975 Notre Dame football team, the Marine Corps UC-12W aircraft is respected among large tactical aircraft in current theaters of war, despite its smaller-than-average stature. Forward-deployed in support of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), the UC-12W Huron provides time-sensitive airlift of high-priority passengers and cargo.

“The UC-12W has proven to be extremely beneficial in satisfying fixed-wing assault support requirements,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Michelle Guidry, program manager, Tactical Airlift, Adversary and Support Aircraft Program Office (PMA-207). “The UC-12 utilizes commercial off-the-shelf designs that are cost effective and can efficiently support distributed operations in theaters of war and in support of forward-deployed Marines.”

The UC-12W, a modified version of Beechcraft Corporation’s King Air 350, is equipped with a cargo door, military required equipment, and is a modern and improved variant of the Navy’s current UC-12 Beechcraft King Air 200. A slightly larger aircraft than its predecessor, the UC-12W has 23.5 percent more engine power,  improved speed and rate of climb, added aircraft survivability equipment, enhanced avionics suite and allows more load-carrying capacity than the legacy UC-12B/F/M variants, according to Beechcraft Corporation data.

With the initial “proof of concept” deployment of the UC-12W in 2011, tactical assets in Afghanistan, such as the KC-130J Hercules, MV-22 Osprey, and CH-53 Sea Stallion, began resuming their traditional assault support missions instead of intra-theater light lift operations. After receiving a fleet request for improved cargo handling capabilities, PMA-207 teamed with industry partners to design and manufacture a lightweight cargo decking system for the UC-12W.  The first set of cargo decking delivered to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, provided Marines with the ability to remove passenger seats and quickly install cargo decking -- further increasing the mission flexibility of the UC-12W through multiple seating and cargo configurations. “Since 2011, the amount of cargo and passengers airlifted has more than doubled,” Guidry said. “Due to the success of the proof of concept deployment, UC-12W forward deployed missions will continue.”

To date, Camp Bastion-based UC-12W’s have flown 1,677 sorties and 1,822.8 flight hours, moved 4,221 Marines and 132.7 tons of cargo. “They [Operational support airlift] did a great job for us and I only wish they could have been out here more,” said Lt Col. Richard Coates, commanding officer, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, Black Sea Rotational Force. “They filled the gap where KC-130s would have been overkill and commercial flights were expensive and/or inconvenient.”

The UC-12W’s success is not limited to Marines in Afghanistan.  Marines operating in the Asia-Pacific region have been utilizing the UC-12W’s improved cargo capacity and extended range fuel tanks, which increased operational range from 800 nautical miles to 1500 nautical miles at maximum payload to support MAGTF operations across the expansive Pacific Ocean. “The performance of the C-12W in the Western Pacific has been nothing short of spectacular,” said Lt Col. Michael Coletta, commanding officer, headquarters and headquarters squadrons, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. “Whether servicing day to day frags [fragmentary order] in support of the Marines and Sailors in Westpac, participating in theater level exercises, or executing real world missions, the C-12W has definitely earned its keep. Based on the parameters of passengers/cargo capacity, fuel burn, and range the C-12W is uniquely suited to handle the long, overwater flights that are a routine occurrence in the Western Pacific.”


Operational support airlift squadrons have been providing light-lift support in the Marine Corps Forces Central Command since 2004. (http://www.navair.navy.mil/)

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources + U.S. DoD No: CR-055-15 Dated March 25, 2015
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - U.S. DOD: Naval Air Systems Command Awarded Contract $42 Million To Northrop Grumman For Maintenance And Services In Support of 44 F-5N/F Aircraft

DTN News - U.S. DOD: Naval Air Systems Command Awarded Contract $42 Million To Northrop Grumman For Maintenance And Services In Support of 44 F-5N/F Aircraft
Source: DTN News + U.S. DoD No: CR-055-15 Dated March 25, 2015
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 27, 2015: Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., St. Augustine, Florida, is being awarded a $42,096,911 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-14-D-0022) to provide depot level maintenance and services in support of 44 F-5N/F aircraft for the Navy and Marine Corps Reserves. 

Services to be provided include aircraft inspections, repairs, overhauls, emergency repairs, modification, engineering support and procurement of structural components required to sustain continued safe, reliable, and available operations. 

Work will be performed in St. Augustine, Florida (96 percent); Springville, Utah (3 percent); and Emmen, Switzerland (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2016. 

Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Navy Reserve) and 2013 National Guard and Reserve equipment funds in the amount of $2,499,866 are being obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. 


The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Description
The F-5N is a single seat, twin-engine, tactical fighter and attack aircraft providing simulated air-to-air combat training manufactured by Northrop Grumman Corporation. The F-5F is a dual-seat version, twin-engine, tactical fighter commonly used for training and adversary combat tactics. The aircraft serves in an aggressor-training role with simulation capability of current threat aircraft in fighter combat mode.

Features
As a tactical fighter aircraft, the F-5N accommodates a pilot only in a pressurized, heated and air conditioned cockpit and rocket-powered ejection seat while the F-5F is a two-seat combat- capable fighter. This aircraft has an upward opening canopy, which is hinged at the rear. The design places particular emphasis on maneuverability rather than high speed, notably by the incorporation of maneuvering flaps. Full-span leading-edge flaps work in conjunction with trailing-edge flaps and are operated by a control on the pilot's throttle quadrant. The F-5 also has anti-skid brakes, Initial Navigation System (INS), ALR-87 Radar Warning Receivers (RWR), AN/APQ-159 radar and ALE-40 chaff/flare capability. This aircraft carries AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles on wingtip launchers.

Background
The F-5 was developed by Northrop Grumman for export through the Military Assistance Program (MAP) in February 1965. This aircraft was initially offered as a candidate for a U.S. lightweight fighter, but became extremely popular as an export finding its niche in the overseas market. In December 1970, Northrop Grumman began development and production on the F-5A-21, an aircraft design that emphasized maneuverability rather than high speed and was officially reclassified as the F-5E. The F-5N/Fs are third-generation F-5 fighter aircraft designed for replacement of the F-5A/B/E production models. These aging aircraft will be replaced by low-houred F-5N/F acquired from the Swiss Air Force surplus by United States Navy (USN).

Currently, the Swiss F-5N Replacement Program replaces the present high-time Navy F-5Es with low-time F-5Ns allowing the USN/USMC to operate the F-5N aircraft to Fiscal Year (FY) 2015. The Phase Depot Maintenance (PDM) required modifications to USN configuration provides a safer, lower-flight time Adversary aircraft with increased capability for Department of Navy (DoN) pilots. These aircraft are assigned to Government facilities, namely, NAS Key West, Florida, MCAS Yuma, Arizona, and NAS Fallon, Nevada.

Service

USN, USMC, USAF and current worldwide air forces

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources + U.S. DoD No: CR-055-15 Dated March 25, 2015
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - U.S. DOD: Army Contracting Command Awarded Contract $48.6 Million To Northrop Grumman For Continue Logistic Services For The Hunter Unmanned Aircraft System

DTN News - U.S. DOD:  Army Contracting Command Awarded Contract $48.6 Million To Northrop Grumman For Continue Logistic Services For The Hunter Unmanned Aircraft System
Source: DTN News + U.S. DoD No: CR-055-15 Dated March 25, 2015
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 27, 2015: Northrop Grumman Technical Services, Sierra Vista, Arizona, was awarded a $48,691,384 modification (P00033) to contract WR8RGZ-13-C-0010 to continue contractor logistic services for the Hunter unmanned aircraft system. 


Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $27,745,692 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is March 29, 2016. 

Work will be performed in Sierra Vista, Arizona, and Afghanistan. 


Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources + U.S. DoD No: CR-055-15 Dated March 25, 2015
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS