DTN News: India May Spend $2 Billion Upgrading Su-30 Fighters

DTN News: India May Spend $2 Billion Upgrading Su-30 Fighters

Source: DTN News / Ria Novosti

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - August 19, 2010: India could spend up to $2.34 billion on modernization of its fleet of Su-30MKI Flanker-H fighters with the participation of Russian companies, the country's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. The upgrade program may proceed in several stages, starting from 2012, at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), with assistance from the warplanes' Russian manufacturers, the Defense Ministry said. Indian media reported in May that the modernization project, codenamed Super 30, would involve the installation of new radars, onboard computers, avionics and BrahMos supersonic missiles on 40 Su-30MKI fighters. The Indian Air Force currently operates about 100 Su-30MKI fighters and plans to produce another 170 aircraft in the next 10 years under a license from Russia.

*Link to this article "India May Spend $2 Billion Upgrading Su-30 Fighters - Ria Novosti" *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. Navy Awards $59 Million to Raytheon for Aegis Advanced Procurement

DTN News: U.S. Navy Awards $59 Million to Raytheon for Aegis Advanced Procurement

Source: DTN News / Raytheon

(NSI News Source Info) TEWKSBURY, Mass., - July 13, 2010: The U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) $59.2 million for advanced procurement of critical components of the Aegis weapons system for the next two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, DDG 114 and DDG 115. The contract represents the latest chapter of the Navy and Raytheon's 30-year partnership on the Aegis program. Under the contract, the Navy will receive advanced procurement materials and associated services for the AN/SPY-1D(V) transmitter group and MK99 Mod 8 Fire Control System. Raytheon's radar and fire control system equipment is key to the Aegis weapon system's ability to track and defend against multiple threats, including planes and missiles. "For three decades, Raytheon has provided highly capable naval radar components and world-class support for Aegis-equipped ships worldwide," said Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' (IDS) John Kelly, director of Sensor Systems. "This contract validates the quality and effectiveness of our systems and provides an opportunity for us to continue our long history of reliable performance." Raytheon's AN/SPY-1 radar transmitters and MK99 Fire Control System have been in continual production for 30 years as part of the U.S. Navy's Aegis shipbuilding program. The AN/SPY-1 and the MK99 are currently installed in the U.S. Navy's fleet of Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, as well as Japanese Kongo-class destroyers and Spanish F100-class frigates. This contract follows a recent Aegis program milestone, as Raytheon IDS completed the early delivery of the fourth and final shipset under a 2006 contract. The shipsets from the 2006 contract will support Australia's Hobart-class destroyer program (Air Warfare Destroyer) and Spain's F105-class frigates. Work on the Aegis program is performed at Raytheon IDS' Surveillance and Sensors Center, Sudbury, Mass.; at the Seapower Capability Center, Portsmouth, R.I.; and at the Integrated Air Defense Center, Andover, Mass. Raytheon Company, with 2009 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 88 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 75,000 people worldwide. Contact: Carolyn Beaudry 401.842.3550

DTN News: First Aegis Weapon System Completed For Royal Australian Navy

DTN News: First Aegis Weapon System Completed For Royal Australian Navy *Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin (NSI News Source Info) MOORESTOWN, NJ, - December 2, 2009: Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] celebrated the completed production of the first Aegis Weapon System for the Royal Australian Navy’s Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD-1) Program. In a “pull-the-plug” ceremony at its Moorestown facility, Lockheed Martin marked the successful completion of a full range of acceptance tests conducted over several months to verify system performance. This milestone indicates the Aegis system is now ready for shipboard installation on HOBART, the first of Australia’s three planned Aegis-equipped destroyers. In 2007, the U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to equip the three Australian ships with the Aegis. The first AWD-1 system will now be packed and shipped to ASC Shipyard in Adelaide, South Australia. HOBART is expected to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy in December 2014. “This ceremony represents the culmination of an exceptional effort to deliver a tested Aegis Weapon System for the Australia Air Warfare Destroyer,” said Rear Admiral Terry Benedict, Program Executive Officer for Integrated Warfare Systems, U.S. Navy. “I want to congratulate the AWD Team, both in Australia and in the United States, on this significant achievement.” “We are so pleased to be a part of this international effort,” said Orlando Carvalho, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Surface/Sea-based Missile Defense business based in Moorestown. “The Lockheed Martin team, along with our U.S. Navy and Australian industry partners, the Defense Materiel Organization, Raytheon Australia and ASC Shipbuilding, continue to deliver the world’s finest combat system to our customers, and that makes all of us very proud to be part of this program.” The Aegis system enables destroyers to engage simultaneous threats from under the sea, the surface and the air. The 92 Aegis-equipped ships currently in service around the globe have more than 950 years of at-sea operational experience and have launched more than 3,500 missiles in tests and real-world operations. In addition to the U.S. and Australia, Aegis is the maritime weapon system of choice for Japan, Norway, South Korea and Spain. Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air and missile defense systems and technologies. It also has considerable experience in interceptor systems, kill vehicles, battle management command, control and communications, precision pointing and tracking optics, as well as radar and other sensors that enable signal processing and data fusion. The company makes significant contributions to nearly all major U.S. Missile Defense Systems and participates in several global missile defense partnerships. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

DTN News: Modernized Guided Missile Cruiser USS Bunker Hill Runs Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Open Architecture In Combat Tests

DTN News: Modernized Guided Missile Cruiser USS Bunker Hill Runs Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Open Architecture In Combat Tests *Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin (NSI News Source Info) MOORESTOWN, NJ - August 5, 2009: The guided missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), recently modernized with Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]’s open architecture Aegis Weapon System, completed an operational trial of its full combat system.USS BUNKER HILL was built by Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries, Pascagoula, Mississippi. It was commissioned in Boston on 20 September 1986, within sight of the historical monument commemorating the namesake battle. After commissioning, BUNKER HILL entered the Pacific Fleet via the Panama Canal. BUNKER HILL made its first deployment in July 1987, nearly one year ahead of schedule. During the deployment, the ship provided an anti-air warfare umbrella for the USS MISSOURI (BB 63) and USS RANGER (CV 61) battle groups and U.S. flagged tankers and ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In August 1988, the ship moved to Yokosuka, Japan joining the USS MIDWAY (CV 41) battle group. Shortly thereafter, the ship departed for a four month deployment in the U.S. Seventh Fleet area and was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation.From November 1990 through March 1991, BUNKER HILL was deployed to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The ship directed the tactical employment of 26 ships and over 300 combat aircraft from six nations. BUNKER HILL also launched a total of 28 Tomahawk cruise missiles against targets in Iraq. The cruiser was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation, the Combat Action Ribbon, and the Kuwait Liberation Medal for its exceptional performance. In July 1991, BUNKER HILL escorted the USS MIDWAY to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii for a turnover with USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62). In March 1992, BUNKER HILL was part of the last battle group to visit the U.S. Naval Base at Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines. In April 1992, BUNKER HILL departed Yokosuka for a seven month deployment to the Arabian Gulf. The cruiser was instrumental in the planning and execution of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, the enforcement of the United Nations no-fly zone over Southern Iraq. The Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) evaluated the ship’s Aegis Combat Systems for combat readiness through comprehensive surface and anti-air warfare exercises, including manned raids and electronic attack scenarios, as well as thorough testing of the systems' tactical data link and air defense capabilities. The air defense testing was the culmination of the CSSQT, when the Aegis Weapon Systems onboard USS Bunker Hill successfully engaged multiple missile targets. “This qualification trial underscores the operational value the Aegis modernization program delivers to the fleet,” said Orlando Carvalho, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Surface/Sea-Based Missile Defense line of business. “The same systems engineering excellence that developed the original Aegis Combat System for the USS Bunker Hill is now delivering an enhanced system that leverages the speed and affordability of commercial-off-the-shelf hardware and open architecture software, while continuing the Aegis warfighting imperative to pace the threat.” The Aegis Weapon System is the world’s premier proven naval defense system. Its precision S-band SPY-1 radar and missile system seamlessly integrate with its own command and control. Its ability to detect, track and engage targets ranging from sea-skimming cruise missiles to ballistic missiles in space is unmatched. The 91 Aegis-equipped ships currently in service around the globe have more than 1,000 years of at-sea operational experience and have launched more than 3,500 missiles in tests and real-world operations. In addition to the U.S., Aegis is the maritime weapon system of choice for Australia, Japan, Norway, South Korea and Spain. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion. Media Contact: Kathy Baier, 856.722.3006; 609.472.7954 (cell) Kathleen.m.baier@lmco.com For additional information on Lockheed Martin Corporation, visit: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

DTN News: US Calls Missile Defense Test In Hawaii A Success

DTN News: US Calls Missile Defense Test In Hawaii A Success *Source: DTN News / AFP (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - August 2, 2009: The US military said Friday it had carried out a successful test of its missile defense system off Hawaii's coast, as Washington keeps a close eye on North Korea's missile program.

In the test carried out late Thursday, an interceptor missile from a naval destroyer, the USS Hopper, shot down a short-range ballistic missile, the Missile Defense Agency said in a statement. (The US military said Friday ~ July 31, it had carried out a successful test of its missile defense system off Hawaii's coast). The destroyer's Aegis weapon system "successfully guided the SM-3 (interceptor) to a direct body-to-body hit, approximately two minutes after leaving the ship," the agency said. "The intercept occurred about 100 miles (161 kilometers) above the Pacific Ocean," it said. On July 4, the US Independence Day holiday, North Korea launched seven missiles into the Sea of Japan in defiance of United Nations resolutions. It was the biggest salvo of ballistic weaponry since the North fired a long-range Taepodong-2 and six smaller missiles in 2006, also on July 4. North Korea's long-range missiles in theory could threaten the US Pacific coast, and before July 4 officials in Washington said the regime might launch a missile towards the US island state of Hawaii. In Thursday's test, the target missile was launched from the island of Kauai and two other warships joined in the test dubbed "Stellar Avenger," which was a joint effort of the US Navy and the Missile Defence Agency. The latest test marks the 19th successful shoot-down out of 23 tests at sea using the Aegis missile defense system, including knocking out a malfunctioning US spy satellite in February 2008, it said. Lockheed Martin and New Jersey-based Sensors are main contractors for the Aegis system on naval ships, and Raytheon is the prime contractor for the interceptor missiles.

DTN News: Boeing Supports Successful Intercept Test Of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System

DTN News: Boeing Supports Successful Intercept Test Of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System

*Source: DTN News / Boeing Company

(NSI News Source Info) KAUAI, Hawaii, - August 1, 2009: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] played a key role yesterday in the U.S. Navy's successful test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) weapon system, which intercepted a ballistic missile target with a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3). This image provided by the U.S. Navy shows a Standard Missile - 3 (SM-3) being launched from the USS Hopper Thursday July 30, 2009 in the latest Missile Defense Agency test in conjunction with the U.S. Navy. The missile intercepted a short-range ballistic missile target launched a few minutes earlier from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii. It was the 19th successful intercept in 23 at-sea firings by the Missile Defense Agency’s Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program, the sea-based element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. AP (Photo LEHTIKUVA) Fired from the USS Hopper, the SM-3 Block IA missile, guided by the Aegis BMD weapon system and a Boeing-built kinetic warhead sensor, engaged and destroyed the short-range ballistic missile target launched from the Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai. The test marked the 15th hit-to-kill intercept for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system’s SM-3 since flight tests began in 2002. "This successful test further validates the maturity and reliability of the SM-3 Block IA kinetic warhead," said Debra Rub, vice president of Boeing Weapons Programs. "Through rigorous, realistic testing, the system continues on a path to provide increased capability and expand the umbrella of protection against evolving ballistic missile threats." Boeing builds and integrates the SM-3 kinetic warhead's guidance assembly, and integrates and tests the avionics, guidance-and-control software and ejection subsystem at its Huntington Beach, Calif., and Huntsville, Ala., facilities. Prime contractor Raytheon provides the infrared seeker and divert attitude control system and integrates the kinetic warhead components into the SM-3. Boeing has partnered with Raytheon on SM-3 development since 1996. Boeing has delivered more than 80 Block IA guidance, navigation and control hardware suites in support of kinetic warhead deliveries. Ongoing spiral development will lead to improved performance and lower cost on a path to meet future threats with Block IB and Block IIA missiles. Boeing also develops and produces the Ka-band millimeter wave seeker for the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile in Huntington Beach and Huntsville. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Aegis BMD Weapon System Intercepts Ballistic Missile Target, Successfully Tests New Capabilities

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Aegis BMD Weapon System Intercepts Ballistic Missile Target, Successfully Tests New Capabilities

*Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin

(NSI News Source Info) MOORESTOWN, N.J, - August 1, 2009: Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) System today destroyed a ballistic missile target in an at-sea firing under operationally realistic conditions. The event also successfully demonstrated two new capabilities on other ships. These tests mark the continued successful engineering development of the next generational upgrade in Aegis BMD capability. The Aegis BMD system on USS HOPPER (DDG-70) detected and tracked the ballistic missile target, and computed a targeting solution to guide an SM-3 Block IA missile to a successful exo-atmospheric (outside the atmosphere) intercept. Nearby on the testing range, USS LAKE ERIE (CG-70) tracked the ballistic missile target and the post-intercept debris with an advanced BMD signal processor. The processor provides additional target discrimination capability and is part of the new Aegis BMD baseline 4.0.1, which was installed on USS LAKE ERIE in June for testing and certification. Aegis BMD 4.0.1 builds on earlier versions of the system that are operationally certified by the U.S. Navy and deployed in the Fleet. Over the next year, USS LAKE ERIE will complete a series of tests, leading up to full operational certification of the upgraded Aegis BMD 4.0.1 system in early 2011. Also nearby, USS O’KANE (DDG-77) used a prototype kill assessment system and a modified Mk 99 fire control system to collect telemetry data for improved post-mission analysis. The kill assessment system provides a video link from the SM-3’s kill vehicle. The video feed is combined with radar data to confirm that an intercept occurred and that the intended target was destroyed. Immediately following the first mission, USS LAKE ERIE (CG-70) conducted another successful tracking exercise against a second ballistic missile target, while the USS HOPPER and USS O’KANE both executed simulated engagements against the target. No intercept was planned or attempted. The Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. Navy are jointly developing Aegis BMD as part of the United States’ Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). Recently the Navy’s independent operational test agent assessed the Aegis BMD and SM-3 Block IA system to be operationally effective and operationally suitable. Currently, a total of 20 Aegis BMD-equipped warships – 18 in the U.S. Navy and two in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force – have the certified capability to engage ballistic missiles and perform long-range surveillance and tracking missions. Three additional U.S. East Coast-based Aegis-equipped ships are being modified to perform ballistic missile defense in the next six to 12 months. The Aegis Weapon System is the world’s premier naval defense system and the sea-based element of the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense System. Its precision SPY-1 radar and integrated command and control system seamlessly guides the interceptor and uplinks target track information to the missile for terminal homing. Its ability to detect, track and engage targets ranging from sea-skimming cruise missiles to ballistic missiles in space is proven and unmatched. The Aegis BMD Weapon System also integrates with the BMDS, receiving track data from and providing track information to other BMDS elements. The 91 Aegis-equipped ships currently in service around the globe have more than 950 years of at-sea operational experience and have launched more than 3,500 missiles in tests and real-world operations. In addition to the U.S. and Japan, Aegis is the maritime weapon system of choice for Australia, Norway, South Korea and Spain. Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first operational hit-to-kill missile defense system, Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3). It also has considerable experience in interceptor systems, kill vehicles, battle management command, control and communications, precision pointing and tracking optics, as well as radar and other sensors that enable signal processing and data fusion. The company makes significant contributions to nearly all major U.S. Missile Defense Systems and participates in several global missile defense partnerships. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion. Media Contact:

Kathy Baier 856-722-3006; 609-472-7954 (cell)

Kathleen.m.baier@lmco.com For additional information on Lockheed Martin Corporation,

visit: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

Lockheed Martin Prepares Australia’s First Aegis Weapon System For Post-Production Testing

Lockheed Martin Prepares Australia’s First Aegis Weapon System For Post-Production Testing

(NSI News Source Info) MOORESTOWN, NJ - April 3, 2009: Four antennas destined for Australia’s first Air Warfare Destroyer were recently installed in Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Production Test Center, marking the full system’s transition from production to testing. Testing on the first Air Warfare Destroyer Aegis shipset will begin in early May and complete in November. When testing concludes, the full Aegis Weapon System will be ready for installation in HMAS Hobart, the first of three Australian Air Warfare Destroyers under contract. Lockheed Martin’s Production Test Center replicates a ship’s superstructure and allows for the first integration of all the subsystems of the Aegis Weapon System, including the SPY-1D(V) radar, illuminators, all computing hardware, and the cabling that will be used in the final ship installation. In its Production Test Center, Lockheed Martin conducts testing concurrently with each subsystem’s installation, as well as with the entire completed Aegis Weapon System, in order to ensure the system is ready for the rigors of sea before it ever leaves land. “The land-based testing with HMAS Hobart’s Aegis Weapon System continues our enduring best practice of the ‘build a little, test a little’ philosophy which has underpinned the Aegis Program from its beginning,” said Orlando Carvalho, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Surface/Sea-Based Missile Defense Systems line of business. “This process is critical to the exacting reliability that Aegis continually delivers.” Upon completion of the testing, the Aegis Weapon System will be shipped to ASC Shipyard in Adelaide, Australia, when the shipyard is ready to install the system. The Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyer will be the most advanced and complex warships ever built in Australia and will introduce the Aegis Weapon System to the Royal Australian Navy. The Aegis Weapon System is the world’s premier proven naval defense system. Its precision S-band SPY-1 radar and missile system seamlessly integrate with its own command and control. Its ability to detect, track and engage targets ranging from sea-skimming cruise missiles to ballistic missiles in space is unmatched. The 91 Aegis-equipped ships currently in service around the globe have more than 1,100 years of at-sea operational experience and have launched more than 3,500 missiles in tests and real-world operations. In addition to the U.S. and Australia, Aegis is the maritime weapon system of choice for Japan, Norway, South Korea and Spain. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Raytheon Loses Protest On Aegis Upgrade

Raytheon Loses Protest On Aegis Upgrade

(NSI News Source Info) January 2, 2009: Raytheon's protest of the U.S. Navy's decision to award sole-source contracts to Lockheed Martin for its Aegis modernization program has been denied by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Following the Dec. 22 decision by GAO, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is now free to proceed with its plans to procure the ship-based Aegis Combat System Modernization on Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh-Burke-class destroyers. On May 16, NAVSEA announced its intent to conduct four sole-source procurements with Lockheed Martin to support the Aegis Modernization efforts. Raytheon contested the decision with GAO on Sept. 23, challenging three of the four contracts. The protest requested the GAO recommend that the Navy conduct a competitive acquisition instead. But GAO denied Raytheon's protest, declaring the Navy's use of sole-source contracts "reasonable." Meanwhile, a Dec. 22 letter to House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) from GAO reported that in fiscal 2008 the agency received 1,563 protests (including 59 cost claims) and 89 requests for reconsideration, for a total of 1,652 cases. GAO closed 1,581 cases and sustained 21 percent of protests filed. There was not a single instance "in which a federal agency did not fully implement a recommendation made by [GAO] in connection with a bid protest decided the prior fiscal year," GAO said.