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.

British Soldiers Train New Afghan Army Combat Unit

British Soldiers Train New Afghan Army Combat Unit (NSI News Source Info) April 3, 2009: Soldiers from the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and 1st Battalion The Rifles (1 RIFLES) have been working in Helmand to develop and train a new unit of the Afghan National Army (ANA) in specialist skills. The Combat Support Kandak (the Afghan term for a battalion, numbering approximately 350 men) was established to provide artillery, engineering and reconnaissance support to the operations undertaken by 3/205 Brigade of the Afghan National Army.

An Afghan gunner explains the D-30 light artillery gun to a senior officer on the ranges at Camp Bastion, Helmand. Soldiers from 1 RIFLES have been providing operational mentoring to the Combat Support Kandak and Major Jim Hill, Officer Commanding of the Combat Support Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (CS OMLT), said: "To be truly effective, the ANA need to be able to support their own operations, in the key areas of offensive support, combat engineering and reconnaissance. "The Combat Support Kandak has a proven track record as a ground-holding unit operating in the infantry role, but is now focused upon the development of its specialist capabilities. "The ANA undertake regular patrolling and operations throughout Helmand province, which require combat support. Whilst ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] are ready and willing to provide elements of this support, it is increasingly important that the ANA are able to contribute from within their own integral resources." In a demonstration of the progress being made, personnel from the ANA Artillery Company recently completed their first live firing exercise, having undertaken a concentrated training package with the D-30 gun - the ANA light artillery gun. 32 Afghan personnel underwent a five-week gunnery training assessment course run at Camp Shorabak in Helmand province, the main base for 3/205 Brigade. They were mentored throughout by members of 26 Regiment Royal Artillery who are attached to the OMLT to provide expertise on the use of artillery. Many of the Warriors (Afghan Private soldiers) had previous experience of using artillery but limited formal training. With many of them recently committed to infantry operations in the Nad e-Ali area following Operation SOND CHARA, they returned to Shorabak in late January as eager students, keen to return to their role as artillerymen. They undertook lessons on indirect fire procedures, firing data computation, ammunition care and equipment maintenance, and the basic gunnery skills, including rudimentary mathematics, required to enable them to produce effective and accurate indirect artillery fire. The culmination of their training was the live firing of two D-30 light artillery guns, putting all of the Warriors through their paces. A series of targets were engaged accurately at ranges out to 7km. Major Paul 'Red' Redgrave, the Technical Instructor in Gunnery within the Combat Support OMLT, who headed up the training package, said: "The live firing exercise was an excellent opportunity to confirm the basic skills required of the ANA artillerymen operating both on the guns and also within the command post, preparing the vital firing data. "Many of these individuals have previous artillery experience and the concentrated training period and live firing opportunities have allowed us to set a sound basis for further work in the future. "For me, personally, my tour is nearing an end and I look forward to being able to hand over these artillery soldiers, with the new skills they have developed, to the next OMLT. I am delighted with the progress that has been made and the skills they have demonstrated." Personnel from 24 Commando Engineer Regiment have also deployed within the CS OMLT, mentoring the Afghan Engineer Company. They have taught construction techniques and assisted in the preparation of Afghan National Security Forces infrastructure. This has included the renovation and construction of patrol bases and checkpoints, and substantial work to 'winterise' their accommodation and bases during the bitter winter months, improving the facilities and defences. As an example of their progress, on Op ATTAL, an ANA operation in January 2009 in the Spin Masjed area, a group of 20 Afghan engineers with six engineer mentors constructed two Afghan National Police (ANP) checkpoints. Using their own plant equipment and vehicles, under difficult operational conditions including regular small arms, mortar and improvised explosive device attacks, the engineers successfully established these sizeable positions in under three days. The resulting positions have been crucial to the continued security in this key area to the south west of Gereshk. The Royal Engineer mentors have also been training the Afghan Engineers in explosive hazard awareness and techniques to search for and dispose of improvised explosive devices in order to keep themselves, their colleagues and the local population safe.

Finally, to improve the efficiency of their operations, the Recce Company of the CS Kandak have been receiving instruction in the skills of reconnaissance. Utilising both UK and US expertise, the Recce Warriors have completed an intensive training package based upon establishing the enhanced skills required of a reconnaissance soldier. Focusing upon patrol skills, weapon-handling, navigation and tactics, they have recently deployed on a number of tasks in support of ISAF and ANA operations. Major Jim Hill has overseen these aspects and knows that significant progress is being made. With his tour drawing to a close he knows he is handing over a body of men with a developing skill in specialist trades - skills which will be essential for the future ANA, as it takes a greater role in providing security for the people of Helmand. He summarises the developments: "The British soldiers working alongside their ANA colleagues over recent months have been called upon to mentor in a wide variety of roles and locations. Fighting together as infantry established firm relationships between mentors and the ANA, which have allowed rapid progress to be made upon their return to specialist roles. "The ANA have worked very hard to master these skills and it has been most rewarding for the mentors from these specialised areas to see the improvement in ANA capability. "As our tour comes to a close, we are pleased to be handing over to the incoming British OMLT, the 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, with elements of the Afghan Combat Support Kandak now operating in their specialist roles. We look forward to hearing of further successful support to operations in the future."

Surface Warfare Center To Test New Uses For Unmanned Ground Vehicles In The Field

Surface Warfare Center To Test New Uses For Unmanned Ground Vehicles In The Field

(NSI News Source Info) OSHKOSH, Wis. — April 3, 2009: Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, announced today it is working in conjunction with the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) to develop and evaluate potential new and innovative uses of the company’s autonomous technology. As a result, Oshkosh will gain the military application data needed to refine its autonomous technology and move it closer to production. TerraMax™—The future of unmanned ground vehicles and leader-follower technology. Completely autonomous, requiring no driver and no remote control, the TerraMax was developed to help take troops out of harm’s way and reduce the personnel necessary to maintain supply lines. Based on Oshkosh’s MTVR (Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement) defense truck, TerraMax is equipped with technologies that include complex sensing systems, high-power computers and drive-by-wire technology. TerraMax was one of only five vehicles, and the only tactical cargo hauler, to complete the 2005 DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Grand Challenge’s 132-mile desert course. TerraMax exhibited obstacle avoidance, GPS waypoint following, and 30 hours of continuous operation—all applicable to military missions. Oshkosh has already integrated unmanned and leader-follower technology in the PLS, a 10-wheel-drive truck and trailer system. On November 3, 2007 Team Oshkosh competed in the third DARPA Grand Challenge, the Urban Challenge, which called for teams to compete to build an autonomous vehicle able to complete a 60-mile urban course safely in less than six hours. TerraMax was one of only 11 teams to qualify for the finals, and did so by demonstrating the advanced navigation and traffic skills required to safely compete in the race. After the qualification test Dr. Tony Tether, director of DARPA complimented the team on being the safest performer on the merging vehicle course of the 11 chosen to compete. The NSWC will be sponsoring these cooperative operations, which will involve Oshkosh’s unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), TerraMax™, and take place at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. TerraMax is based on Oshkosh’s Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) 4x4, and the NSWC will investigate the use of TerraMax as a Roboticized-MTVR (R-MTVR) in different mission-specific scenarios. If successful, the work could lead to new uses of UGVs and autonomous technologies on the battlefield. “Oshkosh Defense is excited to be breaking new ground in the autonomous-technology field with the NSWC,” said Andy Hove, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Defense. “We are still in the early exploratory stages of finding ways we can make missions safer for our soldiers through the use of UGVs, and opportunities such as these are important first steps.” TerraMax features the Oshkosh Command Zone® drive-by-wire technology, which allows computer-controlled steering and direct electronic control of the acceleration, braking and transmission systems. The vehicle also features a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, camera-based vision and a GPS/IMU system for operation and navigation purposes.

BAE Systems Manufacturers Of Super Digger Have Orders For Royal Engineers

BAE Systems Manufacturers Of Super Digger Have Orders For Royal Engineers

(NSI News Source Info) April 3, 2009: A new fleet of tracked armoured earthmoving engineer vehicles, which will give the Royal Engineers a powerful and versatile route-clearing and earthmoving capability, are to be built at BAE Systems' Newcastle factory.

Under a £300m contract, the Royal Engineers are getting 60 air-portable Terrier vehicles which will become one of the most important engineering tools in their inventory. Designed in Leicester and integrated by BAE Systems in Newcastle, the order is also good news for British industry as over 90 per cent of the manufacture will be supported by companies from across the country, demonstrating the great level of skills and workmanship we have in the UK. Terrier will support infantry troops by removing obstacles and opening routes, providing useful assistance on operations including peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. Minister for Defence Equipment and Support Quentin Davies said: "Terrier will be a hugely powerful and versatile machine, like a cross between an armoured vehicle, an excavator and a loader, and I am pleased to confirm this order for our highly skilled Royal Engineers who provide vital battlefield support to the infantry and front line troops. "Designed in Leicester and integrated by BAE Systems in Newcastle, the order is also good news for British industry as over 90 per cent of the manufacture will be supported by companies from across the country, demonstrating the great level of skills and workmanship we have in the UK." Terrier, which weighs in at 30 tonnes, has a crew of two who sit in a state-of-the-art crew compartment. The vehicle's armoured chassis will allow it to safely operate in a combat environment and, when required, remote-control operation can be used. As a powerful tracked vehicle Terrier will be able to negotiate almost any terrain, and its earthmoving bucket and side-mounted excavator arm will make short work of digging and obstacle clearance tasks. The bucket can be quickly replaced with a surface mine clearance device which, combined with a route-marking system, can be used to clear routes of surface-laid munitions Based on recent operational experience MOD has made changes to the vehicle design to provide additional protection against mine attacks and vehicles will be equipped with extra armour to prepare them for operations when they now enter service in 2013. Construction work will begin on the production line at BAE Systems' Newcastle site in 2010, supported by its sub-contractors who span the breadth of the UK. The Terriers will be equipped to fulfill a variety of military tasks. The bucket at the front and the side-mounted excavator arm will enable the two-man crew to carry out a variety of digging and carrying operations, predominantly to clear routes for other vehicles and deny routes to opposition forces. Its quick-hitch mechanism means the bucket can be rapidly dropped and replaced with other front-mounted equipment including a device for clearing mines from road surfaces. Similarly, the vehicle is designed so that different tools can be fitted to the side excavator arm enabling it to be used to dig holes, lift objects, drill into the ground or shatter concrete. The vehicle will also be able to tow the 18-tonne fully-loaded engineer trailer and deploy fascines (pipe bundles for filling ditches) and trackway (rolled metallic sheets to create temporary road surfaces) to assist other vehicles in moving around the battlefield. The vehicle's environmental control system will allow the crew to work comfortably in all conditions from desert to arctic, and thermal imaging cameras permit both day and night operation. Most tasks can also be conducted by remote-control from over one kilometre away, with onboard camera systems providing the operator with a close-up view. The vehicle is also equipped with advanced diagnostic analysis software enabling the crew to keep the vehicle working to its optimum capacity. The combination of transmission, suspension and track provide impressive agility allowing Terrier to keep up with both Warrior and Challenger, whilst the vehicle's armoured hull and general purpose machine gun provide protection for the crew. Despite being over eight metres long and 30 tonnes in weight Terriers can still be transported in either the C17 Globemaster or the future Airbus A400M military transport aircraft.

U.S. Delays Engines To India For Indian Navy Frigate

U.S. Delays Engines To India For Indian Navy Frigate (NSI News Source Info) April 3, 2009: An abrupt halt to work on installing U.S.-made engines in a new class of Indian Navy frigate in January sparked outrage in India. Indian newspapers decried "Washington's penchant for imposing sanctions and restrictions." Rumors blamed an "over-enthusiastic State Department bureaucrat" and an ominous arms export policy review by the new Obama administration. Unnamed officials suggested that the United States had become an unreliable supplier of goods to the Indian military. INS Shivalik will be the lead ship of the Shivalik class frigate of Indian Navy. The first ship INS Shivalik was launched on April 19, 2003. Shivalik is a mountain range in the Himalayas that extends 2500 km. The crest of the ship INS Shivalik shows the Shivalik mountain range and the Ramadao sword. Now officials from both governments say it was all a misunderstanding. Frank Ruggiero, acting assistant secretary for political-military affairs at the State Department, called it "a fairly large misunderstanding" over licensing requirements. An Indian Defense Ministry official called it an impasse over a technical clause in Indian defense-procurement procedures. The problem has been solved, Ruggiero said March 27, stressing there was no review of military sales to India, and none is planned. The issue will be fully resolved in the next two weeks, the ministry official said. Work on installing the engines has resumed, said Rick Kennedy, a spokesman for General Electric, which manufactured the engines. Here's how the three parties explain this peculiar predicament: The Indian Navy is building a new class of frigates, India's first stealthy warships. The first ship, INS Shivalik, which was supposed to begin sea trials this spring, is to be powered by two GE LM2500 gas turbine engines. The engines, which are used around the world in warships, ferries, supply ships and cruise vessels, can be exported without a license from the U.S. State Department. But when they are sold for military use, they cannot be installed until the State Department approves a type of license called a "technical assistance agreement," or TAA. GE did not realize it needed such a license until Jan. 22, Kennedy said. "The law on this is not black and white," but after considerable internal discussion, GE "decided to err on the side of caution." The alternative could mean significant fines, he said. There was no stop-work dictum from the State Department, Kennedy said. Ruggiero said that GE applied for a TAA until mid-February and the State Department issued the license March 12. The wait caused about a two-month delay in engine work on the Shivalik, Kennedy said. Resentment in India The delay raised resentment in India, where defense and military officials were already chafing at the strings that come attached to many U.S. arms. India has resisted End User Monitoring (EUM) agreements, Communications and Information Security memoranda and Logistics Supply Agreements, each of which impose restrictions on what foreign buyers can do with U.S.-made weapons. None of those agreements apply to the engine deal, a State Department official said. While Indian national security, defense and military officials have consented to EUM strictures, they bristle at being required to permit the physical inspection of weaponry and equipment supplied by the United States. Under U.S. law, all nations buying sophisticated American military equipment must agree to various oversight provisions, including seeking Washington's permission before reselling it. Some 90 nations have accepted the conditions. Indian and U.S. officials have been discussing EUM provisions for three years, but it has come to a head as U.S. contractors start to make inroads into the Indian market. In mid-February, a key U.S. official met with Indian officials at the Aero India show in Bangalore. But for now, progress appears stalled until a new Indian government is elected May 16. Alternate Engines? As the engine installation delay dragged on, some Indian officials vowed to look for other engine suppliers. In the past, Indian warships have been powered by Russian and Ukrainian gas turbines. A senior Indian Navy official said the U.S. license requirement confirmed Indian suspicions that the United States might not be a reliable supplier for the country's military needs. But an Indian Defence Ministry official said it is too early to tell whether the engine flap has dented U.S.-Indian defense ties. One local analyst agreed, noting that Washington had recently green-lighted the sale of jet-powered Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft. Ruggiero said defense trade relations with India remain good and trade is increasing. U.S. sales of military items to India amounted to about $1 billion in 2008 and are expected to rise to about $2.5 billion in 2009, he said. One troublesome deal "should not be treated as a case that might adversely affect the bilateral defense relations," said Deba Mohanty, senior fellow in security studies at the Observer Research Foundation. "One needs to wait for a while to see the fate of some of the future deals which are in the pipeline," he said. A Washington-based analyst said the dispute shows that the relationship has entered an interesting new phase. "How badly does each side need the other, and how far is each willing to go to realize their partnership? [U.S. President] Barack Obama's election adds a new chapter to the maneuvering between the two states, one in which the expectation by the United States will be on India to meet it more than halfway," said Dhruva Jaishankar, a South Asian affairs analyst with the Brookings Institution. Three of the 12 planned Shivalik frigates are under construction at Mazagon. The first was originally planned for launch this month. They are expected to cost $300 million each. They will carry land-attack Klub cruise missiles.

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh At Buckingham Palace In London

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh At Buckingham Palace In London

(NSI News Source Info) April 3, 2009: Britain's Queen Elizabeth meets India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Buckingham Palace in London April 1, 2009. World leaders arrived in London on Wednesday ahead of a G20 summit meeting under intense pressure to produce a morale-boosting response to the worst economic downturn since the 1930s.

Japan Says It's Ready For Missile Launch

Japan Says It's Ready For Missile Launch

(NSI News Source Info) TOKYO - April 3, 2009: The Japanese government was tight-lipped April 2 about North Korea's latest threat to "deal deadly blows" to the country if it intercepts Pyongyang's planned rocket launch. "An interception would be made only if the flying object directly threatens the lives and assets of Japanese people," a Japanese defense ministry spokeswoman said, reading from a prepared statement. A North Korean soldier stands guard at his a post on a foggy day in this picture taken from the Dora observation post near the demilitarised zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas in Paju, about 55 km (34 miles) north of Seoul, Apri 2, 2009. Pyongyang has said it will send a satellite into orbit between April 4-8 but the United States, South Korea and Japan say the launch is a disguised test of the long-range Taepodong-2 missile, which is designed to carry a warhead to U.S. territory. However, top Japanese government leaders and officials Thursday remained quiet on North Korea's threats to "mercilessly deal deadly blows" to Japan if it tries to shoot down what Pyongyang says is a satellite it intends to launch as soon as April 4. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo believe the launch, which is set to cross northern Japan sometime between April 4 and 8, is a cover for testing a long-range ballistic missile that could - in theory - reach Alaska. Japan has deployed land- and sea-based defense systems with guided interceptor missiles to destroy the rocket or its debris if it deviates from its expected course and threatens to fall on Japanese territory. In northern Japan, meanwhile, officials held a briefing April 2 for local administrative officials on emergency readiness for the launch. "Local municipalities should be on standby only as a precaution for an unexpected situation," said Cabinet Secretariat official Shuichi Sakurai. "We ask the Japanese people to conduct their business and activities as normal." Japanese leaders have called for calm among the public, saying Tokyo believes the North Korean rocket is likely to follow its projected course. The Japanese government would not attempt to shoot down the rocket if it follows its planned trajectory, top leaders have said.

Russia Cool To Possibility Of Joining NATO

Russia Cool To Possibility Of Joining NATO

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - April 3, 2009: Russia said April 2 that joining NATO was not on its immediate agenda, rebuffing a statement by the Polish foreign minister that Moscow would be welcome in the alliance. "In the current situation the question of NATO membership for Russia is not a practical matter," a Russian foreign ministry spokesman, Andrei Nesterenko, told reporters. But Moscow is "ready to develop normal, fully partner-like relations with the alliance," Nesterenko said when asked about the comments by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. Sikorski said in a speech March 30 that he would not be against Russian membership in NATO. "Russia is the only one who can decide if NATO ... is a chance for it or a threat," Sikorski said in an address to Torun University in northern Poland that was later broadcast on national television. "Personally, if Russia declared itself to be a potential candidate for the alliance, I would not be against." The idea of Moscow joining its former Cold War foe NATO was debated in the 1990s but never became a reality, with Moscow and the West instead choosing to form a consultative body called the NATO-Russia Council. The defense minister's spokesman Piotr Paszkowski described his comments as "free thinking during a debate with students" adding that Sikorski had presented a "hypothetical opinion."

Eurocopter Takes Over Japanese Distributor

Eurocopter Takes Over Japanese Distributor

(NSI News Source Info) April 3, 2009: European helicopter maker Eurocopter said April 2 it had taken over Euriheli, its distributor in Japan, buying up 80 percent of its shares and absorbing it into one of its subsidiaries. "From April 1, 2009, the personnel and activities of Euroheli have been fused with those of Eurocopter Japan," the company said in a statement. The move could help Eurocopter "develop its presence on the defense market in Japan," it quoted its chief executive Lutz Berling as saying. It currently claims 57 percent of the Japanese civil helicopter market. Eurocopter, a division of the major European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), said it boosted its overall stake in Euroheli to 90 percent by buying 80 percent from Japan's Itochu group. Itochu retained a 10-percent stake.

IAEA Chief Welcomes Nuclear Reduction By U.S., Russia

IAEA Chief Welcomes Nuclear Reduction By U.S., Russia

(NSI News Source Info) VIENNA - April 3, 2009: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) welcomed on Thursday the newly announced U.S. and Russian commitment to reduce their nuclear arsenals. Mohamed ElBaradei said in an IAEA statement that he believed Wednesday's joint statement by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama on starting talks on a new strategic arms reduction treaty demonstrated their leadership and "finally moves us beyond the Cold War mentality." Obama and Medvedev met on Wednesday for the first time as world leaders gathered in London for the G20 summit. After their bilateral talks, they issued a joint statement on immediately beginning talks on a replacement for the START agreement on strategic arms control, which expires in December 2009. "As leaders of the two largest nuclear weapons states, we agreed to work together to fulfill our obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and demonstrate leadership in reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world," read the joint statement published Wednesday on the White House web site. The two presidents also vowed to put an end to nuclear weapons testing. ElBaradei said the two presidents' initiative would help to create the impetus necessary for strengthening commitment to IAEA agreements, and would also lead to an improvement in the system of security. The IAEA head also welcomed the U.S. and Russian presidents' decision "to promote the safe and peaceful use of nuclear energy for all countries."