SOCOM Moved Quickly To Create Daytime Gunship

Direct acquisition authority has allowed U.S. Special Operations Command to quickly and quietly deploy a heavily modified C-130 cargo hauler that can strike ground targets with precision-guided weapons.
The MC-130W Dragon Spear went from concept to flying with a minimum capability in less than 90 days and deployed in 18 months, according to SOCOM chief Adm. Eric Olson.

"This is light speed in the acquisition world, but we were able to do it because we do have the authorities and, frankly, the talent to make that kind of thing happen," Olson said.
The MC-130W has already deployed to Iraq and is now flying in Afghanistan, Olson said.
Unlike traditional acquisition programs, which are run by the individual services and overseen by the weapons buying division of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, SOCOM ran the development and fielding of the Dragon Spear.
"It was in some ways a pilot project for us," Olson said Feb. 8 during a presentation at a National Defense Industrial Association-sponsored conference in Washington, D.C. "We formed a joint acquisition task force within Special Operations Command, grabbed control of this project and have delivered."
The Dragon Spear program installs a gun, sensor and standoff precision weapons on the MC-130, an aircraft typically used for inserting special operations forces and aerial refueling helicopters. Unlike Air Force Special Operations Command-operated AC-130 gunships, the precision weapons allow the Dragon Spear to fly daytime missions - and at a greater standoff distance.
The four-star admiral also touted a system used in Afghanistan that involves an "airborne-mounted overt laser that projects a beam that illuminates a spot on the ground."
Commanders "are finding more and more uses for an illuminated spot on the ground," he said. "It can prevent fratricide, it can cause people to muster against a target, it can have a powerful psychological effect if you are standing in the beam." SOCOM officials are currently building tactics, techniques and procedures for the system.
In addition to these rapid-acquisition initiatives, SOCOM is preparing for some new weapons, including undersea and surface mobility, as well as air, land and sea remotely piloted systems.
For years, SOCOM tried to field the Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS), a mini-submarine designed to carry special operations forces during covert missions. Although contractor Northrop Grumman delivered the first ASDS in 2003, the craft suffered from reliability issues and design flaws. The Pentagon scrapped plans to buy more mini-subs in 2006. The program came to a halt in 2009 after a fire burned out the vessel's interior.
"We're working on revamping our undersea mobility," Olson said. "We didn't focus on that for a while, but we're revamping that program."
As for maritime surface mobility platforms, the Navy's Mark V special operations boat "is reaching the end of its service life," Olson said.
SOCOM is also using a deployable solar-fueled system that can power a forward operating base. A prototype system is already deployed.

Unanswered Challenges

The admiral noted that he has not "received satisfactory answers" to a number of challenges he posed to the defense industry back when he was SOCOM vice commander. Olson wants to know how the Pentagon's investment in simulation technology has reduced operational and training costs and how the investment in reach-back technologies has reduced the number of forward-deployed troops.
He also asked that programs designed to save people and money follow through with promises and younger people present these programs to him.
"I won't say they're completely unanswered," Olson said. "We've made starts in each of those areas, but largely we are still a community that's found ourselves unable to take full advantage of the potential of technological development, and I think we do it better than most of the rest of the [Defense] Department does. Even within the special operations forces, we've struggled to do that."
To accomplish this, cultural change is required, he said.

Shakeup Atop Russia's No. 1 Arms Exporter

MOSCOW - Almaz-Antei, Russia's leading arms exporter, replaced the head of its design bureau, according to a Feb. 4 statement on the company website.
Igor Ashurbeili, was replaced by his first deputy, Vitaly Neskorodov, after a unanimous vote by the design bureau's board of directors, the statement said.

Industry insiders quoted in the Russian press described by the conflict between Ashurbeili and the concern's leadership. Ashurbeili, who had run the design bureau since 2000, was said to be defending commercial independence of his design bureau that directly dealt with the Defense Ministry and the state arms export monopoly, Rosoboronexport.
Almaz-Antei, which develops and produces anti-aircraft missiles, had 2009 defense revenues of $3.3 billion.
The design bureau, formerly NPO Almaz, which was merged with rival NPO Antei in 2002 to make Russia's biggest defense company, has developed and produces powerful S-300 and S-400 anti-aircraft missile defense systems popular on the international market. The bureau develops prospective S-500 anti-aircraft, anti-missile system for the Russian military.

S. Korea To Boost Marine Force, Islands' Defenses

SEOUL - South Korea is considering increasing the number of its Marines by up to 2,000 as part of broader efforts to enhance defense capability for five islands near the disputed sea border with North Korea, the Ministry of National Defense said Feb. 8.
An extra 2,000, if approved, would take the size of the South Korean Marine Corps to 29,000.

The new troops would be assigned to a coastal defense command for the islands near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a major flashpoint for inter-Korean conflict. The division-level command, with a combined strength of some 12,000 from all wings of the military, will be inaugurated as early as April.
Following a torpedo attack on a South Korean patrol ship that killed 46 sailors in March last year, the North fired hundreds of shells from its coastal artillery guns toward one of the five islands in November, Yeonpyeong, killing four people.
"In the aftermath of the Yeonpyeong Island attack, consensus has been built among government and military officials to augment troops, in particular Marines, on the West Sea islands to help facilitate amphibious operations against North Korean forces in the case of an emergency," a Ministry of National Defense spokesman said. "The final size and assignment of troops are to be fixed after further discussions."
The augmentation of Marines near North Korean waters implicate a major shift in Seoul's operational concepts on the border islands from a deterrence against a North Korean landing assault to an offensive one that could allow a preemptive strike on the North should it launch an attack, defense experts said.
Since the Yeonpyeong Island attack, South Korea has bolstered its forces and military arsenal off the west coast.
The South Korean military boosted the numbers of the K-9 self-propelled howitzer, the 130mm multiple rocket launchers on Yeonpyeong, located just 12 kilometers from the North Korean mainland. It also deployed newer artillery-finding radars built by Swedish company Saab, as well as domestically developed, self-propelled surface-to-air missiles.
Other weapons to be deployed on the border islands include Israeli-built Spike missiles, Low-Cost Guided Imaging Rockets being developed by South Korea and the United States, and 500-kilometer-range ship-to-surface cruise missiles, according to military officials.

Boeing Unveils New Hornet Options at Aero India

BANGALORE, India - Boeing provided a preview of new options available for international customers under the Super Hornet International Roadmap program at the 2011 Aero India defense and aerospace show at Yelahanka Air Station here on Feb. 8.

The Sarang Indian helicopter aerobatics team flies in formation above a Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft as it prepares to take off on the eve of Aero India 2011 on Feb. 8. (Dibyangshu Sarkar / AFP)

The program allows international customers to tailor the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter to meet their requirements, said Mark Gammon, Boeing's program manager for the Super Hornet International Roadmap. At present, the Roadmap is for the international market, but the U.S. Navy is looking closely at the program.

In the past two years, Boeing has been investing in the Roadmap in areas that improve situational awareness, stealth, range and precision strike capabilities.
Improvements include the Next Generation Cockpit outfitted with a new 11-by-19 inch large area display with integrated intuitive graphics and increased situational awareness.
"Basically, it's one big iPad, which provides the pilot with a large increase in display surface area," Boeing test pilot Ricardo Traven said.
Other unique features include improvements in the Hornet's stealth and range a stealthy conformal fuel tank and a conformal enclosed weapons pod, for example. The weapons pod can carry a combination of AIM-120 air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground bombs, with each Super Hornet capable of carrying three pods. The conformal fuel tank also reduces drag.
Range and speed are also increased with the GE-414 Enhanced Performance Engine (EPE).
"When you reduce the drag with the stealthy weapons pod and with an engine with 20 percent more thrust, you greatly increase range," Traven said.
Configuration flexibility improvements include an internal Infra-Red Search and Track (IRST) system and a new missile and laser warning system.
Many of the new features - including AESA radar, EPE and the missile warning system - were included in India's 2008 request for proposals for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). New Delhi plans to buy 126 MMRCAs.
Not included in Boeing's MMRCA bid were conformal pods, IRST and the Next Generation Cockpit, due largely to requirement limitations at the time of the submission of proposals, but the systems could be included at a future date, a Boeing representative said.
The unveiling of the Super Hornet International Roadmap at Aero India is part of Boeing's effort to win a wide range of Indian military aircraft competitions, estimated to be worth up to $30 billion in the next ten years.

S. Korea Sets Fighter Jet Timetable

SEOUL - The South Korean government has set the timeline for a third phase of the F-X fighter procurement.
The program's prospects became unclear last year after the National Assembly rejected the spending plan amid budget constraints, and coastal artillery barrages by North Korean forces upended procurement priorities.

"Consensus has been built up among government and military officials to speed up Air Force modernization not only to respond to North Korea's provocations more effectively, but also not to fall behind regional powers in air superiority," said a Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) spokesman. He was apparently referring to China's recent showcase of the J-20 stealth fighter and Japan's efforts to acquire the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. After the North shelled a South Korean island in November, calls have grown to improve precision-guided airstrike capability to neutralize the North's coastal artillery pieces and other key targets.
Under the new timetable, the spokesman said, the Seoul government is scheduled in December to release the request for proposals for its 10 trillion-won ($9 billion) F-X III contest to acquire as many as 60 stealthy aircraft. The F-X aims to buy 120 foreign fighters by 2020 in stages to replace aging F-4 and F-5 aircraft. In the previous two phases, Seoul bought 60 F-15K aircraft developed by Boeing. The DAPA plans to fix the details of the program, including the required operational capability and the linkage between the F-X III and the KF-X effort to develop an F-16-class indigenous fighter aircraft by April, said the spokesman. Bidder selection is expected by August 2012, he said.
To that end, DAPA may request an addition­al 15.7 billion won to launch F-X III, he said.
Boeing, the reigning champion of the F-X competition, is offering to sell more F-15Ks fitted with limited stealth capability. The Chicago-based defense giant offers to sell at least 20 more F-15Ks equipped with advanced electronically scanned array radar along with radar­absorbent coatings and external treatments that are applied to the stealthy version of the F-15 Silent Eagle, one industry source said.
The company plans to invite Korean journalists to its facilities in St. Louis from Feb. 20-25, according to the Boeing Korea office.
"We're confident in our ability to deliver aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force beginning as early as 2016," said Steve O'Bryan, vice president of Lockheed's F-35 business development.
Still, there is a concern among Korean officials about the multinational F-35 program's cost overruns and the operational risks of adopting an early version of the plane.
Eurofighter officials said South Korea could receive lenient technology transfers for the KF­X program if it joins the Typhoon program.

Why India-US defence deals have become big business

Experts believe Indian-US defence co-operation is just beginning to take off

Hitting the tarmac at the Hindon airbase near the Indian capital, the C130 J Super Hercules is the Indian Air Force's latest acquisition.

It is one of six military transport aircraft ordered from the US in a deal worth almost $1bn.
Aimed at enhancing the special operations capacity of the Indian armed forces, it is the first major US defence sale to India in over 10 years.
For the American manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the arrival of its fleet is a step forward.
"The Indian government is slowly expanding its scope to different avenues to acquire different products," says its Chief Executive, Roger Rose.
"With the C130 J, we will be here for 30 years and we expect to expand in other areas as well."
This week, Lockheed Martin is taking part in the Aero India show in Bangalore, where some of the top aircraft manufacturers from around the world will display their latest wares.
Economic opportunity India is looking to spend more than $50bn over the next five years to modernise its armed forces, including a $10bn deal to buy 126 new fighter jets.
Lockheed is hoping it will win the country's biggest defence contract and sell its F-16IN Super Viper combat aircraft.

“Start Quote

While the US is entering the Indian market, we are also getting access to some state-of-the-art technologies which will be to the benefit of our customers”

End Quote Puneet Kaura Samtel Display Systems executive director

With the US economy still recovering, it is countries like India that present an opportunity to American firms.

On a mission to turn warming political ties into business, US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke is visiting India this week.
With him are leaders of 24 US companies, including major players in defence and nuclear power.
It comes shortly after Washington ended most restrictions on sensitive technology exports to Delhi.
Secretary Locke is hoping to seize on the opening and boost American exports to India. And by promoting hi-technology goods, Mr Locke wants to create more job opportunities back home.
His trip is the first by a US cabinet member to India since President Obama's visit in November.
"When President Obama came to India and said I want to seek India's help in creating jobs, what he did not say is that one Boeing or another company's aircraft we buy produces 10,000 jobs in the US," says Dr Amit Mitra, the secretary general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
He adds that India is a big job creator in the US, a reason why Mr Locke is making stops in Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay) and Bangalore to cut more deals.
As more American businesses hope to enter the hi-tech sector in India, it is local companies like Samtel Display Systems that want to benefit as well.
'New collaborations' At its manufacturing lab in the outskirts of Delhi, technicians are mounting and testing electrical units.

India is eager to acquire more technological know-how

Samtel develops cockpit display systems for military and commercial use.
The company's Executive Director, Puneet Kaura, says better trade relations between the US and India means it can get its hands on technology that has been so far inaccessible due to export restrictions.
"While the US is entering the Indian market, we are also getting access to some state-of-the-art technologies which will be to the benefit of our customers," said Mr Kaura.
"This wasn't happening before and with this new change I think the scenario will look very different in coming years. It would be in the form of new business opportunities, new collaborations on the technology front and redefining the future as we move forward."
India is fast transforming itself from a regional power to a global giant. Its rapid growth has managed to grasp the attention of many Western economies including America.
By forging closer defence and trade ties, it is now becoming a key market for the Obama administration's National Export Initiative (NEI), which aims to double US exports in five years.
But while it is helping the American economy to recover, India hopes that better trade relations will also be beneficial for its own local companies, many of which share Mr Kaura's eagerness to acquire up-to-date equipment from overseas.

Cambodia calls for UN buffer zone at Thai border

 

Cambodia's prime minister has called for a UN buffer zone in a disputed area on its border with Thailand.

Hun Sen made the appeal as Cambodian and Thai troops exchanged fire around the 11th-Century Preah Vihear temple for a fourth day.
At least five people were killed in clashes over the weekend and thousands of civilians have fled the area.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on both sides to "exercise maximum restraint".
It has been the most sustained fighting between the two neighbours in years.
The clashes have claimed the lives of two soldiers and a civilian from Cambodia, one Thai soldier and a Thai civilian - though the two countries' media have reported differing casualty figures.
Each country accuses the other of encroaching on its territory and of firing first.
The Cambodian government says a Thai bombardment has damaged a wing of the ancient temple - but Thai officials have reportedly rejected the claim.
'Self-defence' Mr Hun said on Monday that the confrontation was "threatening regional security".

Analysis

Guy De Launey BBC News, Phnom Penh

---

Once again the temple of Preah Vihear has found itself in the middle of a nasty border squabble. Artillery, rocket and small-arms fire broke the peace on Monday morning - as well as an overnight ceasefire.
The Cambodian authorities say that Preah Vihear has been seriously damaged - and that a wing of it has collapsed. They've warned the UN's cultural body, Unesco, that the World Heritage site is under attack.
Thailand has denied that it's targeting the temple - and accused Cambodia of turning the religious monument into a military base.
Both sides have accused the other of opening fire first - and both have written to the UN Security Council. There, the approaches divide. Cambodia wants third-party intervention - while its larger neighbour insists the two countries should be able to work it out between themselves.

"We need the United Nations to send forces here and create a buffer zone to guarantee that there is no more fighting," he said during a university graduation ceremony in the capital, Phnom Penh.

"We will go to the UN Security Council whether you like it or not."
Mr Hun noted that Cambodia had contributed to UN missions in Africa, according to quotes on Xinhua.
He had already asked the UN Security Council to help stop what he called Thailand's "repeated acts of aggression" against his country, and asked for an emergency meeting of the Security Council.
Thailand sent its own letter to the Security Council to protest against "repeated and unprovoked armed attacks by Cambodian troops".
The Thai foreign ministry reiterated on Monday that Thai troops had acted in "self-defence".
"Thai troops had exercised maximum restraint and used force only as necessary, in a manner proportionate to the threat against them," a ministry statement said.
"Additionally, fire was directed only at military targets from where the attacks were launched by Cambodian troops."
The foreign ministry also said more than 6,000 Thais from the border area had been evacuated.
Thai nationalists At the UN, Mr Ban's office said he was "deeply concerned".

"The secretary-general appeals to both sides to put in place an effective arrangement for cessation of hostilities and to exercise maximum restraint," it said.
No injuries were reported after the latest, brief exchange of fire on Monday.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia.
Thailand accepts Cambodia's sovereignty of Preah Vihear, however the land surrounding the temple is still disputed.
In 2008, Cambodia was awarded Unesco World Heritage status for the temple, which further angered Thailand.
The most recent tension was sparked last week, when a Cambodian court sentenced two members of a Thai nationalist movement to up to eight years in prison after finding them guilty of espionage.
The two were among seven Thai politicians and activists charged with illegal entry by Cambodia after crossing into a disputed border area in December.
The case has outraged Thai nationalists.
Members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), known as the "yellow-shirts", have been staging protests in Bangkok, urging the government to take a tougher line over the border issue.