Wednesday, December 14, 2011

No Clear Signal Yet From Japan on F-35 Selection


TAIPEI, WASHINGTON and TOKYO - The F-35 could see its wings emblazoned with the red sun roundel, if Japanese media reports are correct.
The Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has been in competition with the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and Eurofighter Typhoon for the Japanese F-X program for several years. The F-X will replace Mitsubishi F-4EJ Kai Phantoms, due to begin retirement in 2015.
Japan plans to purchase between 40 and 50 fighters for roughly $10 billion. Tokyo is also considering replacing F-15Js within the next 10 years, increasing the number of F-X fighters to 150.
However, both the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) and the U.S. Pentagon's Joint Program Office are denying any final decision has been made. Boeing discounted the reports, holding out hope the Japanese government will continue to work with the company, as it has with the F-15J.
"We've seen the speculation on the JSF winning but won't comment on that aspect," said Lorenzo Cortes, international communications, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. "The Japanese government could best respond to what's going on. We are expecting a formal announcement as early as this week, but ultimately, it's Japan's discretion as to when they want to do that."
The MoD has repeatedly said they "were unable to confirm neither decision in favor of the F-35 nor the public release of the announcement for Dec. 16," an MoD spokesman said. "Nothing has been decided on the selection, and we can't confirm when the decision will be announced."
Richard Aboulafia, an analyst with the Teal Group, Fairfax, Va., said that if true, Japan's selection of the F-35 is a "very strong endorsement from a respected service." The F-35 has been under attack in the U.S. Congress and media due to a variety of production and program problems.
"Despite all the doubts, they still see the F-35s capabilities and technology as the future," he said. "It's the first new customer outside the original partner nations."
Despite the Japanese endorsement for the F-35, there will be challenges finding a role for Japan's indigenous aviation industry, which is facing layoffs and reduced production with the end of the Mitsubishi F-2 fighter, the country's only active fighter line, scheduled to close soon.
"No licensed production will be tantamount to disaster," a Japanese defense industry source said. "We have excellent engineers, and a generation of skills will be lost."
A U.S. defense industry source in Tokyo said the F-35 program is a "complex multinational program that will take some negotiation to carve out a Japanese aviation industry role."
Part of the problem is the limited number of F-X fighters, 40 to 50, which "means investment would be quite high, so question is, does this position the F-35 to fulfill the F-XX/F-15J replacement program?"

Philippines' New Warship Sent to Disputed Waters


MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines launched its newest warship on Dec. 14, a former U.S. Coast Guard cutter that President Benigno Aquino said would be deployed to waters at the heart of a territorial dispute with China.
Aquino said the 378-foot (115-meter) Gregorio del Pilar would lead patrols in the parts of the South China Sea that the Philippines claims exclusively as its own and where exploration for potentially lucrative gas fields is underway.
"The Gregorio del Pilar, named after the newest general of the Philippine revolution, will take the lead in patrols for our sovereignty, and in ensuring that our waters are crime-free," Aquino said.
Aquino was speaking at Navy headquarters in Manila during a commissioning ceremony for the vessel, which replaces a World War II-era destroyer as the country's top warship.
Gregorio del Pilar was acquired from the United States earlier this year amid rising tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.
Tensions escalated after the Philippines accused the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy of firing warning volleys at Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea, harassing an oil exploration vessel and putting up markers on Philippine islets.
Those areas are much closer to the Philippine landmass than Chinese, but China insists it has sovereign rights to virtually all of the South China Sea, even waters up to the coasts of Southeast Asian countries.
Other parts of the sea, which are reputedly rich in mineral resources and straddle vital sea lanes, also are claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
The competing claims have for decades made the sea one of Asia's most dangerous potential military flashpoints.
Meanwhile in Beijing, state media reported that China has sent its largest patrol ship, the 3,000-ton Haijian 50, to the East China Sea to guard the country's territorial rights.
China has repeatedly locked horns with neighbors Japan and Taiwan over a group of uninhabited islands - called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in Chinese - in the East China Sea that Beijing claims are in its territorial waters.
Japan and Taiwan also claim sovereignty over the area, which is similarly believed to be rich in oil and gas.

Taiwan Compulsory Service Reduced to 4 Months


TAIPEI - Taiwan will reduce compulsory military service from one year to four months, the defense ministry said Dec. 14, in what is widely seen as a first step towards scrapping conscription altogether.
Benefiting from improved ties with mainland China, the island's young men will have to spend shorter time in uniform beginning from early 2015, after parliament passed an amendment to the conscription law late Dec. 13, it said.
"We are gradually introducing a professional military, so there will be no holes in our defense capabilities," said David Lo, the defense ministry's spokesman.
The ministry plans to eventually maintain a permanent professional military of 215,000 soldiers, down from 275,000 conscripted and professional soldiers at present, he said.
Phasing out conscription was a campaign pledge by President Ma Ying-jeou in the 2008 election, and he has stressed that a "small, elite and strong" voluntary military rather than conscription is best for the island's defense.
Taiwan's relatively large army is a legacy of decades of tensions with China, however ties have improved markedly since Ma took office three years ago on a Beijing-friendly platform. He is running for a second four-year term in January.

Alenia, Cassidian To Explore UAV Cooperation


PARIS - In a bid become major industrial players, Italy's Alenia and EADS defense and security unit Cassidian have signed a preliminary agreement to explore cooperation in medium-altitude, long-endurance and combat UAVs, the companies said in a Dec. 14 statement.
"A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Cassidian on behalf of EADS Deutschland GmbH and Alenia Aeronautica SpA to jointly investigate the potential cooperation in the field of medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV)," a joint statement said.
"Alenia and Cassidian are aiming to strengthen their technological know-how in order to establish a leading role in the UAS market," the companies said. "Thanks to this agreement, the two companies will analyze the requirements expressed by each of their respective governments in the UAS sector with the objective to create a strategic partnership and to expand their global UAS market share.
Cassidian sought the agreement with Alenia to extend its work on the Talarion advanced UAV.
"We look forward to investigating further collaboration with Alenia Aeronautica around a next-generation MALE UAS, like for instance the Talarion, which is of outmost importance for Europe's military aviation industry," Cassisian chief operating officer Bernhard Gerwert said in the statement.
France, Germany and Spain have shown no willingness to sign a development contract for the Talarion after EADS delivered its 60-million euro risk reduction study.
Alenia sees cooperation with EADS as a way of staying current in the UAV market.
"The UAS sector has a strategic importance for the future of Alenia Aeronautica's programs, and we are convinced that this agreement will allow us to become even more competitive in this quickly expanding market," Giuseppe Giordo, chief executive of Alenia Aeronautica and Alenia Aermacchi, said.
An Anglo-French cooperation military treaty, which includes collaboration in UAVs and UCAVs, has sparked concern in Germany, Italy and Spain that the agreement is exclusively bilateral and locks out other European partners.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

F-35 Sound, but Slow Down Production: Report


A "quick look" report on the U.S. Defense Department's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) delivered to the Pentagon's acting procurement chief a few weeks ago was leaked to the public Dec. 13 by the Project on Government Oversight and says aircraft production should be slowed down.
A REPORT LEAKED Dec. 13 says the F-35 program is sound but production should be slowed down. Above, an F-35A Joint Strike Fighter in flight earlier this year. (U.S. Air Force)
The report was delivered to the office of Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's acting procurement chief, and calls for the slowdown while 13 test issues are resolved. But the report also declares the F-35's design fundamentally sound.
"No fundamental design risks sufficient to preclude further production were indentified," the report reads.
When asked about the 13 problems highlighted in the report on Dec. 8, Pentagon press secretary George Little said "the secretary is aware of the report."
The Joint Strike Fighter program office (JPO) declined to comment on the report because it is an internal document. But an official with the program said the information within the report is accurate and that the F-35 JPO helped to create the document.
"There may be issues regarding the F-35 program," Little said. "Any large weapon program generally has issues from time to time. And we are aware of certain issues with the F-35 program. But we believe it's important to continue to invest in the program."
Most of the 13 problems highlighted in the report are well known and have been previously addressed by both Lockheed Martin and the JPO. The biggest issues include the helmet-mounted display - which Lockheed Martin F-35 program manager Tom Burbage has previous said is well on its was to being fixed - fuel dump system, integrated power package and arresting gear on the carrier version of the jet.
Corrections are already being developed for the carrier variant's tailhook.
"A joint JPO, Lockheed Martin, NAVAIR [Naval Air Systems Command] engineering team is developing necessary corrections," JPO spokesman Joe Dellavedova said. "Initial focus is on hook point modifications and tailhook hold down damper adjustments. The system will be retested when corrections are incorporated."
Three less-problematic issues are aerodynamic buffeting, airframe fatigue life and executing testing, according to the report. Five other issues noted were: lightning strike protection, software, weight management, thermal management and logistical system.
Taken together, the problems are substantial enough that the report argues production should be slowed down. From the operation assessment perspective, most of the deficiencies stem from the helmet's performance. There were also some classified concerns cited that were not in the report.

ThyssenKrupp Concentrates Shipbuilding on Military Sector


BONN, Germany - ThyssenKrupp AG will concentrate its Marine Systems on military surface ship and submarine building in the future, the company announced Dec. 12, adding that it will sell all its civil shipbuilding activities to British company Star Capital Partners.
The contract, signed with the London-based financial investor company on Dec. 11, includes the large yard builder Blohm + Voss Shipyards, Blohm + Voss Repair, Blohm + Voss Oil Tools and Blohm + Voss Industries, including its subsidiaries. According to ThyssenKrupp, the new investor wants to continue the business at all sites.
"The sale is an essential step to further focus the activities of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems," Hans Christoph Atzpodien, CEO of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AG, said in a news statement. "At the same time, with the new owner, an important course-setting to secure the work places and the future of the shipbuilding at the locations of Blohm + Voss has been taken for the employees."
The deal still has to be approved by oversight committees. ThyssenKrupp expects the deal to be completed at the end of the first quarter of 2012. The transaction reflects its strategic development concept unveiled May 13. It is supposed to improve the Essen-based company's competitive position and offer a sustainable future.
In August, there had been media speculation about a joint venture involving ThyssenKrupp Marine and French ship-building group DCNS. This was strongly denied by the German company at that time, which said that it saw little promise of close cooperation in the submarine or surface naval vessel sector.

Final F-22 Raptor Rolls Off Production Line


The last F-22 Raptor to be built for the U.S. Air Force, tail number 4195, rolled off Lockheed Martin's Marietta, Ga., production line on Dec. 13, bringing to a close the procurement of the stealthy, fifth-generation air superiority fighter jet.
The final Raptor will enter a series of company and government flight tests, said Jeff Babione, Lockheed's F-22 program manager. It also will receive its final coatings - an integral part of the twin-engine jet's stealth capability.
Tail 4195 will then be delivered in May to the 3rd Wing's 525th Fighter Squadron commanded by Lt. Col. Paul "Max" Moga at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. It will become that squadron's "flagship," replacing an earlier loss.
The new jet is the 187th production aircraft to roll off the line; eight developmental Raptors were also built, Babione said. Counting the eight test planes, 4195 is the 195th F-22 to be built, he said.
Once two production aircraft losses are factored in, the Air Force will have 185 operational jets.
"It's sad to see the end of the Raptor, but given the costs of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the state of the economy, it stood little chance," said analyst Richard Aboulafia at the Teal Group, Fairfax, Va.
Babione, who has been with the Raptor program since 1988, said that manufacturing the aircraft has changed drastically since the first test aircraft, 4001, was produced. When that first plane was built, it had the feel of a custom-built, one-off prototype compared with the newest jet that just rolled off the production line, he said.
The workmanship, skills and procedures have come a long way, Babione said. There was a 78 percent learning curve improvement over the years, he said.
Today, "when you see the airplane on the line, it appears to be this very impressive, fine piece of workmanship," Babione said. "You just get this stark contrast from when we started to build them and now."
Lockheed and the Air Force are storing the production-line tooling and preserving the manufacturing know-how, Babione said. While the other F-22 manufacturing sites have been packed up and stored, the Marietta factory has yet to begin crating up the assembly line. That process will start next year, he said.
Aboulafia said there is still hope the Raptor line could be restarted.
"Given the potential of the aircraft, the line preservation efforts, and an uncertain strategic picture, it could one day follow the C-5 or B-1 and be reborn in a few years," he said.
For Lockheed, the shutdown of the production line is simply the beginning of a new chapter of sustaining and upgrading the Raptor.
"This is not the end, rather beginning of a new phase of this great program," Babione said.
A host of upgrades will be coming over the years. The Air Force is already working on adding new capabilities, and part of its Increment 3.1 and 3.2 upgrades will add synthetic aperture radar and the 250-pound Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) capability to the jet. It also will receive the AIM-9X and AIM-120D air-to-air missiles and other capabilities.
Increment 3.1 is a hardware and software upgrade that is focused on air-to-ground missions. This upgrade includes adding the ability to carry eight SDBs, new air-to-ground radar modes, and electronic attack capability. Increment 3.1 is currently being fielded to the operational fleet and will continue to be fielded until all operational Block 30/35 F-22 aircraft are modified by the end of 2016, Air Combat Command spokesman Scott Knuteson wrote in an emailed statement.
"This increment is designed to defeat air or surface threats in any threat environment; operational test and evaluation is nearly complete," Knuteson wrote. "So far, precision geolocation accuracy exceeds the requirement by 15%, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) map accuracy exceeds specifications by 55%, and SDB enables a 200% increase in air-to-ground weapons reach."
Next comes Increment 3.2A, which is a software-only upgrade that includes Link 16 receive capability upgrades, combat identification, and electronic protection. "The plan at this point is to field it between 2014 and 2016 --some jets will transition straight from Increment 2.0 to 3.2A," Knuteson wrote.
Increment 3.2B will include upgraded weapons, such as the AIM-120D, AIM-9X, and enhanced precision targeting, Knuteson wrote. "This is expected to be fielded in 2017-2020."
Lockheed is working closely with the Air Force on upgrading the plane, Babione said.
Operational since 2005, the Raptor was originally envisioned as a counter to hordes of Soviet fighters during a hypothetical conflict over Europe. With this in mind, the jet was designed to be faster and more maneuverable than anything else in the sky.
With its two Pratt & Whiney F119 engines, which produce about 38,000 pounds of thrust each, the Raptor has the ability to cruise at speeds of about Mach 1.8 without afterburners. With its afterburners on, the jet can reach a maximum speed of about Mach 2.2 and fly at 60,000 feet, an altitude limited only by Air Force regulations.
The sheer kinematic performance of the F-22 is unlikely to be equaled any time soon; next-generation aircraft are more likely to focus on weapons.
"The focus in the future will be on improving our weapons and their ability to attack different kinds of targets at extended ranges and intercept even more energetic targets," Babione said.