DTN News - AIR SHOW: Melbourne Air & Space Show Rocks Florida's Space Coast

DTN News - AIR SHOW: Melbourne Air & Space Show Rocks Florida's Space Coast 

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Spaceflight Insider
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 24, 2015 (MELBOURNE, Fla):  The skies above the Melbourne International Airport roared with the sounds of jet and propeller-driven aircraft this weekend. The show was held from March 21-22 and included the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the F-22 Raptor demonstration team, U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demonstration Team – and an array of other government and civilian organizations.

From our perspective in the control tower, the show comes across as an exercise in logistics. In particular, we were able to witness first-hand the interaction between the air-traffic control tower, the “show boss” who controls the airspace during the rehearsals, and the show and the Blue Angels administrative officer they send to the tower. The coordination involved – is nothing short of amazing.

Melbourne Air and Space Show - Friday Dress Rehearsals F-16 Viper Demonstration Team photo credit Michael Seeley SpaceFlight Insider
An F-16 leaves its wake in the sky. Photo Credit: Michael Seeley / SpaceFlight Insider

Another aspect that was particularly notable is that the show’s producers value partnerships with schools and universities. The reason behind these efforts is to inspire youth to pursue education and fields that relate to Science Technology Engineering and Math, more commonly known as “STEM”. Brevard Schools sent students out to see the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels arrive, and the Florida Institute of Technology’s College of Aeronautics students and faculty were on hand at a “hangar party”.

SpaceFlight Insider was surprised to find how maneuverable the C-130 – called “Fat Albert” – that the Blue Angels utilizes is.

The U.S. Navy Blue Angel Demonstration Team in their F/A-18 Hornets fly in a tight formation during rehearsals caried out on March 19, 2015. Photo Credit: Michael Seeley / SpaceFlight Insider

Major Dusty Cook (USMC) is one of the aircraft’s pilots. He spoke about how his performance (steep climbs, tight turns and a fast landing with a very short stop) serves to demonstrate the capabilities of the C-130. Cook detailed that he has a special sense of responsibility toward the iconic aircraft and its vital role in allowing the Blue Angels to perform.

Fat Albert carries pallets of repair supplies and equipment to maintain the Blue Angels fleet, and 40-60 mechanical/maintenance staff. Cook noted that he and the team he works with strive to maintain the craft within operational specs.


“I’m leaving it for someone else to fly, so I feel a duty and obligation to turn it over in perfect condition,” Cook said.

*Related Images of Melbourne Air & Space Show;

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Spaceflight Insider
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: India-Built Sub-Assembly On US Navy's Combat Planes

Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: India-Built Sub-Assembly On US Navy's Combat Planes
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Military & Aerospace
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 1, 2012:  An India-built electronic sub-assembly will be part of the US Navy's combat planes, a statement said Wednesday as Indian companies step up efforts to be part of the global defence supply chain.

The sub-assembly provides the cockpit flood lighting compatible with the aircraft's night vision imaging system (NVIS).

American aerospace major Boeing has delivered the first EA-18G Growler aircraft fitted with a cockpit sub-assembly produced by Indian public sector defence electronics major Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to the US Navy on May 3, a statement from the firm said.

Boeing has also extended a contract signed with BEL for another year for supplying the sub-assembly for Boeing military planes.

Boeing had awarded BEL an initial contract in March 2011 for work on F/A-18 Super Hornet combat plane cockpit sub-assemblies.

That contract included options to renew annually for up to four years. "As a result of BEL's demonstrated performance, Boeing recently exercised an option to renew the contract for another year," it said.

August 2009, EA-18G Growlers from Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) and Electronic Attack Squadron 132 (VAQ-132) completed their first at-sea carrier-arrested landing aboard the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75). The first deployable EA-18G squadron is to be VAQ-132 "Scorpions", which reached operational status in October 2009. The first Growler operational deployment was announced on 17 February 2011.

In service, the EA-18's radio name during flight operations will be "Grizzly". The "Growler" nickname sounded too much like the EA-6B's "Prowler" name, so "Grizzly" will be used to avoid confusion. With the termination of the EB-52H standoff jammer, the Growler will become the sole remaining manned tactical jammer and Air Staff requirements director Maj. Gen. David Scott has indicated that the USAF will seek to provide electronic warfare officers to fly on US Navy Growlers, without providing funding to purchase additional aircraft. By May 2011, 48 Growlers had been delivered to the U.S. Navy.


The EA-18G was first used in combat during Operation Odyssey Dawn, enforcing the UN no-fly zone over Libya. The five EA-18Gs of VAQ-132 were redeployed from Iraq to Italy to support Libya operations.

Australia: In 2008 the Australian Government requested export approval from the US government to purchase up to six EA-18Gs, which would be part of the order for 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets. On 27 February 2009, Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon announced that 12 of the 24 Super Hornets on order would be wired on the production line for future fit-out as EA-18Gs. The additional wiring would cost A$35 million. The final decision on conversion to EA-18Gs, at a cost of A$300 million, will be announced in March 2012.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Military & Aerospace
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Raytheon For Radar & Electronic Systems Related To U.S. Navy F/A-18

Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Raytheon For Radar & Electronic Systems Related To U.S. Navy F/A-18

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources DTN News & U.S. DoD issued No. 142-12 February 29, 2012

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada – March 2, 2012: Raytheon Co., Space and Airborne Systems, Goleta, Calif., is being awarded a $77,267,880 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-09-C-0052) to exercise an option for 89 full rate production Lot 14 AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receivers, and nine countermeasure signal processor weapons replacement assemblies. 

 The AN/ALR-67(V)3 enhances pilot situational awareness by providing accurate identification, lethality, and azimuth displays of hostile and friendly emitters.  It also controls the electronic warfare data bus and interfaces with electronic warfare systems, the onboard radar, airborne mission computer, and the F/A-18 weapon systems. 

Work will be performed in Forest, Miss. (34 percent); Lansdale, Pa. (18 percent); Goleta, Calif. (17 percent); Chatsworth, Calif. (11 percent); San Diego, Calif. (10 percent); Sydney, Australia (4 percent); Milwaukie, Ore. (3 percent); and McKinney, Texas (3 percent). 

Work is expected to be completed in December 2014.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. 

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

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources DTN News & U.S. DoD issued No. 142-12 February 29, 2012
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DTN News - BRAZIL DEFENSE NEWS: Brazil "Very Likely" To Choose French Fighter - Sources

Defense News: DTN News - BRAZIL DEFENSE NEWS: Brazil "Very Likely" To Choose French Fighter - Sources
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Brian Winter - Reuters
 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 15, 2012: Brazil is "very likely" to choose France's Rafale fighter jet to refurbish its air force, government sources say, a decision that would award one of the emerging-market world's most coveted defense contracts to a jet whose future was in doubt only two weeks ago.

President Dilma Rousseff and her top advisers believe that Dassault Aviation's (AVMD.PA) bid to sell at least 36 Rafales offers the best terms among the three finalists, the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The other two bidders in the competition are U.S.-based Boeing (BA.N) with its F-18 Super Hornet and Sweden's Saab (SAABb.ST) with its Gripen.

Rousseff has cast the deal as a watershed decision that will help mold Brazil's military and strategic alliances for the next few decades as it establishes itself as a leading economic power. The contract will have an initial value of about $4 billion, but will likely be worth considerably more over time once maintenance and follow-on orders are included.

Rousseff previously had concerns about the Rafale because the jet had not found any buyers outside France. That raised doubts about whether Dassault would have the scale necessary to build the jets at a reasonable cost and maintain them over time.

The sources said Rousseff's concerns were assuaged when India announced on January 31 that it had entered exclusive talks to buy 126 Rafales. Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim traveled to New Delhi last week to discuss the deal with Indian officials and examine documents related to Dassault's bid.

"The India deal changed everything," one of the Brazilian sources said. "With India's decision, it's now very likely the Rafale will be the winner here."

Shares in Dassault Aviation were up about 4.5 percent, at 706.5 euros, in Paris following the news. A spokesman for the company declined comment.

Jeff Kohler, a vice president of Boeing's business development division, said on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow he believed the Brazil bid was still "up in the air."

The Brazilian sources said Dassault offered the best combination of a high-quality aircraft and the sharing of proprietary technology that Rousseff has said is most critical to the deal. Brazil hopes to use the technology to expand its own budding defense industry, led by aircraft maker Embraer (EMBR3.SA).

Boeing's offer of technology has yet to be finalized, but the sources said they believe it cannot compete with Dassault's bid because the United States has previously placed tight restrictions on the sale of military technology abroad, including one incident involving Embraer in 2006.

Dassault touts the Rafale as an agile, medium-sized aircraft with low operating costs that can be more quickly deployed than its bulkier competitors. Those attributes may appeal to Brazil, which has no significant problems with its neighbors and plans to use the aircraft mainly for defensive purposes such as patrolling its recently discovered offshore oil fields.

POTENTIAL WIN FOR SARKOZY

If confirmed, the deals would enhance France's partnerships with Brazil and India, two of the world's biggest up-and-coming economic powers. They could also provide a boost to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has cast himself as a champion of French industry and an energetic salesman of the Rafale in particular as he faces a tough re-election fight this year.

The sources said that unexpected developments, especially a breakdown in India's talks with Dassault, could still cause Rousseff to change her mind.

They also said her decision would probably not be announced until after France's April-May election, in an attempt to keep the deal from becoming overly politicized.

Brazil's air force contract is one of several deals in developing countries that have been highly contested by European and U.S. defense companies as their home markets suffer due to budget cuts. Companies are also competing for jet contracts in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and South Korea.

Brazil's bidding process has been open for more than a decade, spanning three presidents and several dramatic ups and downs. Rousseff's predecessor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said in 2009 that Brazil would choose the Rafale but then left office without finalizing the deal.

Rousseff was extremely close to Lula as his chief of staff, but upon becoming president in January 2011 she surprised her cabinet ministers by asking them to re-evaluate the bids from scratch. A month later, Rousseff told visiting U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner that Boeing's F-18 was the best jet among the three finalists, but she still wanted better terms on the technology transfers.

Ultimately, Rousseff grew frustrated by what she perceived as Boeing's inability to improve the guarantees on the transfers, the officials said. Rousseff is a moderate leftist who has built her presidency around policies she believes will help expand Brazilian industries in areas from oil exploration to auto production.

The officials said that Rousseff remained especially wary of a 2006 incident in which the United States blocked the sale of Embraer's Super Tucano military aircraft to Venezuela's leftist government. Washington had the power to veto the deal because Embraer's planes contained U.S. technology.

In a separate incident in 2009, Embraer said it was temporarily blocked from selling commercial jets to Venezuela because they contained U.S. communications systems.

The episodes raised doubts about whether Brazil would face similar restrictions in the future with the technology it received from Boeing as part of the F-18 bid.

"Nobody's ever forgotten what happened with Venezuela," a second official said.

In a twist that may have influenced Rousseff's decision, Brazil's most vocal point-man in the confrontation with the United States in both Embraer incidents was Amorim. He was Lula's foreign minister at the time and Rousseff appointed him as her defense minister in August.

AMORIM GETS INDIAN DOCUMENTS

Boeing has responded to those doubts by trying to compete as the more cost-effective option. The F-18 is widely believed to be cheaper than the Rafale, and Boeing recently confirmed that it will offer the jet to Brazil at the same per-unit price as during the last round of bidding in 2009.

Despite her misgivings on Boeing, Rousseff also did not want to choose a jet that might not even be in production a decade into the future. In December, French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet warned that Dassault would stop production of the Rafale in 2021 if it did not win any export orders.

Within days of India's announcement regarding talks for the Rafale, Amorim traveled to New Delhi to gauge the bid's terms and its likelihood of proceeding as planned.

Amorim told the Times of India on Wednesday that Indian officials "promised to give us some documents...such as basic rules on the tender process that we could compare to ours."

Brazil is not the only country that appears to be suddenly following India's lead. French newspaper La Tribune reported on February 2 that Dassault could soon seal a sale of at least 60 Rafale fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, turning around a deal that also appeared to be a lost cause.

(Additional reporting by Raju Gopalakrishnan in Singapore and Cyril Altmeyer in Paris; Editing by Kieran Murray and Vicki Allen)

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Brian Winter - Reuters
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DTN News - AUSTRALIAN DEFENSE NEWS: Royal Australian Air Force Super Hornets To Receive New Air Combat Training System

Defense News: DTN News -  AUSTRALIAN DEFENSE NEWS: Royal Australian Air Force Super Hornets To Receive New Air Combat Training System
>Cubic to deliver latest-generation training technology as part of a Foreign Military Sale
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Cubic Corporation
 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 15, 2012: Cubic Defense Applications, Inc., a defense systems business of Cubic Corporation CUB -0.12%, has received a new contract valued at more than $11 million. Cubic and its principal subcontractor, DRS Training and Control Systems LLC, a unit of DRS Defense Solutions LLC, will provide the P5 Tactical Combat Training System (P5TCTS) to the Royal Australian Air Force for use in training F/A-18F Super Hornet crews.

"This new system represents a step forward for the RAAF," said Michael Rodriguez, Senior Program Manager, Air Ranges. "Australia currently operates a fourth generation Cubic air combat training system at RAAF Base Williamtown for training on its F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. The RAAF decided to purchase the fifth generation P5TCTS for use on its newest F/A-18F aircraft operating at RAAF Base Amberley. This new system will allow for interoperability with the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft that the RAAF is planning to purchase in the near future. All F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for Australia will be delivered with an on-board, internal P5 airborne subsystem."

P5TCTS for the Super Hornet will be delivered in late 2012 to RAAF Base Amberley near Brisbane, Queensland. Amberley was previously home to the RAAF's F-111 aircraft, which were recently retired from service and were replaced with two squadrons of F/A-18F Super Hornets. The RAAF's new P5TCTS will be very similar to the current U.S. Navy TCTS system and will include airborne instrumentation pods built by principal subcontractor DRS, transportable ground systems with live monitor, and portable ground subsystems, which includes Cubic's Individual Combat Aircrew Display System (ICADS) software for debriefing. For this effort Cubic, has also been contracted to provide software and hardware to ensure that the legacy Cubic-developed Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) system operating at Williamtown will be able to "merge data" to allow for postmission debriefing between the Classic Hornet and Super Hornet aircrews.

Amberley squadrons will also receive live monitoring (LM) capability. The LM enables real-time monitor and uplink control of P5TCTS-podded aircraft via Cubic's ground stations.

Cubic delivered Australia's first rangeless, instrumented air combat training system to RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales, in 2007. Cubic Defence Australia employees maintain the ACMI pods and ground stations there.

The contracting authority for the Foreign Military Sale is the Air Armament Command/EBYK (Range Instrumentation Systems Branch), Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Cubic has a number of previous international sales of P5CTS/TCTS. Additional sales are expected in the near future.

Cubic Corporation is the parent company of three major business segments: Defense Systems, Mission Support Services, and Transportation Systems. Cubic Defense Systems is a leading provider of realistic combat training systems, cyber technologies, asset tracking solutions, and defense electronics. Mission Support Services is a leading provider of training, operations, maintenance, technical, and other support services for U.S. and allied military and security forces. Cubic Transportation Systems is the world's leading provider of automated fare collection systems and services for public transit authorities. For more information about Cubic, see the company's website at www.cubic.com .

DRS Defense Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DRS Technologies, is a best-in-class provider of advanced products, services and systems integration to military forces, intelligence agencies and prime contractors. The company is part of Finmeccanica Group (FNC.MI), which ranks among the top 10 global players in aerospace, defense and security, employing approximately 71,000 people. To learn more go towww.drs-ds.com .

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Cubic Corporation
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DTN News - BOEING NEWS: Boeing Reveals Details Of International F-18

Defense News: DTN News - BOEING NEWS: Boeing Reveals Details Of International F-18

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources

By Andy Nativi - Aviation Week

(NSI News Source Info) HONG KONG - November 6, 2011: Engineers from U.S. behemoth Boeing are offering further glimpses into the so-called “international road map” variant of its F-18 Super Hornet, starting with its two shoulder-mounted conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) and numerous Enclosed Weapons Pods (EWPs).

The details are emerging as Boeing and rival Lockheed Martin, with its Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), move from being cut out of the Indian Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft and look to non-JSF partners like Japan for new business.

Several other air forces also are looking around for new fighters and will evaluate not only radar and avionics performances, but also how the fighters fare in both beyond-visual-range and close combat. Boeing has been promoting F-18 improvements under its international road map concept since last year, but it continues to dribble out more information as potential non-U.S. customers like Japan are targeted.

Along those lines, Boeing’s concept for a newer Super Hornet is intended to improve the basic airframe in terms of thrust/weight ratio, acceleration, agility, maneuverability, combat persistence, low-observable characteristics and sensor capabilities.

As Aviation Week & Space Technology and sister publication Defense Technology International have reported this year, to extend the F-18’s range without having to carry drag-inducing underwing fuel tanks, the new Super Hornet could rely on two CFTs. According to a preliminary calculation of a Super Hornet fitted with two CFTs and a belly-mounted conventional, external fuel tank, the aircraft would have the same combat radius that now only can be achieved with three external tanks. This is partly due to the position of the CFT’s center of gravity (CG), which is relatively close to the aircraft’s CG. The placement also cuts the amount of trim work and trim drag generated by the horizontal stabilizers.

Furthermore, the CFTs should not require modification of the flight control software, Boeing says, although confirmation will not come until wind tunnel and flight testing are carried out. The first test efforts are to be completed by the end of year with another round in 2012, the engineers say.

Along with the CFTs, Boeing also has been promoting replacement of the F-18’s wing and fuselage pylons and hardpoints with Enclosed Weapons Pods (EWPs), each of them able to host four AIM-120 missiles, a 2,000-lb. bomb or two 500-lb.-class weapons.

Boeing says that even if each EWP has a targeted empty weight of 370 kg (815 lb.), this “addition” is more than compensated for by elimination of pylons and rails and the better resulting aerodynamics, as well as reduced radar cross section (including against existing RCS treatments). With an underbelly and two underwing EWPs, the Super Hornet can carry 12 Amraams, plus the two wing-tip-mounted AIM-9Xs.

But the EWPs have yet to be certified for supersonic carriage and full combat load factors. Moreover, Boeing has not yet decided if it will modify an existing Super Hornet to flight test the CFTs and/or the EWPs.

Indeed, Boeing has yet to detail its estimates of how much better a Super Hornet fitted with an enhanced-performance engine variant of the General Electric F414, Transonic Flight Quality Improvement wing package, CFTs and EWPs would perform. But the company says that acceleration from level cruise speed to a supersonic Mach 1.3-Mach 1.5 will be reduced, depending on aircraft configuration and altitude, by 2-3.5 times compared with a standard Super Hornet. During a typical combat air patrol mission at altitudes around 40,000 ft., the time needed to accelerate from patrol to combat supersonic speed is to be reduced by 2-3 times.

And while it is clear that a modified Super Hornet will fly, accelerate, turn and have more specific excess power compared with the current Super Hornet within the same flight envelope, the international road map concept so far rests on Boeing internally funded research and development. The company wants a customer to fund more development and integration and test the improvements.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources

By Andy Nativi - Aviation Week

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