US military, technology, arms, tactics

[brar_w]

^ Don't read too much into any attributes someone might claim to know outside of generic ones like low-observable (RF, IR and acoustic signature) and range/payload. The US Air Force shares nothing when it comes to individual technology areas for the air-vehicle side of NGAD (only adaptive engine programs are shared).

[brar_w]

GA-ASI Grows Mojave Line With New MQ-9B STOL Package

To further extend the versatility of its MQ-9B line of Remotely Piloted Aircraft, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced today that it will begin developing a short takeoff and landing (STOL)-capable MQ-9B aircraft, which includes the SkyGuardian® and SeaGuardian® models. GA-ASI is taking on this revolutionary engineering effort to meet an evolving operational environment in contested expeditionary environments.

GA-ASI began STOL development in 2017 as part of its Mojave initiative. STOL capability was initially flown on a modified Gray Eagle Extended Range platform in 2021, but now the company will begin developing STOL on the MQ-9B, a platform already selected by the Royal Air Force, the Belgium Ministry of Defence and the Japan Coast Guard. MQ-9B STOL will combine GA-ASI’s proven long-endurance, highly reliable UAS products with the versatility to execute missions in more austere locations, opening the operational envelope for commanders across all Services and geographic locations.

The MQ-9B STOL configuration will consist of an optional wing and tail kit that can be installed in less than a day. The core aircraft and its sub-systems remain the same. Operators can perform the modification in a hangar or on a flight line, delivering a capability that otherwise would require the purchase of a whole new aircraft.

“Imagine taking the hard top off your Jeep. You lift it off, stow it in your garage and now you’ve got an open vehicle. If it rains, you put the hard top back on. We’re the same. Take a standard MQ-9B, put the STOL kit on, and then go fly,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander.

MQ-9B STOL, which is part of GA-ASI’s Mojave series of unmanned aircraft, also presents an opportunity for future operations aboard an aircraft carrier or big-deck amphibious assault ship. The wings fold so that MQ-9B STOL could be parked on the deck or in the hangar bay, just like other naval aircraft. When it’s time to launch, operators will start the aircraft, unfold the wings, and take off over the bow without the need for catapults. GA-ASI believes the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps will take note of this innovation as it opens the door to persistent and long-range Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations over blue water

[NRao]

Fresh khabar

67 pages pdf

STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD WORLDWIDE THREAT ASSESSMENT ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE INTELLIGENCE AND SPECIAL OPERATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

[brar_w]

US Army conducts ‘static' test with ramjet for future Precision Strike Missile

Advancements in designing and testing a potential ramjet for the US Army Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) could extend the weapon's range up to 1,000 kilometers, and a prototype could be ready for testing in 2026, according to Major General John Rafferty, head of the service's Long-Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team, and budget documents.

Lockheed Martin's PrSM is set to replace the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the army is preparing to deliver an initial version of the weapon (with Northrop Grumman's rocket motor) to soldiers in fiscal year 2023. Although the service has not disclosed the range of this missile, Army Chief of Staff General James McConville told lawmakers on 12 May that it will exceed 500 km.

At the same time, the army is working on future PrSM iterations including an increment 2 version that could be ready for fielding in 2027 that will include a multimode seeker for striking maritime targets. Looking further into the future, programme officials want to add in new payloads and extend the PrSM's range with a ramjet – an airbreathing jet engine that uses the forward motion of the engine to produce thrust.

Although these alternative payloads are currently at a “low” technology readiness level, in December 2021 the service conducted a “breakthrough” test that has “really changed our thinking, long-term, on PrSM,” Maj Gen Rafferty told Janes during a 12 May interview.

“It was a static firing of the ramjet engine,” the two-star general explained.

[brar_w]

Raytheon Missiles & Defense ships first Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor to US Army test range

[bala]

Fourth time's the charm: Eglin AFB office announces first successful hypersonic weapon test
https://news.yahoo.com/fourth-times-cha ... 08573.html
Thu, May 19, 2022

After three failed attempts last year, the Air Force Armament Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base has announced the successful launch of an Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), a hypersonic missile under development by the Air Force with aerospace and defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

The United States is behind both Russia and China in hypersonic weapons development. The two countries are identified in current U.S. defense strategy as major challenges in a "great power" environment as the United States moves away from its counterterrorism-focused defense strategy of the past two decades. Russia and China already have successful hypersonic weapons.

The ARRW is one of seven hypersonic missile projects currently being pursued by the U.S. military services. One of those projects, the Hypersonic Air-Breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) being developed by the Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency with contractors Lockheed Martin and Aerojet Rocketdyne, completed a successful test flight last month. The HAWC uses different propulsion technology than is employed by the ARRW.

[NRao]

Arms Makers Press Congress to Increase Military Budget

Biden requested $813 billion for 2023, but Congress and the arms industry want more

A group of US arms makers and aerospace firms is urging Congress for a 2023 military budget that exceeds inflation by 3-5% and to pass the bill before September 30.

The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), a trade group for defense firms whose members include Boeing, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics, sent a letter to the leaders of the appropriations and armed services committees.

In the letter, the AIA called for Congress to pass to authorize the spending before the start of the next fiscal year, which begins on October 1 for the federal government. The group said this was necessary to signal “resolve in the face of Russian and Chinese aggression.”

President Biden has asked Congress for $813 billion for military spending for the 2023 fiscal year, which represents about a 4% increase from 2022 without taking inflation into account. Inflation is currently over 8%, so the increase the arms makers are looking for would be a massive one.

“Three to five percent growth above the inflation rate is the level of investment required to support America’s global force, maintain our competitive edge over adversaries, and catch up technologically in areas where we are falling behind,” Eric Fanning, the president and CEO of the AIA, said in the letter.

After Biden asked for the $813 billion, hawks in Congress almost immediately began demanding more. Earlier this month, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said that the Biden administration was willing to work with Congress to increase the already massive budget.

“Where inflation will be in September, let alone this time next year, we don’t know, but we want to work with Congress on the ‘23 budget to make sure we have the purchasing power for this program,” Hicks said.

[NRao]

https://twitter.com/jamie_aviacom/statu ... 0446935040

'Beast Mode' @LockheedMartin F-35B of VMFA-225 'Vikings' with live external stores this week.
@theF35JPO @thef35

[NRao]

The Air Force’s secret next-gen fighter has reached development phase


Lockheed Martin Skunk Works concept art of a sixth-generation fighter. (Lockheed Martin)

WASHINGTON: The Air Force’s sixth generation fighter has officially entered development, the Air Force’s top official confirmed today.

“We have now started an [engineering, manufacturing and development] program to do the development aircraft that we’ll take into production,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said during an event at the Heritage Foundation. “We think we’ll have the capability by the end of the decade.”

Due to the classified nature of the design effort, Kendall provided few details about the manned sixth-generation fighter that is set to be the centerpiece of the Air Force’s so-called Next Generation Air Dominance family of systems, which will also feature new weapons, sensors and a variety of drones that will tag team with the new fighter.

The Air Force first flew a prototype version of the NGAD fighter 2020, but officials at the time declined to disclose information about the plane or its manufacturer.

“What we did was an experimental prototype,” Kendall said. “We basically had an X plane program which was designed to reduce the risk of some of the key technologies that we would need for a production program.”

Moving to the EMD stage more than likely means that the Air Force has coalesced around a single fighter design made by a single prime contractor, said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst with AeroDynamic Advisory.

While Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman are all possible contenders to build the NGAD fighter, Northrop’s current workload producing the B-21 bomber makes it an unlikely choice to develop an advanced fighter, Aboulafia said. Far more likely, he said, is that Lockheed is leading the program, having already shepherded the stealthy F-22 and F-35 fighters from development through production.

However, Boeing could emerge as the dark horse developer of the NGAD fighter, Aboulafia acknowledged.

“There were rumors that Boeing was not out of it. And the rebuttal to that rumor is that they can prototype, but can they really build a clean sheet combat aircraft?” he said. “If it’s Boeing, it implies that they’ve achieved a miracle. That’s why I’d probably go with Lockheed Martin.”

Each of the companies have previously declined to comment on any involvement in the NGAD program. Although little information about NGAD has been released to the public, Air Force senior leaders have recently tossed a handful of breadcrumbs to hungry aviation geeks.

In April, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown told reporters that the NGAD fighter’s flight control software had been decoupled from its mission system software — a feature that could allow it to be more easily upgraded with new technologies.

Later that month, Kendall told lawmakers that the NGAD fighter would cost “multiple hundreds of millions of dollars” per plane and would be accompanied by drones and other systems that are “not as expensive and give overall mission capability.” That means the cost of NGAD could dwarf that of the F-22 Raptor, which had a unit cost of about $143 million per plane, according to the Air Force.

Still, many mysteries about the NGAD fighter persist.

The Air Force has yet to describe how many NGAD fighters it plans to buy to replace the 183 F-22 Raptors currently in operation, making it unclear whether NGAD will be “the next big aircraft program” or a “boutique production program” in line with the Digital Century Series acquisition strategy proposed by former acquisition executive Will Roper, Aboulafia said.

However, the service could face an unwinnable scenario if Congress puts pressure on the program due to high unit costs, ultimately forcing it to buy too few fighters, which would then be expensive and difficult to maintain, he added.

“The complication there is that [Kendall] may need a full production program, but cost [per unit] might get in the way,” Aboulafia said.

Another big question raised by Kendall’s acknowledgement that development has started: What companies will be responsible for the engines, mission systems, sensors, weapons and other equipment inside the plane?

“The biggest implication for me if you’re bringing it to EMD is that it’s missionized,” Aboulafia said. “It’s not just a prototype [air vehicle].” That means that some integration work has likely already taken place, and an expensive new air superiority jet would likely have a huge list of suppliers, he said.

[kit]

Off note typical 6th Gen characteristics are

Advanced digital capabilities including high-capacity networking, AI, data fusion, cyber warfare, D2D and battlefield command, control and communications (C3) capabilities.
Optionally manned, with the same airframe capable of conducting piloted, remote controlled or onboard-AI controlled missions.
Enhanced human-systems integration, with virtual cockpits presented via helmet-mounted displays which allow the pilot 360-degree vision with AI-enhanced battlefield awareness and replacing conventional instrument panels.
Advanced stealth airframes and avionics.
Advanced variable-cycle engines able to cruise economically but still deliver high thrust when required.
Increased range stand off and BVR weapons.
Potential use of directed-energy weapons such as a laser CIWS.

However there has been classified reports of "visual stealth" as well. Imagine trying to dogfight an invisible fighter

[NRao]

USAF achieves first crewed flight using Beta’s Alia electric aircraft

By Jen Nevans

The Vermont-based eVTOL company said the flight demonstration was conducted on March 9 by USAF pilots Hank “Hog” Griffiths and Major Jonathan Appleby, marking a significant milestone for not only the USAF but also Beta’s work in the Agility Prime program since receiving the first airworthiness approval for a manned electric aircraft in 2021.

“It was a blessing and honor to conduct the first flight for the USAF in the Alia-250 which was designed, built, and maintained by the dedicated professionals of Beta,” Appleby said. “I am excited to watch Beta continue to develop their revolutionary aircraft for civil and military use cases and grateful for the opportunity to experience electric flight.”

The milestone flight took place at Beta’s testing facility in Plattsburgh, New York, where the pilots flew the Alia aircraft over Lake Champlain to Beta’s headquarters in Burlington, Vermont.

Appleby piloted the aircraft that morning with Beta test pilot Camron Guthrie, followed by Griffiths that afternoon with test pilot Lochie Ferrier. And just as Beta’s previous flights were conducted in airplane mode, with its overhead lifting propellers removed, the USAF flights were also conducted in CTOL mode.

Before getting behind the controls of the Alia aircraft, both Griffiths and Appleby underwent extensive training. This started with reviewing the comprehensive Alia manuals and additional materials compiled by Beta engineers who built the Alia, before even arriving in Burlington, Vermont.

Once the two landed at Beta headquarters, they spent two days training on site, starting with ground school that included individual sessions covering every aspect of the Alia — its structures, batteries, electric engines, flight controls, aerodynamics, and avionics — as well as preflight safety training.

Following the ground school, Griffiths and Appleby began simulator training, where each pilot was able to fly the exact test flight route in Beta’s thunderdome simulator — built in-house and used for training, data-gathering, and route mapping.

The training was comprehensive, but not surprising for the eVTOL developer. Beta is known for providing flight training to its own employees, as well as offering its partner and CEO of United Therapeutics Martine Rothblatt a chance to get behind the controls of the Alia.

“For over two years, we’ve worked hand-in-hand with the Air Force Agility Prime team to refine our electric aircraft, and we’ve made great progress together,” said Kyle Clark, Beta’s founder and CEO. The partnership is currently operating under a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract.

“It’s an honor to have Griffiths and Appleby fly our aircraft, and we’re humbled by the Air Force’s continued support and confidence in our engineering,” Clark continued. “This flight signifies an important milestone, providing the opportunity for a clean future for our nation’s military and a path to fossil fuel independence.”

Griffiths, who is the AFWERX airworthiness and test lead, said the USAF’s qualitative evaluation flight will be the first of many that it plans to conduct with Beta and its other Agility Prime partners.

“In addition to accelerating these company’s path to FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] type certification by providing access to USAF engineering expertise and test infrastructure, we are also evaluating these prototypes for opportunities to utilize them for unique military missions,” Griffiths said. “We need government pilots to accomplish those evaluations, and this is the first step in developing the training and experimentation plans to do so.”

While the Alia aircraft, which has been in development for three years, was created to be a cargo carrier that can fit a pilot and three standard pallets, the company said it can also seat a pilot and up to five passengers.

With a wingspan of 50 feet (15 meters) and recharge time of under an hour, the Alia aircraft is targeting a range of 250 nautical miles (288 miles or 463 kilometers) and a top speed of about 150 knots (173 miles per hour or 278 kilometers per hour).

Along with the aircraft, the company is also introducing a charging infrastructure, with more than 60 charging stations online or in development so far from Vermont to Arkansas.

“Beta has developed a unique eVTOL air system that is the complete package and includes an air vehicle and charging network that will surely compete well in this emerging competitive market,” Griffiths said.

[NRao]

Have not been on BR for much in the recent past, so not sure - though I did a cursory check - if Brar had posted this article. Apologies if it has been discussed:

April 29, 2022 :: Piecing Together the NGAD Puzzle

Control of the air is the Air Force’s top core competency, but as its premier fighters age, its ability to perform that mission in the future is increasingly in question. By 2030, the Air Force anticipates its F-22 Raptors will no longer be sufficiently survivable in contested air space, potentially leaving the joint force vulnerable to air attack. To stay well ahead of China’s J-20 and other adversary aircraft, as well as increasingly sophisticated ground-based air defenses around the world, a follow-on air superiority fighter is urgently needed.

The Air Force has invested more than $2.5 billion since 2018 to develop that successor: the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family of systems. By 2025, that number will have grown to at least $9 billion. While still highly classified, the Air Force has gradually begun to reveal limited details about NGAD, which it describes as a “family of systems” that will collaboratively gain air dominance in combat. The NGAD family will include at least one crewed aircraft and an undisclosed number of uncrewed aircraft, along with other technologies that could include optionally crewed platforms, missiles, pods, and offboard capabilities, some of which could operate from space. Some flying escorts will carry sensors or more weapons, while others will provide electronic or ground attack capabilities so that NGAD can get through enemy defenses to hold at risk any target in the battlespace.

............................

A rather long article, it has plenty of very interesting "stuff".

[NRao]

Off note typical 6th Gen characteristics are

Advanced digital capabilities including high-capacity networking, AI, data fusion, cyber warfare, D2D and battlefield command, control and communications (C3) capabilities.
...........................................

However there has been classified reports of "visual stealth" as well. Imagine trying to dogfight an invisible fighter

IF one finds a common theme across a lot of the recent BAAs, there are two features that stand out: Digital Design and A2AD. All others (you mention) are only an off shoot of these two.

Digital Design, because they want extremely rapid infusion of tested technologies - and the digital arena provides the required infrastructure, etc, before investing in the physical twin. Cannot talk to NGAD, etc, but certainly in the missile area it is very advanced. In fact they had built a capability for third parties to participate, remotely, in digitally testing an article. (IIRC they called that component Colosseum.)

A2AD makes pretty much everything in your list useless. So, the emphasis is on self-healing (networks), AI in the absence of human-in-the-loop, trust in AI (there are very interesting studies where pilots over rode AI systems, when the AI systems were right), etc.

BTW, "stealth" is no longer a major actor - direction seems to be: build with the lowest cost techs you have, avoid investing in advancing the techs.

[NRao]

June 2, 2022 :: Congress is right: Accelerate the E-7 Wedgetail buy


A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft assigned to 2 Squadron, RAAF Amberly, Australia, lands safely after a mission during Red Flag 20-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Jan. 30. 2020. (U.S. Air Force Photo William R. Lewis)

After months of speculation, in April the Air Force officially chose the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail to replace its decades-old AWACS planes. But there’s a lag between making the choice and flying the planes — during which Mitchell Institute Executive Director Douglas Birkey says Congress and the Air Force must work together in a hurry to minimize the American military’s vulnerability in the skies.

In recent weeks, members of Congress have pressed Air Force leaders on a key topic: Can the service acquire E-7 Wedgetails faster? It’s a question that is well founded, and worth serious consideration.

Fighting and winning in modern air combat demands accurate, timely, and effective command and control (C2) to ensure aircraft are at the right place at the right time to best secure mission results. This is far from an easy task given the hundreds of thousands of square miles that comprise aerial theaters, the high number of dynamic assets in play — both friendly and enemy — and the extreme speeds at which they are flying. Given the fragile state of the 40-year-old E-3 airborne warning and control aircraft (AWACS) currently executing this mission, and the reality that leap-ahead technology is likely not going to be operationally mature until the next decade, driving to a tangible solution as soon as possible makes sense. Looming threats within the current decade demand the accelerated buy of the E-7.

The essence of aerial command and control comes down to understanding when and where to place aircraft to best secure mission results. Think about the Battle of Britain to better understand the model. Radar stations detected inbound enemy aircraft, that data was routed to command-and-control stations where trained experts transformed it into actionable information, and then Royal Air Force fighters were vectored for intercepts. It was tremendously effective and drove major operational efficiencies, because aircraft were not just wandering around hoping to run into enemy forces. They knew when and where to fly with tremendous precision. This latter point was especially important given that the RAF only had 446 fighters to ward off 3,500 operational German combat aircraft in the summer of 1940 [PDF].

Obviously, systems are more capable now than they were then — but so are the enemy’s. Small force dynamics are also at play again. Consider that the Air Force only has roughly 160 F-35s and 100 F-22s operationally available. Even when older types, like F-15s and F-16s, are factored into the equation, the fighter force is less than half the size [PDF] of the one that fought in Desert Storm. Making the most of a small force demands smart C2.

While it is true that a far more disaggregated set of sensors, processing power, and communication links will eventually comprise a future aerial command and control enterprise, that technology is not available today. It will take years to mature joint all domain command and control (JADC2) to a level where we can reliably count on it in combat. Failing to buy a bridge solution will gap the critical command and control mission. This is exactly what is happening with the E-8 joint surveillance target attack radar system (JSTARS)—a ground-focused counterpart to the AWACS. The aircraft are worn out, a bridge solution was cancelled due to budget constraints, and the vision for a next generation solution remains aspirational. Sending forces into battle blind is a bad bet to make and should not be repeated.

It is also important to consider the human capital part of the equation. Airmen are directly tied to their aircraft. Take away the means to execute their mission and their career field implodes. Want proof? Look at what happened to electronic warfare operators when the Air Force failed to backfill the EF-111 in the 1990s. The mission is more important than ever, but the career field is an anemic fraction of what it used to be. It will take a decade or more to reconstitute necessary electronic warfare talent in the Air Force.

We cannot take that sort of risk with aerial C2. What these experts—known as air battle managers (ABM)—execute is incredibly complex and unique. Much like a football coach orchestrating a play on the field, these airmen can comprehend incredibly complex scenarios and help align individual actors to maximize their mission effectiveness, while also keeping them out of undue danger. They think in seconds and minutes about very specific battle space lanes, not hours and days that define higher echelons of C2. Sunsetting AWACS without a viable, direct replacement will ravage the ABM career field, which is already under tremendous strain given what is happening with the JSTARS.

This notion of timing is especially important given that new E-7s are not expected to hit operational flightlines until the end of the decade. In the meantime, service leaders want to begin retiring the AWACS now, with half of the inventory set for divestment in FY23. That sort of gap presents incredible risk.

A better option would see the Air Force partner with Congress to accelerate the E-7 acquisition process. Options include the Air Force requesting reprogramming of FY22 money with new start authority so they can get the E-7 on contract months earlier than currently planned. It is also worth looking at ordering more than one aircraft with the initial contract, while also working to ensure sub-contractors are empowered to accelerate delivery of long lead items, like radar and avionics.

Another option would involve the US trying to gain advanced production slots ahead of allied buys; how successful that might be may depend on what kind of offsets and promises could be offered to those nations as a trade. The Air Force should also explore the possibility of accepting allied certifications of the aircraft who already operate the E-7 (Australia, United Kingdom, and Republic of Korea) rather than spending years reinventing what has largely been accomplished.

Bottom line, speed is the Air Force’s friend when it comes to resetting the aerial C2 mission. That is what accelerating change or losing is all about. Options exist and statements from both sides of the aisle suggest extreme willingness to pull several of the levers that can help accelerate the process. It is time to get on with it.

[NRao]

A 40 min long discussion on audio:

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Airpower: Closer than You Think

In episode 78 of the Aerospace Advantage, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Airpower: Closer than You Think, host John “Slick” Baum speaks with a seasoned remotely piloted aircraft operator—Brigadier General Houston Cantwell, who commands the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Force—and an engineer who specializes in artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions, Dr. Anastacia “Stacie” MacAllister of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to explore how AI can revolutionize airpower. Secretary of the Air Force Kendall has made it clear that AI and developing manned and unmanned teams is a top priority for the USAF if we are to fight and win in a conflict with our peer competitors. To realize this vision, it will take engineers and warfighters working side-by-side to deliver operationally relevant AI into UAVs. But they will need to strike a balance. We need to move fast enough to stay ahead of the adversary, but not so fast that there is no time to put the right constraints in place to prevent AI from spinning out of control. Today, we begin the conversation on how to strike this balance and get the most out of AI to revolutionize the future of airpower.

[NRao]

The World’s Most Secretive 737 Just Migrated To Oklahoma

The Air Force's wildly modified NT-43, better known by its callsign, 'RAT55,' just made a rare flight outside its usual highly-defined operational confines. You see, RAT55 isn't just the strangest 737 flying, it's also the shyest. It lives and works almost exclusively within the desolate air training ranges that take up large swathes of airspace over south-central California and southern Nevada, often disappearing into Area 51 or the Tonopah Test Range Airport.

The aircraft is a prized asset that is used as a flying aircraft signature measurement laboratory. It is one of America's unique capabilities that help to make stealthy aircraft as capable and reliable as they are. You can read all about the unique mission, and the shady history of RAT55, in these past pieces of ours linked here and here.

Suffice it to say that whenever RAT55 pops up, either photographed over the Mojave Desert with a B-2 Spirit in tow or on plane tracking software, it always draws a lot of attention. Such was the case on June 1, 2022, when it ventured east on a flight to Ardmore, Oklahoma of all places. Our friend David Honan spotted the flight, with the gonzo-looking jet departing from its presumptive home at the high-security Tonopah Test Range Airport early Wednesday morning.

While the flight is certainly attention-grabbing, the 50-year-old RAT55 needs maintenance – including periodic depot-level work and checks – just like any 737. At this point, it is one of a dwindling number of first-generation 737s still flying, and even though it gets relatively light use and likely extremely good care, the aircraft will only get harder to maintain as time goes on.

Its massive alterations certainly put some kind of unique stress on the airframe. As RAT55 often works at lower altitudes alongside its target 'customer' aircraft, the stress on the airframe is magnified. With that in mind, it has been spotted at a heavy maintenance center before during its second life as a grotesque-looking but essential flying sensor lab. Ardmore, Oklahoma is home to just such a place.



King Aerospace's location at Admore Municipal Airport in the city of just 25,000 residents does deep maintenance on aircraft with a particular focus on 737s.

Beyond routine maintenance, those huge modifications made to the airframe — as well as others that can be attached if needed — intended to hold radar arrays, infrared and other optics, as well as communications gear and associated technology, need to be custom fabricated, altered to accept new technologies, and maintained and tested to make sure they are safe to fly. The aircraft is truly one of a kind, so it needs folks that are used to doing elaborate but safe modifications to existing airframes for unique mission purposes.

King Aerospace's unique portfolio of heavy maintenance and deep modification work, especially for security-sensitive customers, makes it quite the logical place to send RAT55 for some much-needed TLC and possibly more.

In fact, this is not the first time RAT55 was spotted by plane trackers heading to the Oklahoma airfield. Back in December of 2021, it went there and stayed for about a month before heading back west.

.....................

[NRao]

U.S. Navy Announces 28th RIMPAC Exercise

This year’s exercise includes forces from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Hosted by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2022 will be led by Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, who will serve as Combined Task Force (CTF) commander

[NRao]

[NRao]

Army Forms 11th Airborne Division Amid Focus on Arctic Warfare

The Army on Monday activated the new 11th Airborne Division in Alaska, a historic move that brings the service's 12,000 soldiers in the state under a single banner.

The change will bring the service closer to its mission in Alaska of mastering the frigid, inhospitable Arctic terrain. Previously, two of its brigades were loosely associated with the 25th Infantry Division, an element known for its specialty in jungle warfare. The new division has also folded in U.S. Army Alaska, which mostly served a headquarters role in the region.

As the Army reorients after decades of counterterrorism operations back to conventional warfare, it is anticipating that frigid environments will play a huge role in modern conflicts. Adversaries Russia and China have already laid claims to the Arctic Circle, where melting ice is freeing up territory, natural resources and new sea routes.

"They will be the experts for our Army, and we like to see the best in the world operating in this environment," Gen. James McConville, the Army's chief of staff, told reporters at a press conference Monday.

The 11th Airborne will take center stage in that strategy, as commanders in the region refine doctrine and fit their troops with the gear they need to survive in extreme temperatures. Unlike other environments in which soldiers train, the environment itself is deadly -- sometimes dipping to minus-65 degrees Fahrenheit.

It isn't Alaska itself the Army is planning to defend. Any invading forces there would have to cross hundreds of miles of frozen terrain, a virtually impossible task for vehicles and a challenge for the sustainment of troops, including feeding them.

Commanders in the region have pointed to past conflicts as examples of why the Army needs a unit dedicated to fighting in the extreme cold, such as the Battle of the Bulge and the campaign in Italy during World War II, and much of the Korean War, where freezing temperatures were often as deadly as the enemy.

Commanders have told Military.com they aim for units there to be a prestigious force, having to carry more gear and thrive in more difficult conditions than other conventional units in the Army. Given the frigid climate, service planners have acknowledged Alaska isn't for everyone and have made moves to slowly make it more of a volunteer force, including allowing new recruits to pick Alaska as their duty station when they enlist.

Most significantly, the new formation eliminates a brigade of Strykers for the Army, redesignating the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, to the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division. The service will take Alaska's aging fleet of 320 Strykers and scrap some vehicles for parts, and update others to send to other units.

The new formation will not add any more airborne capabilities to the Army's bottom line with the former Stryker brigade redesignated as a light infantry brigade. McConville said those troops will instead focus on air assault operations.

The division reintroduced the patch used decades ago by the 11th Airborne Division, but with an Arctic twist. The original unit fought in the Pacific Theater in World War II and later tested out air assault tactics before it was deactivated in 1965.

That new patch will add an "Arctic" tab above the classic "airborne" tab seen with other units such as the 82nd Airborne Division. Previously, the Arctic tab was an award for completing an 11-day Arctic survival course in Alaska.

[NRao]

MIT unveils new Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel

A state-of-the-art facility replaces a nearly 80-year-old campus landmark to become the most advanced wind tunnel in U.S. academia.

June 8, 2022

When Mark Drela first set foot in Cambridge to study aerospace engineering at MIT in 1978, he was no stranger to wind tunnels. Just two years before, he constructed a 1-foot-by-1-foot wind tunnel for the Westinghouse Science Talent Search that earned him a visit to the White House as a finalist. But nothing could have prepared him for the first time he saw the iconic Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel, a moment that would tie into his later career and eventually impact the very fabric of MIT's campus.

“It was my very first day on MIT's campus, so I was just wandering around when I turned the corner and saw it — whoa! A wind tunnel! And it's a big one!” says Drela ’82, SM ’83, PhD ’85. “I had no idea it was even here. I ran up and knocked on the door, and [longtime tunnel operator] Frank Durgin answered. He was the first AeroAstro person I met on campus, and he could see how excited I was, so he gave me a tour.”

Since its dedication in 1938, the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel has become a campus landmark used for education, research, industry, and outreach. Still, by the time Drela had his fateful first encounter, it was already showing its age. In 2017, the MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro) announced it would replace the tunnel with a brand-new facility thanks to a lead funding commitment from Boeing with Drela, now the Terry J. Kohler Professor and director of the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel, at the helm.

Today, MIT is home to the most advanced academic wind tunnel in the country, capable of reaching wind speeds up to 230 miles per hour (mph), with the largest test section in U.S. academia.

“If I had one word to describe the state of the old tunnel after 80 years, it would be decrepit. The tunnel shell and supporting foundations, the instrumentation, and the drive motor and fan were all in a state of decay. The airflow quality was poor, and the tunnel was extremely loud and power-inefficient,” says Drela. “It just wasn't holding up against our modern standards of wind tunnel testing. Our goal was to bring our vintage tunnel into the 21st century and beyond, and we did that.”


Building the new Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel

Go with the flow

Wind tunnels have been in use for more than 150 years — even Wilbur and Orville Wright tested candidate wing designs in a simple open-ended wind tunnel they constructed before their historic flight in 1903. Nearly everything on the Earth’s surface has air flowing over it. Instead of moving an object through the air, wind tunnels move air over a stationary object in a controlled environment, allowing the operator to take aerodynamic measurements. When building something that needs to interact with airflow, it's necessary to understand and predict the aerodynamic forces in that interaction to diagnose and fix any problems or shortcomings in the design.

Wind tunnel measurements can determine how much fuel an aircraft will consume, how slowly it can fly during landing, or how much control it has in maneuvers. But wind tunnels are not limited to aerospace applications. They can also measure the aerodynamic loads on ground vehicles, such as cars and bicycles, or wind loads on stationary objects, such as bridges and buildings. Scientists and engineers also use wind tunnels for fundamental research, like studying how the air behaves when it interacts with an object to understand the science of fluid mechanics.

Uses for the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel continued to evolve throughout its 80-year history. During World War II, the U.S. government took over the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel for days to perform top-secret aircraft research and development. Over the years, in addition to aerospace research, investigators used it to test ski and bike equipment, analyze city landscapes, and even demonstrate how a 130-million-year-old four-winged dinosaur might have flown, for a documentary film.

Beyond its use in research, educators also used the tunnel extensively for coursework and public outreach. But after nearly eight decades, the aged equipment became a challenge to use. A full replacement was in order, and thanks to its urban campus home, the project presented several unique challenges.

“To have the best facility possible, we knew we needed a large test section with very good airflow quality and a maximum speed of at least 200 miles per hour, which dictated a large tunnel size and a powerful drive motor,” says Drela. “But since the tunnel sits right in the middle of campus, we had to achieve these goals while making it compatible with our urban environment. When your goals massively conflict with your constraints, you get an incredibly challenging project.”

Innovating convention

In general, nearly all wind tunnels aim to generate “clean” airflow, which means uniform flow with a constant velocity, free from distortion or turbulence. The convention would dictate a large tunnel for the required test-section size, which paradoxically requires less power to produce higher airflow quality while generating less noise. But for the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel, size was not an option.

“Like any engineering project, size and cost were major considerations. We couldn’t just take the design of a conventional tunnel and size it to fit into the old tunnel’s relatively small space and expect it to work,” says Drela. “We had to design an entirely new architecture with many innovations to the fan, diffusers, contraction, and the corner vanes to give the new tunnel our desired capabilities within the limits of the old tunnel’s existing footprint.”

Both the old and new Wright Brothers tunnels are closed-circuit types, where the air flows through the tunnel's test section for measurement-taking before recirculating around the tunnel again. But that is where the similarities end.

One of the most distinctive visual differences between old and new is the design of the fan itself. The old fan followed convention still commonly seen today: a 13-foot diameter with six blades made of wood that resembled boat oars. The 2,000-horsepower motor could only run at four fixed speeds, and the operator adjusted the airflow speed by varying the fan's pitch mechanically. As a result, the system was complex, and the fan was noisy to operate. To mitigate these issues in the new tunnel, Drela worked with wind tunnel vendor Aerolab to conceive and manufacture an entirely new design: the Boundary Layer Ingesting (BLI) fan.

Air flowing over an object has a layer of slow-moving air over the object’s surface caused by fluid friction called a boundary layer. Consequently, the airflow inside a wind tunnel has boundary layers over the entire inner surface of the shell. In the test section, where the airflow is cleanest, the boundary layer is only a few inches thick, but it grows as the airflow moves downstream. By the time it enters the fan, the airflow has a thick boundary layer extending over approximately half the length of each fan blade. Traditional wind tunnel fan design typically ignores the boundary layer, opting to eliminate it by mixing it with the rest of the flow farther downstream. But with 17 uniquely-shaped blades and a 16-foot diameter, the BLI fan is specifically designed not only to accommodate this inflow nonuniformity, but to exploit it.

“The flared tips of the fan blades add extra work to the boundary layer where the velocity is lowest, near the wall,” says Drela. “Using the fan to remove this velocity nonuniformity requires less power than the downstream mixing in all other wind tunnels. The resulting flow that exits the fan is uniform, further reducing the power losses in the downstream portion of the tunnel.”

The BLI fan is driven directly by a 2,500-horsepower motor, so the overall drive system in effect has only one moving part — a significant improvement over the mechanically complex variable-pitch drive of the old tunnel. A variable frequency drive controls the motor speed, making it more power-efficient and quieter than the old tunnel's system.

The fan pressurizes most of the tunnel flow circuit, resulting in the tunnel's far wall opposite the fan withstanding up to 80 tons of load when the tunnel operates at full speed, equivalent to the force of a 240-mph hurricane. To accommodate the resulting elastic flexing of the walls, the only parts of the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel anchored to the ground are the fan and the test section. The remainder of the tunnel has sliding and rocking supports, allowing the tunnel to “squirm” in place up to 1 centimeter, alleviating significant stress generated from the pressure loads and temperature variations.

After the flow leaves the test section, it turns through corners one and two, then passes through the fan, after which it goes through a heat exchanger to regulate the air temperature, which is then followed by corner three. Up until this point, this is a standard process in most current wind tunnels, but according to Drela, the final corner four “is where the real magic happens” in the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel.

While the first three corners have vanes that only turn the airflow 90 degrees, corner four not only turns the flow but also expands its area while slowing it down significantly, enabled by a screen and aluminum honeycomb diffusers installed in the passages between the vanes. Performing the same flow-deceleration and straightening in a conventional tunnel requires more space and separate honeycomb filters and screens. By combining these components into the single corner vane row, the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel achieves the same flow turning, deceleration, and straightening functions with minimal added space.

“If we didn't have the screen expanding turning vanes suppressing the wall boundary layers in corner four, they would ‘burst’ or separate after the corner, thus filling the entire flow path and making the air slosh around like in a washing machine. The resulting flow going into the test section would be very messy and unusable for aerodynamic tests,” says Drela. “The screened expanding turning vanes at corner four are arguably the most important components of the new tunnel because it allows for a large flow area expansion in no added space while maintaining a nearly uniform flow.”

Although the airflow exiting corner four is relatively clean, it next passes through four flow-conditioning screens to make it even more smooth and uniform. Immediately after the final screen, the air enters the contraction, the widest part of the tunnel that accelerates the flow into the test section. A key parameter to indicate the efficiency and quality of a wind tunnel is the contraction ratio, which is the ratio of the airflow velocity between the test section and after the flow-conditioning screens. The old tunnel had a contraction ratio of 4.5:1, but Drela wanted to reach the “sweet spot” by increasing the ratio in the new one to 8:1.

“For the new tunnel, we used computational fluid dynamics to carefully design a minimum-length contraction by combining it with the usual settling chamber after the screens,” says Drela. “This combination saved us about eight feet of space, which was significant for a tunnel that is only 96 feet in total length.”

In the test section, an object is mounted on a slender post connected to the main force balance, which is the instrument installed immediately under the test section floor that senses and reads the aerodynamic forces as the airflow interacts with the model. The test section size and shape in the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel are other significant improvements when comparing old and new. The old test section only had 57 square feet (ft2) of flow area, and its elliptical shape meant it had a cramped floor that was only 12 feet long. By comparison, the new test section has 90 ft2 of flow area, and its rectangular cross-section is 18 feet long with a floor two times wider than before. A bigger test section can accommodate larger models, which is beneficial for collecting more accurate data while improving user experience significantly by allowing plenty of workspace for the researcher.

The new tunnel also features a new MATLAB-based tunnel control and data acquisition system. This system combines the typical functions of manual tunnel operation, control, and data collection into a streamlined, fully customizable platform. The test section’s glass walls and ceiling windows give extensive optical access, which enables laser-doppler velocimetry and particle-image velocimetry measurements as well as optical model motion tracking. Safety and security features are also built directly into the tunnel control system, monitoring tunnel health parameters such as temperatures, pressures, and vibration levels. The system automatically switches to rapid shutdown mode if any health parameter exceeds its preset physical limit, or in the event of a manual emergency stop.

“You can control everything through this interface — tunnel speed, model positioning, instrument interrogation, data display, logging, and more — all from the same place,” says Drela. “It removes as much human error from the process as possible. Since the system is watching your back, you literally cannot do anything to break the tunnel from the keyboard, which is very comforting from the user's perspective.”

Breaking new ground

Construction for the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel project broke ground in fall 2019. It was completed 22 months later in tandem with a complete renovation of Building 17, which used to exclusively house the wind tunnel control room and the headquarters for the MIT Rocket Team.

The Building 17 renovation overhauled these spaces, combined them with the Gerhard Neumann Hangar and Laboratory (formerly housed in Building 33), and added meeting rooms and research laboratory space. Historic buildings come with inherent renovation challenges. Toxic materials like lead and asbestos tend to come standard in old buildings. Delivering massive tunnel components to the job site meant carefully maneuvering the tight squeeze between campus buildings. But the global pandemic was a curve ball that no one saw coming.

“Safety is always a top priority on any construction site. The coronavirus situation took it to another level, especially with the Cambridge-wide moratorium on construction projects that lasted for weeks,” says Anthony Zolnik, manager of infrastructure for AeroAstro, who represented the department on the project management team. “Thankfully, we had an amazing team, both within MIT and our external vendors, so we could work together to add additional measures to keep the workers safe. I'm happy to say that we made it through without any outbreaks, and we were able to keep the construction progress on track.”

Boeing's generous contribution to the project reflects a long-standing relationship between the company and MIT, representing how collaborations between academia and industry have helped aerospace evolve into a global economy today.

“Boeing’s work with MIT dates back more than a century — but in today’s world, that collaboration is more critical than ever,” says Greg Hyslop, chief engineer of the Boeing Co. and executive vice president of engineering, test, and technology. “No one entity can meet the need for scalable innovation, and the value that academic research brings to our industry is nearly incalculable.”

In addition to support from Boeing, the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel replacement and Building 17 renovation were made possible thanks to gifts from Becky Samberg and the late Arthur “Art” Samberg ’62 and MathWorks for the MIT Wind Tunnel Instrumentation Platform Project, which is helping MIT build and operate a state-of-the-art modern data test driver and data acquisition system.

Even though the cranes and bulldozers have left the site, the team continues to make final calibrations to the instrumentation and other finishing touches in order to reach full operational capacity by midsummer. At that time, the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel will be open to the outside world for industry testing, scheduled tours, and more. Planning is already underway for the fall semester, and Drela will incorporate laboratory activities in the tunnel to complement the coursework for the classes he oversees.

In keeping with its predecessor, the new tunnel will carry forward an important legacy representing AeroAstro in outreach efforts across MIT and to the public. Other MIT instructors used the previous tunnel to teach classes and student groups for testing various club equipment. It has always been a popular attraction during campus events, where visitors can step into the test section and experience the wind tunnel in action with the air blowing at a breezy 30 mph.

“We’re looking forward to bringing this sense of excitement back to campus since it’s been on hiatus due to construction and the pandemic,” says Daniel Hastings, associate dean of engineering for diversity, equity, and inclusion at MIT; head of AeroAstro; and Cecil and Ida Green Education Professor. “As we conclude this project, we find ourselves once again at the forefront of academic wind tunnels, which will allow us to deliver world-class capabilities to further education, research, and industry while creating unique, immersive experiences that will inspire future generations of engineers and scientists.”

According to Drela, even in the age of advanced computing, simulation, and modeling, practical testing in wind tunnels is just as valuable as ever, especially when paired with these advanced techniques.

“Even with the most advanced computer, we can't calculate flow with adequate precision or confidence or without significant margins of error, which could be catastrophic in some circumstances. For example, if you significantly underestimate stall speed, a crucial aspect of airplane performance, it's the difference between life or death,” says Drela. “While there are situations where I wouldn't trust calculations over measurements, wind tunnel testing and computation are extremely complementary. Experimental data obtained in wind tunnels will always be indispensable for validating a theoretical and computational fluid flow model.”

[Rakesh]

The US is heavily reliant on China and Russia for its ammo supply chain. Congress wants to fix that.
https://www.defensenews.com/congress/bu ... -fix-that/
08 June 2022

[Rakesh]

US Air Force awards contracts to start designing F-35 weapon
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2022/06 ... 35-weapon/
08 June 2022

[Rakesh]

Click on link below for VIDEO

https://twitter.com/AircraftYTube/statu ... S96Sitha2A ---> Simultaneous launch of three fighters from an aircraft carrier.

[Rakesh]

U.S. Navy’s hypersonic missile will give Zumwalt Class new capability
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... apability/
08 June 2022

[NRao]

CFR :: A Refreshed Autonomous Weapons Policy Will Be Critical for U.S. Global Leadership Moving Forward

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/Fighterman_FFRC/sta ... tiTV42KcFA ---> It's here! the first ever camouflaged F-35 aggressor aircraft using the splinter camo seen on Chinese J-20. The newly activated USAF 65th Aggressor Squadron will mainly focusing on replicating Chinese stealth threats. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Josey Blades.

[NRao]

Recovering Rare-Earth Elements from E-Waste

DARPA has selected multiple teams of university researchers for the Recycling at the Point of Disposal (RPOD) program. RPOD will evaluate the technical feasibility of recovering multiple low-volume fraction critical elements present in end-of-life electronics hardware (e-waste). The program seeks to develop small-footprint platforms with greatly reduced energy consumption and waste generation in the extraction process.

The teams will develop novel extraction chemistries and explore practical limits of yield, extraction efficiency, and purity to recover a selective list of critical elements from a feedstock representative of commercial and Department of Defense (DoD) e-waste. The technology for both separation and coextraction of critical elements will ultimately be demonstrated in a benchtop hardware prototype.

.............................

[NRao]

[NRao]

[NRao]

The US National Defense Industry Agency (NDIA) publishes a yearly status of defense industries in the US. This is pretty much about everything but the products/arms.

Here is the 60 pages long PDF report for 2022: Vital Signs 2022

To be clear, the stats/numbers in here are for 2021.

The overall scores:

AREAS OF CONCERN

As a majority of the eight signs received failing grades for the first time this year, Vital Signs 2022 reveals a DIB that, similar to other industries, suffered sustained losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Six of the indicators earned composite scores lower than 80 and five of these earned scores below 70, a grade considered failing. These scores point to a DIB struggling to meet the unprecedented and ongoing challenges created by the pandemic in the face of an increasing challenge from competitor nations.

“Industrial security” has gained renewed prominence due to data breaches and brazen acts of economic espionage, perpetrated by both state and non-state actors, that have plagued defense contractors. However, despite the importance of “industrial security”, this sign received a score of 50 in 2021, the lowest among the eight signs in 2022. To assess the “industrial security” sign, NDIA analyzed threat indicators to information security and intellectual property (IP) rights. The score incorporates the nonprofit MITRE Corp.’s annual average of the threat severity of new cyber vulnerabilities. This year, the analysis included the new National Institute of Standards and Technology’s 3.1 scoring system, superseding last year’s usage of the 2.7 system. Threats to IP rights scored well at 80 in 2021, as the number of FBI investigations into intellectual property violations declined to 38. This pattern marks a steady decline since investigations reached an all-time high of 235 in 2011.

Defense industry “production inputs” also scored poorly in 2021, receiving a failing score of 67. These inputs encompass skilled labor, intermediate goods and services, and raw materials used to manufacture or develop end-products and services for defense consumption. In particular, the indicators for security clearance processing contributed to the low score for “production inputs”, as on-boarding backlogs persist.

A couple of figures to show the decline in readiness scores.

SUMMARY
The 2018 National Defense Strategy placed a heavy emphasis on investing in high-end technologies to improve overall capability. The question now is whether the 2022 NDS will do the same. Though we are still in a transitional period, indications are that the Biden administration will make relatively few changes in modernization priorities. DoD leaders have stated that integrated deterrence will play a large part in the new defense strategy, which will require technological improvement across all agencies and services100. The FY 2022 defense budget request also appears to stay the course
on future force modernization with record R&D investment in cutting edge technologies101. However, the DoD102 is still charged with maintaining current capacity while simultaneously improving U.S. deterrence capabilities — the modernization quandary.

Some uncertainty lies ahead for the future of emerging technologies, but if the U.S. wants to uphold its technological advantage in the great power competition, it needs to prioritize defense modernization above all else.

[NRao]

Saab Delivers Final T-7A Red Hawk Development Jet Fuselage

Saab has delivered the last of five T-7A Red Hawk aft fuselages to be used for engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) aircraft from its facility in Linköping, Sweden, to Boeing’s production site in St. Louis, Missouri. The aircraft are part of a $9.2 billion contract for 351 T-7A advanced trainers, 46 simulators and support awarded to Boeing by the U.S. Air Force in 2018. Going forward, Saab will produce aft fuselage sections for the T-7A at its new manufacturing facility in West Lafayette, Indiana.

......................

[NRao]

20 minutes



3 minutes

[NRao]

Unfortunate

Kendall Dispenses With Roper’s Quick NGAD Rhythm; System is Too Complex

June 24, 2022 | By John A. Tirpak
The crewed, central platform of the Next Generation Air Dominance system won’t follow early timetables that called for new versions to be fielded about every five years because it’s simply too complex, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall revealed. And while the program has entered formal development, it is still in competition, he said.

Speaking at an AFA “Leaders in Action” event, Kendall noted that the NGAD started in 2014 and got under contract the following year, with the goal of producing “X-planes—demonstrators.” That phase of the program was carried out “in a reasonable timeframe for that kind of program,” he said.

But “the NGAD that we’re working on now … is going to take longer. It’s a more complicated operation to have a manned aircraft” that will be the follow-on to the F-22.

“It’s not a simple design,” he emphasized.

Former Air Force acquisition executive Will Roper envisioned an NGAD program on a rapid rhythm of yielding a new core platform every five years or so, with production runs of up to just 100 airplanes, giving the industry regular and frequent opportunities to propose and build cutting-edge aircraft. When one entered production, the next one would already be in development, under Roper’s vision.

But while Kendall said, “I have a lot of respect for Will Roper. I’ve worked with him a lot, [and] I think he has some really interesting ideas … I think you have to be careful about where you apply those ideas.”

It’s a “long, hard job to build” an aircraft like the F-35 that represents “a whole generation of better capability” than the aircraft it replaces, Kendall asserted.

That is a “different animal entirely” from quick-turnaround programs with “some base functionality” that are upgraded with modular improvements, Kendall said.

The latter approach will be taken with the uncrewed aircraft that will comprise the rest of the NGAD “family” of systems, which Kendall said would be a “formation” of up to five additional, autonomous aircraft in addition to the crewed central platform.

For the uncrewed combat aircraft, “the concept is to have a more modular design, much less expensive,” and certainly lacking “all the systems a manned aircraft needs to have to support the operator.” It will have “just those things it needs for whatever we’re asking it to do.”

There’s “a suite of sensors; there’s a suite of weapons; there’s connectivity between them; there’s connectivity to the weapons; there’s offboard support that will provide targeting and situational awareness information to that operator who’s trying to control this formation,” Kendall explained.

“That operator will need a lot of … automated help to do his job effectively, but I think it’s going to be a very powerful concept,” he insisted.

Kendall said that for “both kinds of platforms, I think we can do a much quicker refresh, technologically. And I think we should.”

But doing that quick-refresh is “much harder to do … for something that has the complexity … [and] requirements” of the F-22 or F-35, for example, Kendall said.

Recently, Kendall revealed that the NGAD has entered the engineering and manufacturing development phase. When asked if that means a single contractor has been chosen to build the NGAD airplane, Kendall said, “it’s a classified program” but “we still have competition.” That suggests that at least two contractors have been brought forward into development to further reduce risk. In some recent programs, two contractors were carried to the point of critical design review.

Expanding on the NGAD concept, Kendall said the crewed aircraft will be the “play caller, the quarterback,” while the others will perform tailored missions using modular sensors, with all the platforms, and their weapons, connected and functioning as a team.

“You have an interesting virtue with that kind of formation in that you’re willing to put at high risk some elements of the formation because you don’t have people in them,” Kendall said. “And that opens up a suite of tactics that, today, would be unthinkable.”

Kendall said he is convinced “this is going to happen. I have no doubt this is going to happen, and somebody’s going to get there first, and somebody’s not. I want [the Air Force] to be first.”

The uncrewed aircraft will rely on further development of the Skyborg unmanned aircraft piloting system as well as further advances in artificial intelligence and software, Kendall said, acknowledging that “software … is hard.”

Nevertheless, “I think we can get to a meaningful level of initial capability. And then we’ll build on that. And we’ll have a foundation on which to build.”

He said the development of the AI as applied to these new uncrewed airplanes will be “exciting to watch” as these systems mature in the next few years.

Kendall reiterated that the program is going ahead toward actual, deployable hardware as swiftly as possible.

“I’m not doing this as an experiment. I’m doing it as a real program. We’ve done an awful lot of experimentation, prototyping, and virtual planes and so on, over the last few years … I’m all about real capability. I’m all about putting meaningful capability in the hands of warfighters as quickly I can.”

[NRao]

Since HIMARS is all the rage, here we have a 24hours old article that provides some insight into what it means to operate a HIMARS - specifically. More on other related systems some other time.

From the

SOFTWARE, LAUNCHED

The pedigree of the publisher: Army ALT Magazine, Science and Technology of the United States Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC)

July 27, 2022

A pivotal software acquisition for the U.S. Army’s number one modernization priority, Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF), is the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)—to provide an all-weather, indirect, service point targets and area-fire weapon system to strike counter fire, air defense, armored formations and other high-payoff targets at all depths of the tactical battlefield.

In 2018, the launcher software data rights transitioned from contractor developed and owned to 100 percent government-owned by the Strategic Operational Rockets and Missiles Project Office (STORM), being designed and developed by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center (DEVCOM AvMC) at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

“Any new capability that requires integration with the HIMARS, such as new munitions, new communications systems, any type of interoperability—the U.S. government now has the rights to all of the HIMARS software data and test environments,” said Amber Marsh, software sustainment division chief for the DEVCOM AvMC Software, Simulation, Systems Engineering and Integration (S3I) Directorate. “Right now we are performing launcher software updates to support new munitions, which include Precision Strike Missile [PrSM], one of the Army’s top LRPF programs.” What this achieves for the Army is a faster, more cost-effective way of modernizing its technology, to meet current and future threats on the battlefield.

RE-ARCHITECTED, RE-DESIGNED AND READY TO GO

Since 2019, HIMARS has supported PrSM during its development flight tests, successfully launching the next-generation munition to its extended ranges and targeted impacts. DEVCOM AvMC conducts system and testing under controlled conditions, using interoperability modifying the HIMARS launcher software for compliance with message protocols of the PrSM munition, and the digital command and control, Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System with interface control specifications.

System and software engineers at AvMC re-architected and re-designed the HIMARS launcher software, adopting an open system architecture and modern design that enables them to upgrade and add capabilities, without the traditional limitations of its previous design. Throughout development, the Army conducted Soldier touch points and user juries to ensure maximum usability and functionality for the warfighter. Soldier feedback identified which operations the user performed most frequently, then the software interface was designed so that the keys or buttons for these operations would be readily available on the home screen. Feedback also included using green, yellow and red colors to aid the user with both operational and caution alerts.

“We updated the user interface from a human factor standpoint as the software intuitively guides the Soldier through the conducted mission,” said Marsh. “We strive to make the interaction with the software as easy and intuitive as possible for the end user.”

HIMARS will share a commonality of hardware and software with the tracked Multiple Launch Rocket System M270A1/A2 by using its redesigned software for the Common Fire Control System. The result will be 85 percent of the software being reused across the HIMARS and M270A1/A2 launcher platforms, further reducing the cost for the Army to maintain, while increasing the capability of both weapon systems. The software is designed with a modular architecture to support scalability and future modifications.

COST SAVING SOLUTIONS

The government-developed, designed and owned software solution reduces life cycle costs at a rate of approximately $12 million per release—a sizable amount of cost savings for the Army, when it is noted that software is released every 18-24 months. The AvMC team uses Agile and Development Security Operations (DevSecOps) principles to make launcher software updates, which enables rapid delivery of capability to the Soldier through flexible contracts that focus on iterative feedback loops with direct customer and user involvement, while applying rigor through DevSecOps automated testing to produce software that is safe, survivable and relevant in today’s mission field.

“We are currently in the middle of fielding updates for the HIMARS software to Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines in the field,” said Michael Murray, lead, Operations, Fielding and Training lead for DEVCOM AvMC S3I. “They are already proficient with the current launcher software, and the latest software update enables units to employ the Insensitive Munition Propulsion System rockets. “The differences the user will see in the updated Fire Control System software is minimal as the software internal handles the operations to launch the new rockets.”

CONCLUSION

This year alone, Murray and his team are fielding launcher software upgrades to more than 40 U.S. Army, Marine Corps and National Guard units along with Army pre-positioned stock sites worldwide. Soldiers are receiving hands-on, over-the-shoulder training from experts who have been in the field as former launcher crewmembers.

However, as the Army transitions from the current universal configuration to the Common Fire Control System, there will be additional capabilities in the hardware and user interface requiring Soldiers to gain a new understanding and familiarity with the changes.

“There will be an initial learning curve and some differences in the way the software looks to them,” Murray said. “There’s going to be more technology for the Soldier to learn, but the good news is that for every version of tactical software we release for the launcher, we also release the Fire Control Panel Trainer using 95 percent of the tactical launcher code.”

The Fire Control Panel Trainer, which runs on a laptop, will help provide the necessary training for the warfighter to be prepared for tactical operations in the field and during training missions.

HIMARS and its Universal Fire Control System software will continue to support the Army’s LRPF priority in 2023 with additional live-fire PrSM flight tests and Soldier touch points.

“Just as the software upgrades have integrated with and advanced the HIMARS launchers, so has our AvMC government-to-government partnership with STORM worked hand-in-hand, side-by-side,” said Marsh. “Together, we are continuing to deliver the latest technology to the battlefield, modernizing the fleet and readying the warfighter with future capabilities.”

[NRao]

Raider X High-Speed Helicopter Brandishes Weapons As It Takes Shape

Sikorsky has released new shots of its Raider X prototype aircraft sporting modular weapon launchers loaded with Hellfire missiles and a 20mm main gun.

This prototype Sikorsky's pitch for the U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, as seen at the company’s flight test facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. According to Jay Macklin, business development director for Sikorsky Army Programs and Innovations, the aircraft is about 90 percent complete and Sikorsky says it has 98 percent of the necessary parts on hand to complete the Raider.

.............

[NRao]

US Air Force Picks LIFT Airborne Technologies’ Helmet for Fixed Wing Aircraft

The U.S. Air Force has made a final selection for a next generation helmet system stemming from an industry challenge first launched in 2019. Pictured here, is the winner of the competition, the AV2.2 helmet. (Photo, courtesy of Lift Technologies)

The U.S. Air Force has picked California-based LIFT Airborne Technologies‘ AV 2.2 helmet to serve as the Next Generation Fixed Wing helmet.

LIFT Technologies’ offering was competing in the prototype phase against two designs by Michigan-based aircraft helmet heavyweight, GENTEX Corp., and Idaho-based Aviation Specialties Unlimited, which teamed with Tennessee-based Paraclete Aviation Life Support.

The AV 2.2, after testing, is to field first for F-15E pilots, and then for pilots of all other service fixed wing aircraft except for the F-35. An AV 2.2 production contract may come in 2024, the Air Force said.

The AV 2.2 is to replace the 1980s-era HGU-55/P by Gentex. The carbon fiber AV2.2 helmet is to be lighter, cooler, and to provide easy accommodation for helmet mounted cueing systems and night vision goggles. The AV 2.2 also features a jawbone-activated light for pilots to view needed information at night when landing or during other maneuvers.

Any helmet weight savings can significantly reduce physical stress, as 200-pound pilots must withstand 135 pounds of pressure on their necks in high, 9G maneuvers.

The $20 million Next Generation Fixed Wing Helmet prototype effort stemmed from an AFWERX Helmet Challenge in 2019 and was one of the first AFWERX initiatives, per Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC). Overall, the cost of the new helmet program could be $400 million to meet an Air Force Life Cycle Management Center requirement.

Air Combat Command (ACC) wanted “a next-generation helmet to address issues with long-term neck and back injuries, optimize aircraft technology, improve pilot longevity, and provide better fitment to diverse aircrews,” AFMC said in a June 27 statement.

Since the early 1980s when the HGU-55/P debuted, “gains in aircraft technology and the demographic of pilots have changed,” Scott Cota, an aircrew flight equipment program analyst with the ACC plans and requirements branch, said in the AFMC statement. “The legacy helmet was not originally designed to support advances in aircraft helmet-mounted display systems, causing pilots to fly with equipment not optimized for them, especially our female aircrew.”

“The implementation of helmet-mounted devices has added weight and changed the center of gravity, leading to discomfort for operators,” per AFMC. “In addition, a 2020 Air Force anthropometric study identified the need to add a size small helmet that better optimizes the fit for affected female aviators, Cota said.”

[NRao]

Shield AI Raises $165 Million In Funding Round To Accelerate Autonomous Piloting

Defense technology startup Shield AI has closed a $165 million funding round that the company said will be used to accelerate the development artificial intelligence (AI) pilots, including in degraded GPS and communications environments.

....................

“The future of defense aviation is autonomy,” Ryan Tseng, Shield AI’s CEO, said in a statement. “AI pilots are the most disruptive technology of our generation, and Shield AI is committed to putting the world’s best AI pilots in the hands of the United States and our allies. No company has assembled more, or recruits better AI engineering talent for aviation autonomy and intelligent swarming than Shield AI.”

Shield AI, based in San Diego, in 2021 acquired Heron Systems, which develops AI software for fighter aircraft, and Martin UAV, which makes the medium-size V-Bat series of unmanned aircraft that take off and land vertically and fly horizontally like fixed-wing aircraft. The company’s key software is Hivemind, which removes the need for human operators, GPS and radio frequency links for unmanned aircraft systems and allows the aircraft to operate autonomously in highly contested and GPS-denied environments.

The company also has a small UAS, Nova, which has integrated Hivemind and has been used in combat since 2018. The software will soon be integrated with V-BAT, Shield AI said.

Hivemind is designed to run on the edge, disconnected from the cloud.

[NRao]

US Air Force Addresses High Cost of NGAD, Link 16 Cryptographic Modernization Delay

While the unit flyaway cost of the Lockheed Martin F-22 was $155 million in today dollars and the unit flyaway cost of the company’s F-35A is running more than $85 million, the manned component of the U.S. Air Force’s classified Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program may be significantly higher.

“This is a number that’s going to get your attention, but we’re talking about prices that are multiple hundreds of millions of dollars for NGAD on an individual basis,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) in response to a question from Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) during an Apr. 27 budget hearing.

.................

[NRao]

A quick post on the two MLRS being offered to Ukraine: M270 and the M142 HIMARS. Cousins.

There are not that many differences between the two, but there are some:

* M270 is tracked, M142 is wheeled
* M270 has 12 rockets in 2 pods, M142 6 in 1 pod
* both share the same resupply tail, takes a very long time (relatively) to set up, and re-load
* more in the picture below

To start, here is a video on setting up of a M270, the more complex and older of the two systems.



Some of the rockets/missiles that can be fired from these systems: range from 122mm to 610mm:



Here is a Lockheed PR video, on the PrSM missile. Here they use a F-35 to sense:

[NRao]

Since "EW" is in focus in Ukraine, here is an article from Feb 18, 2022, a few days before that conflict started. Spectrum warfare is perhaps the most discussed and un-trusted (?). Author talking of US Spectral Warfare

Fixing Spectrum Warfare Won’t Be Quick—Creativity Needed