Military Transformation Uplink: May 2006

Militaries around the world are moving to modernize and transform themselves to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Our mission is to deliver a monthly cross-section of relevant, on-target stories, news, and analysis that will help experts and interested laypeople alike stay up to speed on key military developments and issues as we head into the USA's Memorial Day weekend. Stories are broken down by military category and presented as fast bullet points that orient you quickly, with accompanying links if you wish to pursue more in-depth treatments.

Some of This Month's Targets of Opportunity Include: F-22A Raptor; F-35 Joint Strike Fighter; No retirement for U-2; Huge blimps & ISIS; Portable weather balloon for communications; Mini-UAVs at the commando olympics; YOU can train on the US Army's latest weapon; Hybrid lack-of-vigor; 2nd place means no Trophy; Non-lethal anti-vehicle weapons; Troops that don't like the extra armor, Troops that love the extra armor; A preliminary scorecard for the First Information War; Britain's new carriers; Australia's new amphibious ships; Westpac keeps on expressin'; Seabasing?; RFID; Energy - A Conversation About Our National Addiction; Containerized hospitals; New US Air Force unis; MREs that don't suck quite so much; Getting lean; VDH on transformation & war; More procurement power to US combat commanders? And more...!

• Air & Space Sector
  
• C4SI Dimension
  
• Land Sector
  
• Maritime Sector
  
• Strategic Weapons & Missile Defense
  
• Supply & Support
  
• Transformation: Policy & Doctrine

Your editors Murdoc and Joe Katzman present this monthly briefing as part of a team that includes professional publications Defense Industry Daily and Military.com's DefenseTech. To contact us with story tips, email transformation, over here @windsofchange dot net.

AIR & SPACE SECTOR

• Some transformation stories are not happy ones. Last month, we noted that US forces in Iraq were shifting toward flying more supplies into certain areas, in order to reduce road hazards. Meanwhile, CENTCOM commanders note that inability to use shorter runways is a problem in their part of the world. So what does the USAF do? It double-crosses the US Army on the Joint Cargo Aircraft program for light supply aircraft that could fly more of those supply missions and use those smaller runways. JK view: The USAF's sneaky lack of good faith will cost lives unless fixed pronto. Preferably by cutting the USAF out of this program entirely and giving it to the Army.

• The 5th-generation F-22A Raptor fighter has been the focus of controversy, cost concerns, Congressional cutbacks, and some lessons learned. DID covers both sides of the controversies, and chronicles the program's FY 2006 ups, downs, and purchases.

• The USA is working on big unmanned, solar-powered, radar-carrying surveillance blimps that will float above the jet stream for a month at a time to detect and track incoming ballistic missiles and low-flying cruise missiles, perform ground surveillance as required, and even act as a weather surveyor and telecom relay. It will have 25 times the volume of the Goodyear blimp, and a radar set that will provide incredible resolution because it will be attached across the blimp's surface and hence almost as "big" as the blimps themselves. A recent fire at Lockheed's huge, historic Akron Airdock facility is not expected to delay the program.

• The US House of Representatives voted to deny the Air Force's request to retire a number of aging planes including B-52 bombers, F-117 stealth attack aircraft and the U-2 spy plane, in order to save budget dollars for procuring new F-22s.

• Congress also voted to keep the alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter alive. It's the F136 and is to be built by GE and Rolls-Royce. Meanwhile, we may soon learn the name of the JSF. 'Lynx' and 'Phoenix' appear to be among the finalists. Although some of the F-35's controls are going to be Linux-powered, it's unlikely the plane will be called the 'Penguin'.

• DID has an article that covers the F-35 JSF's develop program over the past year, including contracts for the plane and related items, and even developments among the international development partners like Britain, Norway, the Netherlands, etc.

• And while significantly less expensive per plane than the F-22, the F-35 isn't exaclty cheap.

• South Korea has approved the acquisition of a follow-on batch of 20 Boeing F-15K fighters for the country’s air force. This will keep Boeing's F-15 line open until at least 2011, giving current F-15 customers a longer window to exercise additional delivery options on existing contracts.

• The US Air Force test-fired the first Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - Extended Range, a second model of the original AGM-158 JASSM stealth missile which doubles its precision attack range to 500 miles. The USAF hopes to buy nearly 5,000 JASSMs, over half of them the extended range version. Australia is the first international customer to purchase the missile.

• Who Killed the Killer Drone - and Why?

• It's just not the major military powers with UAVs: The bad guys can use drones too.

C4SI DIMENSION

• Do your special forces teams need communications over a 600 mile area? Instead of relying on a $300 million satellite, how about a portable $6,000 weather balloon?

• The DoD is offering free anti-spyware software to all government employees and armed forces personnel for use on their personal computer systems to reduce the opportunity for spyware to get into government networks via users who transfer files between their home and work PCs.

• Some Air Force weapons simulator programs get their data from friendly ground weather-monitoring stations, leaving unacceptable gaps on the surface of the earth. That may be about to change, thanks to some collaboration between a civilian space program and the Department of Defense.

• The U.N. International Maritime Organisation (IMO) said governments party to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention had given initial acceptance to new rules to track ships by satellite to help fight terrorism and prevent the transport of materials used in weapons of mass destruction.

• The U.S. Navy is getting a new three-star deputy chief of naval operations (DCNO) for communication networks. This 'Info Tech Czar' will be the new 'N6' DCNO in a reorganized OpNav.

LAND SECTOR

• Mini-UAVs are extremely popular in Afghanistan. America, Britain, Germany, and now Canada and Holland are all ordering and using these soldier-portable, hand-launched eyes in the sky. DID has details and field reports from Afghanistan, aka. "the commando olympics."

• 12th Cavalry Regiment is the first unit to mount the Common Remotely Operated Weapons Station (CROWS) system on tanks. CROWS is a stabilized, unmanned machine gun system for vehicles, with an advanced sensor suite of lasers, thermal sights, and cameras. It allows the operater to remain inside, targeting the gun via a joystick and screen. CROWS has been available on Humvees for some time and received very positive reviews. It can mount the M-2 .50 cal machine gun, the MK19 40mm grenade launcher, M249 5.56mm squad automatic weapon, and the M240B 7.62mm machine gun.

• Want to check out the CROWS yourself? Get the new version of "America's Army," boot it up, and start training.

• The seemingly endless drive to encase soldiers and marines in more and more armor continues -- whether the troops want it or not. Though sometimes the unwanted armor comes through.

• In our April 2006 briefing, we talked about the Israeli Trophy system, incorrectly touted as a 'force field' system by some ignorant media. The USA's $120+ billion Future Combat Systems program just awarded Raytheon a $70 million contract to develop a similar system for 2010. Trophy is available now for tanks and Stryker vehicles in Iraq... so why wasn't it picked for priority fielding?

• DefenseTech reports that military diesel-electric hybrids are facing fielding challenges. "Right now we don't have a hybrid-electric vehicle targeting fielding," says Gus Khalil, director of the Army's hybrid research. DID has covered one of the possibilities in development - and read DefenseTech's "Hybrid Reality Check" for an outline of some of the field's overall challenges, and projects undertaken.

• DRS has signed a long-term strategic agreement with energy weapon manufacturer Ionatron, Inc. in Tuscon, AZ. They will dewvelop Ionatron's Laser-Guided Energy (LGE) and Laser-Induced, Plasma-Channel (LIPC) directed-energy weapon systems for the U.S. military market, and integrate them with the energy management systems and vehicle platforms of its DRS Test & Energy Management unit in Huntsville, AL. Ionatron's highest profile item is its JIN anti-IED vehicle.

• The Pentagon’s Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program is looking to find non-lethal ways to stop a moving vehicle such as a suspected suicide car or even a pirate's vessel. Laser devices fitted to rifles are already being tried out in Iraq to temporarily dazzle drivers who refuse to slow down for vehicle checkpoints - or even civilian boardroom laser pointers that just warn them. Tire shredders borrowed from civilian law enforcement can be handy, too.

• Need to get to the roof in a hurry? Why not take a ride on DARPA's experimental "man cannon." Five storeys in two seconds. Not for the faint of heart.... but might make lots of money for DARPA's budget if commercialized for the X-games set.

MARITIME SECTOR

• Britain took some important steps forward on its 60,000 tonne CVF future aircraft carrier program. In March, they secured an agreement with France for joint development of the design. April & May, meanwhile, saw GBP 143 million in contracts and a formalized alliance agreement between the participating companies and the Ministry of Defence. DID offers an in-depth look at the CVF carrier, shows some designs that didn't win, and chronicles its ongoing development.

• Australia is looking to increase its naval capabilities via its A$ 2 billion program for 2 Canberra Class amphibious ships - really mini-carriers that can carry up to 1,000 troops and their equipment. The Request for Tender is out now, and the final choice will be between modified versions of ships being built for the French and Spanish navies.

• The DD (X) destroyer (DDG-1000 'Zumwalt'-class) program has shrunk from 30+ ships initially to down to 12 ships, then to 7 ships, and now possibly even fewer as the Navy attempts to increase the size of the fleet on a limited budget. Two DDG-1000 ships are budgeted to begin construction next year, though even this has been a topic of controversy.

• Meanwhile, the 'Sea Jet' technology demonstrator, a sort of quarter-scale DD (X) prototype, continues testing on an Idaho lake.

• USS Florida, the second of four 'Ohio'-class nuclear subs being converted to SSGN special forces & conventional strike submarines, is nearly ready to return to duty.

• With its shallow-water draft and high speed performance, Austal's Westpac Express high-speed catamaran has been instrumental in changing the way the US Navy approaches sealift of forces and supplies. Future programs like the Joint High-Speed Vessel (JHSV) owe a great deal to the innovative designs and performance of Australian shipbuilders Austal and Incat. In the meantime, the US Navy has given Westpac Express a new charter (think of it as sort of a lease) worth up to $88.7 million over 5 years.

• The Navy was getting rid of its 'Cyclone'-class patrol boats, the smallest fighting ships in the fleet, when it discovered that the 180-foot vessels are a very capable littoral warfare platform for defending oil platforms and the like near shore. The article's comparisons to the USA's new Littoral Combat Ships are very misleading, though - the two vessel types aren't remotely similar, except that they both operate in shallow seas.

STRATEGIC WEAPONS & MISSILE DEFENSE

• Russia says its Topol-M and Bulava are not only able to better survive a nuclear first strike, they are equipped to avoid detection by launch-detection systems and deceive anti-missile systems like the one the US is developing.

• Part of that anti-missile system is the Sea-Based X-Band Radar, built on a converted oil rig. Unfortunately, it was damaged on its way to its base in Adak, Alaska, and had to return to Pearl Harbor for repairs.

• Oh, and the Russians don't like the idea of conventionally-armed ICBMS.

• The Starfire Optical Range uses adaptive optics to take pretty pictures of stars. But could it help fire a laser through the atmosphere, to fry a satellite or ballistic missile?

SUPPLY AND SUPPORT

• The Pentagon expects to spend a total of $500 million to implement RFID throughout its through its massive $120 billion per year logistics chain over a six-year period, with payback ranging between a net savings of $70 million - $1.7 billion over seven years. Some of the early RFID performance data is in, and it's very positive from both a financial and a front-lines perspective.

• Lockheed clearly sees a lot of potential - they just spent $400 million to acquire leading RFID solutions firm Savi Technology.

• The new prototype service dress uniforms for the US Air Force are getting a lot of attention. The service wants something that looks more 'military' and less 'corporate'. The new Airman's Battle Uniform is entering production and will be available next year.

• DID has covered the Pentagon's increasing focus on energy consumption and conservation as a growing logistics and sustainability issue. Part of that coverage has mentioned "Energy: A Conversation About Our National Addiction" inter-agency events... and now there's a site where you can see the presentations and listen to their speakers.

• There's a quiet revolution afoot in the Navy and Marine Corps, a new way of doing things that promises massive leaps in capability. It's called Seabasing, and nobody outside of the services seems to know anything about it. (JK: probably because the funding required to get serious about it has been a mirage so far. Good idea, though.).

• In the budget battles, the Senate voted for a few extra C-17s. The current fleet is getting quite a workout.

• Also on the air transport front, Lockheed-Martin completed the first upgraded C-5M with new engines, avionics, and more. A total of 111 ultra-large Galaxy aircraft will get the upgrade.

• You're going to hear a lot about "Lean Initiatives" over the next few years. They're an offshoot of business process improvement programs found in commercial business, and they're getting more and more attention from militaries these days. If you're new to the concept, here's a painless introduction.

• Combat Feeding Directorate improves MREs. Many troops will tell you that they couldn't get much worse. Unfortunately, the new meals won't be available in the field until 2009 or 2010.

• EADS' TransHospitals are a modular system that clips convenient ISO Standard 20×8×8 container modules together in order to assemble field medical facilities of any size. It's part of a slow global trend toward containerized support systems, and Singapore is on this bandwagon.

TRANSFORMATION: POLICY & DOCTRINE

• Eminent military historian Victor Davis Hanson offers some thoughts on transformation and warfare in the journal of the American Historical Society, whose Jan/Feb 2006 issue has a section about the Future of War. "In other words, the newfound lethality of the Macedonian phalanx did not change at all the older rules of why men fight, the ingredients for their success or failure, or how such new technology was rightly or wrongly employed in an unchanging strategic landscape."

• The First Information War. Are we winning it? Are we losing it? Do we know?

• The Pentagon's process for drawing up its shortlist of new, high-priority weapon system requirements is changing, and could result in combatant commanders having much more influence over the shape of the US Defense Department's new six-year spending plan. Military.com's "DOD Making List of New, Key Weapons" discusses how this system evolved from Giambastiani's frustrating experiences as a combatant commander.

• One area where combat vets can exert more immediate influence is in training, passing on their own experiences (both good and bad) to those preparing to deploy to the war zones. And new gear is arriving so quickly it's tough for everyone to know how to maximize its potential. There's no shortage of combat vets these days, and they're incorporating lessons learned like lives depend on it. Because they do.

• The Army is looking to reduce the length and frequency of deployments to Iraq, perhaps even moving to six-month tours a la the Marine Corps. Some have wondered if six-month tours mean the unit leaves just about the time it's settling in with the locals and really getting the lay of the land, but shorter tours are sure to be popular with the troops. (JK: I'm with the wonderers. Year-long stays suck, but mean that more people will come home safely in the end.)

Contributors to this issue included: Murdoc, Defense Industry Daily, and Military.com's DefenseTech. Join them in our June 2006 isdsue by emailing story tips, blog URLs, etc. to transformation, over here @windsofchange.net.

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