Asian Defense News: Australia

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Thursday, August 21, 2014

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Marines Conduct Exercise in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Marines Conduct Exercise in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 20, 2014: U.S. Marines use a map for strategic maneuvers before a live-fire exercise during Exercise Koolendong on Bradshaw Field Training Area in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps.

The focus of exercise is to establish a Marines and Australian Defense Force combined headquarters element. Brusch is commanding officer of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin. U.S. Marine Corps.

Photo by Cpl. Scott Reel

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Marines Conduct Exercise in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Marines Conduct Exercise in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 20, 2014: U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Aaron Brusch outlines the scheme of maneuver before a live-fire exercise during Exercise Koolendong on Bradshaw Field Training Area in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014.

The focus of exercise is to establish a Marines and Australian Defense Force combined headquarters element. Brusch is commanding officer of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin. U.S. Marine Corps.
Photo by Cpl. Scott Reel

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Lockheed Martin Corp., For MH-60R Helicopters Under FMS Program

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Lockheed Martin Corp., For MH-60R Helicopters Under FMS Program

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth + U.S. DoD issued No. 773-13 November 5, 2013
(NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala, India - November 13, 2013: Lockheed Martin Corp., Owego, N.Y., is being awarded $10,458,900 for firm-fixed-price delivery order 4092 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-09-G-0005) for non-recurring engineering efforts for development and testing of the system configuration 15 series modifications to the MH-60R VHF Omni-directional Range/Instrument Landing System, crash data recorder, and ABS-B Out for the Government of Australia under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program.

Work will be performed in Owego, N.Y., and is expected to be completed in February 2016.

FMS funds in the amount of $10,458,900 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

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

The Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk multimission helicopter replaces SH-60B and SH-60F helicopters in the US Navy's fleet and combines the capabilities of these aircraft. MH-60R is also referred to as 'Romeo'.

The helicopter is equipped for a range of missions, including: anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), naval gunfire support (NGFS), surveillance, communications relay, logistics support and personnel transfer and vertical replenishment (VERTREP). For vertical replenishment missions, the helicopter is fitted with a 2,721.55kg (6,000lb) cargo hook. Lockheed Martin, Owego, is the mission systems integrator.

MH-60R Seahawk helicopter development
The maiden flight of the MH-60R took place in July 2001. The first low-rate initial production (LRIP) helicopters were remanufactured SH-60Bs but the following MH-60Rs are all new-builds.

The first new production MH-60R helicopter was delivered in August 2005. Operational evaluation (OPEVAL) was completed in October 2005 and full-rate production approved in April 2006.

Production levels are due to increase to up to 30 helicopters a month. The US Navy expects to operate 252 MH-60R helicopters by 2015.

In October 2007, the US Navy established the first of five MH-60R squadrons, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, San Diego.

In March 2008, the MH-60R conducted first 'at sea' operations from the USS Preble (DDG-88) Aegis destroyer. First operational deployment of the helicopter was completed in early 2009 with the USS Stennis carrier group.

The helicopter operates from frigates, destroyers, cruisers, amphibious ships and aircraft carriers and is suitable for intense littoral warfare operations for handling numerous contacts in confined spaces, and for open-water operations

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth + U.S. DoD issued No. 773-13 November 5, 2013
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Tiger HAD Combat/Attack Helicopter Flying With French Forces

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Tiger HAD Combat/Attack Helicopter Flying With French Forces

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources EADS & Strategy Page
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 11, 2013: This milestone followed DGA qualification of the Tiger HAD version on April 10, and marked the delivery startup for Eurocopter’s latest variant of a rotorcraft product line which has already been combat proven during military operations in Afghanistan, Libya and today in Mali.

“With the Tiger HAD, Eurocopter further expands the operational capabilities of a combat helicopter family which has demonstrated its mission effectiveness and performance in highly challenging military deployments,” said Dominique Maudet, the Eurocopter group’s Executive Officer for France, and Vice President of Global Business and Services.

To date, France has ordered 40 Tiger combat helicopters in HAD configuration for its French Army Aviation units. Another 24 helicopters has been ordered by the Spanish government to equip the Spanish Army (which includes six Tiger HAP support and escort versions retrofitted for fire support and attack missions).

Feature improvements of the Tiger HAD variant include two enhanced MTR390 turboshaft engines that provide 14 percent more power, improved ballistic protection, a new optronic sighting system, the capability to target and launch Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, an evolved electronic warfare suite, and an IFF (identification, friend or foe) interrogation system.

97 multi-role Tiger family currently are in service in four countries: France, Germany, Spain and Australia; which have ordered a total of 206 helicopters.

Tiger is made by European firm Eurocopter and has shown up just in time. Until the arrival of the French and German Tigers, American AH-64s provided gunship support for all foreign troops in Afghanistan. France also has some Tigers in Somalia, and Mali, where they have performed well. Tiger has spent over 1,500 flight hours in combat zones so far and a hundred have been delivered to Germany, France (which has ordered 80), Spain (24), and Australia (22). A total of 206 Tiger helicopters have been ordered. So far Tigers have spent over 45,000 hours in the air, most of it for training.

The Tiger costs about as much as the AH-64, a ten ton gunship that has been in service since the 1980s. The six ton Tiger has a crew of two and a max speed of 280 kilometers an hour. It cruises at 230 kilometers an hour and usually stays in the air about three hours per sortie. It is armed with a 30mm automatic cannon, 70mm rocket pods (19 rockets per pod), and various types of air-to-ground missiles (eight Hellfire types at once). It can also carry four Mistral anti-aircraft missiles.

Germany appears to have lost its enthusiasm for Tiger and is cutting its order from 80 to 57. Germany has had a lot of problems with Tiger during the last few years. Besides, Germany has better uses for the money, like bailing out the many European nations having financial problems.

It was only last year that Germany got four of its new Tiger helicopter gunships ready for service in Afghanistan. These ASGARD (Afghanistan Stabilization German Army Rapid Deployment) models included sand filters, additional defense systems, a mission data recorder, and communications gear able to deal with systems used by allies. Four more ASGARD Tigers are being prepared. The first four are now in Afghanistan. But all Tigers were grounded on March 4^th, after one of them crashed and burned during a training accident in Germany. This is the third Tiger to crash so far, although none of the six crewmen involved were killed.

German troops in Afghanistan wanted this aircraft badly but delivery was delayed several times due to various problems. In addition to the ASGARD upgrades, there were problems with the wiring and a number of less serious shortcomings as well.

DTN News - CRICKET NEWS: Australia tour of India, 2nd Test: India v Australia at Hyderabad (Deccan), Mar 2-5, 2013

Asian Defense News: DTN News - CRICKET NEWS: Australia tour of India, 2nd Test: India v Australia at Hyderabad (Deccan), Mar 2-5, 2013

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith DTN News
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 5, 2013: Cricket da game

Balle Balle ~ India defeats Australia by an innings and 130 runs
Lakh lakh vadhaiyan - Phaji & Veerji

DTN Australia @DTNAustralia & DTN India @DTNIndia
(Available on Twitter)
Comprehensive Daily News ~ © Copyright (c) DTN News Defense-Technology News
Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) & DTN News

*Presented & compiled for DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith DTN News
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: F-35 Is Cleared To Resume Flight

Asian Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: F-35 Is Cleared To Resume Flight
*Contractors push back on 3-star’s JSF criticism

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Aaron Mehta and Nigel Pittaway - Staff writers Army Times
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 2, 2013: WASHINGTON and MELBOURNE, Australia — The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been cleared to resume flight operations, six days after a crack discovered in the engine caused the fleet to be grounded.

Flights will resume Friday afternoon weather permitting, according to program officials.

“Following engineering analysis of the turbine blade which developed a crack, F-35 flight operations have been cleared to resume,” the Joint Program Office and Pratt & Whitney said in a joint statement, released late Thursday night.

“This decision concludes a cautionary flight suspension that began on Feb. 21 after a 0.6 inch crack was found on a 3rd stage turbine blade of a test aircraft at the Edwards Air Force Base F-35 Integrated Test Facility during a routine inspection. Comprehensive tests on the blade were conducted at the Pratt & Whitney facility in Middletown, Connecticut. The engine in question is part of the F-35 test aircraft fleet, and had been operated at extreme parameters in its mission to expand the F-35 flight envelope. Prolonged exposure to high levels of heat and other operational stressors on this specific engine were determined to be the cause of the crack.”

“No additional cracks or signs of similar engine stress were found during inspections of the remaining F135 inventory.”

“No engine redesign is required as a result of this event. Within the current DoD inventory, 17 F-35s are employed in test and development at Patuxent River Naval Air Station and Edwards Air Force Base; the remaining aircraft are assigned to Eglin Air Force Base and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, and comprise the initial F-35 training fleet.”

While DoD officials bring the fleet back online, the Pentagon announced a new deal worth $333,786,000 that will lay the path for an eventual deal on lot 8 of low rate initial production (LRIP). That money is part an advance acquisition contract designed to help Lockheed prepare for manufacturing the eighth batch of fighters.

“Lockheed Martin is pleased to be awarded long lead funding for the eighth F-35 Low Rate Initial Production contract, known as LRIP 8, by the Department of Defense,” Michael Rein, a Lockheed spokesman, wrote in an email. “This award provides our supplier base the stability needed to properly execute on our future production commitments. We will continue to drive down costs for these future aircraft as we have done on every previous LRIP contract.”

The optimistic tone was echoed 9,000 miles away, as Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith expressed confidence in the F-35 program during comments made this week at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon, southwest of Melbourne.

“I’ve always been confident that in the end, the Joint Strike Fighter project would get up, that it would be successful, and that’s because the entire weight of the United States is behind it,” he said. “I remain confident that the Joint Strike Fighter will get up, but the risks continue to be schedule and cost.”

However, Smith reiterated that he would not allow an air combat capability gap to occur between the retirement of Australia’s Hornet fighters and F-35A introduction around 2020.

Australia has a requirement for up to 100 Joint Strike Fighters but faces the dilemma of either stretching out the life of its aging legacy Hornet fleet beyond its planned withdrawal date at the end of the decade or making a further interim Super Hornet purchase from Boeing.

Steve O’Bryan, Lockheed Martin vice president of F-35 program integration and business development, told reporters at the show that he was confident Australia would remain in the program.

“There is no indication from the Australian leadership of a reduction in commitment,” he said.

COMPANIES PUSH BACK AT CRITICISM
Despite a return to flight, there may be long-term consequences for the second grounding of the F-35 in a month.

Only a day after Smith reaffirmed his confidence in the F-35A, U.S. project head Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan told local press at Avalon that he thought Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney would perform better if they had more skin in the game.

“What I see Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney doing today is behaving as if they are getting ready to sell me the very last F-35 and the very last engine,” he told a media roundtable. “They are trying to squeeze every nickel out of that last F-35 and engine.”

Both Lockheed and Pratt moved quickly to push back against Bogdan’s assertions that they are not working as team players.

“Lockheed Martin is fully committed to delivering the F-35’s unprecedented 5th Generation capabilities to the men and women of our Armed Forces and those of our allies” Laura Siebert, Lockheed spokeswoman, wrote in a statement. “We are singularly focused on properly executing the F-35 development, production and sustainment tasks laid out in our various contracts. We do this in partnership with Lt. Gen. Bogdan and the entire JSF Program Office and strive daily to drive costs out of the program.

“We believe we are making significant progress in enhancing affordability of the jet as evidenced by the fact that we have reduced costs by 50 percent since the procurement of the first production aircraft; by outperforming U.S. government pricing estimates for the past contract lot buys; and by reducing labor costs by 14 percent between the 4th and 5th lot contracts. Going forward, we are confident the Low Rate Initial Production 6 and 7 contracts, currently under negotiation, will achieve even greater savings for the government and taxpayers,” according to the statement.

“Despite numerous cuts in the F-35 acquisition plan, Pratt & Whitney has maintained a long-term view and demonstrated our commitment by investing more than $50M dollars of our own funds and taking on risk ahead of contract schedule to prevent the program from experiencing delays,” Matthew Bates, the Pratt spokesman, wrote in an email.

Bates highlighted that the engine manufacturer offered to cover cost overruns for low rate initial production Lot 5 a year ahead of what the government had requested.

“We believe it is highly unusual for a contractor to take on this level of risk at such an early stage of a program,” Bates wrote. “We have also offered to assume more risk for sustainment cost through performance-based, fixed-priced provisions well ahead of plan. In addition, our investment has contributed to more than 40% of cost reduction since the delivery of our first production representative engine.

“We look forward to our continued dialogue with the Joint Program Office to further review the details of the F135 [engine] program, and to achieve alignment and further progress as the program moves ahead.”

It’s not the first time Bogdan has criticized the companies’ JSF performance. In September, Bogdan raised eyebrows when he called the relationship between Lockheed Martin and the JPO the “worst” he had ever seen — with a delegation of Lockheed officials sitting right in front of him.

Relations between Bogdan and the contractors seemed to warm during winter, especially in December, when an agreement was finalized to purchase a fifth batch of fighters, followed quickly by a preliminary agreement on a sixth batch weeks later.

But the second major grounding of the F-35 in the last month appears to have tested Bogdan’s patience. In January, the Marine Corps’ F-35B variant was grounded following an engine problem during a test flight. The source of that problem was later identified as an improperly crimped line in the fueldralic system, manufactured by subcontractor Stratoflex.

Last Friday, nine days after the F-35B resumed tests, the entire F-35 fleet was grounded when a crack was discovered in one of the blades in the Pratt-designed engine.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Aaron Mehta and Nigel Pittaway - Staff writers Army Times
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - GREETINGS 2013: New Year Revellers Begin Welcoming First In New Zealand followed by Australia

Asian Defense News: DTN News - GREETINGS 2013: New Year Revellers Begin Welcoming First In New Zealand followed by Australia

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 31, 2012: Celebrations are being held around the world to mark the new year, with the city of Auckland in New Zealand holding the first major events of 2013.

Crowds began to gather on Monday evening in Sydney in anticipation of the city’s famous firework display.

Big shows are also planned in many other cities globally.

Celebrations will also be held for the first time in Burma, where large public gatherings were banned by its previous military rulers.

Tens of thousands are expected to attend the celebrations in Rangoon, which will feature a fireworks display and performances by Burmese entertainers.

Reports say the festivities will be broadcast live on Burmese television.

The celebration is seen as the latest sign of the country’s liberalisation under its military-backed civilian government.

However, there is a subdued atmosphere in the Indian capital Delhi, following the death last week of a 23-year-old victim of a brutal gang rape.

The army has cancelled its celebrations across the country, as have the governments in the states of Punjab and Haryana.

Thousands of residents and clubs have also called off new year celebrations. protests over the case continued on Monday.

Later on, festivities will be held in European cities including Moscow, Paris and London.

More than two million people are expected to be on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach.

New York will mark the new year with the traditional New Year’s Eve countdown and ball drop over Times Square.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith - DTN News
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Thursday, August 21, 2014

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Marines Conduct Exercise in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Marines Conduct Exercise in Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2014

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Lockheed Martin Corp., For MH-60R Helicopters Under FMS Program

Sunday, May 12, 2013

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Tiger HAD Combat/Attack Helicopter Flying With French Forces

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

DTN News - CRICKET NEWS: Australia tour of India, 2nd Test: India v Australia at Hyderabad (Deccan), Mar 2-5, 2013

Monday, March 4, 2013

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: F-35 Is Cleared To Resume Flight

Monday, December 31, 2012

DTN News - GREETINGS 2013: New Year Revellers Begin Welcoming First In New Zealand followed by Australia

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