Lapan Lakukan Uji Terbang UAV LSU 03

30 Januari 2014

 UAV tipe LSU-03 (photo : Lapan)

Lapan berhasil melaksanakan uji terbang pesawat Lapan Surveillance UAV (LSU) 03 di Balai Produksi dan Pengujian Roket Lapan Pameungpeuk, Jawa Barat, Sabtu (25/1). Kegiatan ini bertujuan untuk menguji kestabilan pesawat. Pesawat LSU 03 diterbangkan pada pukul 07.19 WIB dan berhasil mendarat di lapangan uji Pameungpeuk pada pukul 7.30 WIB.

LSU 03 merupakan pesawat tanpa awak yang berkemampuan mengangkut beban 10 kilogram untuk keperluan Airborne Remote Sensing. Kepala Lapan, Bambang S. Tejasukmana, mengatakan bahwa keberhasilan ini merupakan bukti meningkatnya kemampuan sumber daya Lapan. Ia berharap, di masa depan Lapan terus memperkuat aplikasi pendukung untuk berbagai penggunaan.

UAV tipe LSU-02 (photo : Lapan)

Sehari sebelumnya, yaitu pada hari jumat tanggal 24 januari 2014, teknisi Lapan juga melakukan uji terbang terhadap pesawat LSU 02. Sistem autonomous pesawat tersebut telah diperbaiki sehingga dapat terbang lurus sesuai dengan koordinat yang ditetapkan. Uji terbang LSU 03 tersebut dihadiri oleh para pejabat struktural eselon I Lapan.

(Lapan)

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South Korea to finalise F-35 jet fighter deal this year

By Agence France-Presse on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

South Korea plans to finalise the purchase of 40 next-generation F-35 jet fighters from US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin later this year, Seoul’s military procurement agency said.

“We will… push to sign the contract in the third quarter… after testing and further negotiations,” Jung Kwang-Sun, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s aircraft department director, told reporters in a briefing late Monday.

The South’s air force has been looking to upgrade its ageing fleet of Boeing F-4 and F-5 fighters in the light of North Korea’s growing nuclear threat.

Jung did not specifically name the F-35s, but they are the only jet fighters on offer that meet the requirement — laid down by the South Korean joint chiefs of staff last month — for a stealth-capable fighter.

The absence of a stealth capability was behind the military’s decision in September to block a $7.7 billion deal to buy 60 of Boeing’s F-15 fighters.

The Boeing aircraft was the only one to come in under the $7.7 billion budget approved by parliament.

The tender has since been adjusted, although Jung declined to give details on the cost of the 40 F-35s, saying it would require both finance ministry and parliamentary approval.

“If we choose to buy F-35s, we will choose to buy the F-35A that has been adopted by the US Air Force,” he said, adding they would be delivered from 2018 onwards.

The F-35A takes off and lands conventionally. The F-35B variant can land vertically, like the obsolete Harrier plane, and its users will include the US Marines and Britain’s armed forces.

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Israeli defense computer hit in cyber attack: data expert

Hackers attacked Israeli computers including one used by the defence ministry department dealing with civilians in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli data protection expert said on Monday.

“At the beginning of this month a number of mails were sent to a number of companies in Israel, including security organizations,” Aviv Raff, chief technology officer at Israeli cyber security firm Seculert told army radio.

“There was an attachment… and whoever opened it was infected with a virus, a Trojan Horse, which allowed the attackers to control those computers. One of the computers belonged to the Civil Administration,” he said in reference to the defence ministry department, which is staffed by the military.

Asked to comment on the report, the military said in a written statement to AFP: “The reports of the incident are currently being looked into.”

Raff did not identify the source of the attack but the radio said it was “apparently from Gaza” and added that 15 Israeli computers were targeted.

It said that only the Civil Administration’s public network was affected and that no classified communications were compromised.

Raff said that the virus allowed the attacker “complete control of the infected computers. The attackers could carry out any operation within that network.”

“The moment that we detected it we cancelled the hackers’ control and notified the relevant authorities,” he added.

Israeli politicians and security officials often warn of the dangers of hacking and say they have thwarted numerous attempted attacks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told cabinet ministers on Sunday that during his visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos he found extensive interest in Israel’s cyber security capabilities.

“It is widely understood that in the information age information must be protected, otherwise there will be chaos; the jungle,” he said.

“The assessment is that Israel, due to our special circumstances, could offer various solutions in this area. It is clear that there is a great opportunity and challenge for us here.”

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Raytheon secures first international customer for its F-16 RACR AESA radar

By Raytheon on Thursday, January 30th, 2014

Raytheon Company has signed a contract with BAE Systems in support of upgrading the Republic of Korea’s fleet of more than 130 KF-16C/D Block 52 aircraft. As a key subcontractor to BAE Systems, the company will provide an integrated solution that includes the Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR), ALR-69A all-digital radar warning receiver, advanced mission computing technology and weapon systems integration.

“South Korea’s competitive selection of our RACR last year gave us an important foothold in the international F-16 upgrade market,” said Jim Hvizd, vice president of International Strategy and Business Development for Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. “The addition of our EW and mission computing expertise and our weapon systems integration will provide the Republic of Korea with an operationally superior solution that will keep their KF-16s relevant for years to come.”

This contract, booked in the fourth quarter 2013, adds the F-16 Fighting Falcon to the roster of fighters retrofitted with Raytheon AESA radars (F-15C, F-15E, F/A-18E/F and the EA-18G Growler). Since 2000, Raytheon has been the industry leader in AESA technology development.

Raytheon’s F-16 avionics heritage spans more than 25 years with deliveries of mission critical avionics systems including mission computers, electronic warfare systems, Anti-Jam GPS receivers and various weapons.

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Lockheed Martin Demonstrates Weapons Grade High Power Fiber Laser

Lockheed Martin has demonstrated a 30-kilowatt electric fiber laser, the highest power ever documented while retaining beam quality and electrical efficiency.

The internally funded research and development program culminated in this demonstration, which was achieved by combining many fiber lasers into a single, near-perfect quality beam of light—all while using approximately 50 percent less electricity than alternative solid-state laser technologies. The unique process, called Spectral Beam Combining, sends beams from multiple fiber laser modules, each with a unique wavelength, into a combiner that forms a single, powerful, high quality beam.

“Lockheed Martin has opened the aperture for high power, electrically driven laser systems suitable for military applications,” said Dr. Ray O. Johnson, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Lockheed Martin. “Advancements in available laser components, along with the maturity and quality of our innovative beam-combining technology, support our goal of providing lightweight and rugged laser weapon systems for use on military platforms such as aircraft, helicopters, ships and trucks.”

The successful demonstration marks a significant milestone on the path to deploying a mission-relevant laser weapon system for a wide range of air, land and sea military platforms.

Prior laser weapon demonstrations in the industry showed target acquisition, tracking and destruction. However, these solutions were limited for tactical military use because their laser inefficiencies drove significant size, power and cooling needs not readily supported by key military ground and airborne platforms.

“The high-energy laser serves as the heart of a laser weapon system,” said Dr. Johnson. “This 30-kilowatt milestone shows our commitment to producing the high beam quality and high power needed to address a variety of military ‘speed-of-light’ defensive operations.”

Lockheed Martin has specialized in directed energy laser weapon system development for the past 30 years and purchased Aculight in 2008 to further strengthen its offerings at every level—from expert advice and pioneering research to solid prototyping and flexible manufacturing.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 115,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

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Northrop Grumman Delivers 100th EA-18G Airborne Electronic Attack Kit

Northrop Grumman Corporation has delivered the 100th airborne electronic attack (AEA) kit for the EA-18G Growler aircraft. The AEA kit is a critical component of the aircraft, which allows warfighters to target and attack the most complex enemy communication and air defense systems.

“This delivery milestone demonstrates the dedication of the Northrop Grumman team to the EA-18G Growler program. Every airborne electronic attack subsystem they have produced is of the highest quality, allowing us to stay ahead of current and evolving threats,” said Capt. Frank Morley, U. S. Navy F/A-18 and EA-18G program manager.

The AEA kit features wing tip pods and gun bay pallets, in addition to antennas and receivers. The ALQ-218 Antenna/Tactical Jamming System Receiver allows for selective reactive jamming capability and accurate emitter identification, location and analysis. At the same time, the AN/ALQ-227 Communication Countermeasures Set/Electronic Attack Unit intercepts, processes and jams signals, while determining their direction.

“With the 100th delivery of the EA-18G AEA kit, we continue to provide a high-quality product to those who protect our nation each and every day,” said Doug Shaffer, director of information operations and electronic attack, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “We are proud to carry on the company’s legacy in developing and producing world-class airborne electronic attack technology platforms.”

The various AEA kit components are designed and manufactured at Northrop Grumman facilities in Bethpage, N.Y., St. Augustine, Fla., and Baltimore, Md., and by an expert supplier team. The 100th kit was formally delivered to the EA-18G prime contractor, Boeing, Nov. 26, a week ahead of the contract date.

The Growler is the newest and most advanced airborne electronic attack platform used by U.S. Armed Forces, NATO and coalition forces around the world. Since reaching full-rate production and initial operational capability in 2009, the work of these aircraft in the fleet has been notable, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya. In 2019, Growlers will have replaced all of the Northrop Grumman-built EA-6B Prowlers operated by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Once this happens, the EA-18G Growler will serve as the only Joint Force airborne electronic attack option.

Northrop Grumman has delivered all 100 AEA kits on time and on budget, demonstrating the company’s commitment to its customers. In addition to the kit, Northrop Grumman also produces the center/aft fuselage and vertical tails of the EA-18G Growler.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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Super Bowl preparations include air defense exercise

Fighter jets from the Continental United States North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, also known as CONR, along with the command’s interagency partners, are preparing to protect the sky around MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the site of Super Bowl XLVII Feb. 2.

Air defense exercise flights in the area of the stadium are expected to begin around 4:30 a.m. EST Jan. 29, and to continue for about an hour, officials said.

Exercise Amalgam Virgo 14-01, a NORAD air-defense exercise, will be conducted in the greater East Rutherford area, so interagency partners can practice procedures for responding to airspace violations. The exercise is a series of training flights in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, Civil Air Patrol, the 601st Air and Space Operations Center, and the CONR’s Eastern Air Defense Sector.

“There are a lot of interagency partners involved in the air defense of this year’s Super Bowl,” said Lt. Gen. William H. Etter, CONR commander. “With multiple agencies involved, coordination between all air-defense partners is crucial. This exercise allows all of the interagency partners to come together before the game to hone their air defense skills and ensure communications are working properly.”

These exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure CONR’s rapid response capability, officials said. CONR has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the U.S. since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s ongoing response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, they noted.

“On Super Bowl Sunday and every other day, the men and women of the CONR are on watch, making sure our skies are safe,” Etter said.

Since 9/11, CONR fighters have responded to more than 5,000 possible air threats in the U.S. and have flown more than 62,500 sorties with the support of Airborne Warning and Control System and air-to-air-refueling aircraft for Operation Noble Eagle, officials said.

(Information courtesy of the Continental United States North American Aerospace Defense Command Region)

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Raytheon Demos Enhanced Paveway II GBU-50s For French Airforce

By Raytheon on Thursday, January 30th, 2014

Raytheon and the French Air Force completed a demonstration of a penetrator variant of a Paveway GBU-50 from a Mirage 2000D multirole fighter jet. The weapon met all flight objectives and scored a direct hit against a reinforced concrete slab.

“Raytheon is committed to delivering GBU-50′s unique capabilities to our French customer, ” said Mike Jarrett, vice president of Air Warfare Systems. “Raytheon offers a proven, cost effective dual mode solution that is fully compatible with the MK-84 and BLU-109.”

Each Enhanced Paveway II guidance and control section is compatible with warheads ranging from the 250 pound MK-81 to the 2,000 pound MK-84 and BLU-109. Offering a range of smart fuze settings from air burst to post impact, along with selectable terminal impact angles and angle of attack control, the GBU-50 takes the capabilities of both the MK-84 and BLU-109 to a new level.

The Paveway bomb kit affordably transforms “dumb” bombs into cutting edge precision-guided munitions. The all-weather GBU-50, with its GPS/precision terminal laser guidance is in production with more than 200 units delivered to date.

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DoD Official: Force Size Limits Modernization Efforts

Two years into the pivot to the Asia-Pacific region and the concurrent drawdown in Afghanistan, Pentagon officials today related to Congress the Defense Department’s strategy to maintain U.S. superiority in military technology.

Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisitions, technology and logistics, told the House Armed Services Committee that until U.S. forces are reduced to sustainable levels, DOD will be forced to disproportionately reduce modernization, the very investments that yield technological superiority in the Asia-Pacific region and elsewhere.

“Uncertainty about future budget reductions make sizing our force problematic and encourages a slower drawdown in our force structure,” Kendall said. “This, in turn, causes even larger reductions in modernization.”

Still, Kendall indicated, DOD faces numerous challenges and opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly related to the increase of anti-access and area-denial military capabilities.

Current investments and technology are intended for the pursuit of America’s interests in the face of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs, Kendall told the House panel.

North Korea’s most significant developments are in medium- and long-range ballistic missiles that could be equipped with nuclear warheads, the undersecretary said, and U.S. investments to counter these threats are in national and regional missile defense. Plus-ups, Kendall reported, include ground-based interceptors at Fort Greeley, Alaska, the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System battery to Guam and the in-progress introduction of a second ballistic missile defense radar system into Japan.

“These investments will enhance our ability to defend the homeland and Japan,” Kendall said, adding that the efforts complement ongoing initiatives to strengthen ballistic missile defense capabilities in general. And anti-access and area-denial capabilities run the gamut, he added, noting China’s space control investments, offensive cyber capabilities, conventional ballistic and cruise missiles and air-to-air capabilities, including fifth-generation fighters.

While China pursues a long-term, comprehensive military modernization program focused on anti-access and area-denial capabilities, U.S. investments are limited by budget cuts that fall disproportionately on modernization, he asserted. Despite resource constraints, DOD officials have taken steps to address the threats, Kendall said.

Since the publication of the Defense Strategic Guidance in 2012, the DOD has continued research and development and procurement investments focused on the Asia-Pacific region. Kendall cited examples of fiscal year 2014 investments requested by the White House and appropriated by Congress, including cyber defense, land-based key asset defense, maritime surveillance, air dominance and precision strike capabilities.

The undersecretary acknowledged that DOD faces ongoing challenges in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Technological superiority is not assured, and we cannot be complacent about our posture,” Kendall said. “This is not a future problem; this is a ‘here now’ problem.”

Though DOD officials may wrestle with the uncertainties of spending cuts, he said, some aspects of the pivot nonetheless will continue to flourish, thanks to partnership building, senior leader retention and relationship-building and increased exercises, Kendall said. “A lot of those things can happen even in a reduced budget situation,” he added.

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RQ-21A Blackjack Begins Operational Test Phase

By US Navy on Thursday, January 30th, 2014

The Navy and Marine Corps’ newest small unmanned aircraft system RQ-21A Blackjack began its initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) in early January at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.

As part of IOT&E, this first low-rate initial production (LRIP) lot of the Blackjack, previously known as RQ-21A Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS), will demonstrate the system’s effectiveness and suitability in realistic combat conditions.

“Receiving the first production-level Blackjack is a great accomplishment for our government and industry team,” said Col. James Rector, program manager for the Navy and Marine Corps STUAS program office, who oversees the RQ-21A program. “It is a very capable system that will meet the needs of our warfighters deployed on land or at sea with our Marine expeditionary units.”

The Insitu Inc.-built Blackjack is a larger twin-tailed follow-on to the ScanEagle unmanned air vehicle. The system contains five air vehicles, two ground control systems, and launch and recovery equipment.

Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 1 is conducting ground and shipboard testing on Blackjack for the next several months. After completing IOT&E, the government and Insitu team will transition the system to Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron (VMU) 2, located at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. for operational use. A second LRIP lot, consisting of one system, is scheduled for delivery in the spring.

Lt. Col. Anthony Bolden, commanding officer for VMU-2, said the myriad of capabilities that come with the introduction of Blackjack will provide the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a platform that has the payload and persistence to significantly enhance situational awareness.

“RQ-21A brings a new level of flexibility and expeditionary capability not present in any UAS to date,” Bolden said. “As a result, having and operating the Blackjack will posture the Marine UAV squadrons at the forefront of MAGTF operations.”

At eight feet long and with a wingspan of 16 feet, Blackjack provides intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communications relay to the warfighter on land and at sea. The air vehicle’s open-architecture configuration can integrate new payloads quickly and can carry sensor payloads as heavy as 25 pounds.

Standard payloads include day and night full-motion video cameras, an infrared marker, a laser range finder, a communications relay package and automatic identification system receivers.

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