Lockheed Martin has begun start-up activities and procurement of long-lead components to support the earliest possible launch date for GeoEye-2. This effort will lead to a contract award for the design, engineering and manufacturing of the satellite and the associated command and control system.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems, a world leader in the most advanced space-based systems for government and commercial customers, designed and built the world's first commercial, high-resolution, Earth-imaging satellite, IKONOS, which has been providing 0.82-meter ground resolution imagery to GeoEye's customers around the globe for more than a decade.

These map-accurate images are used for applications in national security, environmental monitoring, state and local government, disaster assessment and relief, land management and for many other geospatial applications.

"GeoEye and Lockheed Martin have had a long and productive partnership since building and launching the first commercial remote sensing satellite," said Joanne Maguire, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin Space Systems. "Our GeoEye-2 solution will leverage our strong government and commercial satellite system expertise and focus on operational excellence and mission success to provide GeoEye with another world-class, high-performance spacecraft for its customers."

Matthew O'Connell, GeoEye's chief executive officer and president, said, "We look forward to working with Lockheed Martin again and eagerly anticipate the construction and successful launch of another cutting-edge satellite which will provide proven reliability and greatly enhanced imaging capabilities for our customers."

Lockheed Martin's GeoEye-2 solution will build on the company's deep heritage and ability to execute within cost and schedule in this mission area and offer increased agility, resolution and flexibility over IKONOS and GeoEye-1. This will enable the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) to provide critical geospatial situational awareness and global security information to intelligence analysts, war fighters and decision makers. Commercial users will also benefit from access to GeoEye-2's map-accurate color imagery. The spacecraft will feature a high-resolution ITT camera that has been in development for more than two years.

GeoEye, Inc. is an international information services company serving government and commercial markets. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, the Company has 535 employees dedicated to developing best-in-class geospatial information products and services. GeoEye is a public company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol GEOY.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

Lockheed to Build Next-Gen Remote Sensing Satellite System is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

"Right now it looks like we'll hit probably one million total hours sometime next month," said Col. Christopher Carlile, director, United States Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence. "But it'll take us to around September or October before we'll hit one million hours in support of combat operations."

The colonel said about 90 percent of the Army's unmanned flying hours are in support of combat. The Army aviation community will recognize the milestone in late May with displays at the Pentagon and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington.

Speaking to an audience of Soldiers and defense-industry professionals last week during the 2010 Association of the United States Army's Institute of Land Warfare Winter Symposium and Exposition in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Carlile said the Army is prepared for growth in use of unmanned aerial systems and for broadening their mission sets.

"Today we are probably 99 percent-plus for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance roles for UAS," he said. "Though in the future, there will be new roles."

The colonel said those new roles could include communications relays, sustainment and cargo, for instance.

Training is ramping up for more UAS support as well. Out at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., the Army runs a joint training installation for UAS operators and maintainers. There, they train Soldiers, Sailors and Marines. Carlile said the Army is expected to see an increase in Soldiers that need to be trained at the facility.

"Today we will train, in Fiscal Year 2010, about 800," he said. "By 2018, our requirement is over 3,000 operators."

Unlike other services, the Army finds placing enlisted servicemembers at the controls of a UAS to be most effective, and Carlile said that is not likely to change.

"Army enlisted UAS operators are fully capable and well trained to do anything you give them to do, and it'll shock you when you hear how many hours of operation they have," he said.

Carlile said the Army puts aircraft like the RQ-7 Shadow and the Raven in the lowest units, keeping their ISR capability close to the commanders who will need it.

"One of the greatest things we did was place the Shadow platoon in the brigade combat team in the early days," he said. "It allowed our infantry and our armor officers to realize the potential and know they owned it and know they were going to get it when they asked for it."

Aviation is a complex business, prone to mishap, Carlile said, and the Army has found ways to minimize that by allowing technology in the UAS to do "what it does best."

"What we found is that when the Army adapted that methodology to go toward an automated method to let the equipment do what it does best -- let it come up with automated take off and landing strategy -- what we have seen, it would shock you."

The colonel said that human error accidents and incidents are now nearing the single- digit mark now.

Despite successes of UAS in Iraq and Afghanistan, late in 2009 it was reported in the press that the Defense Department had confirmed that insurgents could intercept unencrypted video feeds from UAS.

On Capitol Hill, March 10, Secretary of the Army John McHugh was queried about UAS security by Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama. McHugh said he felt confident about the current status of Army systems.

"The Army greatly values, and commanders feel very strongly, about the Army's need to have these capabilities particularly at a strategic level," the secretary said. "All the services recognized that potential vulnerability early on and have reacted aggressively to it, and we feel comfortable with the systems in place."

Army Approaches Million Unmanned Flying Hours is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

This confirms the intention to develop Sweden’s submarine capability. Kockums is prime contractor for the order.

The Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces has emphasized the importance of acquiring the next-generation submarine on a number of different occasions.

The next-generation submarine features several advances in the development of underwater technology and marks the adaptation of submarines to meet current and future threats and to conduct the international mission now required. This refers particularly to the submarine’s role as an information gatherer.

Next-generation also refers to further refinements in terms of stealth technology. The submarine will be able to see and hear everything over a wide area, while itself remaining undetected. It will be designed to be efficient in the Baltic and other littoral waters.

“This is an important first step, not only for Kockums, but for the Swedish Armed Forces as a whole. We shall now be able to maintain our position at the cutting edge of submarine technology, which is vital in the light of current threat scenarios. HMS Gotland demonstrated what she is capable of during two years of joint exercises in the water off the USA. This next-generation submarine marks a further refinement of technology,” states CEO Ola Alfredsson, commenting the news.

Sweden Launches Next-Generation Submarine Project is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

A tentative agreement has been reached in the fight over additional financing for the much-delayed military transport plane A400M, the Spanish defense minister said on Wednesday.

"We reached an agreement in principle between the seven nations in the project and EADS," said Carme Chacon, referring to the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company, parent company of A400M manufacturer Airbus. "The Airbus project will be a success for Europe."

Chacon did not give any details as to how the countries would resolve the financing dispute surrounding the late and over-budget project, but added that more information would be released on Thursday, following an EU defense meeting in Mallorca.

The announcement is the latest in the ongoing saga of Europe's much delayed Airbus project. The EADS has been trying for months to secure the future of the A400M turboprop transport plane, haggling with the seven countries that ordered the planes over who should pay for the costly overruns that have put the program almost four years behind schedule.

EADS chief executive Louis Gallois and Airbus CEO Thomas Enders had threatened to scrap the project altogether if the buyer nations did not agree to take on some of the extra costs.

The total costs were initially set at 20 billion euros, but have now risen to an estimated 27.6 billion euros, making it Europe's biggest arms project.

[The greater number of planes] are slated for delivery to Germany. The other buyer nations are Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg and Turkey.

Future of Airbus A400M Is Safe For Now is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

The contract represents a government-to-government agreement between Iraq and the United States. The remaining aircraft deliveries will occur in the first and fourth quarters of 2010.

“With the T-6A, the Iraqi Air Force now has the most successful primary trainer in the world at its fingertips,” said Jim Maslowski, president, U.S. and International Government Business. “These aircraft will play a vital role in strengthening the Iraqi Air Force and providing training in support of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.”

In addition to the 15 aircraft, the contract also includes ground based training systems, spares, contract logistics support, maintenance, post production support and technical publications.

The Beechcraft T-6 offers military organizations worldwide the most proven and most cost-effective training system available today. The T-6 is a primary trainer aircraft that accommodates instruction in instrument flight procedures and basic aerial maneuvers. The aircraft delivers an outstanding training capability that is appropriate for the most basic introductory flight training through more challenging and complex advanced training missions. To date, it has been used to train pilots in approximately 20 different countries.

The HBC military training platform also recently achieved significant milestones when the T-6 reached one million flight hours and delivery of the 500th T-6 airplane occurred.

The T-6A is currently in service as the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy’s Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) aircraft, as well as the primary, weapons and navigation trainer with the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program, the Hellenic Air Force of Greece and the Israeli Air Force. HBC and its predecessor company have delivered more than 500 aircraft and 90 aircrew training devices to various major training installations throughout the U.S. since its first deliveries started in 2000.

Hawker Beechcraft Corporation is a world-leading manufacturer of business, special mission and trainer aircraft – designing, marketing and supporting aviation products and services for businesses, governments and individuals worldwide. The company’s headquarters and major facilities are located in Wichita, Kan., with operations in Salina, Kan.; Little Rock, Ark.; Chester, England, U.K.; and Chihuahua, Mexico. The company leads the industry with a global network of more than 100 factory-owned and authorized service centers.

T-6A Trainer Aircraft Delivered to Iraqi Air Force is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

Joe Garland, vice president for international business development at Lockheed Martin, said final tests on the weapon called the Paveway II Plus laser guided bomb should be completed by the end of March.

Garland told a news briefing on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow that the missile will benefit from an enhanced guidance system.

"It will be our basic configuration, (there) will be a slight software and hardware upgrade to the system," he said, adding that customers would not have to pay additional costs for the upgraded weapon.

The US government buys 80 percent of Lockheed's laser-guided bombs, said Garland.

International customers are also expected to upgrade their arsenals with the bomb, he said.

"Today there are a number of international clients that use laser-guided bombs and we anticipate that same group of international clients to use the Paveway II Plus model," Garland said.

Lockheed Martin to roll out more accurate laser-guided bomb is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

Afghan President Hamid Karzai issued a statement Monday condemning the incident and ordering an investigation. Officials say the attack took place Sunday in the Kunar province.

NATO officials say they had no further information but are investigating the reports.

Civilian deaths from coalition airstrikes are a contentious issue in Afghanistan. U.S. commanders have made protecting civilians a top priority in the new U.S.-led war strategy aimed at countering the Taliban.

Separately, a joint force of Afghan and international troops are searching for three Afghan police officers missing since Taliban militants stormed a security outpost in the northwestern Badghis province on Sunday. Two police officers were killed in that attack.

Also Monday, Spain's defense minister met with Spanish troops guarding Kabul's airport. Spanish media say Carme Chacon pledged that Spanish forces will train some 2,000 Afghan troops in the coming year.

Spain currently has about 1,000 troops serving in NATO's Afghanistan mission. The Spanish parliament is expected to approve plans to deploy several hundred more soldiers in the coming months.

NATO Investigating New Reports of Afghan Civilian Deaths is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

VMM-161 received its first Osprey Dec. 12 and is the first West Coast-based squadron to convert to the tilt-rotor platform.

“We are all very excited and pleased to have it here and to begin training on it,” said Lt. Col. Jason T. Keefer, the squadron’s executive officer.

With the Osprey’s arrival, VMM-161 began the transition from an aging fleet of medium-lift CH-46 “Sea Knights” to more operational aircraft as part of a Marine Corps-wide process.

The Osprey is a twin-engine, tilt-rotor aircraft with hover and slow flight capabilities that deliver range, speed and fuel efficiency. The aircraft can lift 15,000 pounds of external cargo or carry up to 20,000 pounds of internal cargo or 24 combat-equipped Marines.

The Osprey’s engines can rotate in mid-flight, converting the aircraft to a turboprop airplane that can fly at high speed and high altitudes. This feature provides the vertical functionality of a helicopter and the performance of a fixed-wing aircraft.

Pilots and crew who are already trained aid in the transition to the new platform, said Keefer.

A pilot’s training takes between six and eight months, with two months of simulation training required on the West Coast and two months of flight training on the East Coast at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C.

VMM-161 should receive 12 MV-22 Ospreys to complete the 19-month transition.

MV-22 Osprey Arrives at MCAS Miramar is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

The signing of the contract by Dirgantara Indonesia CEO, Budi Santoso, and General Director of Indonesian Defence Facility, Marshall Eris Herryanto, takes place in Jakarta on the closing of National Workshop on Defence Industry Revitalization on 11 December 2009.

This kind of aircraft is supported with sensors of surveillance and targetting mission and also prepared for future modification according to Indonesian Navy Operational Requirement (Opreq) and Technical Specification (Techspec). The aircraft is also projected to strengthen the national fleet according to the navy operational needs to protect Indonesian ocean zone and to replace the old Nomad aircraft.

At present, Indonesian Navy has been operating Maritime Patrol NC212-200, another Dirgantara product.

PTDI and Maritime Patrol Flight Center have been through analysis and other phases of the CN235-220 design in order to meet the optimal defense products.

The three CN235-220s are part of the total six units ordered by Indonesian Navy in the 2010- 2014 Strategic Planning to fullfil the concept of Minimum Essential Force.

Indonesian Navy Orders Maritime Patrol CN235-220 Aircraft is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

The purpose of these ground tests is to verify that all aircraft systems, powerplant and flight test instrumentation work properly, in order to ensure a safe First Flight, and subsequently an efficient flight test campaign.

The ground tests include static tests and engine run-ups during which the interaction between all systems, the powerplant and the aircraft is controlled and validated.

The correct operation of the telemetry system which will be subsequently used to follow the flights during the development campaign will also be checked during these ground test campaign.

Following satisfactory completion of the static tests, the first taxi runs can start. These begin with low speed taxis (up to 60 kts) and brakings, and are to be followed by high speed trials with a rejected take-off at about 120 kts.

During these trials, the behaviour of all systems, and the turboprop engines, as well as the reaction of the aircraft to braking and lateral control, is thoroughly checked.

After each trial a thorough analysis of the findings as well as the status of the aircraft will determine when the next trial will take place, leading to a first Take-Off before year end.

A400M Begins Ground Tests Prior to First Flight is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons