Robbin Laird, Author at Second Line of Defense

Evolving Maritime Unmanned Surface Vehicle Capabilities: The Importance of Exercises and Real-World Tasking

Posted on March 8, 2021 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

03/08/2021

By Robbin Laird

The pathway for the U.S. Navy to integrate unmanned surface vessels into its fleet operations is for these vehicles to be able to effectively and efficiently support real-world tasks that fit into maritime concepts of operations, rather than being disruptive technology to mission operations and undercutting combat capability.

A key path to do so is for industry to work with the maritime forces in order to demonstrate their performance, and in the process also evolve their platforms and tailor them to more effectively deliver desired combat capability.

In my first interview with Jack Rowley, the Chief Technology Officer and Senior Naval Architect and Ocean Engineer with Maritime Tactical Systems (MARTAC), we discussed how the U.S. Navy was addressing the challenge of operating maritime autonomous systems.

We discussed the key importance of getting USVs into the workflow in order to shape a way ahead for maritime remotes to operate within a combat force.

Maritime unmanned systems are simply that until they fit into the mission and warfare workflow and become a key part of the evolving concepts of operations of the fleet.

In Rowley’s view, the U.S. Navy has the opportunity to do so now.

According to Rowley: “The Navy has, in the past year, shown excellent initiative on the need for both USVs and UUVs within the Maritime Environment.

“To the point that they have set up a UUVRON-1 in Keyport, WA and the SURFDEVRON-1 in San Diego to start using them with fleet assets, not only in scheduled exercises, but to also begin looking at using them to visualize what they can do as a key player with manned fleet units.”

In other words, the U.S. Navy is moving closer to the opportunity to incorporate unmanned maritime surface vessels as part of its modular task force approach to operating the force as a kill web.

And these USVs can be fitted to do a variety of mission tasks going forward.

In this interview, we focused on the interaction between exercises with the users and how MARTAC is shaping the kind of capability which industry can then offer to the end user.

Or put in other words, exercises drive development; development provides new capabilities which then can be inserted into a new exercise regime, taking the U.S. Navy closer to being able to acquire the kind of operational capability which will fit into the fighting force, rather than disrupting it.

As Rowley described the process, the various exercises MARTAC has engaged in since he came to the company in 2015, have led to the shaping of a scalable fleet of ships ranging in size from a six foot to a fifty-foot USV, which allows the operation of a variety of payloads, with high performance speed and extended range of operation for the fleet of maritime autonomous systems.

In Rowley’s view, the exercises they have involved in have been part of the process whereby the U.S. Navy is looking more seriously at what, and how, USVs can contribute to the fleet.

ISR-Focused Exercises

The first exercise we discussed was the S2ME2 ANTX Exercise held by the USMC at Camp Pendleton in California in September 2016.

At this exercise, there was a focus on the potential operational impact of using USVs for an amphibious ship-to-shore mission. MARTAC brought an eight-foot version of its MANTAS USV to perform two missions: (1) Sail into the Del Mar Boat Basin and from that location relay video to the amphibious force command center and (2) just outside of the immediate surf zone, the T8 scanned and provided ISR data on an obstacle location, beach gradient, water conditions and a visual of the shoreline. In other words, the T-8 performed an ISR mission to support the assault force.

Effectively, the function of the 8-footer was to go in and survey the beach prior to an assault.

As Rowley highlighted: “It was strictly a nightime ISR mission. The T8 sailed in autonomously, looked around, got some video and then brought it back out again without being detected.”

The next exercise we discussed was one with which I have gone to in the past, namely, Bold Alligator.

This BA exercise was BA-17 held in October 2017. They operated from Camp Lejeune and the task was again an ISR tasking. Rowley highlighted the USV mission in this exercise as follows: “Camp Lejeune was to be basically a long range USV environment with a reconnaissance mission to go up the inter-coastal waterway and be able to scan both sides of the waterway looking for anything that’s out of the ordinary. Also, there was an additional ISR task to look at the bottom of the waterway with a small sonar for detection of any anomalies.”

The operators at Naval Station, Norfolk, Va., controlled a T6 (6-foot MANTAS) and a T12 (12-foot MANTAS) USV. They operated the vehicles in the inter-coastal waterway at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, using and EO/IR camera to stream live, hi-res video and sonar images to the command center. In addition, the craft also operating offshore and used a single beam sonar to perform bottom imaging to determine landing craft hazards and examination of shoreline defense structures.

Both of these exercises supported ISR missions for an amphibious assault force.

The focus was upon expanding the scope of ISR that could be available to the command element either prior to the assault or following the assault. They used 6-foot, 8-foot and 12-foot variants of the modular MANTAS configuration.

Scalability was being demonstrated as well as payload flexibility in terms of what each of the different sized USVs could be integrated with during the exercise. In other words, what was demonstrated was that a common operating system on these three different sizes of USVs with variant payloads could deliver a desired combat capability.

The Bold Alligator Exercise highlighted the importance of an exercise for evolving capabilities as well.

As Rowley put it: “The exercise underscored the shortfall of the smaller sensors that could be placed onboard the 6-foot variant. The T6 only had a small omnidirectional camera on itresulting in its inability to see the shore very well in its constant motion scenario. Whereas the 12-footer had a SeaFLIR 230 high-resolution gyro-stabilized EO/IR camera

“Another aspect highlighted during the exercise is the key significance of reliability for USVs. Reliability and functional performance are required for any success for USVs because, unlike a Navy ship that’s manned or a small boat that’s manned, if something goes wrong, sailors can be sent to repair it. On the USV, if something goes wrong you better be able to bring it home because you can’t fix it during its operation at sea.”

Rowley underscored the importance of the scalability and modularity aspect of a USV.

“It is important to be able to change out the sensors without having to build a new boat. USVs have generally been built to support a particular mission and both the boat and payload are designed and built as a “single solution” to a mission.

“Our focus is different. We want to deliver mission flexibility into a scalable fleet so that the operational and logistics support capabilities mean that you can carry our USVs on a larger vessel and have a wide variety of modifiable payload options for the use of that USV during the complete operational cycle of the larger naval vessel operating within a variable task force concept of operations.”

Logistical Support Exercises

We next discussed a very different type of exercise, one which highlights a key area where USVs can play a key role in supporting maritime logistics support.

Valiant Shield 2018 was held at Guam. It was a major Navy-Marine Corps exercise, and at that exercise, one focus was upon how USVs could help conduct a combat resupply mission.

The INDOPACOM Joint Exercise was conducted on the Marianas Island Range complex in Guam. MARTAC provided two MANTAS T12 craft deployed from the MSC ship, USNS Curtiss (T-AVB4) to support rapid ship-to-short logistics sustainment via USVs. The T-12 provided proof of concept of the ability to provide resupply via a USV from ship to shore.

The size of the T12 limited the payload to only 120 pounds of cargo, but the proof of concept has paved the way for MARTAC to develop and test a new ”Expeditionary Class” T38 (38ft) USV to perform this combat resupply mission by carrying up to 4500 pounds in a single load. The potential impact of such a capability is significant for this logistics mission.

According to Rowley, the T38 in its anticipated mission profile could, with a four USV craft fleet be able to deliver a buildup of over 400,000 pounds of material in a single day, and to do so by using an all-maritime autonomous force.

This figure is based on two assumptions: a four craft fleet of T38s supporting an amphibious ship stand off at 20 nautical miles. The USV craft would travel at a cruise speed of 25kts to the beach with a full load of 18,000 pounds per sortie. Return speed to the MSC ship, without load would be at 70kts. In this manner, the four-craft USV fleet could deliver 18,000 pounds of material to the beach each hour.

The T38 can fit into a standard 11-meter rib slot on an MSC or Naval ship. For example, there would only need to be minor modifications on the Curtiss to be able to hold six to eight of the T38s, thereby providing this very necessary ship to shore logistics support capability.

The advantages of such a capability are clear.

And Rowley underscored just how significant such a capability could be in terms of work flow as well. “Using either the T38 or T50, one can move material with one or two supervisory controllers on the mother ship. This frees up significant manpower to do other tasks on either the support ships or ashore.”

Another key advantage is that such a logistics support mission using a USV which can fit into a standard 11-meter RIB means it can operate across the fleet to provide a connectivity mission set. In effect, one can use Ships-of-Opportunity to provide the linkage function rather than a specialized support ship.

As Rowley highlighted: “It doesn’t have to be a MSC ship that’s fully opted in for the MSC purpose and that’s controlled by the government. It can be any type of a cargo ship that has cranes. Such a ship can be configured to be able to handle multiple unmanned surface vessels so they can get the equipment in the theater. And then be able to launch it and send material to shore.”

In other words, one can enhance significantly the distributed logistics function to a maritime distributed fleet.

Counter-Mine Exercise

The final exercise we discussed was Trident Warrior 2020 which was held in San Diego and which I briefly attended prior to visiting the Navy Air Boss.

I described that exercise in some detail in an earlier article, but the focus of this effort was to use the T38 which is now part of the new MARTAC “Expeditionary Class – DEVIL RAY” to work with Teledyne Brown engineering to deliver a new payload, namely, a counter-mine payload. What was demonstrated was that the craft is one which is very flexible in terms of payloads which it can carry.

The payload in this case was a high-speed multi-sensor, single-sortie detect-to-engage mine-counter-mine capability. The graphic below, summarizes what was demonstrated in Trident Warrior 2020.

Through these exercises, not only are the maritime services learning what USVs can do, but also, industry is getting closer to having operational capabilities to support the fleet.

With the next major exercise coming up in April in which MARTAC will participate, Rowley estimates that the craft they are bringing will be close to being 90% fully operational.

Through routine exercise, test, and then redesign/rework, the craft continue to learn from each exercise and the Navy gets closer to having operational USVs that support operations rather than disrupting them.

That’s what true disruptive technology is all about – supporting a more lethal and survivable force, rather than making it more vulnerable.

Always remember the lessons from how useful having radar in the force was at Pearl Harbor on December 7 or December 8^th (dependent on what side of the time line you were on) 1941.

The featured photo: T12 at sea operating from the MSC ship delivering cargo to the port in Guam during Valiant Shield

For an e-book version of a background paper for this interview, see the following:

The ITS Cavour on the U.S. East Coast

Posted on March 7, 2021 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

03/07/2021

The Italian aircraft carrier the ITS Cavour is operating off of the Virginia Coast in order to integrate with the F-35Bs which it will operate for the next several years.

The coming of the ITS Cavour is an interesting case study in terms of Italian policies, USMC-US Navy integration, the reshaping of North Atlantic defense and a host of other issues.

We will deal with the ITS Cavour as a case study in a separate piece.

What we will highlight here are the stories released by the U.S. Navy to date with the coming of the ITS Cavour first to Norfolk and then operating off of the waters of the East Coast.

We learned from a January 27, 2021, photo release that the ITS F-35B team was already at Pax River to prepare for the arrival of their ship coming the next month to Norfolk.

Test Pilot Marine Maj. Dylan “Bilbo” Nicholas, with the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron TWO THREE (VX-23), conducts day-into-night training in an F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant aircraft from the F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (ITF) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., Wednesday, Jan. 27.

These workup testing and training flights are integral to preparing pilots for the ITF test team’s detachment to the Italian Navy aircraft carrier Cavour scheduled between February and March.

During carrier-based flight test, also known as sea trials, ITF members with the engineering and test pilot expertise and experience will gather data that will verify compatibility between the 5th generation fighter aircraft and the Italian naval fleet’s flagship.

This information will contribute to certifying the ship for the Italian Navy’s operation of its own F-35Bs, adding a key weapon system to the carrier and increasing its expeditionary capability.

In a February 13, 2021 story we learn that the ITS Cavour arrived at Naval Station Norfolk.

While in the Western Atlantic, Cavour will be embarked by an F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) test team to conduct sea trials, a series of tests and functional activities to create a safe flight operating envelope for the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the 5th generation aircraft aboard the recently upgraded ship.

This carrier-based flight test and other actions with U.S. 2nd Fleet ships and aircraft improve interoperability and strengthen the relationship between two NATO Allies.

“Operating in the Western Atlantic with our NATO allies presents a mutually beneficial opportunity to enhance both of our Navies’ capabilities,” said Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, Commander of U.S. 2nd Fleet. “Supporting our Italian allies in certification of their aircraft carrier increases our collective experience in safety and combat abilities. We are stronger together.”

While crossing the Atlantic from Italy, ITS Cavour was met by the Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) and conducted a three-day interoperability exercise with support from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 and Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing (CPRW) 11. Specific events included integrated ship maneuvering, low-slow-flyer detect-to-engage, anti-surface warfare serials with P-8 participation, air defense/air intercept control event with F/A-18 participation, and C5I interoperability events in the Western Atlantic 10-12 Feb.

In a February 21, 2021 story, we learn that the F-35 team working with ITS Cavour will be able to test the logistics enterprise.

A container marked “PAX Flight Deck Gear CAVOUR DET 2021,” tri-wall boxes for the work centers, shipping containers with massive aircraft air & power units, engine trailers, and other aircraft support equipment (SE) were craned aboard, forklifted through the hangar, and positioned aboard Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour moored here over the last week of February.

The Italian navy flagship arrived here Feb. 13, 2021 as part of the Italian navy’s Ready for Operations (RFO) campaign to certify the recently upgraded ship’s compatibility with F-35 Lighting II aircraft and prepare to operate the 5th generation fighter as its key weapons system.

Before the arrival of the specially instrumented U.S. test jets that will be used to develop and expand a flight envelope, the special tools, parts (those required plus those possibly needed), and support equipment must be aboard and in its place. This undertaking is all in a (couple of) days’ work for F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (PAX ITF) logistics lead and his team, as well as the many who support the mission.

That effort comprises ensuring that “part of PAX” gets aboard the ship before two F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) test jets ferry from the southern Maryland naval air station to the aircraft carrier after it sets sail, said the PAX ITF logistics team supervisor.

“I love the challenge,” said F-35 PAX ITF logistics supervisor Pat DeLeon, in between a worker asking how to get a pair of leather gloves and another querying where to find the wire cutters. A day earlier he was driving a forklift on the flight deck, and tomorrow, … well, he’ll be wherever he’s needed.

For the moment, in the relative quiet before “Lightning II strikes,” there is a hum of languages, foreign and familiar, in the hangar. A look around makes it clear this is a coalition mission: “For Entry Contact … ” and “NO SMOKING” on containers and boxes are backdropped by the ship’s “In Caso Di Necessita’” and In Questo Locale Vietato Fumare signage. This is a partnership, one Pat says has gone well so far.

“(The Cavour ship’s company) have been bending over backwards to help,” DeLeon says. “They’ve been great,” about some adjustments to the load plan, he said. Flexibility is a necessary characteristic of the relationship, he added, because there will be changes until the ship sets sail.

“’When we work together, it’s going to get better,’” DeLeon said his counterpart told him. “If we keep them happy, we’re happy.”

Mission achieved: The Cavour “hangar boss” is well pleased.

“At first glance, seeing so many people and so much material to get on this ship seemed an arduous and complex undertaking,” said Italian Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Silvio Cusano. “As the days went by and everyone collaborated, what seemed extremely complicated has materialized into an organizational success that made everyone aware of being able to overcome the most difficult obstacles.

“We are looking to the final goal with more confidence.”

DeLeon, a seasoned logistics supervisor who has detached to two U.S. ships, twice to the United Kingdom’s HMS Queen Elizabeth, and numerous land-based sites, praised his team of four currently embarked, which includes a night-shift supervisor and three material handlers, as well as the many organizations and teams behind what’s happening in the berthed ship.

“Without my team at PAX, none of this happens,” DeLeon said. “There’s no way I can do this by myself.” He said he coordinates with a lot of people to get this done: the PAX team, Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth transportation, Norfolk Naval Station’s crane operators, and [ALGS] for aircraft parts.

The logistics team is part of a more robust embarked PAX ITF flight test team of almost 200 people. They will conduct sea trials for up to four weeks to collect data that will ultimately lead to the certification for Cavour’s company to safely conduct carrier operations with Italy’s own F-35Bs.

In a March 1, 2021 story, we learn that the F-35Bs began sea trials aboard the ITS Cavour.

Two F-35B Lighting II jets landed aboard Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) this afternoon. Test pilots flew the specially instrumented U.S. F-35Bs from Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NAS Pax River), Maryland, to the Italian Navy flagship, which got underway Sunday, February 28. The F-35B is the short take-off and vertical landing variant of the F-35.

The pilots and aircraft join a test team of approximately 180 personnel from the NAS Pax River-based F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) embarked for up to four weeks of sea trials.

“Our team has trained extensively to prepare for this day, and I was honored to land one of the first two jets aboard Cavour,” said F-35B test pilot U.S. Marine Maj. Brad Leeman, the ITF test team project officer.

Maj. Leeman and two other pilots attached to the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23) at NAS Pax River, will fly the ITF jets during the flight test.

“The ITF plays a key role in the ship achieving carrier qualification in the near future,” Leeman said. “All of our hard work planning and training will ensure a successful sea trial and ultimately lead to Italy achieving the milestone of initial operating capability.”

Today’s milestone, or pietra miliare, was the landing of the F-35Bs aboard Cavour.

“It is a remarkable achievement for all of us, today, to see the fifth-generation fighter aircraft on our flight deck,” said ITS Cavour Commanding Officer Italian Navy Capt. Giancarlo Ciappina. “This represents, indeed, an outstanding success but, at the same time, a new challenge for the future of Italian Naval Aviation.”

“Each and every officer and the whole crew are very proud to work closely with the F-35 Joint Program Office test team during these sea trials, and we are very well prepared to do the hard work to equip ITS Cavour and the Italian Navy with the Joint Strike Fighter’s fifth-generation air combat capability,” Ciappina said.

With the pilots and jets on board, the test team will now collect data that will ultimately lead to the ship’s officers’ and crew’s ability to safely conduct carrier operations with Italy’s own F-35s.

“We are excited to be underway with the crew of Cavour and honored to contribute to the aircraft carrier achieving the Italian Navy’s strategic goal of it being ‘Ready for Operations,’” said Andrew Maack, F-35 Pax River ITF chief test engineer and site director. Maack is embarked with the team, whose members have the engineering and test pilot expertise and experience to conduct F-35B envelope expansion flight test. “We look forward to a phenomenally successful shipboard detachment,” he said.

In a March 3, 2021 photo release, we learn that the Marines are using the ski jump onboard the Cavour to launch their aircraft.

F-35 test pilot U.S. Marine Maj. Brad Leeman performs a ski-jump launch aboard Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550).

Leeman is performing carrier qualifications on the Italian navy flagship, which is currently conducting sea trials with the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

In addition to the U.S. Navy stories, the Italians have released information as well.

“With her departure on the morning of February 28th from the base of the US Navy’s Second Fleet in Norfolk, the aircraft carrier ITS Cavour began the “hot” phase of the “Ready for Operations” campaign. The first landing of an F-35B aircraft on the deck of the Italian Navy’s aircraft carrier Cavour represents an important milestone in the integration phase with the fifth generation aircraft.

The purpose of the Sea Trials, which will continue in the Atlantic Ocean for a further four weeks, is to achieve the certification of the operational envelope of Cavour’s flight deck. Following this, it will be time to verify the impact of the fifth generation aircraft on the ship in various conditions of wind and sea when taking off and landing in order to achieve the “Ready for Operation” certification.”

After demonstrating safe launch and recovery of the aircraft, ITS Cavour will be declared ‘Ready for Operations’, which will allow her to start tests with the F-35B that will lead to the achievement of the Initial Operational Capability by 2024.

“The completion of the “Sea Trials” phase of sea trials, which will last in the Atlantic Ocean for about four weeks, will allow the flagship of the Naval Team to test the flight deck and verify the impacts with the fifth-generation aircraft in key take-off and landing moments in different trim conditions and in relation to various factors such as winds and the state of the sea, to arrive at the final certification of “Ready for Operations”.

According to Cavour Aircraft Carrier Commander, Captain Giancarlo Ciappina: “It is a remarkable achievement for all of us today to see the US Marine’s fifth generation fighter on our flight deck. This represents, in fact, an exceptional success but, at the same time, a new challenge for the future of the Italian Naval Aviation and the Navy. The whole crew is very proud to work closely with the ITF, the team of testing the F-35 Joint Program Office during these sea trials, and we are very well prepared to do the hard work to equip the Cavour aircraft carrier and the Navy with the fifth generation Joint Strike Fighter weapon system”.

During the stop in Norfolk before the sea trials, the 580 crew members of the aircraft carrier were joined by the Italian personnel trained in the Marine base in Beaufort to operate on the aircraft, as well as the US personnel of the Integrated Test Force (ITF) team, essential in the integration phase.

“Our team trained extensively to prepare for this day, and I was honored to land the first jet aboard ship Cavour. The ITF plays a key role in achieving certification. All of our hard planning and training work will ensure the success of the sea trials,” said Leeman. After verifying the compatibility between the F-35B and the Cavour aircraft carrier, it will be declared “Ready for Operations”, to start the activities that will lead to the achievement, by 2024, of the “Initial Operational Capability” (IOC). The process will be complete with the acquisition of the “Final Operational Capability” after the delivery of the last aircraft provided for in the programme.

Italian Navy flagship, the aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550), arrives at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Feb 13. The Cavour's visit is part of a series of operations alongside U.S. military assets to attain the Italian Navy's "Ready for Operations" certification to safely land and launch F-35B aircraft. (U.S. Navy photo by Capt. Cassidy Norman)

Marine Corps Maj. Brad “HJOP” Leeman, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, holds an Italian flag while flying one of two F-35B’s from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland to the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550), March 1, 2021. Leeman and Royal Navy Lt. Cmdr. Barry “Baz” Pilkington, VX-23, conducted the fly-on of the two F-35B variants used by the F-35 Pax River Integrated Test Force and Italian Navy personnel for the F-35B Sea Trials aboard the carrier. Flight test of the F‐35B Lightning II aboard ITS Cavour is a key milestone toward Italy’s carrier qualifications with its own F‐35Bs, and ultimately achieving Italy’s strategic goal of being Ready for Operations.

Marine Corps Maj. Brad “HJOP” Leeman, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, conducts a vertical landing in an F-35B aboard the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour. The landing marked the first time that an F-35 has landed aboard the carrier. Leeman and Royal Navy Lt. Cmdr. Barry “Baz” Pilkington, VX-23, conducted the fly-on of the two F-35B variants from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland to the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) March 1, 2021. The aircraft will be used by the F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) and Italian Navy personnel for the F-35B Sea Trials aboard the carrier.

Royal Navy Lt. Cmdr. Barry “Baz” Pilkington hovers in an F-35B alongside the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) as he prepares to cross over and vertically land aboard the carrier on March 1, 2021 following the successful landing by Marine Corps Maj. Brad “HJOP” Leeman. The vertical landings conducted by the two Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 pilots mark the first landing of an F-35 aboard ITS Cavour (CVH 550). The F-35 Pax River Integrated Test Force is underway in the Atlantic to conduct F-35B Sea Trials aboard ITS Cavour over a multi-week testing period.

Royal Navy Lt. Cmdr. Barry “Baz” Pilkington, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, flies in an F-35B over the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) following the successful first landing of fellow test pilot Marine Corps Maj. Brad “HJOP” Leeman, VX-23, on March 1, 2021. Two F-35B test aircraft from the F-35 Pax River Integrated Test Force are being used by the F-35 test team and Italian Navy personnel for the F-35B Sea Trials aboard the carrier; a key milestone toward Italy’s carrier qualifications with its own F‐35Bs.

Test pilots from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, Marine Corps Maj. Brad “HJOP” Leeman and Royal Navy Lt. Cmdr. Barry “Baz” Pilkington, fly two F-35B variants from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland on March 1 to the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) off the US coast. The vertical landings conducted by the two pilots marked the first landing of an F-35 aboard ITS Cavour. Italian Navy personnel and the F-35 Pax River Integrated Test Force test team are underway in the Atlantic to conduct F-35B sea trials aboard ITS Cavour over a multi-week testing period. The sea trials are a key milestone toward Italy’s carrier qualifications with its own F‐35Bs.

WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 3, 2021) F-35 test pilot U.S. Marine Maj. Brad Leeman performs a ski-jump launch aboard Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550). Leeman is performing carrier qualifications on the Italian navy flagship, which is currently conducting sea trials with the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft. U.S. Navy photo by Darin Russell

WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 3, 2021) F-35 test pilot U.S. Marine Maj. Brad Leeman performs a vertical landing (VL) aboard Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550). Leeman is performing carrier qualifications on the Italian navy flagship, which is currently conducting sea trials with the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft. U.S. Navy photo by Darin Russell

CMV-22B and On-Board Delivery: A Sec Def, an Engine, and Ship-to-Ship Logs Options

Posted on March 7, 2021 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

The CMV-22B is replacing the C-2 as the carrier on-board delivery system for the large deck carriers.

But that is no all of which can be subsumed under the new concept of on-board delivery.

First, the Secretary of Defense visited the USS Nimitz on February 25, 2021 via CMV-22B “delivery,”

This is seen in the featured photo.

Second, there is a core reason the CMV-22B is replacing the C-2, and that is because it can deliver the largest module of the F-35 engine, a new and important capability for the carrier fleet, which, is of course, already operating from allied and USMC fleets.

That on-board delivery first occurred at sea on February 11, 2021.

As reported by the U.S. Navy on February 26, 2021:

The “Titans” of Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30 and members of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 successfully delivered an F-35C power module aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the U. S. Navy’s first, at-sea replenishment for this component.

This success follows a November 2020 milestone, during which VRM-30, CVW-2 and Vinson conducted the Navy’s first landings, take-offs, and refueling of a Navy CMV-22B Osprey from an aircraft carrier.

The at-sea power module replenishment evolution consisted of loading, transporting and unloading the F135 power module from a shore-based location to the carrier by way of a CMV-22B. The power module is an engine component used by all three F-35 Lightning II variants.

The CMV-22B is the U.S. Navy version of the V-22 Osprey, a multi-engine, dual-piloted, self-deployable, medium lift, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) tilt-rotor aircraft. The CMV-22B can transport cargo and passengers as far as 1,150 nautical miles; provides enhanced survivability and beyond-line-of-sight communications; and has the required cargo capacity and fast cargo loading/unloading. Coupled with its ability to transport the F-35 power module inside its cargo bay, CMV-22B is the ideal choice to provide required carrier on-board delivery capabilities for F-35C operations at sea. The delivery marks a milestone in the integration of CMV-22B to the Carrier Air Wing, validates the F135 modular maintenance concept at sea, and most importantly supports future carrier air wing deployments with next-generation platforms.

“The CMV-22B is a great addition to the carrier air wing,” said Capt. Matt Thrasher, commander, CVW-2. “The Osprey is a robust logistical platform that not only supports the F-35C but also gives the entire air wing increased range and transport capacity. Its addition to our team ensures that CVW-2 remains ready to perform as-advertised while on deployment.”

CVW-2 is currently embarked aboard Vinson under the command of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1.

CVW-2 is leading the charge in introducing and integrating the next generation of aircraft and capabilities in the Fleet as the U.S. Navy’s first Carrier Air Wing to deploy with the F-35C Lightning II, E-2D Hawkeye and the CMV-22B Osprey. The Navy’s next iteration of the Carrier Air Wing will be more lethal and survivable through the integration of organic fourth-generation kinematics and fifth-generation information and survivability, increased command and control and airborne electronic attack capacity, all sustained with a reliable logistical support platform.

(Feb. 11, 2021) Sailors with the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 load an F-35C Lightning II engine module onto a CMV-22B Osprey with the “Titans” Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30 on the flight deck of Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Vinson is currently underway conducting routine maritime operations.

“With the addition of the newest fifth-generation aircraft, the Navy has delivered the world’s most capable, lethal and ready air wing to our strike group,” said Rear Adm. Timothy J. Kott, commander, CSG-1. “Delivering the right balance of presence and power, including airpower supremacy, strike groups continue to be one of our nation’s primary on-call assets in times of need. By maintaining a lethal, ready strike group, manned by the world’s most skilled Sailors and outfitted with the best equipment, fifth generation aircraft will help America maintain our advantage at sea and protect our nation for years to come.”

Capable of embarking both the F-35C and the CMV-22B, Vinson is the first aircraft carrier equipped to support fifth-generation aircraft. With its recent modifications, no other weapons system has the responsiveness, endurance, multi-dimensional might, inherent battlespace awareness or command and control capabilities of the Vinson and CVW-2.

Upgrades included enhanced jet blast deflectors able to take the increased heat generated by the F-35C and the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), the new computer network that supports the unique maintenance and tactical operations functions of the advanced aircraft.

“Our crews and staffs have done a fantastic job during integrated operations with the new aircraft and associated upgrades,” said Capt. P. Scott Miller, Vinson’s commanding officer. “We are truly a team. The successful replenishment of the power module is another testament to that team and our Sailors, who are the most dedicated, best trained and well educated in the world. The continued professionalism and warfighter spirit they demonstrate each and every day is the number one key to our success time and time again.”

Vinson is currently completing a series of “work ups” and certifications in preparation for future operational tasking.

Third, the CMV-22B is coming to the large deck carrier at a time when the U.S. Navy is reworking blue water maneuver operations.

In such operations, logistics resupply is crucial.

And as the Military Sealift Command works through how to do so with limited ship numbers, clearly the CMV-22B can play a role in ship-to-ship resupply as demonstrated in the “Blackjacks” testing landings on LPD-class landings last year.

According to a U.S. Navy article published on October 16, 2020:

A team of pilots and engineers from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21 recently joined colleagues from other Navy and Marine Corps commands to conduct MV-22 Osprey landing and ship compatibility tests aboard the amphibious transport dock USS New York (LPD 21). The testing also included the first shipboard landings for the Navy’s new CMV-22B Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) variant of the Osprey.

Over the course of the 10-day detachment in July, the test team flew 180 shipboard approaches and landings, totaling just under 45 hours of flight testing, to develop a better understanding of how pilots can successfully avoid the effects of a phenomenon called “recirculation” when flying to and from ships. Recirculation occurs when the downwash from the aircraft’s rotors is reflected off a ship’s deck back into the rotors’ rotation arc, causing the aircraft to suddenly lose lift.

The team performed low-power-margin testing, and developed procedures for day and night approaches that would minimize the effects of recirculation. The outcome of this testing was to identify better control limits for the aircraft, and develop guidance and procedures that will improve safety for the MV-22 fleet. The testing clearly demonstrated the value of developmental testing.

“We hit 100% of the high priority test points,” said Marine Corps Maj. Nathaniel Ross, HX-21’s operations officer. “And even with a whole lot of smart people working on our test plan to help us understand the interactions between the ship and the aircraft, when we actually got out to the ship and began flying the test points, we still found things (Issues) that we weren’t necessarily looking for, or expecting to find. But, we were able to adjust our test plan quickly, to account for them, which allowed us to make recommendations to the class desk for envelope adjustments.”

Teamwork was crucial to the success of the mission, Ross said. Most of the people on the test team, which numbered 50 pilots and engineers at its peak, had served together on a previous detachment, so they had already learned to work together. The test program involved members of Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMX) 1 based at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 464 based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, Jacksonville, N.C., and Expeditionary Strike Group 2 based in Norfolk, Va.

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Lorenzo Moreno, assigned to the transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21), signals to a CMV-22B Osprey attached to the Blackjacks of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21 on the New York’s flight deck on July 18, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo)

Ross identified the leadership and crew of the New York for particular praise. “From the captain all the way down to the people pulling the chocks and chains, everyone understood the importance of this test and how the lessons learned from it will save lives,” Ross said. “The whole crew understood and embraced that. It was pretty amazing to watch.”

During the detachment HX-21’s CMV-22B COD aircraft made two delivery trips to the New York, ferrying maintainers and their supplies. Normally a test team and their equipment would be loaded aboard a ship pierside; but because the New York was underway at the outset, everything for the tests had to be flown to and from the ship.

“The CMV-22B is a great choice for that mission,” said Navy Lt. Gavin Kurey, a test pilot and project officer at HX-21 who flew the first of the two COD trips to the New York with the squadron’s then-commanding officer, Lt. Col. John Ennis, and crew chief Brian Neseth. “As we were planning the test detachment on-load missions, we realized that the Navy aircraft was going to be a viable resource for helping our team to accomplish its goals. And the aircraft just plugged right into its intended role perfectly.”

Kurey said that although the ferry flight was strictly business, everyone on board was aware that they were making history. “The crew was certainly excited, and so were all the passengers, who knew that they were the first people to be ferried out to a ship at sea in the new COD Osprey,” Kurey recalled. “Everyone was buzzing with positive energy the whole flight and the crew of the New York was excited that their ship was going to be the first to have a Navy Osprey land on it.”

The CMV-22B is designed to carry up to 6,000 pounds of cargo and/or personnel and operate up to a range of 1,150 nautical miles. The aircraft will replace the venerable C-2A Greyhound, which has been fulfilling the COD role since 1966.

Ross said that in addition to providing valuable data to engineers and designers about the performance envelope of the Osprey family of tilt-rotor aircraft when operating aboard LPD-class ships, the detachment also provided valuable lessons in teamwork for the squadron that will benefit future test activities. “Everyone was at the right place at the right time to make the mission a success, and that was due to the professionalism of everyone involved,” Ross said.

Nicknamed the “Blackjacks,” HX-21 provides developmental flight test and evaluation of rotary-wing and tilt-rotor aircraft and their associated airborne systems in support of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps training, combat, and combat support missions. The squadron can trace its roots at NAS Patuxent River back to 1949, when the then-Naval Air Test Center first established a rotary-wing test division. Today, HX-21 teams are engaged in testing six families of aircraft, including the CH-53K King Stallion, the MV-22 and CMV-22B Osprey, and the Presidential helicopter fleet.

Dassault and the Future Combat Air System: March 2021 Update

Posted on March 7, 2021 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

By Pierre Tran

Paris – Dassault Aviation has agreed to accepting a third of work share on the planned future combat system and its next-generation fighter jet, but there is dissent on working without a prime contractor on key systems such as flight control, executive chairman Eric Trappier said March 5.

There is need to resolve differences over the planned work packages as contracts need to be signed for phase 1B and 2 of the FCAS, a project seen as critical for French ambitions to maintain a military capability spurred by European sovereignty.

There is difficulty in accepting there would be joint work packages — without a prime contractor — on “sensitive, strategic” systems such as flight control, he said in a virtual news conference on the company’s 2020 financial results.

“If there is no prime, it is not possible,” he said. “It cannot work. A leader is needed.”

Airbus agreed that Dassault should have a prime contractor role in those key work packages, and it is up to the three partner nations to agree, he said.

“We are still in talks,” he said.

France is the lead nation on the FCAS, with Germany and Spain as partner nations. Dassault will be prime contractor on the new fighter, which is due to replace the Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon jets in 2040.

Work packages on the FCAS and the fighter will be shared out in thirds, as there are three partner nations, he said. Airbus is the lead company in Germany and Spain, so that company will get two thirds of the work packages, leaving one third for Dassault.

“That is the first difficulty, but it is a difficulty that Dassault has accepted,” he said.

Then there is the principle of joint work packages, proposed by Airbus, in which the partner companies work together and there is not a lead company, he said. About half the work packages are on that joint principle, with the other half shared out in a “fair way,” he said.

Dassault has also agreed to that, he said. It is the lack of a prime on the strategic systems which has placed a spanner in the contract works.

Agreement on the work packages is needed to allow contracts to be signed for the phase 1B and 2, needed for a fighter jet technology demonstrator to fly in 2026.

Getting the work packages right is seen as key, as they could set out the industrial structure of a European arms program estimated to be worth €100 billion ($120 billion).

An agreement could be reached, he said, but a company chief needed to have a plan B in case plan A failed, while working hard to get plan A.

What price cooperation?

What price for the three nations if the program were pursued just for the sake of cooperation, Trappier said. France has the industrial capability with Dassault, Safran, Thales and MBDA to build and arm its own fighter.

President Emmanuel Macron and the outgoing German president, Angela Merkel, launched in 2017 the project for a European fighter jet. That fighter is part of the FCAS, which includes a communications network dubbed combat cloud, and remote carrier or drones.

On intellectual property rights, Dassault had no problem with sharing its future technology with Airbus on the FCAS, he said. Dassault would not pursue a US-style sealed black box approach on its work, as that was technology in the “foreground.”

But the “background” knowledge of Dassault’s more than 70 years of aeronautics would not be handed over, he said.

There would not an IPR problem as governments could look inside the black box on the European project, he said. The problem was the governments recognizing Dassault’s claim for prime contractor status in some of the work packages.

On exports of the fighter, there may be “a difference in perception” in France and Germany, but there would not be a governmental problem as there is an extension of the Debré-Schmidt agreement on foreign arms sales, he said, with Spain joining the partnership.

France and Germany signed a cooperation treaty on Jan. 22 last year, which included an arms export agreement, allowing either country to veto a prospective deal if its national content exceeded 20 percent of value. That pact extended the Debré-Schmidt agreement reached in the 1970s.

Asked about the outlook for sale of the Rafale to Switzerland, Finland, India and Croatia, Trappier said talks were going on and he had prospects of a deal this year.

Dassault reported a 51 percent fall in 2020 adjusted net profit to €396 million from €814 million in the previous year, on sales down to €5.5 billion from €7.3 billion. That drop in sales was expected, due to lower deliveries of the Rafale and the Falcon business jet, the company said. The outlook was for delivery of 25 Rafale and 25 Falcon this year, with a rise in net sales.

The adjusted net profit margin fell to 7.2 percent of sales from 11.1 percent.

Orders fell to €3.5 billion from €5.7 billion, while cash holdings fell to €3.4 billion from €4.6 billion.

Featured Photo: Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. Credit: Dassault Aviation

First Brexit: Now the Exeter “Bombing”

Posted on March 5, 2021 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

03/05/2021

By Kenneth Maxwell

Exeter was among the beautiful English cites chosen for attack on Hitler’s orders in retaliation for the RAF bombing of the mediaeval city of Lubeck in March 1942. The German aim was to target small English historic cities and damage historical buildings and cultural sites in revenge and to spread fear. They were called the “Baedeke Raids” after a popular German guide book to Britain. The targets had no particular strategic or military value.

The cathedral city of Exeter in the country of Devon in the southwest of England was a prime target in this Luftwaffe German blitz. On the night of 23/24 April 1942, 49 German bombers attacked Exeter, and on the 24/25 April, two waves of 20 bombers, most flying two sorties at night, attacked again.

The Germans returned on May 3/4 when 30 Luftwaffe bombers in 46 minutes dropped 166 high explosive bombs, 3 parachute mines, and 5000 incendiary bombs, and devastated 30 acres of the center of Exeter. The Cathedral was hit by a high explosive bomb, and the city library with its thousands of historical documents, was destroyed. 54 tons of bombs were dropped on Exeter. A fire storm resulted and over 156 citizens were killed and 583 seriously injured.

Late last month construction workers clearing private land adjacent to the campus of the University of Exeter uncovered a huge German WW2 bomb. It was German SC 1000 unexploded “Spregbombe” or “Hermann bomb” (as it was known during WW ll.) It was 2.55m in length and 1,000 kg in weight.

The local authorities called in Royal Navy and Army bomb disposal teams and they established a cordon and brought in 400 tons of sand to create an enclosing “box” around the unexploded bomb. 1400 University of Exeter students were evacuated from 12 halls of residence, as well as 2,600 households in the immediate area.

A “controlled” explosion was then detonated on Saturday (27th of February).

I know the area well. It is on my bus route into Exeter. Miraculously, the two houses where my ancestors lived when they were mayors of Exeter during the reign of Queen Elizabeth l survived the 1942 Blitz. They still stand on the Main Street near Exeter’s medieval Guild Hall, where they once presided over the city’s business, and which also miraculously survived the 1942 German Blitz.

The “controlled” explosion on February 27th, 2021, however, has severely damaged many houses in the vicinity. The local residents (and the students) have still not been allowed to return to their homes or residence halls. Many buildings suffered severe structural damage from the impact of the explosion and several huge piece of metal landed on roofs and in gardens.

The evacuees have been told to contact their insurance agents for compensation. Good luck with that. They would be better off contacting the (legacy) German authorities for compensation for the damages caused by their long lost and (until recently unexploded) 1942 monster “Hermann” bomb, which was also after all, an unwelcome “Baedeker” gift to the City of Exeter.

Exeter City Center after the German blitz in 1942.

The remaining facades of 25-36 Southernhay in Exeter after the blitz in 1942,

The bomb itself before detonation.

The area of the bomb blast.

Looking towards Exeter cathedral with signs for the stores destroyed in the Exeter blitz.

Towards Exeter cathedral after the blitz.

The two houses of Professor Maxwell's ancestors who were mayors of Exeter during the reign of Elizabeth l.

An Update on the Future Combat Air System: March 2021

Posted on March 5, 2021 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

By Pierre Tran

Paris – Thales will have a major role in the upcoming phase 1B in development of a technology demonstrator for the European future combat air system, including work on sensors and the combat cloud network, executive chairman Patrice Caine said March 4.

“We are one of the big partners in this initiative,” he said at a virtual press conference on the company’s 2020 financial results. “We are very much involved in at least two pillars – the sensors pillar and the pillar for the system of systems – or combat cloud.”

France has designated Thales as the “national champion” for studies on sensors and combat cloud, so much of the French spending in these two areas will flow to the electronics company, he said, declining to give any figures.

There are seven areas of work, dubbed pillars, on research and technology on the FCAS demonstrator, namely: a next-generation fighter; engine; remote carrier, or drone; command and communications network, or combat cloud; simulation; sensors; and stealth.

The Direction Générale de l’Armement signed a contract with Indra, with the Spanish company leading a three-nation consortium on the phase 1 study on sensors, Thales said in a Nov. 23 joint statement with its industrial partners.

Thales is the French partner in that consortium, along with the German FCMS group, comprising Diehl Defence, ESG, Hensoldt, and Rohde and Schwarz.

That phase 1A concept study for sensors ran for 12 months, with a possible extension of six more months, the statement said. The French procurement office signed on behalf of France, Germany and Spain.

The companies will work on the design of concepts for “a connected and distributed architecture of sensors,” including design of future sensor architectures and maturing of associated sensor technologies, the statement said.

Airbus, working out of Germany, is the lead company on study of the combat cloud, with Thales and Indra as partner companies.

The partner nations and companies are due to move on to phase 1B of the R&T work, perceived to be vital to building a demonstrator to fly in 2025/26.

France and Germany are each expected to pledge respectively some €1 billion ($1.2 billion) for phase 1B, with Spain due to commit a similar amount, a defense analyst said. Such a commitment has raised doubt on whether Madrid would be able to find funds to join a project for a European unmanned aerial vehicle.

There has been much public debate on contracts for work in phase 1B, with Dassault Aviation reported to be seeking to protect intellectual property rights on work on the next-generation fighter, while Airbus seeks full access to sensitive information.

A Jan. 2 research note from the SWP German Institute for International and Security Affairs pointed up the need to resolve the issue of IPR.

“A crucial question that arises at this point concerns the protection of emerging or existing intellectual property: to what extent should companies disclose their processes and know-how, to what extent will technical specifications be made available to the other partners later?

Resolving dispute over IPR is seen as vital for progress on the FCAS project and has an impact on other issues, said the note, titled Future Combat Air System: Too Big to Fail.

A related issue was whether maintenance and repairs would be reserved to the lead manufacturer, or would there be access to documents which allowed the armed forces to service the kit, backed up by industrial partners?

“If only the manufacturer can and is permitted to carry out certain parts of the maintenance, this might also affect operational readiness,” the note said.

A Feb. 16 research note from the Institut des Relations Internationales et Stratégique, a think tank, said a compromise was needed to allow a signing of the phase 1B agreement, as not a single European nation could afford such a complex program on its own.

“A destructive competition between our companies would lead to the loss of our industrial capability in military aeronautics,” the note said, adding that the stakes at risk on FCAS were not just European but of worldwide importance.

Climate Change Versus Defense: The Swedish Case

Posted on March 4, 2021 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

03/04/2021

Although the militaries of the industrial West certainly are interested in and in some cases actively pursuing new forms of energy sources to operate their forces, clearly defense needs to operate with fossil fuels for the foreseeable future.

But a EURACTIV story highlights a warning from the Swedish military that Sweden’s climate change goals may actually undercut their ability to defend Sweden.

“Sweden’s ambitious plans to stop using fossil fuels may endanger and limit the military’s ability to carry out its tasks, while biofuels will fail to power most vehicles and could also be unsuitable for Scandinavia’s cold surroundings, the country’s military has warned the government.

“War remains an unlikely scenario, but the military may be needed when natural disasters or other crisis situations occur.

“Moreover, Sweden’s Armed Forces have pointed out that the country may hinder itself with its climate targets and have called for a military exemption to be considered, reported Sweden’s financial newspaper Dagens Indudstri and Russia’s Sputnik News.”

And one might point out that the Nordic defense reset is underway because one can not assume war notably war the way the Russians play it is unlikely.

Being an energy rich country, Russia can fuel an ambitious military enabled foreign and security policy.

Certainly, no Russian military officer is shooting off a memo to Putin with a similar message tot that of the Swedish military.

France and the Sale of Rafale to Egypt: Sans Meteor

Posted on March 3, 2021 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

03/03/2021

By Pierre Tran

Paris – France withheld the sale of the Meteor long-range, air-to-air missile to Egypt in response to a request from Israel, an arms specialist said.

That French decision to forego an order for the Meteor missile differed from an initial withholding of the Scalp cruise missile to Egypt, with the latter due to the US declining to authorize American components under the international traffic in arms regulations (ITAR).

France appears to have since delivered the cruise missile to Egypt.

A French arms sale in the foreign market requires approval from an interministerial committee, the commission interministérielle pour l’étude des exportations de matériels de guerre (CIEEMG). Any deal calls for a green light from the foreign ministry on the Quai d’Orsay.

Some arms exports can be seen as going too far, such as sales to Saudi Arabia and the war in Yemen, a foreign policy analyst said. The Quai d’Orsay may take a different track from the defense ministry on the interministerial committee.

Israel has a strong arms market, with the US as privileged partner and a commitment for Israel to maintain a qualitative military edge over Middle East nations.

An Egyptian Rafale fighter, armed with a Meteor missile, designed to hit targets beyond visual range, would “destabilize completely the forces,” a second arms specialist said. Israel would say no to that.

Israel, which is flying the F-35 fighter jet, developed its Derby air-to-air missile in response to an initial US rejection of a sale of the advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM), the second specialist said. There was eventually a policy switch, with Washington agreeing to allow sales of the AMRAAM for the Israeli F-35.

An Israeli opposition to Egyptian Rafales armed with the Meteor showed concern over the European long-range weapon, the second specialist said. There were moments when a stealth fighter lost its stealthy qualities, but a long-range missile remained long range.

On the sale of the French cruise missile to Egypt, an official Egyptian video appeared to show Cairo had received the Scalp, dubbed Black Shaheen.

The official video shows Egyptian and French Rafale fighters flying in the French Skyros exercise, with the Egyptian air force chief of staff, general Mohammed Abbas Helmy, standing in front of a Scalp missile in a hanger.

The French armed forces minister, Florence Parly, has previously said the US components on the Scalp would be replaced.

Egypt had requested the Meteor and Scalp missiles as part of a 2015 order worth €5.2 billion ($6.3 billion) for 24 Rafale fighter jets, with an option for 12 more units.

France has sold relatively little in the way of weapons to Israel, with the 2020 government report to parliament on arms export showing €208.3 million of sales from 2010 to 2019.

The political ties in the Middle East have shifted, with the US, Israel and the United Arab Emirates signing up for cooperation under the Abraham Accords, an agreement that reflects a common concern over a perceived threat from Iran.

Among the commercial deals are Dubai Ports World and Israel Shipyards signing up as partners, reportedly to jointly buy Haifa port from Israel, and sailing ships from Dubai through the Red Sea to Eilat. That would bypass the Suez Canal, viewed as costly, and gain for Dubai alternative maritime access to the Mediterranean.

Egypt controls the Suez Canal and would see a loss of income.

The French air force flew from Jan. 20 to Feb. 5 Rafale fighters and A400M transport aircraft on the Skyros mission, deploying to India, the UAE, Egypt and Greece. Force projection, interoperability and cooperation were the aims of the exercise.