Robbin Laird, Author at Second Line of Defense

Working the Integrated Fires Mission at Fort Sill

Posted on April 4, 2018 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

04/04/2018

Fort Sill, Oklahoma

The Second Line of Defense team is currently visiting Fort Sill to learn about the evolving approach to the Army’s Air Defense mission.

In February, an article published by Fort Sill highlighted the evolving mission set encompassed by the focus on integrated fires, reflecting the drive to shape a broader offensive-defensive enterprise for an evolving 21st century multi-domain combat force.

In recent weeks, the fields of Fort Sill were peppered with the typical sounds made by counter rocket artillery mortar. However, the unit conducting C-RAM were preparing for an atypical mission.

Soldiers in 2nd Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery are deploying to serve as a total fires integrated package under a field artillery division, 101st Airborne Division, with a field artillery battery attached to them.

“The C-RAM mission is expanding. Our formation was not big enough to encompass all the mission requirements for that. [Forces Command] recently attached a field artillery battery out of Fort Carson to us to make up the difference in what we need,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Schrock, 2-44th ADA commander.

The ADA Soldiers occupied Thompson Hill Range Complex to prepare for Operation Freedom Sentinel and Operation Inherent Resolve. Their augmenting unit, B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery, is currently going through new equipment training here to prepare for the C-RAM mission.

The Soldiers said their ADA/FA combined capabilities will be greater than one branches’ capabilities alone.

“The best defense is always a great offense. When you start doing the show of force — quick counter fire missions getting to that left of launch preventing defense from ever needing to play –it’s a pretty powerful concept,” said Capt. Mary Jocelyn, 2-44th ADA operations assistant.

Prior to their mission rehearsal exercise at Fort Sill, 2-44th ADA tested new sensor and shooter capabilities at Fort Campbell, Ky. There, they proved it was possible to have 101st Abn. Div. cannons firing off of 2-44th ADA’s sensors.

“As we detect [indirect fire] events we can almost simultaneously send over the point of origin data to field artillery through link integration and then they can almost near simultaneously react with a counter-fire mission,” said Jocelyn.

The unit has not only achieved the highest Objective-T rating to prove they are ready for deployment, but they did so with personnel who were not originally the right military occupation specialties to do it.

They took deployable Soldiers in their Headquarters and Headquarters Battery and Maintenance Company and re-trained them to become Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System operators or to Terminal High Altitude Area Defense operators.

“We routinely don’t have all the Soldiers we need to accomplish the mission. I have cooks I have supply sergeants, I have medics, I have all the MOSs in the Army that you can ever imagine manning our guns,” said Schrock. “They went through a series of new equipment training, they went through certifications and they’re as good at it and as effective as my 14 series Soldiers. It’s one team, one fight. And it works.”

Master Sgt. Kevin Peterson, 2-44th ADA operations sergeant major, had experience pulling Soldiers from different MOSs from past deployments.

“We had to figure out how to get a solution before big Army was going to come up with one for us,” said Peterson.

“I had a leader tell me several years ago, competence knows no MOS. And it still holds true to this day. If you take a motivated, intelligent and willing Soldier and give them the proper training and you have the right resources and the right plan going into it, you can really train anyone to do anything.”

The Strike Fear Battalion is not only leading the way on fires integration, but they are also setting the standard for female integration. B Battery was the first ADA unit to have a female C-RAM commander, Capt. Jamia Rowland. Her successor is also female, Capt. Christina Johnston. To add to that legacy of leadership, 1st Lt. Michelle Staude will be in charge of a forward operating base under Johnston’s guidance.

“We have amazing women warriors in our formations,” said Schrock.

Schrock added that in 2-44th ADA there are a higher number of female leaders compared to the rest of the Army.

“That’s not because it’s forced. It’s because they’re the right ones for the job and we’re better off because of it,” said Schrock.

Two-44th ADA is one of only two active-duty C-RAM units. Since their skills are in high demand it means they deploy almost every two years.

“I’ll be at 18 years next month and I’ll have 7 deployments between Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Peterson.

In a letter to the troops, Schrock echoed the numbers when he congratulated the Soldiers for their readiness efforts. He mentioned that since 2003 this will be 2-44th ADA’s eighth deployment.

When asked how they get through such a high operation tempo, Jocelyn said they make the most of their time with their families and they believe in their mission.

“Most people deploy to kill the enemy, but we deploy to protect the friendly forces. We make it so they can go to sleep peacefully at night. That’s the most rewarding part,” said Jocelyn.

FORT SILL , OK, UNITED STATES

02.14.2018

Story by Marie Berberea

Fort Sill Public Affairs

Trump’s Nuclear Posture Review: More Continuity Than Change

Posted on April 4, 2018 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

By Richard Weitz

In think tank meetings and congressional hearings, the Trump administration have explained that its Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) aligns with the general post-Cold War consensus that the United States will possess nuclear weapons that are safe, secure, and usable but never actually used.

It follows all recent U.S. nuclear strategies in seeking tailored and flexible nuclear deterrence options to convince potential adversaries that they will suffer net losses from any aggressive acts. Indeed, this is the very definition of deterrence—making aggression unprofitable.

This stance, combined with the President Putin’s recent announcement of Russia’s acquisition of a new generation of offensive strategic systems, has meant that the NPR has gained broad support in Congress, the national security community, and among U.S. allies.

In diverse statements, Administration representatives have emphasized that they do not intend to lower the nuclear threshold; expand the reasons for using U.S. nuclear weapons; violate existing nuclear arms treaties; resume nuclear explosive weapons testing; or depart from assurances not to use, or threaten to employ, nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states complying with their nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

The unclassified version of the NPR released last month softens some of the rhetoric of the “pre-decisional” NPR draft leaked to the media in January. For example, the final draft tempers the controversial wording regarding U.S. responses to “non-nuclear strategic attacks,” such as massive cyber strikes.

The NPR mirrors the general consensus that countering cyber threats through enhanced defenses and the preemptive reduction of cyber vulnerabilities is easier, less risky, and more credible than threatening nuclear retaliation.

President Trump will continue to support the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV), an Obama-era initiative designed to both limit and highlight the challenges of verifying deep cuts in nuclear weapons stockpiles. The IPNDV aims to persuade other states that eliminating all nuclear weapons immediately, as proposed by the U.N. Treaty to Ban Nuclear Weapons, is impractical.

Despite professing hope for an eventual nuclear-free world, both the Obama and Trump administrations reject the ban treaty as weakening existing nuclear nonproliferation efforts and U.S. extended deterrence guarantees. Under current conditions, these guarantees more reliably limit the incentives of U.S. allies and partners to pursue nuclear weapons.

The Trump team sees recent experiences disprove the idea that reducing the role or number of U.S. nuclear weapons would induce other states to follow a similar path.

Over the past decade, U.S. reduction initiatives have not been reciprocated by Moscow and Beijing. The Trump team has resigned itself to managing a malign international environment in coming years.

The 2018 NPR also makes reasoned arguments, given current conditions and potential future challenges, for not de-alerting more U.S. nuclear forces, requiring congressional authorization for first use of U.S. nuclear weapons, or eliminating one of the three types of U.S. strategic delivery systems, reserve warheads, or all U.S. nuclear bombs in Europe. For decades, Washington has kept some nuclear forces on high alert and eschewed a “no first use” policy that would limit U.S. ability to counter threats to allies.

The Trump NPR prioritizes enhancing the defense of allies, who are referenced more than one hundred times in the text, without expecting additional foreign countries to host U.S. nuclear weapons systems (the proposed supplementary U.S. non-strategic systems are sea-launched).

The administration is also meeting another allied concern—none of the NPR’s proposed changes would violate existing arms control agreements.

The Obama and Trump NPRs are open to formal and informal arms control agreements, multilateral nuclear security projects, and senior-level strategic stability with Russia and China. The Trump NPR would also accept unilateral U.S. restraint to limit mutually destructive “arms race instability” in which one side’s reaction to a threat causes other countries to respond in ways that further decrease the original actor’s security.

For example, the NPR employs such reassuring language regarding Pyongyang. It explains that while the United States will deploy defense and strike capabilities against North Korean missiles, U.S. officials will “also [be] taking steps to preclude an arms race with China or Russia,” for instance by limiting the number and location of these defenses.

Given pre-Trump cost trajectories, the NPR does not propose a major spending increase on U.S. nuclear forces.

The United States is currently spending some three percent of its defense budget on nuclear forces. Under the NPR, that figure would rise to about six percent. A large but likely acceptable sum to the congressional majority given growing security imperatives and the new willingness to break budget priorities.

These funds will be allocated largely toward continuing programs inherited from the Obama administration regarding modernization of the triad of U.S. strategic delivery systems: submarines with ballistic missiles, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles; and bombers carrying air-launched cruise missiles and gravity bombs (both weapons to be modernized). It also funds the long-intended revitalization of the U.S. nuclear weapons infrastructure.

Making the F-35 capable of delivering nuclear as well as conventional bombs also continues previous plans.

The new programs proposed in the NPR are slightly modernized versions of existing or previous U.S. non-strategic delivery systems.

Even if fully implemented, they would provide only a few more low-yield warheads and at least one, possibly up to three, types of quasi-novel delivery systems based on types that the Pentagon had extensively deployed previously.

Importantly, the number of U.S. nuclear weapons would not increase even if all three of these systems were built since the lower-yield weapons would replace higher-yield ones in the U.S. arsenal.

Specifically, the proposed systems include: the near-term deployment of low-yield nuclear warheads on submarine-launched ballistic missiles; the possible longer-term development of a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile; and researching, but not yet deploying, a ground-launched intermediate-range missile.

The administration’s decision to avoid violating any existing arms control treaties through these programs has made the U.S. proposal more acceptable to allies, who want arms control as well as assurance.

Meanwhile, President Putin’s recent hour-long display of Russia’s planned next-generation nuclear forces, based on breakthrough technologies, will likely help overcome domestic opposition to the proposed supplementary U.S. systems.

Editor’s Note: In the photo above, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas A. Shannon, Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan and Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette brief the press on the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, Feb. 2, 2018.

DoD photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kathryn E. Holm

Debut of Republic of Korea’s First F-35A

Posted on April 1, 2018 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

04/01/2018

South Korea is the ninth country to get the F-35.

An article by Nick Zazulia published on March 28, 2018, underscored the South Korean perception of the importance of receiving the aircraft to their defense efforts.

Korean ministers, generals and pilots and American legislators all (sang) the F-35’s praises and noting the difference it will make in Korea’s defense capabilities.

“As I am standing in front of the F-35, I am reassured that no threats will ever jeopardize security on the Korean peninsula,” Choo-suk said.

He was joined in his enthusiasm by Lt. Gen. Seong-yong Lee, the vice chief of staff of the ROKAF.

“I flew across the Pacific filled with hope and excitement, and to actually see the F-35 in person emblazoned with the Korean flag — I’m overwhelmed with immense pride,” he said.

The event was highlighted in a Lockheed Martin press release:

Fort Worth, Texas, March 28, 2018 – Republic of Korea and U.S. government leaders celebrated the public debut or ‘roll out’ of the first Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) F-35A Lightning II at the Lockheed Martin Fort Worth production facility today. The event marks a major F-35 program milestone, strengthening national defense and global partnerships.

“Today is a truly meaningful day as we celebrate the roll-out of ROKAF’s first F-35A, the world’s best fighter jet, which will secure the sovereign airspace of the Republic of Korea,“ the Republic of Korea’s Minister of Defense Song Young-moo said in a previously recorded message.

“The deployment of the F-35 will serve as momentum to enhance the combined operations of the ROK-U.S. Air Forces, and advance ROKAF’s support capabilities for ground operations.”

The ceremony was attended by more than 450 guests, including five members of the Republic of Korea National Assembly Defense Committee, as well as Suh, Choo-suk, vice minister of National Defense; and Lt. Gen. Lee, Seong-yong, vice chief of staff of the ROKAF.

“This is a major step forward for our F-35 Enterprise and our ROKAF partners as we deliver Korea’s first F-35, the first of six F-35 aircraft that will be delivered this year,” said Vice Adm. Mat Winter, F-35 Program Executive Officer.

“The F-35A is a game-changing capability that will enable the South Korean Forces to operate side-by-side with our U.S. Forces in protecting your nation’s homeland. I extend my personal congratulations to the combined government and industry team in achieving this milestone.”

U.S. officials in attendance included Ellen Lord, undersecretary of defense for Acquisition and Sustainment; Heidi Grant, deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs; Vice Adm. Mat Winter, F-35 Program Executive Officer; U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, and U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey.

“We are proud to support the Republic of Korea with the unrivalled 5th Generation F-35,” said Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed Martin chairman, president and CEO.

“We know that it will be a symbol of strength reminding us all that when we partner together, our nations are safer, our people are more secure, and our future is brighter.”

The Republic of Korea’s F-35 program of record calls for 40 F-35A aircraft acquired through the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales program and to be built at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas.

The first aircraft will be delivered to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where ROKAF pilots and maintainers will begin training. F-35s will arrive in country in 2019 to the Republic of Korea’s main operational base at Cheongju.

The F-35 is the most advanced, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world.

The F-35’s ability to collect, analyze and share data is a powerful force multiplier enhancing all airborne, surface and ground-based assets in the battlespace and enabling men and women in uniform to execute their mission and come home safe.

To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 280 F-35s, trained more than 580 pilots and 5,600 maintainers, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 130,000 cumulative flight hours.

Achievement of F-35 Delivery Target for 2017 of 66 Aircraft

Posted on April 1, 2018 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

On Friday, December 15, 2017, Lockheed Martin delivered the 66th F-35 aircraft for the year, meeting the joint government and industry delivery target for 2017.

According to a Lockheed Martin press release dated December 18, 2017, the importance of meeting the delivery number was highlighted.

On Friday, December 15, Lockheed Martin delivered the 66th F-35 aircraft for the year, meeting the joint government and industry delivery target for 2017.

To date, more than 265 F-35 aircraft have been delivered to U.S. and international customers.

More than 530 pilots and nearly 5,000 maintainers have been trained, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 115,000 cumulative flight hours.

“Meeting our 2017 delivery commitment is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our joint government and industry team to deliver the transformational F-35 air system to the warfighter,” said Lockheed Martin Executive Vice President and F-35 Program General Manager Jeff Babione. “The team continues to overcome program challenges and achieving this milestone gives our customers confidence that the F-35 enterprise can deliver on the increasing production quantities year-over-year.”

Sixty-six F-35 deliveries in 2017 represents more than a 40 percent increase from 2016, and the F-35 enterprise is prepared to increase production volume year-over-year to hit full rate of approximately 160 aircraft in 2023.

Production Improvements

As production ramps and additional improvements are implemented, Lockheed Martin’s goal is to reduce the cost of an F-35A to $80 million by 2020. With the incorporation of lessons learned, process efficiencies, production automation, facility and tooling upgrades, supply chain initiatives and more – the F-35 enterprise has already significantly reduced costs and improved efficiency. For example:

The price of an F-35A has come down more than 60 percent from the first contract.
Touch labor has been reduced by about 75 percent over the last five years.
Production span time has decreased by about 20 percent since 2015.

To prepare for an increase in production, Lockheed Martin has hired more than 1,300 employees at its Fort Worth, Texasfacility since January 2017, and expects to hire a total of 1,800 as previously announced.

The F-35 is built by thousands of men and women in America and around the world.

With about 1,400 domestic suppliers in 46 states and Puerto Rico, the program supports more than 170,000 direct and indirect U.S. jobs and delivers $24 billion of economic impact annually.

The program also includes more than 100 international suppliers, creating or sustaining thousands of international jobs.

F-35-C Aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln

Posted on April 1, 2018 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jessica Paulauskas

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) completed fleet carrier qualifications (CQ) for the F-35C Lightning II program, marking another milestone for the new aircraft, while underway March 17-21.

Pilots assigned to the “Rough Raiders” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125 and the “Grim Reapers” of VFA 101 accomplished day and night qualifications with 140 traps in anticipation of F-35C operational testing later this year.

Aboard for part of the CQ was Rear Adm. Dale Horan, director of the U.S. Navy F-35C Fleet Integration Office, who was previously embarked aboard Abraham Lincoln during a nine-and-a-half-month deployment in 2002.

“I have tight ties to Lincoln,” said Horan. “It’s personally interesting for me, but also professionally, it’s really neat to see this aircraft out there with other aircraft; we haven’t done that before. Previously, all the CQ evolutions have just been F-35s.”

The F-35C complements the tactical fighter fleet with a dominant, multirole, next-generation aircraft capable of projecting U.S. power and deterring potential adversaries. The continued integration of the F-35C into the carrier air wing will enable the carrier strike group of the future to be more lethal and survivable in high-end threat environments.

One of the major milestones for this carrier qualification evolution was the operational use of the F-35C’s foldable-wing feature. This feature is a critical component of the integration of F-35Cs with F/A-18C Hornets, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers, facilitating the movement of the different platforms on the flight deck and rehearsing for operating as part of a full air wing aboard the carrier.

“My original platform is the Hornet, which I’ve flown for the past three years,” said Lt. Nick Rezendes, a pilot attached to VFA 101, who qualified on the F-35C during this CQ. “I wanted to switch to flying the Navy’s newest aircraft, and now that I have, I wouldn’t mind sticking with it for the rest of my career.”

Another important piece of this underway period was the continued integration of the F-35’s Autonomic Logistic Information System (ALIS) with Abraham Lincoln. ALIS is a secure, off-board fleet management tool that integrates F-35 mission planning, maintenance, supply chain and sustainment information. Operators were able to plan, maintain, and sustain F-35C systems by transmitting up-to-date data to users and maintainers worldwide.

During Abraham Lincoln’s previous F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) carrier qualifications in December of 2017, an operational squadron accomplished the use of the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) for the first time. The GPS-based, all-weather landing system works to provide accurate and reliable information for carrier landing approach, allowing F-35Cs to land during inclement weather.

“It’s pretty clear that this aircraft is the Navy’s future for strike warfare,” said Horan. “It’s shaping up to be a fantastic aircraft. As with any program, there are always complexities in getting it fielded, but we are working through those. This aircraft is very capable and it’ll be really neat to watch it develop.”

By 2025, the Navy’s aircraft carrier air wings are scheduled to consist of F-35Cs, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers electronic attack aircraft, E-2D Hawkeye battle management and control aircraft, MH-60R/S helicopters and carrier on board delivery logistics aircraft.

March 23, 2018

An F-35C Lightning II assigned to Strike Fighter Squadro (VFA) 101 flies over Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) March 16, 2018, in the Atlantic Ocean. Maintainers from the 33rd Maintenance Squadron supported F-35 maintenance during the embark, helping to qualify VFA-101 for aircraft carrier operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson/Released)

An F-35C Lightning II assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101 parks on the flight deck of the Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) March 16, 2018, in the Atlantic Ocean. Airmen and Sailors from the 33rd Maintenance Squadron's wheel and tire shop, and aerospace ground equipment shop supported maintenance operations aboard the ship during carrier qualifications. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson/Released)

An F-35C Lightning II assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, lands on the Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) March 17, 2018, in the Atlantic Ocean. VFA-101 was aboard the aircraft carrier March 16-22 to complete carrier qualifications for pilots and maintainers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson/Released)

Flight deck crew members assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101 and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) aviation department, stand near an F-35C Lightning II March 17, 2018, in the Atlantic Ocean. During aircraft carrier qualification training, pilots and flight deck personnel executed multiple touch-and-goes and aircraft landings on the flight deck of the ship. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson/Released)

An F-35C Lightning II assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, takes off from the Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) March 17, 2018, in the Atlantic Ocean. VFA-101 and VFA-125 were aboard the ship to qualify pilots, maintenance and flight deck personnel on carrier requirements. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson/Released)

An F-35C Lightning II assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101 is positioned on the bow catapults of the Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) March 17, 2018, in the Atlantic Ocean. Three Airmen and two Sailors from the 33rd Maintenance Squadron supported VFA-101 maintenance personnel during carrier qualifications. (U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson/Released)

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Antonio Rodriguez, Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) aviation boatswain's mate, directs an F-35C Lightning II assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101 March 16, 2018, in the Atlantic Ocean. Four of the Navy's F-35Cs flew onto the ship and executed several days of carrier training for their pilots and maintainers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson/Released)

An F-35C Lightning II assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101 takes off from the Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) March 16, 2018, in the Atlantic Ocean. Airmen and Sailors from the 33rd Maintenance Squadron were aboard the ship to provide maintenance support during the underway. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson/Released)

U.S. Air Force 1st Lieutenant Sean Duval, 33rd Maintenance Squadron maintenance operations officer, right, stands near the bow catapults during flight operations March 19, 2018, on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). Duval participated in a maintenance officer exchange with a member of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101. The exchange gave Duval useful insight into Navy maintenance operations and helped him connect to his families history in the U.S. Navy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson/Released)

U.S. Air Force 1st Lieutenant Sean Duval, 33rd Maintenance Squadron maintenance operations officer, stands in front of an F-35A Lightning II March 19, 2018, on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). Duval took part in a maintenance officer exchange to learn about the differences and similarities between Air Force and Navy F-35 maintenance practices. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson/Released)

U.S. Air Force 1st Lieutenant Sean Duval, 33rd Maintenance Squadron maintenance operations officer, stands near the bow catapults as an F-35C Lightning II assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101 is launched March 19, 2018, on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). Duval plans to use what he learned during his maintenance officer exchange to help improve his unit back at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Thompson/Released)

Australian-Based Firm Varley Delivers Support Capabilities for F-35s

Posted on April 1, 2018 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

During a visit to Australia in March 2018, the Second Line of Defense team visited Williamtown Airbase and the Hunter Valley area.

The Hunter valley area is well known as a significant wine growing area but it also has technology firms which among other things are supporting the standup of the F-35s at Williamtown airbase.

According to an article published in Defence Connect on March 5, 2018., the role of Hunter Valley-based technology company Varley Group was described.

Hunter Valley-based technology company Varley Group has handed over the first two new deployable facilities to support operations of the RAAF’s new F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters.

These two facilities – transportable containers that will be outfitted with F-35 support equipment – are the first of 29 to be manufactured by Varley Group under a $37.5 million three-year contract.

Lockheed Martin Australia will complete a technology fit-out of the two deployable facilities.

One will house ICT equipment used on deployment while the other will provide a space for duty personnel and mission planning.

Lockheed Martin Australia chief executive Vince Di Pietro AM (right) and Jeff Phillips, managing director Varley Group, mark the official handover of the first two F-35 deployable facilities manufactured by Varley Group

Once accepted by the RAAF, these facilities will be deployed to Luke AFB in Arizona where they will be used to support operations and maintenance of the first two RAAF F-35A aircraft planned for delivery to Australia in December 2018.

Lockheed Martin Australia chief executive Vince Di Pietro said completion of the first deployable facilities by Varley Group was a further reinforcement of Lockheed Martin Australia’s critical role in delivering an end-to-end sustainment solution for Australia’s advanced F-35 capability.

“As fifth-generation technology design pioneers, Lockheed Martin is uniquely placed to understand and meet the sustainment requirements of the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft; the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,” he said at the handover ceremony at Varley Group’s Australian headquarters in Tomago on Monday.

“The RAAF’s deployable facilities will play a critical role in supporting operations and maintenance activities for the F-35A aircraft – predictive prognostic and mission support requirements in the realisation of a truly networked and integrated Australian Defence Force.”

Varley Group managing director Jeff Phillips said Varley and Lockheed Martin Australia had delivered on time an Australian build, made from Australian steel by Australian workers in the Hunter.

He said this was an opportunity to export the deployable facilities to the world.

“Without Lockheed Martin Australia’s investment in the Australian defence industry and more importantly in Varley Group, 20 direct Varley jobs, including two apprentices, and another 50 local jobs downstream in the supply chain, would’ve been lost to the Hunter,” Phillips said.

“The Hunter is on the verge of a defence jobs and defence exports boom.”

Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne said these new facilities were critical to enabling F-35s to be operated and maintained while deployed away their home bases.

“Without the deployable facilities, the aircraft’s full capabilities will not be realised,” he said.

“This is another strong example of opportunities in Australia’s expanding defence industry being taken up by companies in Australia’s regional areas.”

Australia is buying 72 F-35 aircraft, with the first two arriving in Australia at the end of the year.

Currently, the first two aircraft are flying in the US as part of the international pilot training pool at Luke USAF base in Arizona.

The new aircraft will be based at RAAF bases at Williamtown, NSW, and Tindal in the Northern Territory.

Holloman Air Force Base Hosted Royal Canadian Air Force for Joint Training

Posted on March 31, 2018 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

03/31/2018

The Royal Canadian Air Force came to Holloman Air Force Base in February for joint training with the USAF.

“Coming down here and having an opportunity to take advantage of the fantastic weather and at the same time train with our partners and experience different forms of aircraft is very beneficial to us,” according to a RCAF participant.

The photos in the slideshow highlight the visit and training of the USAF with the RCAF in February 2018 held at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, NM, UNITED STATES

02.13.2018

Photos by Senior Airman Chase Cannon

Holloman Air Force Base Public Affairs Office

In an article published by Allison Martinez with KRQE news, the RCAF visits was analyzed in a February 8, 2018 article.

Holloman Air Force Base has some very special guests, the Royal Canadian Air Force. They’ve also brought their F-18s.

“The purpose of our visit and deployment down here to Holloman Air Force Base is to conduct unit level force generation training. So for us that means our pilots, our maintainers, and our supply personnel,” said Royal Canadian Air Force Lt. Col Forrest Rock.

The Royal Canadian Air Force arrived at Holloman two weeks ago and since their arrival, they’ve been busy.

“The biggest purpose for them being here is what we call D.A.C.T. or dissimilar air combat tactics. It’s where we are able to take the F-16 and the F-18 and fly against each other in an environment where we normally don’t get to do that,” explained Capt. Joseph Gagnon, 54th fighter group instructor pilot at Holloman Air Force Base.

The two countries believe training together has a lot of benefits, like learning how each country’s aircraft operates is extremely important when they are on joint missions like in Afghanistan.

“We like to be out there and try to see what we need to do differently. Do we speak differently? Do we have different lingo for how we operate? In different TTP’s or tactics techniques and procedures,” Capt. Gagnon said.

The Royal Canadian Air Force will wrap up its training at the end of next week, but they still have a few goals to accomplish.

“From a unit perspective, I think our goals were to fly a certain amount of hours down here and complete a certain amount of training. And today it seems like we’re blowing that out of the water,” said Lt. Col Rock.

They say one of the most rewarding parts has been strengthening ties between the US and Canada.

Captain Joseph Gagnon says he hopes to make this a yearly training exercise.

A Royal Canadian Air Force member directs a CF-18 Hornet to park on the flight line at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., Feb. 13, 2018. The RCAF’s time at Holloman has allowed them to increase flight hours, encouraged interoperability and allowed for invaluable training that is not always possible. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Chase Cannon)

A Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet prepares to park on the flight line at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., Feb. 13, 2018. The RCAF’s time at Holloman has allowed them to increase flight hours, encouraged interoperability and allowed for invaluable training that is not always possible. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Chase Cannon)

Royal Canadian Air Force members direct a CF-18 Hornet on the flight line at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., Feb. 13, 2018. Holloman hosted dissimilar aircraft training and integration with the RCAF from Jan. 22 to Feb. 15, 2018. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Chase Cannon)

Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets park on the flightline at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., Feb. 13, 2018. The RCAF’s time at Holloman has allowed them to increase flight hours, encouraged interoperability and allowed for invaluable training that is not always possible. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Chase Cannon)

Russian Arms Exports to Africa, 2017

Posted on March 31, 2018 | by Robbin Laird | 1 Comment

During 2017 Russia exported some $15 billion worth of weapons around the world.

This included African nations, which received an array of equipment from fighter jets to ballistic missiles – Africa accounted for 13% of Russian arms sales over the last five years.

An article published by our partner defenceWeb on March 14, 2018 looked at the question of Russian arms exports to Africa.

According to Russia’s Kommersant newspaper, and confirmed at a meeting of the Commission for Military-Technical Cooperation with Foreign States on 5 March, Russia in 2017 received orders for $16 billion worth of defence equipment, bringing Russia’s order book to $45 billion. Most equipment went to China, India and Vietnam, which ordered helicopters, engines, and vessels.

A number of African countries took delivery of military hardware from Russia last year, such as long-time customer Algeria. It received the last six of 14 Su-30MKA fighters; six more Mi-28NE attack helicopters (42 were ordered in 2013) and T-90SA tanks (out of an order for 200).

Although not mentioned by the Commission for Military-Technical Cooperation, Algeria has also recently acquired TOS-1 rocket launchers and Buk-M2E surface-to-air missiles and ordered BMPT Terminator tank support vehicles from Russia, while it is expecting delivery of Kilo class submarines.

Algeria’s receipt of four Iskander-E short range ballistic missiles was confirmed. The system has a range of around 300 km with a 480 kg warhead (fragmentation, blast fragmentation or penetration warheads). Each launch vehicle carries two missiles and each missile regiment includes around thirty vehicles (launchers, loaders, command, logistics vehicles etc.). Algeria is the second export customer for the system after Armenia.

Egypt is another important African customer, and in 2017 began receiving the first of 46 MiG-29M/M2 fighters that were ordered in December 2015 – 15 were delivered last year. Egypt also received 19 Ka-52 attack helicopters, out of an order for 46 for the Egyptian Air Force. The country has yet to decide on ordering the navalised Ka-52K for the Egyptian Navy’s Mistral class landing helicopter docks (LHDs).

Although not mentioned by the Commission, Russia last year also began delivering S-300VM missiles to Egypt and AT-9 and AT-16 anti-tank missiles for its Ka-52s. It has expressed interest in T-90 tanks and Buyan class corvettes.

Other deliveries to the continent in 2017 included a single Mi-17V-5 to Kenya (for its police); two Mi-35Ms to Nigeria (out of 12 ordered in September 2015); two Mi-35Ms to Mali (apparently two more are on order for delivery by 2019) and the first of 18 refurbished Su-30Ks to Angola (originally the order was for 12 but another six ex-Indian Air Force examples have been added).

Another contract that was confirmed was for two Pantsyr-S1 (SA-22 Greyhound) air defence systems for Equatorial Guinea. This is armed with twelve 57E6 surface-to-air guided missiles and two 2A38M30-millimetre automatic guns developed from the two-barreled 30mm GSh-30 gun.

Not mentioned by the Commission was an order announced in August last year for two Mi-171Sh armed helicopters for Burkina Faso’s military.

According to Kommersant, Russia expects its 2018 order book to be roughly the same as last year, although possibly a bit lighter due to American sanctions.

“Russia matches high standards and confirms its status of one of the leading providers on the world weapons market,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week. “The scope of our military-technical cooperation keeps growing in geographic terms steadily. The number of partners has already exceeded one hundred countries.”

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia is the second largest arms exporter after the United States, with a 22% share of the market between 2013 and 2017, compared to the US share of 34%. Third on the list is France with a 6.7% share.

Russian exports of major weapons decreased by 7.1% between 2008–12 and 2013–17, SIPRI said. “The fall was largely due to reductions in deliveries to some of its main recipients. Deliveries to Algeria and China, for example, continued throughout 2013–17 but were at lower levels than the previous five-year period. Weapons remain on order from Russia for both countries. In addition, while Russia made significant deliveries to Venezuela in 2013, deliveries dropped to nil for the period 2015–17.

“Russia has fewer arms export destinations than the USA. In 2013–17 Russia delivered major weapons to 47 states and to rebel forces in Ukraine. A total of 58% of Russia’s arms exports went to its top three recipients in 2013–17: India, China and Vietnam accounted for 35, 12 and 10%, respectively. At the regional level, Asia and Oceania accounted for 66% of Russian arms exports in 2013–17, Africa for 13%, the Middle East for 11%, Europe for 6.2% and the Americas for 4.2%,” SIPRI said.

Republished with permission of our partner defenceWeb.