Naval and Defense News

[kevinkins]

Getting more frisky up north:

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-wor ... ar-alaska/

[Blast33]

U.S. Missile Defense Agency says it shot down an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in space for first time using interceptor missile fired from a warship in successful test.

The ICBM target missile launched from test range in Marshall Islands and shot down in space by a U.S. warship at sea in Pacific. Previous ICBM intercept tests were only conducted using ground-based launchers in Alaska and California.
The guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn destroyed the ICBM target in space using a SM-3 Block IIA ballistic missile defense interceptor.
https://twitter.com/LucasFoxNews/status/1328620620100329472
https://twitter.com/SimonHoejbjerg/status/1328624539455156229

Nice video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYb-sm24JUk&feature=emb_logo

[kevinkins]

Unclear if they were simulating a strike on a ship, but I suppose so.

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your ... irst-time/

"months of planning" does not sound very "rapid", but maybe the troops had little to no warning.

[Blast33]

Tankers Likely the First Aircraft to Receive ABMS Upgrades

Nov. 25, 2020 | By Brian W. Everstine
The Air Force’s aerial refueling fleet could be the first platform to adopt new technologies developed under the Advanced Battle Management System effort, integrating pods complete with advanced communications and data links to feed information, along with gas, to combat aircraft as early as next year.

The Air Force is evaluating new technologies, both hardware and software, under ABMS to create an “internet of military things” that will connect sensors and shooters at machine speeds. So far, no actual systems have been purchased, but Department of the Air Force acquisition boss Will Roper said Nov. 24 he could see the service push the new pods out to its KC-135, KC-10, or KC-46 fleets in the near future, revolutionizing the tanker’s role in a fight.

“If we try to do podded solutions to artfully move around legacy hardware, we can move pretty quickly,” Roper told reporters. “I think that’s something we can do within a year …. I think the tech has that level of maturity. Certainly within 18 months, I think we could have these platforms as true battle nodes.”

So far, the Air Force has tested satellite communication pods on KC-135s and used a KC-46 for tactical command and control. Roper said he envisions a tanker collecting data and intelligence about the battlefield, and passing it along to a fighter while it is receiving fuel, a capability that could be important in a high-end fight.

“I do like the idea of topping up on data while you’re topping up on gas. It makes a lot of sense to me, especially if that fighter or Next Generation Air Dominance platform is coming out of the fight, if it has had comms denied there,” Roper said. “And of course we’re working hard to make sure that’s not the case, but if it has, then coming out and getting the latest data might be something it needs to do completely separate from needing to get gas. That may be an important [concept of operations].”

While the goal of ABMS is to better connect all platforms, tankers “might get to the goal line first,” though Roper would not specify which of the service’s three refuelers is the leading candidate. Air Mobility Command has proven to be “one of the most forward leaning commands that we have” in joint all-domain command and control thinking and putting its tankers to the forefront. Recent upgrades to the tanker fleet have increased their capability in providing data, with the KC-135 receiving Link 16 datalinks as part of the Real Time Information in the Cockpit upgrade. The KC-46 has this capability from the factory, along with other improved communication and defensive systems.

The Air Force announced Nov. 24 it has designated its Rapid Capabilities Office to be the program executive for ABMS, signaling that the effort is moving beyond tests and experiments toward actual acquisitions.
https://www.airforcemag.com/tankers-likely-the-first-aircraft-to-receive-abms-upgrades/#.X8S22YNODZo.twitter

[SunlitZelkova]

ORIGINAL: Blast33

Tankers Likely the First Aircraft to Receive ABMS Upgrades

I suppose this is passively implemented in the game already, as if a lone tanker spots a contact visually the necessary parameters to launch ASCMs are instantly available to say, a submerged submarine nearby.

However, I don't know whether aircraft that have had comms disabled can still refuel from aircraft from their side or not. So perhaps "reverse contact updates" similar to how the player receives updated contact information when a unit without comms returns to its base, might be something to request in the future.

[Rob322]

https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press ... e-richard/

Not surprised but still ... damn

[kevinkins]

https://defence-blog.com/news/army/japa ... lands.html

[Blast33]

Chief, have you seen my go-pro?

Torpedo launch POV

Videolink here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjoholiW1ho&feature=emb_logo

A clip from a new documentary about life aboard a Dutch submarine shows the point of view of a practice torpedo as it's launched from the torpedo tube of a sub, including the torpedo surfacing for reuse:

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
One of the least visible aspects of naval warfare is the launch of a torpedo from a submarine. The nature of submarine warfare means nobody ever sees the torpedo tube mechanism and the torpedo ejected from its tube. After loading the torpedo and ordering the launch.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a34838669/watch-submarine-launch-torpedo-from-torpedo-pov/

[kevinkins]

Not really news but an interesting read:

https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/node/7634

[BrianinMinnie]

Just wondering will and how would the new Northrop Grumman's latest iteration of the long-running AN/SLQ-32 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP), AN/SLQ-32(V)7 SEWIP Block III be implemented into CMO?

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/3 ... emailshare

Would it just be part of the Jammer database and then just do its stuff behind the scenes like all other jammers?

What about the offensive aspects of the suite, how is\can\would this be implemented?

Thanks

[kevinkins]

While interesting geopolitically, this might serve as a premise for a scenario idea:

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ ... -caribbean

[p1t1o]

ORIGINAL: Blast33

Iran has established at one SSM base a rail for quick reloading:
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/3 ... ound-bases

I'll just leave this screenshot from Planet of the Apes here...

[Blast33]

[:D][:D][&o]

[Blast33]

Not a PowerPoint slide but a real runway independent unmanned attritable wingman flying with 2 fifth generation fighters.

The effort included a USMC F-35B and the USAF F-22 Raptor and F-35A Lightning II flying with an attritableONE XQ58A Valkyrie.

“The real win of the day was seeing gatewayONE establish a secure two-way translational data path across multiple platforms and multiple domains."
https://twitter.com/MIL_STD/status/1338658476512464896

[kevinkins]

Not sure what to make of this report. Sounds game changing; but is it in the hands of commercial clients?

https://futurism.com/new-satellite-buildings-day-night

[Hongjian]

YJ-83 AShM upgraded with secondary infrared seeker.

[Blast33]

(CNN)The US Navy nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine USS Georgia transited the Strait of Hormuz Monday accompanied by two additional American warships, the Navy said Monday in a rare public announcement of a nuclear submarine's movements.

"The nuclear-power Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia (SSGN 729), along with the guided-missile cruisers USS Port Royal (CG 73) and USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), transited the Strait of Hormuz entering the Arabian Gulf, Dec. 21," the Navy said in a statement using an alternative name for the Persian Gulf.

The vessels' entrance into the area comes amid heightened tensions with Iran, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blaming Iranian backed militias for a rocket attack on the US Embassy compound in Baghdad, on Sunday.
Some US officials have expressed concern that Iran may use the anniversary of the killing of General Qasem Solemani to carry out a strike on the US.
The US Navy rarely discusses the movement of its submarines, but Monday's announcement also included details on the vessel's capabilities, including its "ability to carry up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles."

Eight rockets were fired into Baghdad's International Zone on Sunday, causing damage to buildings and cars in a residential area near the US Embassy. The US Embassy compound suffered slight damage, but no embassy personnel were injured. The Iraqi military said one Iraqi soldier was injured when a rocket landed near a security checkpoint.
"The United States strongly condemns the latest attack by Iran-backed militias on the International Zone in Baghdad," Pompeo said in a Sunday statement. "We wish those hurt a speedy recovery."
Iranian Foreign Minister spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, strongly condemned Pompeo's statement, saying Iran's embassy is also located in the International Zone.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/21/politics/us-nuclear-sub-hormuz/index.html

[Blast33]

Army taps industry for Gray Eagle payloads for joint ops against high-end threats

The Army wants its Joint All Domain Operations (JADO) Gray Eagles to have synthetic aperture radars, moving target indicators, electronic intelligence and communications intelligence capability as well as air-launched effects and radar warning receivers, according to a new market survey.

Now, the Army wants help from industry with those payloads for its Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft systems. Specifically, the service is looking for systems that are capable of helping with joint operations across all warfighting domains against high-end threats from adversaries such as China and Russia, according to a solicitation published Dec. 2 to a government contracting website.

The service’s Aerial Enhanced Radar, Optics and Sensors (AEROS) product manager wants industry to “identify potential existing sources capable of providing Aerial Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (AISR) payloads for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System platform that meet the JADO environment,” the solicitation posted to Beta.Sam.Gov states.

These Gray Eagles payloads must be capable of increased ranges and resolutions “to support target location and Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF) without the use of traditional line of site visual equipment to include Electro Optical, Infrared (EO/IR) and Full Motion Video (FMV) required for today’s Counter Insurgency (COIN) mission,” the request for information stresses.

Traditional COIN payloads won’t hold up against peer and near-peer adversaries, the Army noted, as they will “employ anti-access, area denial strategies, posing a significant challenge to the current AISR fleet,” the solicitation states.

Gray Eagles must survive against an “Integrated Air Defense System (IADS)-rich environment,” the request notes. This means the Gray Eagle would fly “racetrack patterns tangential to the IADS threat at 80 km distance” and would be capable of deploying Air-Launched Effects (ALE) forward into enemy territory to detect, identify and locate targets and take out or disrupt threats, according to the request.

The Gray Eagle would also have payloads that could detect IADS threats, locate them and transfer the information to other sensor systems capable of recognizing targets and coordinating long-range fires, the solicitation describes.

The Army is conducting the survey ahead of a Gray Eagle sensor payload JADO demonstration that could potentially take place in fiscal 2022 where systems will be “quantitatively compared” to find the highest performing and best value payloads based on technology readiness and production cost, the request lays out.

The solicitation for more advanced payloads for Gray Eagle comes at a time when the Army is trying to design a complex architecture of helicopters and unmanned aircraft systems that would be part of tight-knit kill chain to include space and ground assets underpinned by an advanced network.

The Army experimented with the kill chain to include air assets at Project Convergence at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, over the summer. The effort brings together future weapons and capabilities envisioned for a 2030s battlefield against near-peer adversaries such as Russia and China. It includes using a machine learning and artificial intelligence-enabled battle management system that is in development.
Gray Eagle represented a Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) surrogate.

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/12/02/army-taps-industry-for-gray-eagle-payloads-for-joint-ops-against-high-end-threats/

[kevinkins]

Interesting little video on a tactic I have been fooling with over the past few months. In Command, it's not as easy as depicted.

https://defence-blog.com/news/army/lock ... ystem.html

Yet today there is a slight fly in the ointment.

https://www.defensenews.com/congress/20 ... velopment/

[Blast33]

South Korea has dispatched a guided missile destroyer Choe Yeong (DDH-981) towards the Strait of Hormuz. The move comes after Iran said it had seized the South Korean tanker Hankuk Chemi for 'polluting'. Wang Geon was patrolling in the Gulf of Aden.
https://twitter.com/hdevreij/status/1346111852124794880

South Korea demands release of oil tanker seized by Iran: foreign ministry.
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1346094046431817728