Lockheed, Sikorsky Debut Armed Black Hawk in Poland

When Sikorsky was owned by United Technologies Corporation, “there was a policy when part of [UTC] that prevented Sikorsky from internally arming a Black Hawk,” Villa said. “That has since gone away.”

Lockheed Martin bought Sikorsky from UTC last year.

And while Sikorsky could not arm Black Hawks, Lockheed Martin has, for example, done integration work to weaponize Sea Hawks, the US Navy’s version of the helicopter.

Now that Sikorsky and Lockheed are one in the same, each company brings experience that will move the dial toward a more seamless process to arm Black Hawks.

“Now we can be a one-stop shop,” Villa added.

Sikorsky and Lockheed are working together on several versions of an armed Black Hawk. The Black Hawk on display in Poland is just one possible configuration designed by the team, according to Villa.

Villa emphasized the configurations are weapons agnostic and in the case of Poland, it was likely armed with NATO standard weapons like Lockheed's Hellfire missile. “It’s supposed to be a representation of what can be done. To even get into what’s on it right now is immaterial. That we can do it is what is being highlighted,” he added.

The display in Poland marks the first time Sikorsky and Lockheed have debuted an armed Black Hawk concept. The same helicopter will make another European cameo at the Farnborough Air Show in England next month.

Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin see a promising market for armed Black Hawks in the region. “The entire region right now is in need of helicopters because of the aging Russian fleet,” Villa said. “The majority of these former Warsaw Pact countries fly Mi-24s, which is, essentially, an armed small utility aircraft so the countries in the region are looking to fill that gap that is being opened up.”

Additionally, there are countries that may want a utility aircraft and an armed aircraft but, don’t have the budget to buy two exclusive platforms for a utility and attack helicopter. Sikorsky sees an armed Black Hawk as a good solution to meet those requirements within smaller budgets.

Robots Moving Robots: Lockheed Martin Conducts First Fully Autonomous Mission

Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) unmanned ground vehicle, K-MAX unmanned helicopter and Gyrocam optical sensor.

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], in collaboration with the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), successfully conducted a fully autonomous resupply, reconnaissance, surveillance and target-acquisition demonstration using its

 

During the “Extending the Reach of the Warfighter through Robotics” capability assessment at Fort Benning, Georgia, K-MAX delivered SMSS by sling load to conduct an autonomous resupply mission scenario for soldiers defending a village. At mission completion, SMSS proceeded to an observation point where it raised its Gyrocam sensor and began scanning the area for enemy forces. In an actual mission, upon observation of enemy forces, the remote operator would notify the commander on the ground, who would assess the threat and determine the appropriate method of neutralizing it.

 

“Fully autonomous capabilities as we’ve just demonstrated will allow service members to focus on important missions and remain out of harm’s way,” said Scott Greene, vice president of Ground Vehicles for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This successful demonstration with both unmanned air and ground vehicles shows us that these missions are not only possible, but can be available much sooner than you would expect.”

 

“The synergistic use of unmanned air and ground vehicles will give warfighters a larger operational reach, and allow execution of missions that are currently performed at great risk to the warfighter,” said Dr. Paul Rogers, TARDEC director.

 

In 2011, K-MAX became the first unmanned aircraft system to deliver cargo in-theater for the U.S. Marine Corps. As troops were frequent targets of improvised explosive devices and insurgent attacks, K-MAX answered the call to reduce the number of truck resupply convoys and their troop escorts to protect Soldiers on the ground.

 

Manufactured by Kaman Aerospace Corporation and outfitted with its mission package of systems and sensors, the heavy-lifting K-MAX unmanned system is a transformational technology that can lift 6,000 pounds of cargo at sea level. Capable of flying delivery missions day and night, K-MAX can reach remote locations without risking a life.

 

“This demonstration signifies another use for robots and this brings us closer to the pinnacle of how we use unmanned systems,” said Dan Spoor, vice president of Aviation and Unmanned Systems at Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems and Training business. “There is significant potential for these types of systems for humanitarian aid, the civilian oil and gas industry, firefighting and for other military applications.”

 

During the test, the Gyrocam 9-inch, mid-wave surveillance sensor provided constant video surveillance during each phase of the mission, including while in flight. The elevated system scanned for threats and provided geo-location coordinates of hostile personnel for indirect-fire missions.

 

Both SMSS and K-MAX were equipped with mobile Satellite Communications (SATCOM) systems as well as local line-of-sight communications systems.  A remote operations center equipped with SATCOM controlled and monitored the vehicles’ activities throughout the demonstration.

 

ABOUT LOCKHEED MARTIN
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 113,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

 

ABOUT TARDEC
Headquartered at the U.S. Army - Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan, TARDEC is the Nation’s laboratory for advanced military automotive technology and serves as the Ground Systems Integrator for all Department of Defense (DOD) manned and unmanned ground vehicle systems. With roots dating back to the World War II era, TARDEC is a full life-cycle, systems engineering support provider-of-first-choice for all DOD ground combat and combat support weapons, equipment and vehicle systems. TARDEC develops and integrates the right technology solutions to improve Current Force effectiveness and provides superior capabilities for Future Force integration. TARDEC’s technical, scientific and engineering staff lead cutting-edge research and development in Ground Systems Survivability; Power and Mobility; Ground Vehicle Robotics; Force Projection; and Vehicle Electronics and Architecture. TARDEC is a major research, development and engineering center for Research, Development and Engineering Command and an enterprise partner in the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command.

US THAAD could take down Chinese missiles from SK

Intercepting potential Chinese missile attacks over the East China Sea is one of the capabilities the US would gain if it successfully deploys its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System to South Korea, according to the party mouthpiece Global Times.

The defense system, also known as THAAD, is an air missile designed by Lockheed Martin as part of the US Theater Missile Defense system in the Asia-Pacific Region. With the help of the AN/TPY-2 X-band radar, the THAAD is able to detect and intercept ballistic missiles launched more than 1,000km away. Its range would extend over the East China Sea and could be used to intercept missiles from China. 

Last year, the United States tried to convince South Korea to join the Theater Missile Defense system through allowing the deployment of the X-band radar to the island of Baengnyeongdo, which sits on the border between the North and South Korea. 

The idea was turned down by South Korea's defense minister Kim Kwan-jin over concerns that the deployment would irritate Beijing and lead it to believe that the country was trying to contain China in an alliance with Japan and the US, according to the Seoul Shinmun.

The range of the air defense system fars exceeds North Korean territory, leading professor Kim Hung-gyu from Seoul's Sungshin Womens University to believe the US is trying to provoke South Korea into conflict with Beijing. This would make South Korea a pawn in a US-Japan crusade against China, according to Kim.

Proposed Rules Provide Peek at Lockheed's Cargo Airship

The proposed criteria have been developed by Lockheed's Skunk Works because the only existing requirements for airship certification, the FAA's Airship Design Criteria (ADC) dating back to 1987, is "inadequate for an aircraft with the size and advanced features of the LMZ1M", the FAA says. The proposed "Hybrid Certification Criteria (HCC) for Transport Category Hybrid Airships" developed by Lockheed is dated January 2013.

ACE announced in 2011 it planned three variants of the hybrid aircraft, called the SkyTug, "ranging in size from 20 tons to several hundred tons." At that time the first aircraft was planned for delivery in 2012. According to the FAA's notice, Lockheed submitted an application for type certification of the LMZ1M "manned cargo-lifting hybrid airship" in March 2012. The notice says: 

"The tri-lobed airship envelope has 1,285,000 cubic foot displacement incorporating four thrusters to allow thrust vectoring. Thrust vectoring and control surface motions are controlled through a vehicle management system using electronic fly-by-wire controls. Rather than conventional landing gear, the LMZ1M uses an air cushion landing system (ACLS) for landing and ground operations. The LMZ1M is a manned cargo-lifting hybrid airship with a gondola accommodating eight passengers and two crewmembers and a large cargo bay, and external load capabilities."

Given the size and weight of the LMZ1M, the FAA says,  "the level of safety should be commensurate with other transport category aircraft". As a result, the certification criteria proposed by is based the existing ADC, Transport Airship Requirements (TAR) developed the Germany and the Netherlands (for the defunct Cargolifter airship) and dated March 2000, and Part 29 airworthiness standards for transport-category rotorcraft. The LMZ1M would be based on, but far larger than, the experimental P-791 (below) flown by Lockheed in 2006.

Lockheed Martin Delivers Third SBIRS HEO Satellite Payload To U.S. Air Force

Lockheed Martin has delivered the third of four highly elliptical earth orbit (HEO) satellite payloads contracted by the U.S. Air Force as part of the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS).

The SBIRS program delivers timely, reliable and accurate missile warning and infrared surveillance information to the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, combatant commanders, the intelligence community and other key decision makers. The system enhances global missile launch detection capability, supports the nation's ballistic missile defense system, expands the country’s technical intelligence gathering capacity and bolsters situational awareness for warfighters on the battlefield. 

The SBIRS architecture includes a resilient mix of satellites in geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO), hosted payloads in HEO orbit, and ground hardware and software.  The integrat­ed system supports multiple missions simultaneously, while provid­ing robust performance with global, persistent coverage.  

 “With this successful delivery of HEO 3, our full attention is now on completing HEO 4 and GEOs 3 and 4.  We remain focused on delivering unprecedented infrared surveillance capabilities to our warfighters,” said Jeff Smith, vice president of Lockheed Martin's Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) mission area.

Lockheed Martin’s SBIRS contracts include four HEO payloads, four GEO satellites, and ground assets to receive, process, and disseminate the infrared mission data.  The first two HEO payloads were delivered in 2004 and 2005 and have provided mission performance surpassing specifications. Prior to its delivery, the HEO 3 payload successfully completed rigorous environmental and functional testing to demonstrate performance in family with HEOs 1 and 2.  

“This is the third SBIRS HEO payload delivery and the first from the SBIRS Follow On Production Program (SFP),” said Steve Toner, vice president of Northrop Grumman’s Military and Civil Space business unit. “Its sensor will enhance the high quality of information being provided to our warfighters by the SBIRS constellation.”

On May 17, Air Force Space Command declared GEO 1 operational and recommended Integrated Tactical Warning and Attack Assessment (ITW/AA) certification of the asset to USSTRATCOM.  On March 19, the Air Force’s second SBIRS GEO satellite (GEO 2) was successfully launched and has been delivering outstanding infrared data as part of on-orbit testing.   Earlier that month Lockheed Martin received contracts to procure long-lead items for GEOs 5 and 6.  

The SBIRS team is led by the Infrared Space Systems Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Lockheed Martin is the SBIRS prime contractor, Northrop Grumman is the payload integrator. Air Force Space Command operates the SBIRS system.

Lockheed Martin-Led Team Lays Keel on Nation’s Ninth Littoral Combat Ship

A Lockheed Martin led industry team officially laid the keel for the U.S. Navy’s ninth Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Little Rock, in a ceremony held at Marinette Marine Corporation.

The industry team is building the Freedom-variant LCS for the U.S. Navy on budget, has delivered two ships with four others under construction and two in the early material procurement stages. With the nation’s first LCS, USS Freedom, currently on its maiden deployment to Southeast Asia, the Lockheed Martin-led team is addressing the Navy’s need for an affordable, highly-networked and modular ship unlike any other in the world, designed to conduct a variety of missions including anti-surface, mine and submarine warfare. 

In keeping with a time-honored tradition, ship sponsor Janée Bonner authenticated the keel by having her initials welded into a sheet of the ship’s steel. She was assisted by Marinette Marine Corporation’s President and CEO Chuck Goddard.

“It is an honor to serve as the sponsor of the future USS Little Rock, the ninth ship in a class that’s so vital to our national defense strategy,” said Janée Bonner. “This marks the beginning of my commitment to support her, as well as the brave crews that will serve on the ship to defend our country.”

The Lockheed Martin-led LCS team includes ship builder Marinette Marine Corporation, a Fincantieri company, naval architect Gibbs & Cox, as well as nearly 900 suppliers in 43 states, including approximately 30 small businesses in Wisconsin and Michigan. 

“This is a great milestone for the U.S. Navy’s future USS Little Rock and for the program as we continue to deliver ships,” said Joe North, vice president of Littoral Ship Systems at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training. “As we transition into serial production, we’re applying lessons-learned to the construction process that our team has learned from supporting the U.S. Navy in maintaining the team’s first and second ships.”

Lay the keel is a shipbuilding term that marks the beginning of the module erection process, which is a significant undertaking that signifies the ship coming to life. Modern warships are now largely built in a series of pre-fabricated, complete hull sections rather than a single keel, so the actual start of the shipbuilding process is now considered to be when the first sheet of steel is cut and is often marked with a ceremonial event.

Israel Receives First C-130J Super Hercules: ‘Shimshon

Lockheed Martin delivered the State of Israel’s first C-130J Super Hercules airlifter during a ceremony today at its Aeronautics Company’s production facility here. This is first of three C-130Js currently on order for the Israeli Air Force (IAF), which has operated legacy C-130s since 1971.

The IAF has bestowed the nickname “Shimshon” on its C-130Js. Shimshon is Hebrew for Samson, who was a judge and leader for the people of Israel. Samson’s mother called him Shimshon, which is derived from the Hebrew word for sun, because she felt he was destined to be as bright and mighty as the sun and would deliver the Jewish people from their enemies.

“Israel’s new C-130J builds on the tradition of its predecessors and offers the IAF unique capabilities that are not only proven, but without equal,” said George Shultz, vice president and general manager, C-130 programs at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. “With its glass cockpit and modern digital avionics, the C-130J has proven it performs in all environments: hot, cold, dirt and sand. Shimshon will serve the IAF as the C-130 always has — anywhere, anytime.”

Israel ordered its C-130Js through a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) contract with the U.S. Government. Upon delivery, this aircraft will move into a modification program and receive Israeli-unique systems. An in-country delivery for this C-130J is scheduled for spring 2014.

While Israel is the newest member of the C-130J worldwide operator family, this Super Hercules has the distinction of being one of 290 C-130Js that contributed to the worldwide fleet’s first
1 million flight hours. Shimshon’s test flight hours were included in this tally, which spans the C-130J’s first flight on April 5, 1996 through April 30, 2013.

Fifteen countries have chosen the C-130J Super Hercules to meet their air mobility needs. The C-130J is the standard by which all other airlift is measured in terms of availability, flexibility and reliability. C-130Js currently are deployed in two combat theaters where they operate at a very high tempo efficiently and reliably.

In non-combat — but equally harsh environments — C-130Js are often the first to support humanitarian missions such as search and rescue, aerial firefighting in the U.S., and delivering relief supplies after earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons and tsunamis around the world.

Lockheed Martin Explores Naval Weapons Link With Europe’s MBDA

Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) and MBDA, the No. 2 missile maker, are considering cooperation in naval weapons to attract more customers worldwide. 

The agreement could lead to offerings of Lockheed Martin’s weapons launchers with MBDA’s new Sea Ceptor ship-defense missile system, Paris-based MBDA said in a statement today. A demonstration to launch MBDA’s Common Anti-Air Modular Missile from Lockheed’s Mk. 41 vertical launcher, used by more than a dozen navies, is planned this year, it said. 

European and U.S. defense companies are increasingly seeking sales abroad as their domestic markets shrink and are looking at opportunities from naval modernization in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. The naval weapons market has been dominated by Raytheon Co. (RTN) with weapons such as the Tomahawk long-range cruise missile and Standard Missile air and missile defense family of interceptors. 

“There is a strong logic for MBDA to join forces with Lockheed Martin whose vertical launch systems have a strong presence in the naval market,” MBDA Chief Executive Officer Antoine Bouvier said in the statement. “Working in concert, we will be able to offer greater choice to naval customers around the globe providing them with solutions optimized to their exact needs.” 

MBDA is a joint venture of European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co., BAE Systems Plc (BA/) and Finmeccanica SpA. (FNC) It has cooperated in the past with Lockheed Martin, and they are working together on the Medium Extended Air Defense System program to replace Patriot air and missile defense systems in the U.S., Germany, and Italy. Budget cuts mean Meads will not go into production. 

MBDA’s Sea Ceptor program is a new ship air-defense initiative for deployment on Royal Navy Type 23 destroyers in 2016 and later equipping the replacement Type 26 destroyer. MBDA secured a 483 million pound ($743 million) development contract last year from the U.K. government to work on the missile that can fly at three times the speed of sound.

U.S. Coast Guard To Acquire Three Additional Lockheed Martin HC-130J Surveillance Aircraft

Lockheed Martin received a $218 million contract for three additional HC-130Js for the U.S. Coast Guard. This will increase the U.S. Coast Guard fleet of HC-130Js from six to nine. The contract also includes funding for two mission suites, which are critical in supporting U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue operations. The new aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in early 2015.

“The Coast Guard, like many services in the Hercules family, continues to recapitalize with the C-130J,” said Jack Crisler, Lockheed Martin vice president for Air Mobility. “The C-130J is without equal in terms of its multi-role, multi-mission flexibility and availability. No aircraft in production — or in development — can match the capabilities of the Super Hercules.”

                         

Lockheed Martin received a $218 million contract for three additional HC-130Js for the U.S. Coast Guard. This will increase the U.S. Coast Guard fleet of HC-130Js from six to nine. The contract also includes funding for two mission suites, which are critical in supporting U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue operations. The new aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in early 2015.

 A C-130-H (top) displaying an historic color scheme to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the C-130 in Coast Guard Service, flies in formation with a new HC-130J (bottom).

                         

The current fleet of HC-130Js, based at Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., meets long-range maritime patrol requirements in areas that cannot be patrolled efficiently by medium range surveillance aircraft or cutters. The Long Range Surveillance (LRS) aircraft also provide heavy air transport for maritime safety and security teams, port security units, and National Strike Force personnel and equipment.

The HC-130J’s special mission suite is comprised of a two mission system operator station located behind the pilot and co-pilot, a belly-mounted 360-degree long range search radar, nose-mounted forward looking infrared radar and an advanced mission communications suite. The missionized HC-130J is designed to deliver enhanced search, detection and tracking capabilities.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation's net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.

Lockheed Martin’s DAGR Missile Demonstrates Ground Launch Capability In Guided Flight Tests

Lockheed Martin recently conducted two separate DAGR® missile flight tests, successfully firing the missiles from a prototype pedestal launcher and hitting a stationary target.

The tests, which took place at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., demonstrated DAGR’s capability as a ground-based weapon. In each flight test, an inert DAGR missile locked onto the laser spot illuminating the target before launch. Upon launch, each missile flew 3.5 kilometers and hit the target within one foot of the laser spot.

“These tests demonstrated the DAGR missile is as accurate on the ground as it is in the air,” said Ken Musculus, director of air-to-ground missile system programs in Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control business. “The tests also verified the missile’s ability to acquire targets prior to launch, a capability that currently-fielded 2.75-inch guided rockets cannot deliver.”

Lockheed Martin’s pedestal launcher features four M299 launcher rails, associated cables and electronics, providing full compatibility with HELLFIRE® II and DAGR missiles. DAGR’s canister mounts to the pedestal launch rails as it would on a standard HELLFIRE launcher designed for aircraft.

DAGR incorporates proven HELLFIRE II technology into a 2.75-inch/70 millimeter guidance kit that integrates seamlessly with legacy Hydra-70 rockets. The result is a laser-guided missile that puts a 10-pound warhead within one meter of the laser spot, defeating high-value, non-armored or lightly-armored targets while minimizing collateral damage.  DAGR’s lock-on-before launch mode ensures the missile identifies the correct target prior to launch.

Lockheed Martin has conducted more than 30 DAGR flight tests from ranges of 1 to 5.1 kilometers. DAGR has been launched from multiple HELLFIRE-equipped rotary-wing platforms, including the AH-64D Apache, AH-6 Little Bird and OH-58 Kiowa Warrior.

Lockheed Closer To Tailhook Design Fix For F-35C

Lockheed Martin officials are creeping closer to a solution to problems with the tailhook design for the U.S. Navy F-35C.

The original design failed to snag the arresting wire in early testing owing to two problems: the point of the hook was not sharp enough to scoop under the wire and securely grab it, and a dampener device was not sufficient to maintain a hold on the wire. Essentially, the hook was bouncing upon landing, reducing the likelihood of a successful arrested landing.

Lockheed Martin, the F-35 prime contractor, has redesigned the hook to address those problems. An interim version, which has a sharpened point but lacks the dampener, was tested.

In three of five recent attempts, the redesigned hook did capture the wire; the failures were due to the pilot landing the aircraft too far from the wire for a successful arresting. This testing “was highly successful in demonstrating that when presented the wire . . . it will grab the wire,” says J.D. McFarlan, Lockheed Martin’s vice president of test and evaluation for the F-35 program. He briefed reporters Sept. 18 during the annual Air Force Assn. conference in Washington.

These failures to grab the wire were predicted by models based on where the pilots landed the aircraft, McFarlan says. This, he notes, helps to validate the modeling work done on the redesigned hook.

The tailhook problems came to light nearly a year ago, and redesign work has been in progress since. Company officials hope to test the final version of the new arrest

Missile Mystery

Lockheed Martin is making an aggressive pitch for its Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), a maritime-strike version of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - Extended Range (JASSM-ER) that it builds for the USAF. Although LRASM is still a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency demonstration project, Lockheed Martin says that it could be operational as an air-launched weapon as soon as 2016, with a vertically launched shipboard version following two years later.

Lockheed Martin briefed the project at the Air Force Association show near Washington on Tuesday, because the USAF is already involved in the project -- a B-1B will be the test platform and the concept is important in terms of the joint USAF-Navy Air-Sea Battle concept.

The Lockheed Martin proposal constitutes a direct threat to the Navy's current plan to field an anti-ship version of the Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile, as well as providing a possible alternative to new versions of the Boeing AGM-84 Harpoon and Raytheon AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon. As with those weapons, the goal is to provide the Navy with a more accurate, discriminating anti-ship missile which can tackle heavily defended targets in a cluttered environment. The watchword is "net-enabled weapons": missiles that can get inflight targeting updates from other platforms but can still work if the net or even GPS is taken down by an adversary.

LRASM looks the same as JASSM but adds a datalink, an imaging terminal seeker that can classify or identify the target and pick an aimpoint, and active and passive countermeasures. But it also has a radio-frequency guidance system that allows it to detect a ship target from outside the range of the target's own missile defenses, after which the missile drops to sea-skimming height for the attack run.

Developed by BAE Systems (the former Sanders unit in Nashua, NH) the seeker is key to LRASM and in many ways DARPA built the program around it. It has RF apertures in the nose and wingtips, and according to Lockheed Martin it is passive -- non-transmitting. Which raises an interesting question: where does the RF energy come from? No ship target collaborates in its own demise by transmitting continuously -- emission control or EMCON is a basic part of naval operations. It's an interesting question, but no answers except "ask DARPA" are forthcoming.

Three "tactically representative" missiles are to be launched in 2013, and a test vehicle is to be launched vertically (using an Asroc canister and booster) in 2014. The weapon was originally known as LRASM-A -- development of a high-supersonic anti-ship weapon, LRASM-B, was terminated early this year.