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TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
BAE, General Dynamics Win $340M in Ground Combat Vehicle Tech Extensions
Posted by Ross Wilkers on Apr 24th, 2013
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BAE Systems and General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) have won an estimated $340 million combined in contract modifications to continue developing technology for a future U.S. Army ground combat vehicle.
The Army awarded BAE $159,481,403 and General Dynamics $180,399,976 to continue work for six more months, the Defense Department said Tuesday.
Two years ago, the Army awarded a BAE-Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) team $449.9 million to prototype a vehicle with a hybrid electric drive propulsion system for the GCV program.
General Dynamics’ team, comprising of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Raytheon (NYSE: RTN), won $439.7 million to design a vehicle with a rocket-propelled grenade protection subsystem prototype.
The Procurement Continues Dispite Sequestration.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Well if we are going to by 84 ton IFV's might as well give the tow Truck a upgrade to.
HERCULES is the improved recovery system of choice for today’s 70-ton combat vehicles.


BAE Systems received a $28.7 million contract to upgrade 11 M88A1 Medium Recovery vehicles to the M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift Evacuation System (HERCULES) configuration.

“The M88A2 is able to hoist and tow twice the weight than that of an M88A1, including an M1 Abrams tank, and is an essential component in helping our Armed Forces to fulfill successful recovery missions,” said Mark Signorelli, vice president and general manager or Armored Combat Systems at BAE Systems. “This contract demonstrates the continued need to invest in the HERCULES and shows the Army’s commitment to the irreplaceable role it serves.”

The M88A2 HERCULES offers operational and logistics commonality with the existing M88A1 fleet, which provides simplified training and parts availability benefits to the end-user. Key upgrades for the HERCULES include: improved power-assisted braking, steering, winching, hoisting, and increased horsepower. HERCULES has the lowest acquisition, operational and maintenance cost of any 70-ton capable recovery system, answering the need for cost-effective, self-supporting heavy recovery performance. The M88A2 provides unparalleled capability for recovering today’s 70-ton combat vehicles including the M1A1, M1A2, Leopard MBT, bridging systems, and other medium weight vehicles.

The upgrade work will be performed by the existing workforce at BAE Systems operations in York, Pennsylvania and Aiken, South Carolina. The contract was awarded by the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command with deliveries to conclude in March 2014. The award brings the total value of U.S. Government contracts that BAE Systems has been awarded on the HERCULES program to $2.1 billion. To date, 575 HERCULES vehicles have been fielded against an overall U.S. Army requirement of 632 vehicles, and a total of 84 vehicles have been fielded to the U.S. Marine Corps.

The M88 plays a critical role the company’s campaign to maintain the Bradley Industrial Base by protecting the affordability of the Army’s combat vehicles. BAE Systems’ York facility is responsible for four of the five U.S. Army Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) vehicles, including the Bradley and the M88. In addition to proposing that Congress provide base level investment in critical combat vehicle improvements, BAE Systems is working with the Army to secure increased funding for the M88 program to help carry the workload at the facility.
 

no_name

Colonel

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Model pics of the ship in question:

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Very nice indeed.

Remake of the old arsenal ships.

Those 18, 14 cell PVLS mean 288 cells. So, such a ship could carry 128 ESSMs, 128 SM-2s or 3s, 64 Tomohawks, and 64 BMD missiles...all on one platform, or some other very effective mix, dpending on the mission.

Clearly it has the latest and best AEGIS, which are mounted very high...and also has 2 x 21 RAM missile launchers, the 5" (127mm) gun forward and the 57mm gun aft. Pretty goodsecondary armaments for a vessel like this, both in self defense and in gun fire support.

Heck, put this at the heart of your CSG or ARG and let it handle the home plate AAW defenses.

Interesting that they are using an elevator for the hanger. My guess is that they could afford a large hanger, particularly since there will be no well deck. Heck, I'd consider putting a couple of deck edge elevators and really make for a large hanger space, and open up the potential for some air assault, SOGs, or sea control duties off the aft end of that vessel too.

The US should build ten or more of those and have one avalable for every CSG and every ARG IMHO.
 
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bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Interesting that they are using an elevator for the hanger. My guess is that they could afford a large hanger, particularly since there will be no well deck. Heck, I'd consider putting a couple of deck edge elevators and really make for a large hanger space, and open up the potential for some air assault, SOGs, or sea control duties off the aft end of that vessel too.

I don't think this ship was intended for air assault missions.

Hard to keep a ship displacing about 30,000 tons stealthy. Nope a deck edge elevator would ruin any stealthiness.. however on the Hancock our aft starboard aircraft elevator folded...Could be done today.. just a thought.

With no well deck and no or limited vehicle storage the hangar could be rather large. Think of the possibilities.
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
I don't think this ship was intended for air assault missions.

Hard to keep a ship displacing about 30,000 tons stealthy. Nope a deck edge elevator would ruin any stealthiness.. however on the Hancock our aft starboard aircraft elevator folded...Could be done today.. just a thought.

With no well deck and no or limited vehicle storage the hangar could be rather large. Think of the possibilities.
That big honker is not going to be too stealthy anyway...and if it is in company with a Ford Class, or an ARG...well, it's there for defense in those scenarios and will still be more stealthy than those it accompanies.

I also admit that air assault is not it's bag of tea or intent...but they have armed it up in this model for gun fire supprt, and if they put the elevator (or two) to the side, with as big a hanger as it could have, as you say...think of the possibilities! Particularly with the F-35B, the Ospprey, etc., etc.

Those PVLS cells allow a lot of deck space to be open.
 
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kwaigonegin

Colonel
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Plane was said to be transporting 5 heavy armored vehicles. Mayday call said cargo load shifted. Noticed gear was not even up when it should be because they were probably too stressed inside trying to secure the load.

This is why the load master is so damn important!!! If heavy cargo shifts the plane falls like a rock and you're as good as dead!!!!
 

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
A lot of heavy equipment is being flown out of Afghanistan, they are flying to UAE where they will be inspected for a second time and decided what will be done with them

They are also leaving behind thousands of other vehicles which are deemed not economically viable to take out of Afghanistan

1,300 containers a month are leaving through Pakistan via 2 routes reaching Karachi port before they are on loaded onto cargo ships and sent back to country's of origin, however that is only equipment of " no military value", make of that what you wish

UK has spent millions upgrading thier air base in UAE, this will make the withdrawal from Afghanistan easier

Question now is, what will be the fate of Afghanistan after military forces leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014
 

kwaigonegin

Colonel
A lot of heavy equipment is being flown out of Afghanistan, they are flying to UAE where they will be inspected for a second time and decided what will be done with them

They are also leaving behind thousands of other vehicles which are deemed not economically viable to take out of Afghanistan

1,300 containers a month are leaving through Pakistan via 2 routes reaching Karachi port before they are on loaded onto cargo ships and sent back to country's of origin, however that is only equipment of " no military value", make of that what you wish

UK has spent millions upgrading thier air base in UAE, this will make the withdrawal from Afghanistan easier

Question now is, what will be the fate of Afghanistan after military forces leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014

Unfortunately I think the Taliban will resurge and very likely take over Afghanistan again once US forces leave. Our kids or grandkids will fight a similar war 20, 30 years from now (if we're lucky otherwise sooner) and history repeats itself in some form or other. Not trying to be pessimistic but this is the reality of humankind.
 

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
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The Navy on Thursday established its first aircraft squadron made up of both traditional helicopters and remotely piloted drones, joining other U.S. services in using the cheaper, virtually indefatigable but controversial unmanned vehicles.

Saying the future is now, the Navy expects the Coronado squadron to make its first deployment in early 2014 on the littoral combat ship Fort Worth, with two Fire Scout unmanned vehicles and one traditional Seahawk helicopter.

The Navy on Thursday established its first aircraft squadron made up of both traditional helicopters and remotely piloted drones, joining other U.S. services in using the cheaper, virtually indefatigable but controversial unmanned vehicles.

Saying the future is now, the Navy expects the Coronado squadron to make its first deployment in early 2014 on the littoral combat ship Fort Worth, with two Fire Scout unmanned vehicles and one traditional Seahawk helicopter.

The new squadron is Helicopter Maritime Strike 35, “the Magicians.” Its pilots will fly the drones from a control room inside the ship, in addition to their regular piloting duties.

Vice Adm. David Buss, commander of the Navy’s air forces, said the unmanned helicopters — small, boxy, windowless aircraft — can fly for eight hours and travel 110 nautical miles from home base. Already, their infrared cameras can do surveillance. In the future, the Navy plans to put weapons on them.

“That’s some real reach and endurance that we desperately need,” Buss said in a ceremony in a North Island Naval Air Station hangar decorated by a wall-to-ceiling American flag and filled with both active and retired aviators.

“I really believe this is the Navy’s future,” he said. “Because we’re bringing these two capabilities together at a time when we really need both manned and unmanned systems.”

The Magicians squadron will be made up of eight MH-60R Seahawks and 10 MQ-8B Fire Scouts. However, the Fire Scouts will reside at the Rancho Bernardo campus of Northrop Grumman, the defense contractor that designs them, said Cmdr. Christopher Hewlett, the squadron’s commanding officer.
Also, don’t expect to see the 24-foot unmanned helicopters flying over San Diego. A spokesman for Buss’ office said the current plan is to truck the Fire Scout to the ship pier for deployments. Test flights will occur in restricted air space over Point Mugu in Ventura County.

The Navy sees a business case for unmanned aerial vehicles, which have been used extensively by other military branches in Afghanistan for both surveillance and fire power.


The Fire Scout model to be used by the Magicians costs about $10 million, while the price tag for a MH-60 Seahawk is $33 million plus the risk to the lives of the four-person crew.


But the Fire Scout has had a shaky performance record as the Navy tested it in Afghanistan and on ships off South America and the African coast. The drone’s surveillance abilities did help catch drug runners and pirates. But after two crashes in 2012, Navy officials called an “operational pause” for the Fire Scout.


A Pentagon report on the drone’s deployment aboard the frigate Halyburton said the craft completed only half its missions.

Buss acknowledged those problems Thursday.

“As with any new system, you work your way through the bugs early on. … We’re getting stronger every day,” he said. “So

I would say by the time this squadron deploys …. we will have many of the bugs worked out.”


Defense analyst and author Norman Friedman said the Navy probably wants to test the unmanned Fire Scout and the manned Seahawk side by side to answer the question of which works best for various missions.

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