Germany's first Euro Hawk unmanned aircraft, built by Northrop Grumman and EADS Defence & Security, approaching landing on its maiden flight June 29, 2010. The Euro Hawk landed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where it will undergo a final series of operational testing and evaluation prior to its ferry flight to Germany.
The Euro Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS), built by Northrop Grumman Corporation and EADS Defence & Security, successfully completed its first flight June 29. The high-flying aircraft took off at approximately 10:32 a.m. PDT from Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale, Calif., manufacturing facility and climbed to 32,000 feet over Palmdale’s desert skies before landing nearly two hours later at 12:24 p.m. PDT at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The German Ministry of Defense awarded a contract in January 2007 to EuroHawk GmbH a 50-50 joint venture company by Northrop Grumman and EADS Defence & Security, for the development, test and support of the Euro Hawk SIGINT surveillance and reconnaissance system.
Based on the Block 20 Global Hawk, Euro Hawk will be equipped with new signals intelligence (SIGINT) mission system developed by EADS, providing standoff capability to detect electronic and communications emitters. A ground station consisting of a mission control and launch and recovery elements will be provided by Northrop Grumman. EADS Defence & Security will also provide a SIGINT ground station, which will receive and analyze the data from Euro Hawk as part of an integrated system solution.
The Euro Hawk has a mission endurance of 30 hours and a maximum altitude of more than 60,000 feet. It is an interoperable, modular and cost-effective replacement to the aging fleet of manned Breguet Atlantic aircraft, which have been in service since 1972 and will be retired in 2010. Subsequent systems are anticipated for delivery between 2016 and 2017 following successful testing and introduction in German operational service.
Northrop Grumman is planning to conduct an aerial refueling demonstration performed by two Global Hawk HALE UAVs, under a DARPA funding. Illustration: Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman, National Air and Space Agency (NASA) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are planning to demonstrate aerial refueling of a NASA Global Hawk autonomous aerial vehicles by a sister ship. The program will be designated KQ-X.
The agency allocated US$33 million for Northrop Grumman, to conduct the autonomous refueling demonstration within the next two years. The demonstration perform the first-ever fully autonomous rendezvous, rejoin, station keeping, aerial refueling, and formation separation of two unmanned aircraft. The flight will be conducted at altitudes typically flown by the Global Hawk’, hence, overcoming inherent limitations of high altitude flight in thin atmosphere and limited control authority associated with long-endurance aircraft. “The importance of aerial refueling is clear in the way military aviation depends on it today,” said Jim McCormick, the DARPA program manager for KQ-X. ”This demonstration will go a long way towards making those same advantages a reality for the next generation of unmanned aircraft.” A successful outcome will allow developers of future unmanned aircraft to produce more cost-effective systems that rely on aerial refueling for the most demanding missions.
Northrop Grumman will retrofit two of the high altitude long endurance (HALE) UAVs, one aircraft pumping fuel into the other in flight through a hose-and-drogue refueling system. The aerial refueling engagement will be completely autonomous. Engineering work will be accomplished at the Northrop Grumman Unmanned Systems Development Center in Rancho Bernardo, California. Pilots from NASA, NOAA, and Northrop Grumman will fly the Global Hawks from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, also in California. Sargent Fletcher, Inc. and Sierra Nevada Corporation are major KQ-X subcontractors.
The PLS Truck and trailer can haul a demountable flatrack or ISO container while climbing a 60% grade at full payload. Each flatrack secures as many as 10 supply pallets with a 16 ton capacity. Photo: Oshkosh defense
On June 29th, 2010 Oshkosh Defense has been awarded three contracts by the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC), valued over US$0.7 billion for the supply of several Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV) variants of 1,274 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT A4).
Oshkosh will also deliver 621 Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) trucks and 43 trailers. Photo: Oshkosh Defense
In addition, the company will deliver over 900 Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) trucks plus add-on armor kits and trailers. The award also includes the refurbishment of existing heavy transporters, including 452 HEMTTs and 98 Palletized Load Systems (PLS) trailers. Deliveries are expected before October 2012.
Through the remanufacturing and recapitalization program the heavily used trucks are returned to the manufacturer, stripped to their frame rails, completely rebuilt to 'like-new' condition and upgraded to the new A4 configuration. Photo: Oshkosh Defense
Through the remanufacturing and recapitalization program developed by Oshkosh defense the heavily used trucks are returned to the manufacturer, stripped to their frame rails, completely rebuilt to ‘like-new’ condition and upgraded to the new A4 configuration. Through this process HEMTT vehicles get a more powerful drivetrain; improved suspension; a fully air-conditioned and armor-ready cab; plus structural changes and attachments enabling efficient replacement and upgrade of armor panels in the field. Recapitalized vehicles are reset to zero miles and zero hours, and offer a significant cost savings compared to new vehicles.
Canberra will be the lead ship of the Australian Navy new amphibious landing dock ship class
Saab will supply the Sea Giraffe Agile Multi-Beam (AMB) radar to equip the Australian Canberra class amphibious ships. The value of the order is US$15.6 million.
Sea Giraffe AMB 3D naval multi-mission radar from Saab Microwave
The Sea Giraffe AMB system comprises a multi-mission capable surveillance systems providing simultaneous air defense, air and sea surveillance, air/land integration, military air traffic control and rocket, artillery and mortar alert. Saab’s Sea Giraffe naval surveillance radar is in operational service on the Australian and New Zealand Anzac Class frigates. The Giraffe radars are currently in production and in use with armed forces including Sweden, France, Estonia and the UK. HMAS Canberra is the lead ship of two new amphibious landing dock ships to be delivered in 2012 – 2014, replacing the current amphibious support vessels operated by the Royal Australian Navy.
Australia has also leased from Saab a land based Giraffe ABM radar to provide early warning from mortars and rocket attacks for troops deployed to Uruzgan, Afghanistan. The lease contract value is approximately $32 million including operations and support. It is considered as an interim measure until more radars are acquired and fielded.
Scania has acquired 30 percent of the stocks in Laxå Special Vehicles, a company Scania has been cooperating with for adapting adapting cabs and chassis for special-purpose vehicles. Such vehicles traditionally serve in heavy-haulage and fire engines. In recent years, truck platforms have been increasingly used for armored vehicles. According to Martin Lundstedt, Executive Vice President and head of Franchise and Factory Sales at Scania, special purpose vehicle conversion is of “strategic importance to our effort of increasing global sales of special-purpose vehicles”. For many years, Scania has been Laxå’s single largest customer. Laxå Special Vehicles today has 75 employees. Among other things, Laxå Special Vehicles is responsible for preparing the Scania CrewCab for serial production on Scania’s assembly line for trucks in Södertälje.
