NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The U.S. Navy awarded Demonstration of Existing Technologies (DET) contracts Oct. 25, valued at approximately $36 million each to L3 Technologies Communications Systems West and Northrop Grumman Corp. Mission Systems in support of the Next Generation Jammer Low Band (NGJ-LB) capability, the Naval Air Systems Command said in an Oct. 25 release.

The Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) Systems and EA-6B Program Office (PMA-234) headquartered here manages the NGJ-LB program.

NGJ-LB is an external jamming pod that is part of a larger NGJ weapon system that will augment and, ultimately, replace the aging ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System currently in use on EA-18G Growler aircraft.

“NGJ-LB is a critical piece of the overall NGJ system in that it focuses on the denial, degradation, deception and disruption of our adversaries’ abilities to gain an advantage in that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum,” said Capt. Michael Orr, PMA-234 program manager. “It delivers to the warfighter significant improvements in power, advanced jamming techniques, and jamming effectiveness over the legacy ALQ-99 system.”

Each DET contract has a 20-month period of performance, during which the NGJ-LB team will assess the technological maturity of the industry partners’ existing technologies in order to inform future NGJ-LB capability development, as well as define the NGJ-LB acquisition strategy.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Aerojet Rocketdyne’s propulsion systems supported a key intercept test of Raytheon’s Standard Missile-3 Block IIA guided missile, the company said in an Oct. 26 release.

During the FTM-45 flight test, conducted by the U.S. Navy and Missile Defense Agency, the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor was launched from USS John Finn (DDG 113). The intercept test was designed to further prove the effectiveness of the larger and faster SM-3 Block IIA variant in intercepting a medium-range ballistic missile.

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Mk72 booster provided the first-stage propulsion on the SM-3 Block IIA, and the company’s Throttling Divert and Attitude Control System (TDACS) maneuvered the kinetic warhead to successfully impact the ballistic missile target.

“We are proud that our TDACS and Mk72 booster played key propulsion roles in demonstrating the capabilities of the SM-3 Block IIA to defend our nation,” said Eileen Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president. “We are excited to support the transition to production for the advanced SM-3 Block IIA interceptor that provides increased range, velocity and capability.”

This second intercept for the SM-3 Block IIA is a success we share with the Missile Defense Agency and the country of Japan, our cooperative development partners,” said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president. “Together, we are building the most advanced solutions for ballistic missile defense.”

The SM-3 Block IIA represents the newest generation of U.S. missile defense capabilities and is a key component of the European Phased Adaptive Approach for deployment at sea and ashore. Deployment of larger rocket motors and key technology improvements increases the area that can be defended and improves the probability of intercept against a larger threat set.

PENSACOLA, Fla. ― Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless is scheduled to return home to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, Oct. 27 following a 54-day patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard 8th District said in an Oct. 27 release.

The 76-person crew interdicted two vessels with an estimated combined total of over 2,000 pounds of cocaine, which is worth more than approximately $27.2 million dollars.

The crew departed Pensacola in September for a patrol in support of Operation Martillo. The operation sends Department of Defense and U.S. Coast Guard crews to work with partner nations to curtail the flow of drugs coming to the U.S. from Central and South America.

The crew of Dauntless assisted with dismantling transnational criminal organizations as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Southern Border Campaign Plan and the U.S. Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy.

The cutter patrolled over 7,000 nautical miles and transited the Panama Canal.

“Dauntless once again demonstrated the value of the U.S. Coast Guard to the nation as a military service, law enforcement agency and member of the intelligence community in securing our borders and protecting our national security interests,” said Cmdr. Timothy Sommella, the commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless. “The interdictions and apprehensions were the result of months of preparation and hours upon hours of training and maintenance followed by precise mission execution at a moment’s notice. The crew did a phenomenal job keeping the 50-year-old ship at the highest state of readiness while overcoming enormous logistic and engineering challenges, including at-sea repairs to critical equipment to keep us in the fight.”

Operation Martillo is a Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) led multi-national detection, monitoring and interdiction operation conducted by U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection vessels and aircraft working in cooperation with military and law enforcement agencies from various Central and South American nations, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

PARIS — Terma A/S, as a market leader in ship defensive systems, and Chemring Countermeasures, as a world leader in 130 mm naval countermeasures, have teamed up to develop a complete soft-kill solution for surface unit defense, the companies said in an Oct. 24 release.

By integrating Terma’s C-Guard defensive aid suite and Chemring’s Centurion fully trainable 130 mm launcher, both capable of deploying a range of off-board expendable decoys, a scalable system has been developed to offer a step change in the antiship missile defense (ASMD) capability. This scalable system offers the maritime commander greater operational awareness and survivability in the contemporary battle space.

“The combined system solution offered by Terma and Chemring enhances soft-kill capabilities through refined and dynamic threat evaluation followed by accurate payload placement to maximize the decoy effect, providing the maritime commander with a balanced response by deploying the right decoy in the right position at the right time,” said Mogens Nørregaard Cramer, Terma director for naval sales.

Terma has more than 25 years of experience protecting naval platforms from above and below water threats and offers the C-Guard system for effective protection against coordinated multithreat/multidirectional attacks by missiles and torpedoes.

C-Guard relies on combat proven 130 mm decoy rounds. Rapid response and constant threat evaluation are key in building a multilayered, 360-degree defense to defeat multiple coordinated attacks. C-Guard is integrated with major combat management systems, and more than 200 C-Guard systems are currently in operation worldwide.

“Extending C-Guard with the Chemring Centurion fully trainable 130 mm launcher provides both existing and new C-Guard customers with an upgrade path to the benefits offered by a trainable launcher capability,” said Andy Hogben, business director, Chemring Countermeasures.

This capability is realized to the full in larger platforms where the 130mm round in combination with the trainable launcher provides fast and accurate deployment of countermeasure rounds matched to offer platform protection against the anti-ship missile threat.

C-Guard may be deployed on naval platforms using any combination of the existing fixed launchers and/or the Centurion launcher. The trainable capability optimizes missile countermeasure performance in the anti-air warfare domain, whilst also offering a hard point for launching a range of off-board expendables to provide capability in antisurface warfare, antisubmarine warfare, antiair warfare and C4ISR disciplines.

The combination of fixed and trainable launchers offers increased capability and flexibility to the maritime commander enabling prioritization of decoy load out to maximize platform protection.

PARIS — More than 60 vessels in the French Navy are now equipped with the Réseau Intranet de la Force Aéronavale étape 2 (RIFAN 2) system, ranging from aircraft carriers and front-line frigates to support ships, patrol craft based overseas, and submarines, Airbus Defense and Space Inc said in an Oct. 24 release. Thanks to the system, all ships at sea can now establish secure broadband links with each other and with the onshore command center.

The RIFAN 2 program contract, worth around $182 million, was awarded to an industrial group headed by Airbus as the prime contractor and comprising the Naval Group and Rohde & Schwarz as co-contractors. The purpose of the program is to equip the French Navy’s surface ships and submarines with a truly secure intranet system.

It is designed to transmit data with various classification levels, ranging from “unprotected” to “secret” and “NATO secret.” This network transmits data produced by the various applications, both to coordinate operations and for daily and logistical management of life on board, as well as to exchange data between information systems of theatre chiefs of staff on board a vessel for the duration of an operation.

Whether it’s a ship sailing alone, a carrier group, or an amphibious group on operations, the various vessels are equipped to meet their respective connectivity requirements. The system is capable of combining several communication streams in order to optimize the use of the transmission capacity available at sea, which is, by nature, limited. It therefore utilizes satellite connections as well as radio communication resources. Existing radio systems have been refurbished, and a new UHF network has been deployed, which now allows all-IP (Internet Protocol) voice and data exchanges between ships, with a range of several tens of kilometers.

RIFAN 2 also provides overall network management and cyber security incident monitoring capability. This monitoring can take place both from an onshore management and control center, or locally on board the ships, thus providing the crews with a degree of independence, so that they can make the best use of the network according to the operational situation.

The network will become increasingly dense with installation planned for the Barracuda submarines under construction, for medium-size frigates, which are to be the French Navy’s future front-line vessels, as well as for the future replenishment tankers.

The RIFAN 2 system is regularly adapted and upgraded, whether in terms of its central architecture or the integration of new means of satellite broadband communications. Similarly, the cyber security incident monitoring and detection system will also be upgraded.

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Navy released its business operations plan Oct. 24, establishing the framework for the department’s continuing business reform agenda, the Office of the Navy Chief of Information said in a release.

“The Department of the Navy Business Operations Plan for Fiscal Years 2019–2021” represents a strategic shift for the department, from oversight to leadership in ensuring that the department’s business operations effectively and efficiently achieve its mission to man, train, and equip Navy and Marine Corps forces for global operations.

Through greater accountability, more agile processes and improved management of business operations, the plan will enable greater efficiencies that allow the department to reallocate resources from business operations to readiness and recapitalize our naval forces for the future.

“As we look forward to the future, we must continue this momentum by leveraging every resource, expert, leading practice, and efficiency we can find — from all sources, private and public — to think anew about our business operating model,” Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer said in the plan’s opening message. “The National Defense Strategy and National Defense Business Operations Plan drive our agenda, and this Business Operations Plan will guide our department by providing a vision for the future, and charting a clear course for how to get there.”

The plan aligns to the three lines of effort expressed in the National Defense Strategy — rebuild military readiness while building a more lethal joint force,” “strengthen alliances and attract new partners, and reform the department’s business practices for greater performance and affordability” — as well as to the nine objectives defined in the National Defense Business Operations Plan:

■ Restore military readiness to build a more lethal force.
■ Lay the foundation for future readiness through recapitalization, innovation, and modernization.
■ Enhance information technology and cybersecurity capabilities.
■ Ensure the best intelligence, counterintelligence, and security support to Department of Defense (DoD) operations.
■ Implement initiatives to recruit and retain the best total force to bolster capabilities and readiness.
■ Reform the security cooperation enterprise.
■ Improve and strengthen business operations through a move to DoD-enterprise or shared services; reduce administrative and regulatory burden.
■ Optimize organizational structures.
■ Undergo an audit, and improve the quality of budgetary and financial information that is most valuable in managing the DoD.

Undersecretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly will lead the implementation of the business operations plan in his role as the chief management officer for the Department of the Navy.

“America’s security relies on the success of our U.S. Navy and Marine Corps team. Our Sailors and Marines represent the greatest expeditionary force the world has ever seen, operating forward every day to shape and defend our national interests,” Modly said in a message in the business operations plan. “Yet, as the National Defense Strategy reminds us, the U.S. military has no preordained right to success or victory. We must now move with a sense of urgency to improve how we manage the department in order to continually reinvest into the improved readiness and modernization of our force. While doing so, we will create a more agile and accountable organization that not only responds rapidly and with precision, but also anticipates future threats and opportunities.”

PARIS — Saab and Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Group have joined forces to develop an expeditionary submarine for the Netherland´s Walrus Replacement Program.

The partnership was highlighted oct. 23 during a joint press conference at the Euronaval international naval exhibition on the proposed Expeditionary Submarine.

“Replacing the Walrus-class submarines requires a unique approach. Swedish modular submarine design and production techniques coupled with the Dutch shipbuilding tradition bring together the capabilities needed to deliver an assured operational capability,” said Gunnar Wieslander, senior vice president, head of business area Saab Kockums.

“The result of the collaboration will be a customer-adapted submarine for expeditionary missions. This will ensure that the Royal Netherlands Navy continues to play an important role in European waters as well as globally,” said Hein van Ameijden, managing director of Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding.

The Expeditionary Submarine builds on the capabilities of the Swedish A26 and puts into practice the experience of the Swedish designed Collins-class submarine in service with the Australian Navy.

In addition, the Walrus replacement will also benefit from the operational lessons reflected in the Swedish Navy’s Gotland midlife upgrade. As a result, the Expeditionary Submarine will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology while benefiting from de-risking on three submarine classes. Saab and Damen are thereby creating one of the most modern Air Independent Propulsion submarines in the world, which if selected, will be done in consultation with the customer using a “design to cost” approach.

The production process will see sections made in Sweden and then assembled at Vlissingen in the Netherlands. Having secured the cooperation of many Dutch companies, Saab and Damen are set to enhance the domestic submarine competence.

This cooperation will also extend beyond the Dutch submarine project, as the two companies see a growing market for this type of advanced conventional submarines.

TUCSON, Ariz. — Raytheon Co. has delivered a Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher to the Mexican government as part of the long-range offshore patrol vessel (Patrulla Oceánica de Largo Alcance, or POLA) program, marking the first delivery of a RAM product to a Latin American country, the company announced Oct. 23.

The Mexican Navy will use the RAM Block 2 supersonic, quick reaction, fire-and-forget missile to counter enemy anti-ship missiles. This latest version features a larger rocket motor, advanced control section and an enhanced radio frequency receiver.

“RAM Block 2 protects ships against a long list of constantly evolving threats,” said Mitch Stevison, Raytheon Air and Missile Defense Systems vice president. “With RAM protecting its frigate, Mexico not only enhances its maritime posture, but they also expand their naval support of national security and defense of critical sea lanes.”

The RAM system is the world’s most modern ship self-defense weapon and protects ships of all sizes. It’s deployed on more than 165 ships in eight countries, ranging from 500-ton fast attack craft to 95,000-ton aircraft carriers.

In a separate release, the company announced that five Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) surface-to-air missiles successfully completed five test flights in back-to-back summer exercises conducted at sea by the Republic of Korea Navy, or ROKN.

ROKN fired two Block IIIA missiles in an initial exercise to test the missiles’ advanced semi-active radar seeker technology. During a second exercise, the navy destroyed three aerial threats using the Block IIIB variant.

The SM-2 missile gives navies the capability to defend against anti-ship missiles and aircraft out to 90 nautical miles.

“These successful flight tests add to SM-2’s impressive legacy of more than 2,700 successful firings,” Stevison said. “As we begin to produce a new generation of SM-2s, the missile will be in the inventories of navies worldwide for decades to come.”

Raytheon restarted the SM-2 missile line in 2017 to meet global demands from international customers, which include eight international countries.

New deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2020 and will include more than 280 SM-2 Block IIIA and IIIB missiles.

DAHLGREN, Va. — Navy and congressional leaders joined Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) personnel to celebrate a centennial of technological innovation that revolutionized surface warfare at a grand finale ceremony here, Oct. 19.

Over the past year of centennial activities — from a concert and picnics to podcasts and a rocket contest — government civilians, defense contractors, and military personnel working at NSWCDD travelled down memory lane leading up to the 100-year mark this month.

“The first shot of the new base was fired from a 7-inch, 45-caliber, tractor-mounted gun, just like the one over there,” said Capt. Godfrey “Gus” Weekes, NSWCDD commanding officer, while pointing to the century-old gun on display.

Since that shot was fired on Oct. 16, 1918, Dahlgren scientists and engineers rose to the occasion time and again to provide the Navy with innovative solutions based on their technical capability to integrate sensors, weapons, and associated weapon and combat systems into surface ships and vehicles.

“The men and women of Dahlgren are dedicated to the mission and have always answered the bell,” Weekes told the audience which included 65 distinguished visitors. “We answered the bell in 1918 and we’re answering the bell today. Just like during the Cold War or the Korean War, we’re up against near peer or peer threats. The need for Dahlgren is never more apparent.”

Today, NSWCDD leads in the research and delivery of technological solutions that enable warfighters to counter emerging threats. The command leverages core naval warfare systems development and integration capabilities in electric weapons such as the electromagnetic railgun and high-energy lasers, mission engineering and analysis, and cyber warfare engineering.

“I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to recognize our workers who have given so much to this institution,” said Weekes, recounting that he has presented scores of certificates recognizing Navy civilians for 30 and 35 plus years of federal service. “I’ve been privileged to recognized employees who were pioneers in GPS, to those who pioneered Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense and the Standard Missile as well as any advanced weaponry which the U.S. Navy is now in the process of realizing or advancing.”

As participants celebrated the division’s impact upon the Navy and nation, a time capsule — 10 105 mm shells surrounding a 16-inch shell — was unveiled and all in attendance had the opportunity to write notes and share their thoughts with future generations.

The writers conveyed how they personally met the challenges of our time and solved them through innovative collaboration, placing their letters inside the capsule that will be displayed on base. Dahlgren personnel can write notes to be placed inside the capsule until the end of 2018 when it will be sealed and opened on Oct. 16, 2068, at the command’s 150th anniversary.

“Think about the contributions Dahlgren has made over the past 100 years,” said John Fiore, NSWCDD technical director. “We have over 500 patents to our name thanks to the men and women here who have done that work. When the Navy struggles with challenges, it is often that they come to Dahlgren to ask what they should be doing, what they should be thinking about, what we should be working on. Our innovations that have become programs of record are changing the face of warfare systems today.”

Since June 1918, when U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation to acquire nearly one thousand acres to create the original ordnance proving ground during World War I, through today, Dahlgren has served as the center for the scientific research and development that led to hundreds of patents, innovations, and scientific breakthroughs for the U.S. Navy. Dahlgren, today, hosts nine different commands with an expansive array of scientific research and development, and is one of the hubs of naval weapons and weapon system development nationwide.

“There is no technical director who does not appreciate what has happened in the past but let’s think about where we are headed in the future — the kinds of systems and solutions the Navy needs in the future,” said Fiore, speaking to a crowd of more than 700 people — government employees, military personnel, defense contractors and visitors, including former NSWCDD technical directors and commanding officers.

“As I thought about that, I thought about our values. Values that we hold dear at Dahlgren — integrity, courage, imagination, esprit de corps, and urgency. We here overcome change, and we overcome the things we need to do to in order to make a difference in warfare systems throughout the Navy, and that takes courage. The value that I’m the proudest about is urgency, and I think Dahlgren exemplifies that. We’ve been talking urgency and that’s been a core value of Dahlgren for years.

“Recently, I’ve had the privilege of hearing the secretary of the Navy talk. He signs his name, ‘urgently, Richard Spencer’ — understanding that we live in a time when what we do is urgent. If we do not do what we do in developing warfare systems, we’re not enabling our Sailors and Marines to go out and do their mission effectively and come home safe to their families and loved ones — that’s critical.”

Dahlgren’s enduring success in research, development, test, and evaluation stems from its ability to handle complex mathematics and engineering associated with ballistic weapons and projectiles. Moreover, the command’s civilian scientists and engineers always had the capability to test their ideas in collaboration with military personnel on base to produce proven technological solutions.

“This is an installation where a great deal of innovation and collaboration take place,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., describing Dahlgren’s development of technologies revolutionizing military capabilities over the past 100 years. “We’re going to need that same level of collaboration, cutting edge experimentation as we move forward for the next 100 years, not only to protect our country but to make sure that we’re able to match the innovation and have the kind of protections that will keep this nation strong, safe and free. So, for all you’ve done for the last 100 years, I say thank you.”

Warner cited Dahlgren’s role in the development of long guns for World War II followed by the development of Naval warfare systems, the super computer (Naval Ordnance Research Calculator) during the 1950s, the Naval Space Surveillance Center in the wake of Sputnik, GPS technology, and technological advancements impacting ballistic missile systems.

“How are we going to do more with the resources that we have than our adversaries do with the resources that they have?” U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., asked the audience. “How are we going to do more with our unit of currency than they do with their unit of currency?”

The congressman — focusing on technological solutions required to meet complex threats to U.S. national security — answered his questions.

“We’re not going to have the ability to out-resource people anymore,” said Wittman. “Today, it’s about the creation and innovation that goes into doing more with what we have than anybody around the world. We have done that, we can do that, and we will continue to do that to make sure that our nation’s Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Army and indeed our Coast Guard, continue to be the greatest the world has ever known because we have the best and brightest men and women serving our nation both in uniform and here at the base in making sure that we have what we need to defend our nation’s interest. And you will do it better than anybody else in more creative and innovative ways than anybody else, that’s what has made Dahlgren great in the first 100 years and that’s what will make it great in the next century.”

At one point in the ceremony, Virginia State Sen. Richard Stuart and Virginia Delegate Margaret Ransone read and presented the Virginia General Assembly Resolution proclaiming Oct. 16 as Dahlgren Day.

“NSWC Dahlgren Division is the largest employer in central Virginia and the Northern Neck with over 8,000 civilian and military and contract personnel,” said Stuart. “The workforce — composed of 14 counties in Virginia and five counties in Maryland — contributes more than $6.5 billion to the local economy. That is incredible to a boy who grew up in the small town of Montross and understands how important Dahlgren is to this entire region. For your economic activity, for your amazing technological advancements, and for your invaluable contributions to modern warfare systems, we thank you.”

As the U.S. Navy band played “Stars and Stripes Forever” to conclude the ceremony, people from the audience began making their way up for a closer look at the time capsule. They took pictures and in response to the invitation to share their thoughts with future generations — wrote letters to be placed in the capsule.

OLDMELDRUM, Scotland — JFD, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, has successfully completed the sea trials of the deep search and rescue vehicle (DSRV) for the first of two third-generation submarine rescue systems being delivered to the Indian Navy, the company announced in an Oct. 22 release.

The Deep Search and Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) carried out underwater mating with a bottomed submarine at a depth of over 300 feet, followed by a target mating and hatch opening at 45 degrees. On successful mating with the bottomed submarine, JFD and the Indian Navy then carried out a safe transfer of personnel from the submarine to the DSRV.

The sea trials have proven the newly inducted DSRV’s ability to undertake rescue operations from a disabled submarine at sea, providing the Indian Navy with a critical submarine rescue capability. In addition to the mating and transfer of personnel exercises, the DSRV conducted a record dive which represents the deepest submergence by a “manned vessel” in Indian waters, as well as remotely operated vehicle operations at a depth of over 750 meters and side-scan sonar operations at a depth of over 650 meters, all of which represent significant ‘firsts’ for the Indian Navy.

In a statement on social media, the Indian Navy said it now “joins a select league of nations with the capability to search, locate and provide rescue to distressed submarines by induction of our first DSRV and associated kit, which in a fly away configuration can be rapidly mobilized. The DSRV can be mobilized from the naval base at Mumbai to the nearest mounting port by air, land or sea, ready to provide rapid rescue to the submarine in distress.”

Having already successfully completed harbor trials earlier this year, the DSRV has now completed a full launch deployment, dive and recovery in open sea as well as an underwater mating exercise, replicating the operating conditions of a real submarine rescue operation. The completion of open sea trials represents a significant milestone in the ongoing delivery and acceptance of the 3rd Generation Submarine Rescue System, which is grounded in a rigorous trials and testing process that ensures the highest safety standards are upheld.

“JFD is pleased to have successfully completed a period of rigorous sea trials, working in close partnership with the Indian Navy who provided the commercial mothership and associated trials consort vessels,” said Ben Sharples, India DSRV project director. “The Indian Navy west coast-based rescue team, who will operate the system when in service, were active participants throughout this phase of the trials, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and expertise to conduct safe and efficient submarine rescue operations, should the need ever arise.

“The sea trials of the DSRV has ushered in a niche capability into the Indian Navy,” he said. “The DSRV, which is operated by a crew of three, can rescue 14 personnel from a disabled submarine at one time. These sea trials have proven the newly inducted DSRV’s ability to undertake rescue operations from disabled submarines at sea and has provided the Indian Navy with a critical capability.”

JFD is delivering two complete third-generation submarine rescue systems, including launch and recovery systems equipment, Transfer Under Pressure systems, logistics and support equipment, and a 25-year all-inclusive annual maintenance contract.