The Pentagon Brief

German Submarine Technology – World’s Most Advanced?

worldmilitaryhistory — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 01:18:39 +0000

The German shipbuilding industry remains a global technology leader in conventional submarine development. Modern day “U-Boats” are sought after by NATO allies, by Israel, and by other nations around the world. In fact they are a leading export item for Germany’s military industry. And the German Navy’s U-Boat flotilla is a welcome partner in ongoing NATO and EU security operations.

Some experts believe that German conventional submarines have actually assumed the technological lead over nuclear submarines.

Advances in Air Independent Propulsion and Fuel Cell Technology; state-of-the-art Command and Control systems such as the ISUS90 system currently deployed on Class 212A U-Boats; improved sonar, communication suites, and IFF systems; acoustic and electric signature reduction technology; and current as well as developmental weapon systems against underwater, surface, land and aerial targets are all discussed here

US Military Cyber Defense

worldmilitaryhistory — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 01:13:37 +0000

The US military is preparing for 21st Century electronic warfare and cyber terrorism. A joint US Cyber Command and four service cyber commands have been set up.

Their mission is to defend American military networks and civilian American infrastructure from cyber terrorism and from foreign government hackers.

More info at http://www.teamultimedia.com/cyber-defense.html

Defense News in Brief – 5 March 2010

worldmilitaryhistory — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:12:40 +0000

New Army Black Hawk succeeds in combat

The Army’s new high-tech UH-60 Black Hawk M-model helicopter — equipped with a stronger engine, a digital cockpit and composite rotor blades — performed exceptionally well in Afghanistan during its first major combat deployment, according to a recently completed After Action Review at Fort Campbell, Ky., service officials said.

“The M-model Black Hawks were in Afghanistan for 12 months. The aircraft performed exceptionally well,” said Lt. Col. Jerry Davis, product manager for UH-60 Modernization. “We got great reaction from pilots. They experienced a higher than average operational readiness rate with those aircraft in theater and they loved the technologies on-board.”

The year-long deployment was the first for the M-model Black Hawks, which entered full-rate production in June, 2007. So far, 154 M-models have been delivered, Davis said.

C-130 low-cost, low-altitude combat airdrops now operational

A C-130 Hercules aircrew conducted a new method of airdrop that makes deliveries more accurate and flexible for resupply of small, mobile forces Feb. 6, in Afghanistan. The C-130 aircrew from Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, performed the first-ever low-cost, low-altitude combat airdrop to re-supply soldiers at a forward operating base in Afghanistan. The airdrop concept became operational March 1.

A C-130 low-cost, low-altitude combat airdrop is accomplished by dropping bundles weighing 80 to 500 pounds, with pre-packed expendable parachutes, in groups of up to four bundles per pass. The drops are termed “low-cost” to reflect the relative expense of the expendable parachutes compared to their more durable, but pricier, nylon counterparts. “Low-altitude” alludes to the relative height from which bundles are released from the aircraft.

Naval Surface Warfare Center Dam Neck Hosts Anti-Piracy Conference

An international group of 50 leading scientists, engineers and technologists convened at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dam Neck Feb. 23 to explore new technological concepts and collaboration initiatives to defeat piracy. Participants from U.S. and international navies, U.S. Naval Warfare Centers, industry and academia shared their insight and expertise to gain a better understanding of the issue and develop improved ways to combat piracy.

“We are thankful that all of the participants brought us their perspectives, especially the coalition viewpoint,” said Ray Campfield, workshop organizer. “Anti-piracy solutions are neither nation nor Navy specific. We must continue to work together and include our commercial shipping partners to achieve interoperable, integrated solutions for Navy, coalition and joint forces worldwide.”

Wargame results continue to shape future

worldmilitaryhistory — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:37:08 +0000

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Wargame results continue to shape future forces, doctrine

More than 180 participants from combatant commands, key coalition partners, and a broad range of government agencies gathered in northern Virginia earlier this year to examine how joint force operations will unfold in the future.

The results of that wargame in May and June led U.S. Joint Forces Command’s (USJFCOM) Joint Concept Development and Experimentation (JCD&E) Directorate to find the Capstone Concept for Joint Operations (CCJO) a conceptually sufficient framework for the future of joint operations.

USJFCOM, the services, other combatant commands and the Joint Staff developed the CCJO as a guide to how joint forces will operate in response to an array of future security challenges.

The CCJO as a whole held up to the scrutiny of the experiment’s participants. , At the same time, the experiment uncovered several other conceptual areas that need further development, said Navy Rear Adm. Dan Davenport, JCD&E director.

“The CCJO held up very well to all the challenges presented and was determined, through the rigorous evaluation of the experiment to be sufficient to guide future force development,” he said. “We did find areas where additional concept development is needed to further flesh out the ideas in the CCJO, and those will be the focus of future work we do here at Joint Forces Command and across DoD.”

Davenport said participants in the experiment’s blue force confronted many challenges as they examined particular areas.

“Some of these challenges were recognized in the wargame as potential game changers requiring a versatile joint force that is able to understand and adapt to the situation,” he said. “None were show stoppers, and all the objectives that the blue force had to carry out were achieved.”

The wargame generated detailed insights and recommendations in several areas of challenge for the joint force, including a “whole of nation” approach will be required to deal with a complex and uncertain future environment, keeping a well-defined balance between military tasks and those performed by other agencies, both inside and outside the government.

The idea of “whole of nation integrates academia, industry and other elements that need to be brought to bear to really, fully deal with many of the challenges,” Davenport said.

Other insights and recommendations include:

Situational understanding goes beyond situational awareness. It requires an ability to interpret the implications of events and conditions, according to experiment organizers. Joint forces need better tools and processes to frame problems and develop courses of action in complex and dynamic environments.
Joint forces need to be better prepared to operate in degraded or denied network environments. Future enemies will increasingly take the fight into the cyber domain, and two goals are imperative, Davenport said. “The first is the need to improve the capability of our systems to be resilient and redundant in the face of cyber threats and the [second is the] need to regularly train our forces to operate in degraded or denied environments.”
A comprehensive, flexible, culturally informed strategic communication capability is critical to future operations. “Our joint force commanders need an effective, coherent narrative – with words matching actions – to achieve success and maintain domestic, international and allied support,” Davenport said.

Davenport said that USJFCOM’s staff is maintaining its “bias for action” and is actively transitioning the wargame’s results into action.

“Joint Forces Command remains committed to turning the wargame recommendations into action,” he said. “We’re working with leaders and organizations across DoD to transition the results to drive enduring change. In many cases, the action is already underway.

Jacob Boyer

# END

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worldmilitaryhistory — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:48:59 +0000

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Pentagon Brief Has a New Web Address

worldmilitaryhistory — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:24:10 +0000

The Pentagon Brief blog has moved to www.pentagonbrief.blogspot.com

Overhauling the KC-135 Tanker

worldmilitaryhistory — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 02:02:30 +0000

It’s looking like the KC-135 fleet will need an expensive re-skinning circa 2018, says Air Mobility Command boss Gen. Art Lichte. The projection was actually made in 2000 by an independent study of airlifter longevity, but the study has proved remarkably prescient, he noted and added that the prediction still looks valid. As it is, the KC-135s need a $7 million depot maintenance every five years, but the cost and complexity of each visit is growing significantly, Air Force Magazine quotes Lichte. The re-skinning would be a “major re-build” and wouldn’t buy very much in terms of extra years of use, since other aspects of the aircraft would still be Eisenhower vintage. Stepping up the pace at which the new KC-X tanker is bought would diminish the number of re-skins necessary, but Lichte restated the Pentagon’s position that buying two different tankers at once—the only way to skip the re-skins entirely since the more aircraft would be available sooner—is unaffordable, reports Air Force Magazine.

Air Force Perils

worldmilitaryhistory — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 01:55:12 +0000

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The perils of flying aging aircraft was an issue at last February’s Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., and it remained on the mind of Gen. John Corley, Air Combat Command head, at this year’s event. During his presentation Friday, Corley reminded attendees that, this time last year, the Air Force was still in the midst of ascertaining what caused an F-15C to break apart in flight over Missouri in November 2007, and numerous F-15s remain grounded. This year, the rigors of age are continuing to plague the A-10 fleet, Air Force Magazine quotes the general. Corley said 108 A-10s—in a fleet of roughly 350—remain on the ground due to a systemic issue with wing cracks in the thinner winged variant of the aircraft. And, 53 more have yet to be inspected; probably 10 of those will end up grounded, too, he said.

First Woman Commands Special Operations Squadron

worldmilitaryhistory — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:22:44 +0000

An Airman from the 4th Special Operations Squadron became the first female flying squadron commander in Air Force Special Operations Command during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Florida on Feb. 20.

Lt. Col. Brenda Cartier assumed command of the 4th SOS, which employs the AC-130U Spooky gunship, from Lt. Col. Jim Rodriguez in a hangar packed with family, friends and colleagues.

“It’s a historic moment for us in AFSOC,” said Col. Dennis Pannell, 1st Special Operations Group commander, who officiated the ceremony.

Colonel Cartier is a fire control officer on the gunship with more than 4,000 flying hours, and previously served as the squadron’s operations officer under Colonel Rodriguez.

“She’s well prepared and well trained to take on this task, and we really look forward to her ability to lead this squadron in combat,” Colonel Pannell said.

Women at the front lines are no longer rare. For the story of some realy tough ladies, readThe Few. The Proud.: Women Marines in Harm’s Way

Colonel Rodriguez called the new commander his friend and confidant.

“She has tremendous patience, intellect and unending energy,” he said. “She will take this squadron on to new and greater things.”

Colonel Rodriguez served as commander for 22 months, during which time the squadron was constantly deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, added four operational aircraft and was named best flying squadron in AFSOC for 2007.

“Your leadership is clearly evident,” Colonel Pannell said. “While there is tremendous talent in the 4th [SOS], it takes steady and mature leadership to develop it. You’ve laid the foundation for many leaders of Spooky lineage.”

Colonel Rodriguez’s family members traveled from as far as Honduras to witness the ceremony. He received the Meritorious Service Medal for his tenure as squadron commander and operations officer.

Colonel Cartier said she was “very blessed” to take command of a squadron with such a rich history and such a relevant mission.

“When I arrived 12 years ago, the gunships were the newest weapons system, unproven in combat, but ready for action,” she said. “Today we are the longest continuously deployed AFSOC weapons system, and one of the most combat-experienced squadrons in Air Commando history.”

The 4th SOS has been deployed in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom since Sept. 11, 2001, logging more than 1,800 accident-free combat sorties.

“We will continue to be challenged and called upon to support our nation’s efforts,” Colonel Cartier said. “I assure you I will give you the full measure of my commitment to ensure the 4th SOS remains the most feared and revered weapons system platform on the battlefield.”

Lauren Johnson

C-17 Aircraft Secures 30,000 Jobs

worldmilitaryhistory — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 02:15:20 +0000

Defense spending is a major contributor ro economic stimulus — and always has been. The C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft is a case in point.

The Air Force is now on contract to buy 15 more C-17s, bringing the planned inventory up to 205 airplanes. That means the new “last day” of C-17 production, barring further USAF orders, will be in late 2010, according to Jean Chamberlin, Boeing’s vice president for mobility programs.

Read the history of the Globemaster aircraft family
The company continues to spend its own money to “preserve an option” for the Air Force to buy more, based on the stated wishes of Congress, Chamberlin said at a Boeing briefing Feb. 17 in Arlington, Va.. Joining the defense-stimulus bandwagon, she said the C-17 is a good jobs program, employing 30,000 people in 43 states, mostly clustered in California, Texas, Missouri, and Connecticut. It puts $8 billion into the national economy and employs 650 supplier companies.

Continued USAF production is essential to keep the airplane attractive for export; 15 a year is the minimum economic quantity, Chamberlin noted. Countries that have expressed interest in buying the C-17, apart from those that have already acquired or ordered (Australia, Britain, Canada, Qatar, and a NATO consortium) include India, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.