Missile Defense: ¿Why should an army wait a year to get end-use parts that It could be 3D-Printed?

Defense companies are using Additive Manufacturing more often today to build parts for weapons: Aerojet Rocketdyne is using the technology to build rocket engines, Huntington Ingalls is using it to build warships and Boeing is 3D printing parts for its commercial, defense, and space products. “In particular, rapid prototyping, along with the creation of highly specific and technical parts are orders of magnitude faster and cheaper than traditional manufacturing methods,” said a recently released RAND report. 

Someday, the military will 3D-print missiles as needed, the U.S. Air Force’s acquisition chief says. In the shorter term, he just wants to use Additive Manufacturing Technology to get broken planes back in the air. The roadblock is legal, not technical: “I have airplanes right now that are waiting on parts that are taking a year and a half to deliver. A year and a half,” Will Roper, the assistant Air Force secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, said in an interview.

The Air Force is already 3D-printing niche projects whose original suppliers no longer exist. The problem is with parts whose manufacturers are still around, but which no longer make the specific item in need. Today’s 3D-printers could make short work of those deliveries, but some of those parts’ original manufacturers control the intellectual property —and so far, the service lacks clear policy for dealing with that: “The reason I can’t say we’re going to do it is we’re talking about government contracts and IP, so I have lawyers that are helping me and other contracts folks,” Roper said. “But it’s an area I’m going to stay focused because I see a way for win-win. And that doesn’t happen often in the government.”

Additive Manufacturing with SiOC, key for hypersonic missiles

Scientists at the Aerospace Systems Directorate (ASD) searching for new thermocouple radiation shields, are very interested in the Silicon OxyCarbide (SiOC) because of its potential for building missiles capable to flight at continuous hypersonic speed.

Specifically, the refractory qualities of the SiOC, its ability to maintain strength and form at high temperatures, and the geometric complexity offered by Additive Manufacturing have a wide range of Air Force applications. This is the reason why nowadays, the ASD is researching into applications for the 3D printed SiOC under a Collaborative Research and Development – Material Transfer Agreement (CRADA-MTA) between the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Aerospace Systems Directorate and HRL Laboratories, a research center owned by Boeing and  General Motors Corporation.

Europe, the old chessboard

Further deployment of America’s global anti-ballistic missile defense poses a threat to the US and those European countries that agreed to host it, because it builds up a dangerous illusion of invincibility, Putin said in the state of the nation address.

The European Phased Adaptive Approach, centerpiece of the US missile defense shield in Europe, implies deployment of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, all of which are fitted with the Aegis weapon and radar system, interceptor batteries in Poland and Romania, radar in Turkey, and a command center at Ramstein, Germany, a US Air Force base. 

“This constitutes a threat not only to the security of Russia, but to the whole world, in view of the possible destabilization of the strategic balance of powers. I believe this is dangerous for the US itself, as it creates a dangerous illusion of invulnerability and reinforces the tendency of unilateral, often ill-considered decisions and additional risks,” Putin said.

More U.S. nuclear missile officers implicated in cheating scandal

A U.S. Air Force investigation into exam cheating by America's nuclear missile officers has widened, with roughly double the original 34 officers now under review, a U.S. official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. The investigations also come just months after the head of the ICBM force, Air Force Major General Michael Carey, was fired for getting drunk and carousing with women last year while leading a government delegation to Moscow for talks on nuclear security. (Read more)

Raytheon Delivers HCSM units

Raytheon has delivered the first order of High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) Control Section Modification (HCSM) upgrade units to the U.S. Air Force earlier this month. "HCSM improves mission effectiveness and significantly reduces the risk of collateral damage," said Jack Roosa, HARM program director for Raytheon Missile Systems.

(Read more...)

Michael Carey, US General in charge of nuclear missiles, sacked

The Air Force fired the general in charge of its nuclear missiles on Friday, just two days after a Navy admiral with top nuclear weapons responsibilities was also sacked. In this case, the general in charge of the US Air Force's long-range nuclear missiles has been sacked due to "loss of trust and confidence", officials have said.

Major General Michael Carey was serving since June 2012 as the commander of the 20th Air Force, and has been under investigation for several months over allegations of personal misbehaviour. The two-star general was responsible for maintaining a total of 450 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) at three bases across the US. The Air Force said the investigation did not relate to operational matters or readiness of America's nuclear missiles and there was no indication of criminal activity.

The U.S. has been shrinking the size of its nuclear arsenal for many years; it is comprised of long-range missiles aboard submarines, long-range bombers and ICBMs. As of Oct. 1 the U.S. had 1,688 deployed strategic nuclear warheads, which Washington is obliged to reduce to 1,550 by 2018 under the New START treaty with Russia.

US planning missile strikes for 3 days on Syria

If President Barack Obama orders the strike on Syria that Congress is considering, the U.S. Navy will be at the forefront of an attack that has the unusual objective of degrading Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities without striking at the heart of the program. However, Pentagon planners are now considering to unleash a heavy barrage of missile strikes to be followed swiftly by using Air Force bombers, as well as several US missile destroyers currently patrolling the eastern Mediterranean Sea, to launch cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles from far out of range of Syrian air defenses.

The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group with one cruiser and three destroyers positioned in the Red Sea can also fire cruise missiles at Syria. The weapon of choice is the Tomahawk cruise missile aboard four Navy destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean. An operation in that range would likely be limited to the cost of launching missiles from U.S. destroyers cruising within range of Syria, according to budget analysts. The Tomahawk missiles aboard the ships, which generally carry dozens of them, cost about $1,1 ... 1,5 million each.  The mission is among the most complex the U.S. military has launched in recent history because Syria will have had weeks to shield its most vulnerable targets from a widely anticipated volley of Tomahawk missiles.

As lawmakers continue to discuss the scope and risks of a strike, military planners are fine-tuning a plan to blast dozens of targets that include air defense infrastructure, long-range missiles, rocket depots and airfields, according to defense officials and military analysts. The six air bases the Syrian government is currently using to carry out the bulk of its military operations and its roughly two dozen stationary radars are likely targets of cruise missile strikes, according to military analysts who have studied Syria’s armed forces. Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers last week that the strikes would likely hit Syrian long-range missile and rocket depots because the weapons can be used to protect – and deliver – chemical weapons. The Navy has kept four Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers stationed within firing range of the Syrian coast for several days.

The ships – the USS Ramage, USS Barry, USS Gravely and USS Stout – are loaded with the latest generation of Tomahawk missiles. Tomahawks, which made their debut during the Gulf War in 1991, have been used in several military campaigns, often as the first salvos of protracted engagements. Raytheon, the defense giant that manufactures the missiles, has marketed them as an alternative to drones, which have become the weapon of choice in U.S. stealth counterterrorism attacks. “Unmanned aircraft seem to get all the headlines these days,” the company’s promotional website for Tomahawks says. “But the ship and submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missile – an unmanned aircraft that goes on a one-way trip – is quietly upping its game.”

Unlike earlier versions, today’s Tomahawks, which cost roughly $1,1 ... 1,5 million a piece, can be programmed quickly using GPS technology to strike targets and may be redirected midflight. The missile, which has a 1,000-mile range, can be airborne for up to four hours and deliver a 1,000 pound bomb or a package of 166 “bomblets.” The first would be ideal for a crushing blow to a critical building, while the latter would be effective against a wider area, such as a parking lots with military vehicles or a warehouse that contains weapons.

341st Missile Wing: A brief look

The 341st Missile Wing, headquartered at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., is one of three U.S. Air Force Bases that maintains and operates the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.

The 341st Missile Wing reports directly to 20th Air Force, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., and is part of Air Force Global Strike Command, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. 

Mission 

The mission of the 341st Missile Wing is to defend America with safe, secure, effective nuclear forces and combat-ready Airmen.

People 

• Approximately 4,000 people, including more than 3,300 active-duty and more than 700 civilians, comprise the 341st Missile Wing.
• Malmstrom Air Force Base is also host to a tenant unit, the 819th RED HORSE Squadron, which accounts for nearly 500 personnel. 

Organizations 

The 341st Missile Wing is made up of a wing staff and five groups:

• 341st Operations Group
• 341st Maintenance Group
• 341st Mission Support Group
• 341st Security Forces Group
• 341st Medical Group

The 341st Operations Group consists of more than 500 operators, administrators, chefs and facility managers and is composed of three missile squadrons:

• Operations support
• Helicopters
• Standardization and evaluation element

Each of the operations group's three missile squadrons are responsible for:

• Five Missile Alert Facilities
• 50 Minuteman III ICBMs

The units of the 341st Operations Group include five squadrons:

• 10th Missile Squadron
• 12th Missile Squadron
• 490th Missile Squadron
• 341st Operations Support Squadron
• 40th Helicopter Squadron 

The 341st Maintenance Group provides the maximum number of fully modernized, combat capable Minuteman III missiles and the command and control required to execute launch per higher command authority. The units of the 341st Maintenance Group include:

• The 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron
• The 341st Maintenance Operations Squadron
• The 341st Munitions Squadron

The 341st Mission Support Group provides world-class support to enable the deterrent mission of the 341st Missile Wing, while preparing and deploying expeditionary combat support forces in support of the combatant commanders. The support group provides the war-fighting and peace-time support to the 341st Missile Wing. This includes:

• Supporting 43 units and tenants
• Resource protection
• Engineering and construction
• Disaster preparedness
• Personnel administration
• Communication services
• Recreation facilities
• Dining and lodging services
• Worldwide contingency mobility forces

The units of the 341st Mission Support Group include:

• 341st Civil Engineer Squadron
• 341st Communications Squadron
• 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron
• 341st Contracting Squadron
• 341st Force Support Squadron

The 341st Security Forces Group, the largest security forces group in the Air Force, ensures the most stringent security forces' support to the largest intercontinental ballistic missile complex in the world through effective management of all war-fighting and peacetime security taskings assigned to the 341st Missile Wing. The units of the 341st Security Forces Group include:

• 341st Security Forces Squadron
• 341st Missile Security Forces Squadron
• 741st Missile Security Forces Squadron
• 341st Security Support Squadron
• Tactical Response Force unit

The 341st Medical Group is responsible for all medical and dental care for nearly 15,000 beneficiaries throughout north-central Montana. The group's mission is to maximize 341st Missile Wing personnel health, fitness and readiness through comprehensive managed health care systems emphasizing health promotion and preventive medicine. The units of the 341st Medical Group include:

• 341st Medical Operations Squadron
• 341st Medical Support Squadron

Resources

• 150 Minuteman III missiles 
• 8 UH-1N "Huey" helicopters 
• Malmstrom Air Force Base is also host to the 819th RED HORSE squadron

S-300 in Syria: Efectiveness doubtful

The potential delivery of Russian S-300s to Syria might complicate the majority of military options being considered by the U.S. and Israel for the Syrian conflict. However, for several reasons are there serial doubts whether the S-300 would be fully efficient in real combat conditions. Let us see why.

Serial reasons for serial doubts

• Military experts in the U.S. and Israel are familiar with the S-300 because their air forces have trained to suppress air defences armed with this system in Bulgaria, Slovakia and Greece.
• In the last decade, Israel was designing and arming itself with the ITALD system (Improved Tactical Air Launched Decoy), which is able to decoy radar as well as the S-300 command-and-control systems.
• Even armed with S-300s, Syria would not likely stop more advanced “stealth” aircraft, such as the U.S. Air Force’s F-22, F-35 and B-2, which are not visible on the system’s radar.
• The recent raids by the Israeli Air Force against selected targets in Syria suggest that it would be easy to destroy any S-300 batteries employed there.
• It is also clear that in case Russia is determined to deliver the S-300s, additional Russian advisors and experts would be needed.
• All these factors taken into account might work against Russia making a final decision to deliver the S-300s.

Conclussions

• Under the point of view of many analysts, the S-300 issue seems to be more of an element of disinformation used by Russia to strengthen its position vis-à-vis the West to deter military intervention in Syria.
• There are no doubts that if Russia delivers the S-300s to Syria in the face of U.S., NATO and Israel military engagement, there would be a real combat test of this system.