El Pentágono mantiene su apuesta por la Manufactura Aditiva

Los altos mandos del Pentágono quieren dar un uso más amplio a la Manufactura Aditiva para aplicaciones militares, a pesar de los obstáculos regulatorios que le han impedido hasta la fecha ampliar su gama de aplicaciones, y que le han hecho perder terreno frente a otros adversarios que se enfrentan a menos obstáculos regulatorios, tales como Rusia y China.

Actualmente, los avances más importantes en la carrera de armamentos están basados en el desarrollo y fabricación de misiles hipersónicos, area en la que la Manufactura Aditiva resulta imprescindible. El problema es que cuando un país como Estados Unidos consigue avanzar terreno desarrollando nuevas tecnologías o nuevos materiales, el proceso posterior de certificación requiere un tiempo que es aprovechado a su favor por otros países como Rusia o China, convirtiendo los esfuerzos del Pentágono en lo más parecido a intentar subir una escalera mecánica de bajada.

A pesar de todo, los altos mandos del Pentágono siguen apostando por la Manufactura Aditiva y han desarrollado una batería de iniciativas para expandir su utilización, de entre las cuales merece la pena destacar las dos más recientes:

• El pasado 7 de Diciembre, el Congreso aprobó la inclusión de una partida presupuestaria por valor de 42.5 millones de dólares, en la Ley de Autorización de Defensa Nacional 2020, para financiar proyectos de fabricación avanzada.

• El pasado 4 de octubre, el secretario del US Army Ryan McCarthy aprobó una directiva que exige al US Army la utilización de piezas impresas en 3D tanto en armas nuevas como en armas ya existentes, al objeto de reducir peso con el fin de que los carros de combate, los vehículos blindados y los helicópteros viajen más lejos o lleven más armas o equipos. 

La Impresión 3D ya ha demostrado su valía tanto en el campo de batalla como en las bases militares y en los laboratorios de fabricación avanzada del Pentágono, donde se emplea para la fabricación digital directa de utillajes, fijaciones de montaje, y piezas de uso final. Pero su aplicación más interesante está relacionada con la reducción de costes de tareas relacionadas con el mantenimiento, donde se estima que acaban 70 céntimos de cada dólar gastado en armas: En palabras del propio Ryan McCarthy, "Las piezas de repuesto son para la industria militar lo que las cuchillas para un fabricante de maquinillas de afeitar. Constantemente estás comprando repuestos. Es un modelo de negocio sencillamente increíble.”

¿Quieren un botón de muestra? Ahí va uno: En 2018, la USAF reveló que reemplazar el asiento del inodoro de un avión de carga, cuyo precio como pieza de repuesto ascendía a 10.000 dólares fabricándose por el método tradicional (si, han leído bien: he escrito diez mil dólares por un asiento de inodoro) se reducía a 300 dólares fabricándose mediante Impresión 3D. No es de extrañar por tanto, que, con esa reducción de costes, el Pentágono mantenga su apuesta por la Impresión 3D.

US to supply FGM-148 Javelin to Estonia

Approved by the US State Department, the sale of 350 Javelin guided missiles, along with 120 command launch units with integrated day / thermal sight, 102 battery coolant units, 16 enhanced performance basic skills trainers and 102 missile simulation rounds, for an estimated amount of $55M, is expected to improve Estonia's capability to address existing and future threats, and also provide greater security for its critical infrastructure.

Equipped with an automatic self-guidance system, the FGM-148 Javelin is a portable, shoulder-fired anti-tank guided missile, suitable for operations against existing and future threats from armoured combat vehicles, in all environments. Fired from the shoulder or from a vehicle-mounted lightweight multiple launcher, the missile can also engage helicopters in direct-attack mode in theatre, and is armed with a top attack-dual warhead capability that can defeat all known enemy armour systems.

Raytheon Gets Service Contract for Patriot

Aerospace and defense operator Raytheon Company received a $109 million contract from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL. Per this Engineering Service contract, Raytheon will keep the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System battle ready for the U.S. Army and foreign military customers.

The Patriot missile defense system has continuously been upgraded to keep pace with the changing dynamics of modern warfare. Through this new contract, Raytheon will aim to maintain as well as upgrade the existing Patriot Air and Missile Defense System. The sustainment and modernization of the Patriot Air and Missile defense system will help to keep it in service till 2048 and beyond. 

Excalibur Ib enters full rate production

Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) Excalibur Ib precision guided projectile has entered Full Rate Production (FRP). Additionally, the U.S. Army has awarded Raytheon $52 million for continued Excalibur Ib production: "The full rate production decision is the culmination of superb teamwork between the U.S. Army and Raytheon," said Lieutenant Colonel Josh Walsh, U.S. Army Excalibur product manager. "I am proud of the combined team's effort that is putting the world's finest cannon artillery munition into the hands of our warfighters."

"International interest in Excalibur has risen sharply during the last year," said Michelle Lohmeier, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems vice president. "Excalibur has revolutionized cannon artillery, making it possible to engage targets precisely at long ranges while avoiding collateral damage, a capability that appeals to military leaders around the world," Lohmeier added.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. 

Syria's Readiness for Attack: A brief look

While Syria has been upgrading its aging defense system in recent years, it will be severely tested if a barrage of American-made missiles are fired at the country.

Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a confident, if unnamed, "military diplomatic source" on Tuesday who predicted "no easy victory" if "the U.S. Army together with NATO launches an operation against Syria. Buk-M2E multirole air and missile complexes and other air defense systems are capable of making a fitting reply to aggressors."

Estimates by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Jane's and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) of Assad's pre-war defense capabilities included 365 to 550 combat aircraft (50% of which CSIS estimates may be left now with questions about pilot capability); 25 air defense brigades with some 120 to 150 surface-to-air missile batteries (most aging or obsolete); and an array of more modern short-range surface-to-air weapons, including thousands of shoulder-launched MANPADS.

Syria has purchased a highly advanced S-300 system from Russia, which can intercept targets at a much longer range and higher altitude than anything currently in Syria's arsenal. But it hasn't been delivered yet, and even if it arrived tomorrow, it would take months to set up and properly train Syrians to use. One of the Syrian military's most potent assets are its Bastion coastal defense missiles, which Assad bought from Russia in the last few years. They could strike ships in the Mediterranean and would effectively push back the distances from which foreign ships would launch missiles used in any attack. Part of the system are Yakhont anti-ship missiles, which were reportedly Israel's target when it bombed a Syrian depot in July.

Lockheed Martin Conducts Successful PAC-3 Missile Flight Test

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] conducted a successful PAC-3 Missile flight test yesterday at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., in which PAC-3 successfully detected, tracked and intercepted an aerodynamic, threat-representative tactical ballistic missile target.

The ripple fire engagement of two PAC-3 Missiles resulted in the first interceptor destroying the target.  The second PAC-3 Missile was self-destructed on command as planned.“The PAC-3 Missile continues to deliver proven, reliable performance along with unmatched lethality. The capability PAC-3 provides continues to draw significant interest from a number of international customers.” said Richard McDaniel, vice president of PAC-3 programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

Lockheed Martin recently received a $308 million contract for continued production of the PAC-3 Missile for the U.S. and Kuwait. The Fiscal Year (FY13) contract includes missile and command launch system production for the U.S. Army and a first time Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of the PAC-3 Missile to Kuwait. Kuwait becomes the sixth international customer for the PAC-3 Missile. Lockheed Martin is prime contractor on the PAC-3 Missile Segment of the PATRIOT air defense system.

The PAC-3 Missile is one of the world’s most advanced, capable and reliable theater air defense missiles. It defends against advanced tactical ballistic and cruise missiles, and fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. As the most technologically advanced missile for the PATRIOT air defense system, PAC-3 significantly increases the PATRIOT system’s firepower, as 16 PAC-3s can be loaded in place of only four legacy PATRIOT PAC-2 missiles on the PATRIOT launcher. 

Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first operational hit-to-kill missile.  It also has considerable experience in missile design and production, infrared seekers, command and control/battle management, and communications, precision pointing and tracking optics, as well as radar and signal processing.  The company makes significant contributions to all major U.S. missile defense systems and participates in several global missile defense partnerships.

Anti-missile system JLENS to be launched in East Coast skies next year

Successful tests of the U.S. Army's anti-missile blimp system called JLENS at the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah, completed in June, means the two "aerostats" should next be stationed outside Baltimore and 10,000 feet up in the air, in September of 2014, says Douglas Burgess of defense contractor Raytheon, which manages the program. (Read more)

MEADS Future Remains Unclear After $4B Investment

 

MEADS was supposed to replace the Patriot missile defense system until the U.S. Army decided it was too expensive and chose not to field it. U.S. officials agreed four years ago to join Italy and Germany — the other allies partnered on the program — to fund development until 2013. (Read more)