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.

Congress deepens US-Israel missile alliance

U. S. Congress released Nov. 9 an annual defense bill that calls for $705 million for Israel’s missile defense program, a tacit acknowledgment of the threat posed by Iran and Hezbollah.

David’s Sling, a joint US-Israeli development that can shoot down missiles that range up to 190 miles, is authorized to receive an additional $120 million under the new defense bill, according to a U.S. Senate summary.

The bill also requests $92 million for the Iron Dome system, designed to intercept small projectiles and artillery, expanding it from 10 to 15 missile batteries.

And the Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 batteries that took down Syrian anti-aircraft missiles headed for Israeli fighter jets in March are also in line to get $120 million under the bill.

“Israel is arguably under the greatest threat of rockets and missiles in the world with the exception of South Korea and Japan,” said Ian Williams, an associate fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

Downing down NK missiles: The need of a new approach

Concerned that the missile defense system designed to protect American cities is insufficient by itself to deter a North Korean attack, the Trump administration is expanding its strategy to also try to stop Pyongyang’s missiles before they get far from Korean airspace.

Congressional documents are actually talking about “additional investments” in “boost-phase missile defense.” The goal is to hit long-range missiles at their point of greatest vulnerability: while their engines are firing and the vehicles are stressed to the breaking point, and before their warheads are deployed.

In interviews, defense officials, along with top scientists and senior members of Congress, describe the effort as a response to the unexpected progress that North Korea has made in developing ICBMs capable of delivering a nuclear bomb to the continental United States: “It is an all-out effort,” said Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, who returned from a lengthy visit to South Korea last month, convinced that the United States needed to do far more to counter North Korea. “There is a fast-emerging threat, a diminishing window, and a recognition that we can’t be reliant on one solution.”

One first approach is to have stealth fighters such as the F-22 or the F-35 scramble from nearby bases in South Korea and Japan at the first sign of North Korean launch preparations. The jets would carry conventional air-to-air missiles, which are 12 feet long, and fire them at the North Korean long-range missiles after they are launched. But they would have to fly relatively close to North Korea to do that, increasing the chances of being shot down.

A second approach -hinted at in an emergency request to Congress last week for $4 billion to deal with North Korea- envisions the stepped-up use of cyber weapons to interfere with the North’s control systems before missiles are launched. Using cyber weapons to disrupt launches is a radical innovation in missile defense in the past three decades, but in the case of North Korea it is also the most difficult: It requires getting into the missile manufacturing, launch control and guidance systems of a country that makes very limited use of the internet and has few connections to the outside world — most of them through China, and to a lesser degree Russia.

And a third approach is to develop a UAV that would fire potent laser beams at rising missiles. But recent plans would have it make its debut no sooner than 2025 — too late to play a role in the current crisis or the Trump presidency.

China, angered

China's foreign ministry rebuked the U.S. Congress after legislators passed a bill allowing the sale of second-hand warships to Taiwan, the self-ruled island which Beijing claims as a renegade province.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the bill's passage was an "interference" in China's internal affairs: "China is resolutely opposed to this and has already made solemn representations to the U.S. side. We hope the U.S. Congress stops carrying forward this legislation," Hong told reporters at a regular press briefing. "We also hope the newly elected authorities can prevent the implementation of this legislation to avoid influencing the development of China-U.S. relations," Added.

The bill, which includes provisions on the transfer of warships to Mexico, Thailand and Pakistan, still has to be signed into law by U.S. President Barack Obama. The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the bill last week, authorizing the sale of four Perry-class guided missile frigates to Taiwan. China expressed anger in April when a similar bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. weapons sales in recent years to Taiwan have attracted strong condemnation in China, but have not caused lasting damage to Beijing's relations with either Washington or Taipei.

While Taiwan and China have signed a series of landmark trade and economic agreements since 2008, political and military suspicions are still deep, especially in democratic Taiwan where many fear China's true intentions.

Pentagon Releases Candidates for 3rd Missile Defense Site

In 2012, Congress demanded the Pentagon come up with recommendations for the location of a third site to base interceptors for the U.S. Ground Based Midcourse (GMD) missile defense system. 

Friday 13th September, the Pentagon announced the locations of five candidate sites for a possible future deployment of additional GMD interceptors. They are:

• Fort Drum, NY
• Camp Ethan Allen Training Site, Vermont
• Naval Air Station Portsmouth SERE Training Area, Maine
• Camp Ravenna Joint Training Center, Ohio
• Fort Custer Training Center, Michigan

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.

US Nimitz aircraft carrier headed closer to Syria

The Nimitz carrier strike group, which includes a guided missile cruiser and four destroyers, was kept in the Indian Ocean for a "prudent responsible decision," an official told the television channel.

Five US destroyers are now positioned in eastern Mediterranean waters, up from the usual three that normally focus on countering Iranian ballistic missile threats to Europe. The destroyers -- the USS Stout, Mahan, Ramage, Barry and Graveley -- are ready to fire cruise missiles if President Barack Obama gives the order.

In a surprise move, Obama has delayed the threat of missile strikes against Damascus that had appeared imminent, saying he would first seek formal approval from Congress.

Budget constraints make missile defense decissions challenging

U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) indicated that given the budget challenges facing Congress, difficult decisions must be made regarding the resources required to continue missile defense development for the United States. “Our challenge is to make sure we’re doing what we need to do to protect ourselves against missile attacks and to take advantage of emerging technologies that can be utilized as soon as reasonably possible given the constraints to the budget,” Cochran said. Cochran sought information from MDA director, Vice Admiral James Syring on the whether the budget request is sufficient to continue development and deployment of missile defense programs, including enhanced radar capabilities and the potential for a sea-based option to defend the eastern United States. The subcommittee also examined the administration’s decision to increase the number of operational ground based interceptors from 30 to 44 to enhance the nation’s national missile defense posture. The Department of Defense in April announced a new missile defense strategy in light of continued efforts by North Korea to test its nuclear capabilities and long-range launch vehicles. The MDA mission also takes into account the ability of Iran to launch satellites into space, which indicates it has the capability to develop a long range ballistic missile.

Estados Unidos: La Agencia Antimisiles continuará su hoja de ruta

 

En plena resaca tras el fracaso de las recientes pruebas del sistema antimisiles, el Director de la Agencia de Defensa Antimisiles de los Estados Unidos (U.S. Missile Defense Agency) reafirmó el pasado miercoles ante el Congreso de los Estados Unidos que seguirá llevando adelante la hoja de ruta marcada.

 

James Syring dijo a los miembros de la subcomisión de defensa que aunque durante las pruebas llevadas a cabo el pasado 5 de Julio el misil fracasó a la hora de interceptar el objetivo, se consiguieron llevar a cabo otros propósitos adicionales. Desde luego la causa del fallo sigue siendo objeto de examen, si bien ello no merma en modo alguno su compromiso con el programa ya que se trata del primer fracaso en cuatro pruebas. Según Syring, se barajan nuevas fechas de futuras pruebas entre las cuales no se descarta repetir las recientemente fallidas. A tal efecto ha pedido presupuesto para llevar a cabo dos tests de interceptación durante el año fiscal 2014 y al menos un test anual de interceptación en años posteriores.

 

A pesar de los fallos observados, Syring confía en la fiabilidad del sistema para defender a los Estados Unidos frente a un ataque mediante misiles balísticos intercontinentales. A este respecto, el Secretario de Defensa Chuck Hagel ordenó el pasado mes de Marzo un incremento en la flota operativa de interceptores terrestres, que debería llegar a la cifra de 44 para 2017 (actualmente es de 30). A tal efecto, la Agencia de Defensa Antimisiles está evaluando ya localizaciones en el territorio continental estadounidense para el despliegue de los futuros interceptores, y está evaluando igualmente la posibilidad de instalar un segundo radar móvil anti misiles balísticos AN/TPY-2 en Japón. En otro orden de cosas, James Syring afirmó que la Agencia continuará financiando la Fase 1 de la Estrategia Europea Antimisiles, en la cual ocupa un lugar preferente completar el despliegue del Aegis Ashore -el componente terrestre del Systema Antimisiles Aegis- en Rumania para 2015 y en Polonia para 2018.

North Korea thought to have 200 mobile missile launchers

 

According to the report submitted to the U.S. Congress by the Pentagon, North Korea appears to have accumulated up to 200 so-called transporter erector launchers (TEL), including up to 100 for short-range Scud missiles, 50 for medium-range Nodong missiles and 50 for long-range Musudan missiles, the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) said. (Read more)