The F-35 Stealth Fighter’s Worst Enemy
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What is the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s biggest threat? Some analysts believe it’s the fifth-generation Russian PAK FA stealth fighter, Scout.com reports, and Russia has built six prototypes of the jet. The National Interest calls it “the terrifying Russian jet that will eat F-35s for breakfast.”
For the past few years US Air Force officials have been mum about the electronic warfare and cyber capabilities of the F-35. But at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom last week, Gen. Hawk Carlisle of Air Combat Command took a more public — though guarded — stance, Breaking Defense reports. The general said the F-35’s EW capabilities are “an order of magnitude better than anything we’ve had in the past.”
Defense Systems reports the US Air Force is looking to expand and upgrade its fleet of air-launched electronic warfare jammers, already in wide use. The $34.8 million contract calls for Raytheon to upgrade current versions of the Miniature Air Launched Decoy-Jammer, known as MALD-J, improving its flight and EW jamming capabilities.
As US troops begin rebuilding a key airfield in Iraq outside of the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul, Military Times reports, military officials say the size of the American force in Iraq might continue to grow.
The US Navy has awarded two contracts for potential breakthrough technologies — the research, development, evaluation, and implementation of cryogenic radio frequency systems, as well as advanced cryogenic core digital and quantum memory technologies.
The Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, or CARAT, exercise of the US Navy, US Marine Corps, and Republic of Singapore Armed Forces has begun for the 22nd year, DVIDS reports. CARAT Singapore this year will consist of nearly two weeks of shore-based and at-sea training engagements in multiple warfare areas. The exercise is focused on addressing shared maritime security concerns, building relationships and enhancing interoperability among participating forces for the two nations.
Meanwhile, Australian soldiers are expected to lead a battalion in the storming of a beach in Hawaii during the world’s largest maritime exercises this month, Rim of the Pacific, displaying amphibious military skills they’ve been building in recent years, AP reports. For the first time, Australia’s navy has brought an amphibious assault ship to the 26-nation RIMPAC drills.
The failed coup in Turkey has created only minor delays in the military campaign against the Islamic State in Syria, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said, The Washington Post reports. Mr. Kerry said it will not diminish Turkey’s role in the fight. He also said that Turkish officials have assured him that the continuing turmoil will not interrupt counterterrorism efforts based in that country.
The US, European Union and NATO on Monday warned Turkey to respect the rule of law after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government launched a massive crackdown following the failed coup, AFP reports.
The US Army wants to upgrade its Apache helicopters’ Longbow Fire Control Radar, Shephard Media reports. The $89.8 million contract includes the manufacturing of 84 radar electronics units and software upgrades. The fire control radar allows aircrew to automatically detect, locate, classify, and prioritize targets as well as carry out multi-target engagement in all weather conditions, over multiple terrains and through battlefield obscurants.
The New York Times asks, “In the Age of ISIS, Who’s a Terrorist, and Who’s Simply Deranged?” The paper reports that the “tools of terrorism appear increasingly crude and haphazard, has led to a reimagining of the common notion of who is and who is not a terrorist.” “A lot of this stuff is at the fringes of what we would historically think of as terrorism,” said Daniel Benjamin, a former State Department counterterrorism expert. But, he said, “the Islamic State and jihadism has become a kind of refuge for some unstable people who are at the end of their rope and decide they can redeem their screwed-up lives” by dying in the name of a cause.
Contracts:
Technica Corp., Dulles, VA, has been awarded a $40,825,603 task order (FA8732-14-D-0015-X001) using the NETCENTS-2 NetOps and Infrastructure Solutions indefinite delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for information technology services. The award, supporting the Air Force National Capital Region, includes four one-year options that if exercised would bring the total contract value to $224,402,153. Work will be performed at Joint Base Andrews, MD; Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, DC, the Pentagon, Washington, DC; National Military Command Center, Washington, DC; and other Air Force organizations within the National Capital Region. Services for the base year will last between Aug. 1, 2016, and July 31, 2017. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition in which 11 offers were received. Fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $40,825,603 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force District of Washington Contracting Directorate, Joint Base Andrews, MD, is the contracting activity.
World Wide Technology Inc., Maryland Heights, MD, was awarded a $7,980,851 firm-fixed-price contract for purchase of data storage hardware, software, maintenance, and professional implementation services to replace the obsolete data storage items at all affected Army Corps of Engineer locations. Bids were solicited via the Internet with six received. Work will be performed in Maryland Heights, MD, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2017. Fiscal 2016 other funds in the amount of $7,980,851 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, AL, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-16-D-0016).
