Next-gen ICBM

[Flaggy]

Boeing e Northrop Grumman vanno avanti.

Lockheed Martin invece è tagliata fuori dal programma di sostituzione dei vecchissimi ICBM Minuteman.

Nel 2020 ci sarà la scelta del vincitore ed entro il decennio la IOC.

 

http://www.defensenews.com/air/2017/08/21/boeing-northrop-move-forward-on-next-gen-icbm-program-lockheed-out/

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Un commento dal Daily Report dell'AFA ... con il consueto corredo di links ...

 

... http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2017/August%202017/Mitchell-Institute-Says-GBSD-Contracts-Put-Nuclear-Modernization-Back-on-Track.aspx ...

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E ... udite, udite ... LM non presenterà ricorso ...

 

... https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2017-08-30/lockheed-will-not-protest-us-decision-on-icbm-replacement-contract ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Intanto ... in Russia ...

 

russianforces.org ... Test launch of Yars missile with "experimental warheads" ...

[Flaggy]

Conseguenze dell'acquisizione di Orbital ATK da parte di Northrop Grumman.

Northrop Grumman, infatti, è stata selezionata come uno dei 2 concorrenti, assieme a Boeing, per la sviluppo e la realizzazione del nuovo missile balistico intercontinentale che dovrà rimpiazzare il MINUTEMAN III oggi in servizio – programma Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) – per cui l'acquisizione di Orbital ATK rafforza notevolmente le probabilità di Northrop Grumman di affermarsi in questa importantissima gara.

http://www.portaledifesa.it/index~phppag,3_id,1953.html

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Dal sito dell'AFA ...

 

The Center for Strategic and International Studies released a report outlining the challenges facing the recapitalization of the Air Force’s Ground Based Strategic Deterrent.

 

Il documento ... https://csis-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/publication/170921_Harrison_OptionsGroundBasedLegNuclearTriad.pdf?_q2TQEeJsoYEGK0hBv.6Nm6kHAiWq2nx ...

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Ground Based Strategic Deterrent ... non servono soluzioni miracolose ...

On GBSD, No Miracles Required ...

In developing the requirements for its Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, the Air Force has surveyed existing technologies and likes what it sees.

The Air Force is not looking for “technology miracles” for the Minuteman III replacement, program manager Col. Heath Collins said at a Task Force 21-Minot event in Washington, D.C., Thursday.

He said his team looked long and hard at “the state of industry today,” and it has identified a lot of technology that already “meets our requirements.”

Moving the GBSD program forward, he said, will be a matter of “integrating existing technologies” rather than achieving new technical breakthroughs.

The program is taking this approach to stay ahead of the timeline and keep costs down, a strategy developed after studying the “acquisition woes” of recent Air Force development programs, Collins added.

His program office is also looking into cost savings from commonality with similar programs.

The GBSD shop has investigated links with the Navy’s Trident missile, and has also looked for parallels “from the space community” and the Missile Defense Agency.

“We will beg, steal, and borrow anything we can,” Collins admitted, in order to complete the mission with reliability, speed, and affordability.

Wilson Brissett

Fonte ... il 'Daily Report' dell'AFA del 29-09-2017 ...

[BASE#1075]

Russia’s RS-28 ICBM to be tested by end of the year

 

 

 

 

 

An article by Kommersant on Oct. 23 suggests that Russia is preparing to test-fire the new RS-28 liquid-fueled, MIRV-equipped intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by end of the year.

 

To be tested at Plesetsk cosmodrome, a second firing is to take place within this year if the first test is successful.

Testing of the RS-28 has been repeatedly delayed.

 

http://alert5.com/2017/10/24/russias-rs-28-icbm-to-be-tested-by-end-of-the-year/

 

https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3447285

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A proposito dei problemi che hanno afflitto il 'Sarmat' ... una serie di articoli dal sito 'russianforces.org' ... http://russianforces.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?search=Sarmat+&IncludeBlogs=1

 

Anche il nuovo ICBM trasportato su rotaia 'Barguzin' sta affrontando parecchi problemi ... e la sua sorte non è ancora del tutto chiara ...

 

Dalla stessa fonte ... http://russianforces.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?search=Barguzin&IncludeBlogs=1

 

 

 

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A proposito di lanci di missili strategici russi ...

 

... russianforces.org/blog... Missile launches in 2017 and 2018 ...

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Minuteman ... il problema del rimpiazzo è in fase di soluzione ...

 

... airforcemag.com ... Replacing Minuteman - The Air Force is finally moving forward with a program to develop a next generation ICBM ...

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ICBM 'Sarmat' ... un passo avanti ...

 

... russianforces.org ... Sarmat ejection test, at last ...

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ICBM di nuova generazione ... 
Alla ricerca di chi produrrà il successore del Minuteman III ...

Quote

The Air Force is moving ahead with its program to replace Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles amid congressional debate about future nuclear weapons.
The service on July 16 issued an industry solicitation that will ultimately help choose which company builds the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, the new generation of ICBMs, according to a release. 
Boeing and Northrop Grumman have been refining and prototyping their missile designs under government contracts for the past two years, and the Air Force next year will pick a single contractor to provide more than 600 weapons.
The Air Force is asking for cybersecure, easily upgradeable, reliable weapons that can meet the challenges of 21st-century nuclear deterrence, and officials tout the program as a model for smart, flexible procurement.

... airforcemag.com ... Air Force Begins Final Search for Next ICBM Builder ...

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ICBM di nuova generazione ... 
Colpo di scena ... Boeing abbandona la competizione ... 

Quote

Boeing is abandoning its bid to build the next intercontinental ballistic missile amid an ongoing dispute with the Air Force about rocket propulsion. 
The Air Force had planned to choose between Boeing and Northrop Grumman to be the program’s sole contractor about a year from now.
By not bidding, Boeing is walking away from its six-decade legacy of Minuteman missile work and throws a wrench into the Air Force’s plans for a competitive selection. 
With only two vendors in the US solid rocket motor industrial base, the Air Force must now decide whether a single bidder is acceptable, or whether it must revise its request for proposals to satisfy Boeing’s objections.

... airforcemag.com ... Boeing Backs Out of Nuclear Missile Competition, Prompting USAF Choices ...

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ICBM di nuova generazione ... 

Quote

Only one company is left in the running to build the next generation of nuclear Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles leading to the natural question: should the Air Force change the proposed contract to better accommodate Boeing’s concerns to ensure more fair competition or allow Northrop Grumman to go ahead ?
If the current Ground-based Strategic Deterrent program’s requirements can be met through amending the RFP without delaying the program, then we can go in that direction. 
Otherwise, as there is precedent for going with a single bidder, we should proceed with the GBSD research and development contract. 
There are in place considerable controls and requirements that assure a cost-effective ICBM will be built and deployed, protecting the American people for decades to come.
How did we get here? 
It’s simple, really. 
There were three competitors: Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. 
The Air Force whittled that down to Boeing and Northrop. 
Then Boeing, clearly worried by Northrop’s acquisition last year of Orbital ATK, which builds solid rocket motors and is reportedly still a Boeing supplier, dropped out of the program. 
So, we are left with what Boeing sees as an uncompetitive program.

 ... breakingdefense.com ..... Compete Or Not, But Go Full Steam Ahead On GBSD ...

Domanda puramente retorica ... ci sarà mai un programma militare statunitense che non sia afflitto dalla solita caterva di complicazioni ?

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"Rientro anch'io? ... NO, TU NO !" ...

Ground Based Strategic Deterrent ... Boeing, che a Luglio aveva abbandonato la competizione, prova a rientrarvi ma ... Northrop Grumman le sbatte la porta in faccia ... 

... airforcemag.com ... http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/September 2019/Boeing-Rebuffed-in-Bid-to-Partner-with-Northrop-Grumman-on-New-ICBM.aspx ... 

Ora NG rivela il suo team ...

Quote

The Northrop lineup includes Aerojet Rocketdyne, BRPH, Clark Construction, Collins Aerospace, General Dynamics, Honeywell, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Parsons, and Textron Systems, as well as many small and midsize companies it did not name. 
It did not disclose workshare among the participants.

Quanto a Boeing ...

Quote

Boeing wrote the Air Force in July to say that it cannot compete with Northrop on price, given the latter’s vertical integration with Orbital ATK. 
Last week, Boeing issued a statement that it had failed to persuade Northrop to form a joint “national team” combining the expertise of both, and would therefore not be participating in GBSD.
Industry sources noted, however, that Boeing could still change its mind and submit a bid by the December deadline, and Manuel said that’s what Northrop will assume in developing its bid.
Manuel declined to discuss whether Boeing and Northrop had in fact held discussions about a joint offering, and said Northrop Grumman’s lineup is a “national team.”

Fonte ... airforcemag.com ... http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/September 2019/Northrop-Announces-Its-GBSD-Team-Still-Assumes-Competition-with-Boeing.aspx ...

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Ed ora ... Boeing chiede aiuto alle autorità USA ... e invoca una sorta di matrimonio riparatore ... 

Quote

Months after announcing it would not bid on the Air Force’s ICBM replacement program, Boeing is officially lobbying both Congress and the service to force a shotgun marriage with Northrop Grumman, against the latter company’s will.
Frank McCall, Boeing’s director of strategic deterrence systems, told reporters Tuesday that the company was actively seeking “government intervention” on the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program, one which would require Northrop to add Boeing as at least a major sub-contractor, if not a co-equal partner.

Fonte ... defensenews.com ... https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/air-force-association/2019/09/17/boeing-calls-for-government-intervention-on-icbm-replacement-fight/ ...

Sarà forse l'inizio di una nuova telenovela ?

Modificato 18 Settembre 2019 da TT-1 Pinto
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[nik978]

A margine, il lobbing delle aziende in America è qualcosa di spaventoso.. Nel militare poi....

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Ground Based Strategic Deterrent ... il contratto per il missile balistico intercontinentale di nuova generazione potrebbe essere assegnato prima del previsto ...

Quote

An award for the U.S. Air Force’s Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program is slated to granted by the end of September, but it could happen earlier, the service’s acquisition executive said Thursday.
“I think early award is possible on GBSD,” Will Roper told reporters during a teleconference. 
“I’m very hopeful, but because GBSD has a large component of classified work, that team is having to go in and maintain workforce in our [sensitive compartmented information facilities] and in our classified spaces. So we’re watching very carefully to make sure the installations are open to allow that work.”
As the sole bidder on the GBSD program, Northrop Grumman is anticipated to win an estimated $85 billion to design and build the Air Force’s next-generation intercontinental ballistic missiles.

... defensenews.com ... Northrop could get $85 billion award to make next-gen ICBMs sooner than expected ...

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Ground Based Strategic Deterrent ... il successore del Minuteman III supera l'esame preliminare di progetto (PDR) ...

Quote

Northrop Grumman’s Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent system passed a two-day preliminary design review in late April, the Air Force said May 15.
The evaluation clears the way for a final review by Ellen Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. 
If she approves, the Air Force expects to award Northrop the GBSD development contract by the end of September.
The review showed that the GBSD - the replacement for the Minuteman III ICBM force - is “sufficiently mature and ready to proceed into detailed design with acceptable risk, and will meet performance requirements within budget and on schedule,” program manager Col. Jason Bartolomei said in a press release from the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (*).

... airforcemag.com ... Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent Passes Preliminary Design Review ...

(*) ... afnwc.af.mil ... Air Force reviews preliminary design for future ICBM ...

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Suddivisione e riallineamento di direttorati ...

Quote

The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center is restructuring its directorates to improve focus on providing nuclear capabilities to the warfighter.
The center is responsible for synchronizing all aspects of nuclear materiel management on behalf of Air Force Materiel Command, in direct support of Air Force Global Strike Command.  
It has more than 1,300 personnel assigned to 18 locations worldwide.
Headquartered at Kirtland AFB, the center’s former Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Systems Directorate at Hill AFB, Utah, divided into two new directorates: 1) the Minuteman III Systems Directorate and 2) the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) Systems Directorate.

... afmc.af.mil ... AFNWC splits ICBMs in two: Center realigns to improve nuclear mission focus ...

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Dalla pagina "Contracts" (sezione AIR FORCE) del DoD in data 8 Settembre 2020 ...

Quote

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Roy, Utah, has been awarded a $13,293,562,839 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for a tested and fully qualified design of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD). 
The GBSD will replace the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Weapon system. 
This contract will provide for the engineering and manufacturing of the GBSD. Work will be performed in Roy, Utah, and multiple other locations nationwide, and is expected to be completed February 2029. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal Year 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $85,000,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8219-20-C-0006).

Quote

Northrop Grumman will officially move ahead as the sole company in the Air Force’s competition to design a new intercontinental ballistic missile, under a $13.3 billion contract, the service said Sept. 8.
Northrop’s design for the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent will replace the 400 Minuteman III missiles that are scattered in silos around Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming, as well as 200 or so additional missiles used as replacements, for testing, and for other development.
The engineering and manufacturing development contract formally unseats Boeing as the Air Force’s future ICBM provider after more than 60 years as the primary contractor.

... airforcemag.com ... Northrop Wins $13.3B Contract to Design New ICBMs ...

Anche qui ... defensenews.com ... Northrop wins US Air Force’s contest for next-gen ICBMs ...

E qui ... news.northropgrumman.com ... Northrop Grumman will lead a nationwide team to deliver the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program ...

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"Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent" ... passi avanti per il successore del Minuteman III ...

Quote

Northrop Grumman’s design for a new nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile is moving forward after the Air Force signed off on the latest development milestone in November, the company announced Feb. 16.
The Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent will replace the aging Minuteman III nuclear missiles starting in the late 2020s. 
Northrop is now the sole company under contract to create the new fleet under a $13.3 billion engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) agreement awarded in September.
“Achieving this milestone demonstrates our team’s commitment to deliver a safe, secure, and reliable system to the U.S. Air Force on schedule and on budget,” Steve Lunny, Northrop’s vice president for the GBSD program, said in a release (*). 
“Our team is applying a digital engineering approach that will produce a modern strategi c deterrent capability for our nation and its allies.”

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/nuclear-missile-program-passes-review-moves-closer-to-production/ ...

(*) ... news.northropgrumman.com ... https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-successfully-conducted-major-milestone-for-ground-based-strategic-deterrent-program ...

Modificato 22 Febbraio 2021 da TT-1 Pinto
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[TT-1 Pinto]

Why ?

Quote

America is building a new weapon of mass destruction, a nuclear missile the length of a bowling lane. 
It will be able to travel some 6,000 miles, carrying a warhead more than 20 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. 
It will be able to kill hundreds of thousands of people in a single shot.
The US Air Force plans to order more than 600 of them.
On September 8, the Air Force gave the defense company Northrop Grumman an initial contract of $13.3 billion to begin engineering and manufacturing the missile, but that will be just a fraction of the total bill. 
Based on a Pentagon report cited by the Arms Control Association Association and Bloomberg News, the government will spend roughly $100 billion to build the weapon, which will be ready to use around 2029.

... thebulletin.org ... https://thebulletin.org/2021/02/why-is-america-getting-a-new-100-billion-nuclear-weapon/ ...

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"Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent" ... le ultime novità ...

Scelto il sito per l'addestramento ... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/vandenberg-is-usafs-choice-to-host-gbsd-training-unit/ ...

Completata la revisione integrata di base ... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/gbsd-passes-integrated-baseline-review-on-pace-for-ioc-in-2029/ ...