USMC welcomes first prototype of general dynamics AAAV

Sea Power, Aug 1999 by Burgess, Richard R

A ceremony at Marine Corps Air Facility in Quantico, Va., was the stage for the rollout of the first prototype of the General Dynamics Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV).

The AAAV was showcased with the other two platforms of the "amphibious triad" central to the Marine Corps' Operational Maneuver From the Sea (OFMTS) warfighting concept-the MV22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and the veteran LCAC (landing craft, air cushion).

"This morning we enter the 21 st century, if not by date, then in our minds," said then-Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Charles C. Krulak at the 23 June ceremony. "We do not see a bridge to the future before us; we see a leap into the future."

Delivering the AV was Nicholas D. Chabraja, chairman and CEO of General Dynamics. "For General Dynamics, the best reward of all is when the Marines tell us that the AAAV is tougher, more capable, and more survivable than any [previous amphibious] vehicle they have ever had," Chabraja said.

In a related development, General Dynamics Land Systems announced that it has delivered the hull of the second prototype to the AAAV Technology Center, operated by General Dynamics in Woodbridge, Va. The hull, fabricated at Lockheed Martin's Y12 facility in Oakridge, Tenn., was machined at the Lima (Ohio) Army Tank Plant, also operated by General Dynamics. The AAAV Technology Center will integrate the vehicle's hardware and software components and complete final assembly of the three AAAV prototypes.

Full-rate production of the AAAVwhich can carry 18 Marines and a crew of three over water at speeds in excess of 20 knots and achieve land speeds up to 45 miles per hour-is scheduled to begin in 2005. The Marine Corps expects to purchase more than 1,000 AAAVs to replace its current fleet of AAV7s.

Raytheon AIM-OX Destroys Target in Fourth Test Shot

The latest version of the Raytheonbuilt Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missile has scored a direct hit on a target aircraft. The AIM-9X missile, fired on its fourth test shot from an F/A-1 8D Hornet, destroyed a QF-4 Phantom II target over a test range at the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, Calif.

The AIM-9X, designed to be highly maneuverable, boasts a high off-boresight capability and is compatible as well with the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) being developed by the Air Force. The JHMCS will allow the pilot of a launch aircraft to lock a missile onto the intended target simply by looking at that target. The AIM-9X has smaller fins than its predecessors have, a characteristic that reduces drag and allows for increased speed.

"Tests of the AIM-9X show that this missile can meet the warfighter's needs well into the next century," said Capt. David J. Venlet, the Navy's program manager for air-to-air missiles.

The first test shot of the AIM-9X was in April 1999 when the missile was launched from an F/A-18C at China Lake. That missile, which had no seeker installed, was used to test the structural integrity of the missile's airframe and aircraft-separation characteristics.

The second shot also was fired from an F/A-18. The third was launched in June from an Air Force F15C Eagle over the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

"I am extremely proud of the men and women of the joint Navy, Air Force, and Raytheon team that made this happen," said Air Force Lt. Col. James McClendon, AIM-9X program manager, commenting on the third test shot. "There is a real need for AIM-9X, and every test we get under our belt increases confidence in our product."

"This [third] test clearly demonstrated the AIM-9X Sidewinder's versatility from a second launch platform and confirms Sidewinder's role as the world's best short-range air-to-air missile," said Chuck Anderson, vice president for air-to-air missiles at Raytheon Systems Company in Tucson, Ariz.

The Sidewinder missile-which was first fired successfully in September 1953-has been the standard U.S. heat-seeking air-to-air missile for more than four decades. Raytheon expects to deliver a minimum of 10,080 AIM9X missiles (5,080 to the Air Force and 5,000 to the Navy and Marine Corps). Total program cost is expected to reach $3 billion, program officials said. The missile is scheduled to be deployed on board the F/A-18C/D Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F15C/D/E Eagle, F-22 Raptor, and the Joint Strike Fighter.

Textron Receives Order For Coast Guard MLBs

The Coast Guard has exercised a contract option to order an additional 23 47-foot motor lifeboats (MLBs) from Litton's Textron Marine & Land Systems (TM&LS) in New Orleans, La. The $20 million contract-which includes funds for training, spare parts, and other support services-brings to 93 the total number of MLBs ordered from Textron.

Textron designed and built a prototype 47-foot MLB in 1990, and also built five preproduction boats. The newest order picks up the option in a 1995 contract under which Textron initially delivered 20 MLBs; earlier options were exercised in 1996 and 1997 for 20 and 30 boats, respectively. Deliveries to the Coast Guard began in 1997; 37 MLBs had been delivered to the Coast Guard by the end of June 1999. Total value of the contract, with all options included, is estimated to be $165 million.