Feral Jundi

Friday, January 21, 2011

Logistics: SKA Air & Logistics And Somalia

Filed under: Africa,Aviation,Industry Talk,Logistics,Somalia — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 4:29 PM

“The line between disorder and order lies in logistics…”- Sun Tzu 

     I have had the opportunity to see SKA Air and Logistics in action in Iraq as have many contractors, and these guys have been busy.  They provide a very unique capability that involves setting up logistics and air services in war zones.  They are doing it in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, and they are also trying to do this in Somalia.

     So why am I bringing these folks up now?  Well with all of the news of Saracen International in Somalia, or Erik Prince’s supposed involvement, to me the other interesting story that everyone is missing is the logistics side of this operation. That SKA was listed along with Saracen International for contracts in Somalia. Talk about a tough contract?

    Below I have listed as many stories as I could find about SKA and their recent dealings in Somalia.  From what I can gather, they had a contract to modernize the airport in Mogadishu and to modernize and manage the seaport. (a boat with all of their stuff and tools is in an Oman port as we speak) These two key logistics hubs are absolutely vital for any kind of future development in that country.  They are also vital to any stability operations or anti-piracy operations.

     What is also interesting about this contract, as with the Saracen contract, is that there is some heart ache within the ever changing government of the TFG in Somalia as to the particulars of the contracts. If the contracts were signed under different political leadership, then all sorts of issues pop up.  Of course the corrupt aspects of this ever evolving government want to ensure they get paid or get a cut of the action.  Then there are the warlords that currently manage or have control over the airport or seaports. Then there is Al Shabab and the Islamists and their influence on the situation. All of these forces add extreme complexity to establishing a contract and the services that go with.  But that is what SKA gets when dealing with a failed state and an active war zone. Like I said, this will be a very challenging contract to fulfill.

     As for jobs, if you check out their career section they have one position available for work at the seaport in Mogadishu. No word about guard contracts. From the website, SKA used Fijians as guards in Iraq. Who knows, maybe Saracen is involved with that aspect of the contract? I would speculate though that whatever company is used for guard services, the force would be a mix of local guard forces and the standard expat management.  Hopefully someone from the company can pop up and fill in the blanks.

     On a side note, oil exploration is ramping up in Puntland. One of my readers pointed this out to me and I thought this was an interesting tie in with the anti-piracy initiatives Saracen International has signed onto in that region. Are they connected, who knows, but these oil companies do benefit from a stable and secure Somalia. –Matt

Somalia: Nation Hands Over Mogadishu Airport to Foreign Company

SKA Air & Logistics to manage Aden-Adde International airport

Somalia: SKA Air And Logistics Denies It Takes Over Mogadishu Airport

Mogadishu port dispute

 

Welcome to SKA Air & Logistics

SKA Air & Logistics is a world-class provider of aviation services and logistics. The teams that currently make up SKA have been operating in Iraq since 2003 and are now expanding the operations in Kuwait, the UAE, Afghanistan and the African Continent. Our diverse capabilities include a wide range of Aviation Services, Ground Logistics, Life Support, Fuel Supply Chain Management, Camp Construction, and Security Services. We specialize in moving people and equipment smoothly and safely in challenging environments. We pride ourselves on combining unique solutions with unrivaled service helping you achieve your goals in the most difficult environments   and our motto, “Doing Difficult Jobs in Difficult Places.” is not just a marketing slogan it is a matter of proven historical record.

Security

SKA Air & Logistics operates its own Security Force to ensure the security of all our installations, aircraft, staff and cargo. Chosen for their robustness, loyalty and unblemished record of service, the SKA Security Force is managed by former British and US military personnel and we currently operate security teams comprising of former Fijian Military staff. At the higher level we have members of senior management with extensive experience of military operations and the international security industry. Our security services include:

• Asset Protection

• Emergency & Contingency planning

• Full Logistical & Administrative Security

• Cash in Transit Services

• Aviation flight Security

• Static Guard Force

(more…)

Monday, October 4, 2010

Aviation: Department Of State Enters 5 Year IDIQ Agreement For Up To 110 S-61 T Helicopters

Filed under: Afghanistan,Aviation,Iraq — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 4:26 PM

    Interesting choice of helicopter.  This goes back to the idea of trying to be more cost effective by upgrading proven helicopters as opposed to buying brand new and more expensive helicopters. Hell, the first flight of the S-61 was in 1959, so this is definitely an old war horse.

    The other piece of news that everyone is waiting on is wether or not the DoD will loan State the Blackhawk helicopters and MRAPs it is requesting?  With the purchase of these S-61 T’s, I am wondering if DoS is wanting a faster helicopter like the Blackhawk for QRF or rescue type operations? Who knows, and I will post that information when it comes up. Below I also posted the job ads for pilots and technicians with Presidential Airways. –Matt

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The Sikorsky S-61T Triton helicopter. 

New S-61T Helos for the US State Department 

20-Sep-2010

First 2 accepted; Another 11 ordered. (Sept 20/10)

In February 2010, Sikorsky announced an indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity agreement with the US Department of State to purchase up to 110 modernized S-61T Sea King helicopters, for “passenger and cargo transport missions in support of its worldwide operations.” The State Department regularly leases helicopters for this purpose; as one example, the helicopter that spirited Rep. Alan Grayson [D-FL] out of Niger during the 2010 coup was flown by Blackwater/Xe’s Presidential Airways.

Because of the current state of helicopter support in Afghanistan, the role of private contractors to fill the gaps has been growing. The initial S-61T delivery order has been followed by more… and Sikorsky is pointedly touting the S-61Ts as an alternative to leased machines.

Story here.

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U.S. State Department Orders 11 More Upgraded S-61 Helicopters for Use in

Iraq & Afghanistan

September 20, 2010

Sikorsky Aerospace Services today announced the U.S. State Department has ordered 11 additional upgraded S-61TM utility helicopters for use in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sikorsky Aerospace Services (SAS) is the aftermarket division of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

Earlier this year, the State Department entered into a five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for up to 110 upgraded S-61 aircraft for passenger and cargo transport missions in support of its worldwide operations. Under the IDIQ agreement, the first four aircraft purchased in February are currently in completion and are scheduled for deployment in Afghanistan this fall.

(more…)

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Aviation: Air Power On The Cheap

Filed under: Aviation — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:14 AM

In aerial combat, then, low tech may be the new high tech. And there is one other advantage that the turboprop has over the jet, at least according to Mr Read—who flew turboprops on combat missions in Cambodia during the 1970s. It is that you can use a loudspeaker to talk to potential targets before deciding whether to attack them. As Winston Churchill so memorably put it: “When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.” 

*****

     Warfare on the cheap is all the rage these days and this is an excellent little article from the Economist on the subject of cheap air power.  I just talked about Colombia’s use of these types of aircraft in their war against the FARC and I thought I would add further information behind the concept. I should also note that PMC’s like Executive Outcomes had their own air assets for operations, and that too could be classified as ‘air power on the cheap’.  If it gets the job done and you are dealing with an enemy that has no air power, then these ideas make sense.

     The one thing I keep thinking about though, is that I like cheap air power that has a high probability of survival. Or better yet, is cheap and unmanned. I think as soon as we can put robotics into these cheap propeller type aircraft, then we are effectively creating cheaper drones with built in supply and maintenance systems. Imagine an unmanned Cessna Caravan doing these types of military missions?

     Or an unmanned cargo carrier like a 747 with a payload of JDAM type munitions that could be dropped from extreme heights? There are plenty of these old, yet still working aircraft that could be outfitted with robotics. Cheap drones produced from such aircraft could be a market all by itself, and especially as smaller nations join the larger nations in their desire to have this capability– for a fraction of the price.

     Not to take away from the value of having a human in the cockpit, which to me is still the smartest computer out there. I think there will always be a need for this man and machine relationship, and especially if future small wars will require extreme discipline and precision, along with common sense and a feel for the battle field. Only a guy in the plane can really get that feel for their little patch of war and how to dominate the enemy and work with other forces. We might get there one day with UAVs, but I still think humans will have a place. –Matt

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Super Tucano

The Super Tucano, made by Embraer.

Air power on the cheap

Small, slow and inexpensive propeller-driven planes are starting to displace fighter jets

Sep 20th 2010

JET fighters may be sexy in a Tom Cruise-ish sort of way, but for guerilla warefare—in which the enemy rarely has an air force of his own with which to dogfight—they are often not the tool for the job. Pilotless drones can help fill the gap. Sometimes there is no substitute for having a pilot on the scene, however, so modern air forces are starting to turn to a technology from the yesteryear of flying: the turboprop.

So-called light-attack turboprops are cheap both to build and to fly. A fighter jet can cost $80m. By contrast the 208B Caravan, a light-attack turboprop made by Cessna, costs barely $2m. It also costs as little as $500 a hour to run when it is in the air, compared with $10,000 or more for a fighter jet. And, unlike jets, turboprops can use roads and fields for takeoff and landing.

(more…)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Industry Talk: The Pony Express Comes To Afghanistan–Contractors Delivering Mail!

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:54 AM

     A hat tip to Danger Zone Jobs for putting this one out there.  I haven’t a clue how these two companies will deliver this stuff, and it will either be by air or by convoy on land.  I kind of assume that the SOC contract will be on land, just because they have folks over there doing convoy operations already. But you never know, and everyone might be using helicopters for this gig.  I was not able to get many details about this one and if anyone in the know has stuff to add, just put it in the comments section.

    Either way, I thought it was interesting to note that it is private industry once again, delivering the mail through some dangerous country for the US Government.  What would really be cool is if these companies made team patches with Pony Express logos on them? lol –Matt

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 Pony Express

World Wide Language Resources Awarded $13.9m for Postal Operations in AfghanistanBy Department of DefenseTuesday, September 14, 2010

World Wide Language Resources, Fayetteville, N.C., was awarded on Sept. 9 a $13,969,713 fixed-fee-price contract to provide postal operations in Afghanistan including, but not limited to, Bagram Airfield, Kandahar Airfield, Lagman, Airborne, Konduz, Fenty, Salerno, Sharana, Camp Phoenix, Camp Eggers, Tarin Kowt, Farah, Shank, and Qaiat.

Estimated completion date is Sept. 8, 2015, with work to be performed in Afghanistan.

Bids were solicited on the Web with four bids received.  U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-10-C-0047).

*****

SOC-Afghanistan Awarded $9.3m for US Mail Transportation Services

By Department of DefenseTuesday, September 14, 2010

SOC-Afghanistan, Minden, Nev., was awarded on Sept. 10 a $9,336,687 firm-fixed-price contract to provide U.S. mail transportation services from Bragram to Shank, Fenty, and Kabul.

Estimated completion date is Sept. 9, 2015, with work to be performed in Afghanistan.

Bids were solicited on the web with nine bids received.  U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-10-C-0059).

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Aviation: Iceland’s Keflavik Airbase To Become Privatized ‘Top Gun’ School

Filed under: Aviation,China,Iceland,Russia,Training — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:49 AM

SU-27s are an important part of Russian and Chinese air power but Mr ten Cate insists that ECA is not aiming to imitate either. “Russian fighter jets have been sold around the world so they are widely used,” he says. “We’re a generic enemy.”

A recruitment drive is under way for up to 45 qualified fighter pilots, as well as maintenance technicians. An advertisement was placed in an aviation trade publication last month offering pilots a salary of €160,000 a year – more than all but the most senior commercial airline pilots.

*****

     Pretty cool, and check out the salary the pilots of these things will get? But what is really interesting is that this company will have a very unique capability.  By constantly wargaming and learning the limitations and capabilities of these aircraft, they will be able to learn the best way to use them.  That information will definitely be used in future planning and training, along with the incredible war gaming these folks will be able to offer.

     The other interesting angle is that the only articles that I have found about this, is the FT ones I posted below, and a Russian Times article that bashed the hell out of the idea.  Of course they called this company a ‘private army’ and mercenary and whatever ‘evil’ western name they could use to fire up any criticism of the deal. A little miffed maybe? lol No commentary from China yet.

     Interesting move, and the jobs it will produce locally will be great for Iceland. It will also help them strategically, by setting up a school that will help their air force, and friendly air forces throughout the world who wish to gain a jet fighting capability for defeating Chinese and Russian aircraft. Not a bad gig for ECA Program Ltd. –Matt

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Sukhoi Su-27 Fighter

ECA has agreed to buy up to 33 Sukhoi Su-27 fighters. 

Cold war base to be private ‘Top Gun’ school

By Andrew Ward in Stockholm

August 30 2010

Iceland’s Keflavik airbase, a bulwark of western security during the cold war, would be home to two squadrons of Russian-made fighter jets under plans being considered by Reykjavik.

The Icelandic government is in talks about renting the airbase to a private company that says it is buying up to €1.2bn ($1.5bn) of Sukhoi warplanes from Belarus for use as a mock enemy in military training exercises.

ECA Program says it has already signed up five air forces keen to test their pilots and jets against an aircraft most commonly flown by the Russian and Chinese militaries.

(more…)

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