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October 17, 2024 | International, Aerospace

AeroVironment pitches Army drone for quick battlefield changes

AeroVironment says its P550 drone will be able to be adapted in less than five minutes by popping old units out and putting new ones in.

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2024/10/16/aerovironment-pitches-army-drone-for-quick-battlefield-changes/

On the same subject

  • La Malaisie renoncerait-elle à l’achat de chasseurs européens au profit de chinois?

    March 26, 2019 | International, Aerospace

    La Malaisie renoncerait-elle à l’achat de chasseurs européens au profit de chinois?

    Qualifiant les mesures de l'UE de «protectionnistes», le Premier ministre malaisien a promis que, si l'UE poursuivait sa mobilisation contre l'huile de palme, son pays renoncerait également aux produits européens, notamment en acquérant plutôt des chasseurs chinois. La Malaisie a annoncé son intention d'acheter des chasseurs à la Chine, si l'Union européenne continuait sa campagne contre le biocarburant à base d'huile de palme, rapporte la version numérique du journal New Straits Times, citant le Premier ministre du pays. «Nous pouvons adopter des mesures réciproques, s'ils ne veulent pas acheter notre huile de palme. Dans ce cas, nous n'avons non plus besoin de leurs produits. Je viens de rentrer du Pakistan où, lors d'un défilé, il y avait des chasseurs fabriqués par la Chine. Si nous avons besoin d'un chasseur, nous examinerons l'acquisition de ceux fabriqués en Chine», a déclaré le chef du gouvernement malaisien, Mahathir Mohamad, lors d'une rencontre à laquelle étaient présents des fabricants d'huile de palme. Pour rappel, il avait été plus tôt annoncé que la Malaisie examinait la possibilité de se procurer des chasseurs polyvalents français Rafale ou des Eurofighter Typhoon, produits par le consortium européen Eurofighter GmbH. Mahathir Mohamad considère que l'UE agit d'une manière «injuste» lorsqu'elle propose de prohiber l'huile de palme, ajoutant qu'il s'agit d'une mesure protectionniste par laquelle ce bloc cherche à plonger «dans la pauvreté» les Malaisiens. «L'huile de palme n'est pas un poison et ils ne doivent pas dire qu'on ne peut pas en mettre dans la nourriture. Ils n'ont pas pitié de 600.000 pauvres ouvriers qui perdront leur emploi et seront privés de revenus, si on ferme les plantations», a-t-il ajouté. https://fr.sputniknews.com/international/201903241040483791-malaisier-chasseurs-europe-chine/

  • Fewer airmen, fewer bombs and delayed F-15s: Goldfein outlines effects of continuing resolution

    November 8, 2019 | International, Aerospace

    Fewer airmen, fewer bombs and delayed F-15s: Goldfein outlines effects of continuing resolution

    By: Stephen Losey With Congress flailing in its attempt to pass a budget and the prospect of a lengthy continuing resolution growing, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein on Wednesday outlined how bad that would be. A year-long CR, funding the Air Force at fiscal 2019 levels, would cost the service the $11.8 billion increase called for in President Trump's proposed fiscal 2020 budget, Goldfein said at a breakfast hosted by the Air Force Association in Washington. “It's truly damaging for all the services, and certainly the United States Air Force,” Goldfein said. Even if a CR only lasts for six months, the effects would be significant, he said. The Air Force would lose $1.1 billion that would go to Boeing's development and production of new F-15EX fighters, postponing their acquisition and driving up prices, according to a fact sheet Goldfein distributed. It would also force the Air Force to keep flying F-15Cs for longer than it expected, resulting in further cost increases due to the extensive maintenance needed to keep the aging fighters, plagued by structural health issues, in the air. A six-month CR would also hit the Air Force's effort to re-arm. It would reduce munitions procurement by 1,000 tailkits to convert unguided bombs into guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions, as well as cut 99 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and 665 Small Diameter Bomb II munitions. And that CR would cost the Air Force $188 million intended for improvements to almost one-third of its F-35 fleet. But a year-long CR would be even worse, Goldfein said, hitting airmen directly and limiting the planned 3.1 percent pay raise for troops. It would also scuttle the Air Force's plans to grow its total force end strength by 4,400, he said, which would hurt its efforts to grow vital — and undermanned — career fields such as operations, maintenance, space, cyber, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Efforts to fix the pilot shortfall would take a hit, cutting $123 million from undergraduate flight training, Goldfein said. This would mean contractor instructor pilots would be reduced, a new maintenance training center's opening would be delayed, and trainer fleet maintenance would be delayed. A CR for all of fiscal 2020 would also delay the procurement of the GPS IIIF space vehicle to replace a satellite that has now been orbiting for twice as long as it was designed, which would place the Air Force in a contract breach. It would withhold $466 million in facility sustainment, restoration and modernization funds, as well as Defense Department emergency funding, slowing the efforts to recover from natural disasters at Tyndall and Offutt Air Force bases. In all, a six-month CR would delay the start of 26 new programs, 7 production increases, and eight military construction projects. A year-long resolution would prevent 88 new starts, 14 production increases and 41 military construction projects. F-22 sensor upgrades would also be delayed if a budget is not passed, the Air Force said. But as rocky as the 2020 budget process may be, Goldfein sees even darker days to come. “If you look at the projections of funding in the years ahead, many believe that [2021] may very well be the last really good year of funding," Goldfein said. “It may not be true. But it may go flat after that, or it may start coming down. And so, how do you achieve irreversible momentum if you have one good year left of reasonable resources before a potential downturn?” https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/11/06/fewer-airmen-fewer-bombs-and-delayed-f-15s-goldfein-outlines-effects-of-continuing-resolution/

  • HDT Awarded $432 Million Contract for Army Standard Family of Rigid Wall Shelters

    April 17, 2024 | International, Land

    HDT Awarded $432 Million Contract for Army Standard Family of Rigid Wall Shelters

     The program, known as the Army Standard Family of Rigid Wall Shelters Phase 1 (ASF-RWS P1), consists of both expandable and non-expandable rigid wall shelters. 

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