June 15, 2023 | International, Aerospace
CAE provides initial flight training to U.S. Air Force rotary-wing pilots
The US$44.5M initial contract award supports the training of all initial USAF rotary-wing air, ground, and simulation training.
November 13, 2019 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR
Air Force to link F-35, F-22 in ‘connect-a-thon’ experiment
By: Aaron Mehta
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force is preparing an experiment it hopes will link the F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, the first in a series of experiments that service acquisition head Will Roper has dubbed “connect-a-thons.”
The experiments are to happen every four months, starting in December. The goal is to identify a fleet of aircraft with a communications issue, invite voices from inside and outside the Pentagon to offer solutions, and then test those offerings in a live experiment.
“We're making it up as we go, right? There's never been anything like this,” Roper said at a breakfast hosted by the Defense Writers Group. “We need a way for people to propose connections and get into the pipeline. So I wouldn't be surprised at all if it ends up being like a pitch day ... having a proposal process where we review the maturity of the tech versus the benefit to the war fighter. We would do the former, our operators would do the latter."
“And what I love about this is it's kind of a competition within the joint force," he added. "We're going to be looking for the fast movers to volunteer, then we'll be looking at the fast followers.”
The first event, hosted by North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, will feature an attempt to allow the F-22 and F-35 to share battlespace — a long-sought capability.
The F-22 was built with an older data link that can't match up with the Multifunction Advanced Data Link, or MADL, system used on the newer F-35; while the F-35 can receive data through Link 16, it can't share the data back — a key capability given the envisioned role of the F-35 as a major sensor for the future Air Force.
For the test, the service will use what Roper called a “Babel Fish-like translator” under the working name of GatewayOne to serve as a “universal translator” for the two jets. The first test, in December, will feature the equipment on a pole on a test range, with the jets pinging their information back and forth from that fixed location.
Should that system work well, in four months Roper plans to put GatewayOne onto a Valkyrie drone, a system designed by Kratos to be cheap enough to be disposable in a battlefield situation. It's not the first time a drone has been used as a link between the two fighters: In 2017, Northrop Grumman pitched its Global Hawk unmanned system, equipped with a new radio, to act as a translator between the aircraft.
Future connect-a-thons currently planned include linking SpaceX's Starlink satellites with KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft in an effort to show commercial communications can work with military aircraft; Roper said the KC-135 community volunteered because the tanker aircraft is perpetually seeking more bandwidth.
Roper also expects the F-16 community — which he called “very innovative, agile operators” who understand they need to keep an aging plane relevant — to “sign up wholesale” for tests in the future.
The acquisitions chief said he is committed to keeping the four-month schedule going, in part because it means if the technology isn't satisfactory, the service will know quickly and be able to move onto something else.
“The good news about that is [Congress and the Pentagon] don't really have to believe us for very long. Just let us get through a few connect-a-thon cycles,” Roper said. “And if we're failing miserably, then that should tell you something about the future of the program.”
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September 20, 2019 | International, Aerospace
Raytheon awarded $25.4M for Tomahawk Weapons Systems Military Code, AGR5 kit
BySommer Brokaw Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Raytheon Missile Systems has been awarded a $25.4 million contract by the Navy for the Tomahawk Weapons System Military Code review and AGR5 kit. The contract, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defense, is for the company to conduct critical design review of the Tomahawk Weapons System Military Code's software and hardware. The contract also covers development work on an AGR5 kit, an anti-jam tool to be used for the global positioning system. The design review will include "studies, analysis, design, development, integration and test of hardware and software solutions," the Pentagon said in a press release. The contract also includes Navy funds for "assembly, integration, test and documentation of an AGR5 kit," the notice said. Raytheon will perform more than half the work in El Segundo, Calif., and the rest in Tucson, Ariz., with work expected to be completed by March 2021. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/09/19/Raytheon-awarded-254M-for-Tomahawk-Weapons-Systems-Military-Code-AGR5-kit/1891568909920/
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July 22, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Boeing and Etihad Broaden Sustainability Alliance by Testing Innovations on ecoDemonstrator 787
Seattle, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Etihad Airways will use a 787-10 Dreamliner to test ways to reduce emissions and noise as part of the aerospace company's ecoDemonstrator program before the airline accepts delivery of the airplane this fall. The collaboration, which includes extensive sound measurement testing with industry partners, builds on a strategic sustainability alliance Boeing and Etihad formed in November 2019. "This is the latest program under Etihad's industry-leading strategic partnership with Boeing, focusing on innovating real-world solutions to the key sustainability challenges facing the aviation industry," Etihad Aviation Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Douglas said. "The ecoDemonstrator program is founded on innovation and sustainability — and these are core values for Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates. Etihad and Boeing see a great opportunity to collaborate and share knowledge to minimize the impact of aviation on the environment." The ecoDemonstrator program utilizes commercial aircraft to test technologies that can make aviation safer and more sustainable now and into the future. The 2020 program, which will begin testing in August, is the first to use a Boeing 787-10. "Industry collaboration is a key aspect of Boeing's ecoDemonstrator program that enables us to accelerate innovation," said Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO. "We're proud to broaden our sustainability partnership with Etihad Airways by testing promising technologies that can reduce emissions, help commercial aviation meet our climate goals, and allow the industry to grow in a responsible manner that respects our planet and its natural resources." Boeing and Etihad will work with industry-leading partners, including NASA and Safran Landing Systems, to conduct aircraft noise measurements from sensors on the airplane and the ground. The data will be used to validate aircraft noise prediction processes and the sound reduction potential of aircraft designs, including landing gear, that are modified for quieter operations. In addition, a flight will be conducted during which pilots, air traffic controllers and an airline's operations center will simultaneously share digital information to optimize routing efficiency and enhance safety by reducing workload and radio frequency congestion. Test flights will be flown on a blend of sustainable fuel, which significantly lowers aviation's environmental footprint. The testing program is expected to last about four weeks before Etihad enters its Boeing 787-10 into service. Contact Saffana Michael Boeing Communications saffana.michael2@boeing.com Mobile: +97150 4590651 Paul McElroy Boeing Communications paul.mcelroy2@boeing.com Mobile: +1 425-283-7740 SOURCE Boeing View source version on Boeing Newsroom: https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2020-07-20-Boeing-and-Etihad-Broaden-Sustainability-Alliance-by-Testing-Innovations-on-ecoDemonstrator-787