Airbus accélère dans les petits drones tactiques

On the same subject

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  July 30, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Nato accepts delivery of fourth remotely piloted aircraft in Italy

  Nato's Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Force has received the fourth RQ-4D Phoenix remotely piloted aircraft at the Italian Air Force Base (AFB) in Sigonella. After taking off from Edwards AFB in California, US, the aircraft landed at Sigonella following a 22-hour journey. The arrival marks another step towards the completion of Nato AGS Force's fleet of five total aircraft. The third RQ-4D Phoenix remotely piloted aircraft was delivered less than two weeks ago. Nato AGS Force Commander Brigadier General Houston Cantwell said: “The arrival of the fourth aircraft enhances our capabilities with greater redundancy and flexibility. “The Nato AGS Force continues our advance in becoming Nato's key provider of regional ‘indications and warning' information to members of the Nato Alliance.” The AGS System was procured by the Nato AGS Management Agency (NAGSMA). Movement of the aircraft from California to Italy was controlled by industry pilots at the AGS Force's Main Operating Base in Sigonella. The first three aircraft were transported similarly. Following arrival, the remotely piloted system will be handed over to the force after the NAGSMA and the Italian Airworthiness Authorities finalise the required documentation. The Agency general manager Brigadier General Volker Samanns said: “Having now four out of five Nato AGS aircraft in SIGONELLA demonstrates the commitment and ability of the AGS procuring nations and of NAGSMA to deliver the Nato AGS system while increasing our flexibility in testing the system. “It also provides the Nato AGS Force additional equipment for familiarisation and training.” https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/nato-accepts-delivery-of-fourth-remotely-piloted-aircraft-in-italy/

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  July 20, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Solvay et Lockheed promeuvent l'innovation universitaire dans le secteur aéronautique

  La Libre Eco avec Belga Publié le 17-07-20 à 10h59 - Mis à jour le 17-07-20 à 11h00 Le groupe chimique belge Solvay et l'américain Lockheed Martin ont annoncé vendredi la conclusion d'un accord permettant la sélection de projets d'innovation des universités belges dans le secteur aéronautique, une initiative qui fait suite au choix de l'avion de combat F-35 Lightning II américain par le gouvernement belge. Solvay et Lockheed Martin, ainsi que sept entreprises belges (Asco, Coexpair, Feronyl, SABCA, Safran Aeroboosters, Sonaca et Thales Belgium) ont démarré la procédure de sélection dans le cadre de l'+Innovative Growth University Challenge+ ces 1er et 2 juillet. Soutenus par le gouvernement belge, les projets de l'"University Challenge" s'inscrivent dans une stratégie de renforcement des pôles de défense, d'industrie et de technologie de la Belgique, ont précisé Solvay et Lockheed dans un communiqué conjoint. En tout, plus de vingt projets ont été présentés par sept universités belges, reconnues pour leur expertise de haut niveau dans les matériaux avancés, répondant à l'objectif du "Challenge" qui vise à découvrir ou faire émerger la future génération de composites de l'industrie aéronautique belge. Solvay, Lockheed Martin et les sept autres sociétés feront leur sélection finale d'ici la fin août. Les projets concernent cinq domaines suivants: les matériaux composites de nouvelle génération, la diminution des coûts de production gr'ce aux technologies hors autoclave, le collage de métaux et composites, l'intégration des fonctions et simplification des assemblages et les techniques de réparation des composites. Les projets prévoient la participation d'un ou plusieurs membres des neuf entreprises impliquées pour assister le développement de produits de haute technologie pour le secteur aérospatial, souligne le communiqué. Solvay, Lockheed Martin et les sept autres sociétés avaient signé l'an dernier un accord-cadre visant à développer l'+University Challenge+ et stimuler la recherche et développement dans le secteur aéronautique. Cette initiative s'inscrit dans le cadre de l'accord entre les gouvernements américain et belge pour l'achat de 34 avions de combat F-35 de Lockheed Martin en remplacement des F-16 vieillissants. Selon ses promoteurs, les projets de l'"University Challenge" constituent une "opportunité unique" pour soutenir la recherche et l'innovation aéronautique en Belgique. https://www.lalibre.be/economie/entreprises-startup/f-35-solvay-et-lockheed-promeuvent-l-innovation-universitaire-dans-le-secteur-aeronautique-5f1167e7d8ad58621946a3bb

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  May 22, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  BAE Makes Big Bet On Small Companies: FAST Labs

  By THERESA HITCHENS BOSTON: BAE Systems, the third-largest defense contractor in the world, is funding innovative small startups to get innovative technology quickly to its Defense Department customers. Through an initiative called FAST Labs, BAE is both providing seed capital directly to startups and funding a number of accelerators to widen the potential market. The standard tactics include simply buying a smaller company to gain its technology or investing in a startup in order to control the direction of its research. Instead, BAE's FAST Labs is attempting to serve as a middle man connecting startups with DoD customers and BAE's various units. “By giving [the startups] the feasibility money, we can expose them to those harsh requirements that exist in the aerospace and defense world, but we can also in turn do social engineering inside our company,” Jerry Wohletz, the vice president and general management of BAE FAST Labs, told me. The idea is to introduce the startups' designs to BAE's factory and engineering work force, he said, “because we need to get it out of R&D land and get it into those products and services” that BAE knows its defense customers are looking for. FAST Labs is focused on research related to next-generation electronics, intelligent autonomous systems, cyber, electronic warfare, and sensors and processing. Wohletz explained that BAE does in-house research on capabilities that are solely of interest to DoD and the Intelligence Community, but it is reaching out to startups in order to partner on products and services based on commercial market needs. “A lot of aerospace and defense companies have venture capital funds,” Wohletz said. “That's not what we are trying to do. This is not an equity play to drive bottom line performance. We talk here about innovation velocity. We want speed to market.” Therefore, BAE is also putting its money — but more importantly its time — into a number of technology accelerators, such as Techstars in Boston, Capitol Factory in Austin, Texas, and MASSChallenge with hubs in both cities. FAST Labs has a team of scouts whose job is to attend pitches all across the country. “This is not based on ownership. We leave them their freedom,” Francesca Scire-Scappuzzo, who heads the scout team, told me. “We want innovation not just to support our market, we want to support their own innovation” for the commercial market. “Other defense contractors are trying to get involved with venture capital, but they for the most part don't really get it. BAE was in early, and they had the benefit of being linked with us,” Lt. Col. Dave Harden, chief operating officer of AFWERX, the Air Force's innovation hub, told me during the Techstars Air Force Accelerator Demo Day here last Thursday. Indeed, BAE cosponsored the event, and put upfront investment in at least three of 10 start-up companies participating. Neither Wohletz or Scire-Scappuzzo would tell me the size of BAE's budget for startup investment, but Wohletz said “it's getting bigger every year.” Further, the company is using accelerators not just to help itself innovate, Wohletz said, but also to find foreign companies to partner with in bids where the buying country requires offsets, such as India. “It's a completely different way of looking at this than we have done in the past,” he summed up. https://breakingdefense.com/2019/05/bae-makes-big-bet-on-small-companies-fast-labs/