Avion de combat européen: "Il faut qu'on y arrive et on va y arriver" selon le patron d'Airbus

On the same subject

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  December 2, 2020 | International, Land

  Scorpion : Griffon Command Post is qualified

  Satory, France, November 26, 2020 - On 13 November 2020, the French Delegation for Armaments (DGA) qualified the command post vehicle (EPC) variant of the GRIFFON vehicle. At the same time, the first examples are being submitted for acceptance by the DGA's quality department at the Roanne site. Therefore, the three first GRIFFON EPC have been delivered to the Army technical section (STAT) which will continue the operational evaluation of this equipment with its rapid deployment within the regiments in sight. The GME (temporary grouping of companies) EBMR (Engins Blindés Multi-Rôles) comprised of Nexter, Arquus and Thales is fully mobilized on the production of the first 35 series GRIFFON EPCs to be presented to verification operations by the end of 2020. Ultimately, the SCORPION program calls for the acquisition of 333 units of this variant, half of which will be delivered by 2025. As a reminder, the SCORPION program aims to modernize the Army's combat capabilities and in particular to improve command through new information resources. The GRIFFON EPC can accommodate a pilot and a gunner in the front, and five soldiers in the rear of the vehicle. From an external point of view, the silhouette of the EPC does not differ from the VTT Félin variant (troop transport vehicle). Only the armament changes, with the integration on the roof of a new-generation T2 remotely operated turret armed with a 7.62mm caliber. Inside, on the other hand, the GRIFFON EPC is fully equipped to accommodate a command post: communication means, large screens, a board and a printer. This variant is designed to accommodate latest-generation electronic equipment for collaborative combat: the vetronics common to the SCORPION platforms, the CONTACT joint radio, the SCORPION Combat Information System (SICS), the ANTARES optronic system offering the crew a 360° vision of the environment, as well as a gunfire location detector (or SLA, for Acoustic Localization System). In addition, the air-conditioning system adapts to all environments to guarantee crew's comfort and the proper functioning of onboard electronics. Thanks to its level of protection and mobility, the EPC variant of the GRIFFON enables a command post to be deployed quickly at the heart of operations. The force commander can thus conduct an engagement or monitor the progress of a regimental or brigade-level action. The arrival of the GRIFFON EPC is complementary to the GRIFFON VTT Félin, with the goal of projecting a joint battle group (GTIA) into a foreign theatre of operations by 2021. Stéphane Mayer is delighted, on behalf of the GME formed by the three companies Arquus, Thales and Nexter (of which he is Chairman and CEO), that this new milestone has been reached on time: "this qualification marks a new stage in the modernization of the French Army's equipment". View source version on Nexter : https://www.nexter-group.fr/en/actualites/nos-dernieres-actualites/scorpion-griffon-command-post-qualified.html

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  October 1, 2018 | International, Aerospace

  Airbus to help determine path forward for Tiger helo upgrade, missile options

  By: Pierre Tran PARIS — A European arms procurement agency has chosen Airbus Helicopters to conduct de-risking studies for the Tiger attack helicopter's upgrade to the MK 3 standard, the company said. “OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation) has commissioned Airbus Helicopters, on behalf of the French, German and Spanish armament agencies DGA, BAAINBw and DGAM, to perform de-risking studies aimed at providing the Tiger with next-generation battlefield capabilities,” the company said Sept. 27. The studies will help in development and retrofit preparation of avionics and mission and weapon systems for the Tiger, the company said. Electronics specialist Thales and missile-builder MBDA will take part in the studies. “We are proud to be preparing the future of the Tiger as it represents a major program for the European defense cooperation initiative,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said she is trying to persuade her German counterpart to opt for the same missile as France for the Tiger, rather than make its own order for the the Rafael Spike missile. The de-risking studies may consider various options, such as Spike, Brimstone and MMP missiles, and will note the changes that might be required, such as fitting an antenna for radio data link to deliver pictures to the cockpit right up to impact, an industry executive said. The French Army is drawing up requirements for a future tactical air-to-surface missile, dubbed MAST-F, which would arm the upgraded Tigers. Rafael has pitched its extended-range Spike ER2 missile to Germany for the Tiger, hoping Berlin will follow the flight path of Spain, which arms its Tiger helicopters with the Israeli weapon. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/09/28/airbus-to-help-determine-path-forward-for-tiger-helo-upgrade-missile-options

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  September 14, 2018 | International, C4ISR

  U.S. Cyber Command looks to grow its acquisition capacity

  By Lauren C. Williams The Defense Department's newest combatant command is nearly a decade old but still doesn't steer its own acquisitions. That could change in fiscal 2019, however, as U.S. Cyber Command staffs up its contracting office and seeks a bigger acquisition budget. "Acquisition authority is limited at the moment. It's capped at $75 million and has a sunset date, currently, of 2021," said Stephen Schanberger, command acquisition executive for U.S. Cyber Command during a panel at the Billington Cybersecurity Summit Sept. 6. "So the command is actively pursuing getting that increased on the ceiling amount as well as the sunset date." Cyber Command has only had acquisition authority for two fiscal years, but Congress extended that authority through 2025 in the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. That advances the authority four years from the original sunset date of 2021. Cyber Command awarded only one contract in fiscal 2017, Schanberger said, partly because it lacked a contract writing system and technical personnel to get things done. Things improved this year with $40 million in contract awards and Schanberger expects to reach the $75 million cap sometime in 2019. "We are really hamstrung at the moment in relying on the current [contracting] vehicles out there from others," he said. "And in some cases we've had to adjust our scope to match up to the contract versus waiting for them to put another whole contract vehicle or task order onto a contract." Schanberger seeks to more than triple Cyber Command's acquisition to $250 million to allow for multi-year contracts. Congressional scrutiny has been the main impediment to securing additional acquisition funds because the command needs to prove its contracting abilities, but Schanberger said increasing staff and getting things right will help. "Congress would like us to show that we actually can use our authority the way it's supposed to be and start to stand on the backbone of what it takes to be a contracting organization," particularly regarding contract types, use other transaction authorities, competitive bids versus sole source, and partnering with small businesses, he said. Schanberger told FCW he wasn't concerned about additional congressional scrutiny surrounding the Defense Department's use of other transaction authorities because "our efforts are nowhere near the big efforts that they're looking for." But overall, Cyber Command's contracting office is growing. Schanberger now leads a team of about five people, including himself, consisting of a contracting officer, specialist, and supporting contractors. He hopes to double the team's capacity by year's end. "We are in our infancy from an acquisition perspective, we are putting down the foundation of the personnel and the skills," he said, with the goal "to be able to activate, put together solicitation packages, plan our contracting strategy for [multiple] years, and be able to effectively implement and put out RFPs on the street without making a mess out it." Schanberger said they are looking at capabilities that can benefit all of the service components, such as analytic development. Cyber Command released a request for proposals for an analytic support program dubbed Rainfire on Sept. 4. "Once we get the skills in place, I think we'll be able to demonstrate to everyone around us that we can execute the authorities we have and grow them responsibly," he said. https://fcw.com/articles/2018/09/13/cybercom-aquisition-williams.aspx