Bombardier free cash flow forecast short of expectations, shares fall

On the same subject

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  May 14, 2018 | International, Aerospace

  Army, Uber will partner on silent rotor technology for UAVs

  By: Charlsy Panzino The Army is partnering with Uber to create safer, more lethal unmanned aerial vehicle missions. The new effort between the Army Research Laboratory and the rideshare company, announced on Tuesday, aims to create silent rotor technology. The goal is to reduce the noise caused by traditional UAV rotors. “When UAVs are doing an [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] mission, they're out there collecting or observing to collect intelligence or to do surveillance,” Jaret Riddick, director of ARL's Vehicle Technology Directorate, told Army Times after the announcement. That mission is hampered, however, when the adversary can hear the UAV coming, Riddick said. “They know a certain noise in the distance means a certain type of operation is underway,” he said. “When you can do that with the advantage of not being detected ... it changes how you execute a mission.” Uber Elevate, under which the air taxi side of the company falls, is interested in noise-reduction technology because its vehicles would be operating in dense urban areas. Since Uber is a technology company, ARL will build the UAVs for testing the technology. One kind of technology Uber is looking at to solve the noise problem is the idea of having stacked rotors on a vehicle that spin in the same direction. Traditionally, UAVs have stacked rotors that spin in opposite directions. “When those rotors are spinning in opposite directions, they create a type of turbulence that contributes to noise in the operation,” Riddick said. “By having them spin in the same direction and adjusting their position to one another, research has shown that using this technique can offer advantages in performance while reducing the noise compared with traditional operations.” One of these performance advantages is more lift capability, he said. Last year, Uber announced the Dallas-Forth Worth area as its first location for flight demonstrations in 2020, and Riddick said Uber will collaborate with ARL-South researchers in Austin. Uber and ARL-South will build the infrastructure needed for testing, Riddick said, adding that progress will be checked every six months. “Uber is proud to be partnering with ARL on critical research on flying vehicle innovations that will help create the world's first urban aviation rideshare network,” Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate, said in a news release. “Our first jointly-funded project will help us develop first of its kind rotor technology that will allow for quieter and more efficient travel. We see this initial project as the first of many and look forward to continued collaboration with the lab on innovations that will make uberAIR a reality.” https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2018/05/08/army-uber-will-partner-on-silent-rotor-technology-for-uavs/

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  May 19, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Florence Parly souligne le « rôle majeur » du budget des Armées pour soutenir l'industrie de défense

  Le budget du ministère des Armées, premier budget d'investissement de l'État, a un « rôle majeur à jouer » pour soutenir l'industrie de défense française, dont de nombreuses entreprises sont affaiblies par la crise, a affirmé le 17 mai la ministre Florence Parly dans un entretien à Ouest-France. « Nous avons un rôle majeur à jouer pour répondre aux besoins de nos forces et pour soutenir l'ensemble de la base industrielle et technologique de défense, ses grands groupes et ses milliers de PME et PMI, et leur éviter d'être impactées par la crise du coronavirus », déclare-t-elle. Le secteur, réuni au sein du Conseil des industries de défense française (Cidef) juge ainsi « fondamental » un plan de relance de l'économie, dont il bénéficierait. Sans l'évoquer formellement, Florence Parly indique que le gouvernement y semble favorable. Le Premier ministre « a donné des éléments de réponse en disant que l'investissement de défense se construit dans le long terme, que le monde dans lequel nous vivons ne sera ni moins dangereux ni moins risqué, comme le montre la période actuelle », rappelle-t-elle. Le Figaro du 17 mai 2022 - AFP du 17 mai 2020 - Ouest-France du 17 mai 2020

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  August 13, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Land

  Army validates design for future helicopter engine, remains on track despite COVID

  By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The Army has validated its design for its future helicopter engine, and the program remains on schedule to deliver the first engine for testing in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, according to service officials in charge of the effort. The Improved Engine Turbine Program (ITEP) has seen a long — and often delayed — journey as the service wrestled with funding and development strategies for several years. ITEP will replace current engines in both UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters Since awarding a contract to General Electric Aviation in February 2019, the program has pushed forward on schedule, despite a protest from a competing team comprised of Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney, which paused work for roughly three months. And, while the Coronavirus pandemic caused some anxiety among Army officials trying to keep the program on track, those in charge were able to complete the critical design review, conducted 100 percent virtually, according to Army spokesman David Hylton. The ITEP Critical Design Review (CDR) was a multi-month process that consisted of three phases, Hylton told Defense News in a written statement. The engine control system component CDR was completed on June 5, followed by the software CDR on July 17 and the engine systems CDR on July 24, he said. The Army and GE are making “tremendous efforts to keep COVID-19 impacts from delaying the program,” Hylton wrote. GE is now working toward a test readiness review ahead of the first engine test. “We are full steam ahead in terms of understanding where we need to go next with respect to the design, Col. Gregory Fortier, who is in charge of the program office for the Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, said during a media briefing last month. The Army has “no reason to believe we will not fly” in fiscal 2023, he said. According to FY21 Army budget request justification documents, the service plans to fly an aircraft with an ITEP engine installed in the first quarter of FY23 followed by a low-rate initial production decision in the fourth quarter of FY24. A full-rate production decision is expected in FY26. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/08/12/army-validates-design-for-future-helicopter-engine-remains-on-track-despite-covid/