Canada moves closer to military-spending target following previous critique from NATO, U.S.

On the same subject

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  January 21, 2020 | Local, Aerospace

  F-35s Are Dead: The Sixth Generation of Fighter Aircraft Is On Its Way

  by Kris Osborn Key point: At this rate, the F-35 won't even see combat before its outmoded. It is also possible that the new 6th-generation fighter could use advanced, futuristic stealth technology able to enable newer, more capable air defenses. The air defenses of potential adversaries are increasingly using faster computing processing power and are better networked together, more digital, able to detect a wider range of frequencies and able to detect stealthy aircraft at farther distances. The Air Force has begun experimenting and conceptual planning for a 6th generation fighter aircraft to emerge in coming years as a technological step beyond the F-35, service leaders said. "We have started experimentation, developmental planning and technology investment," Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Acquisition, told Scout Warrior in an interview. The new aircraft, engineered to succeed the 5th-generation F-35 Joint StrikeFighter and explode onto the scene by the mid 2030s, is now in the earliest stages of conceptual development with the Air Force and Navy. The two services are now working together on early conceptual discussions about the types of technologies and capabilities the aircraft will contain. While the Air Force has not yet identified a platform for the new aircraft. The Air Force characterizes the effort in terms of a future capability called Next-Gen Air Dominance. While Bunch did not elaborate on the specifics of ongoing early efforts, he did make reference to the Air Superiority 2030 Flight Plan which delineates some key elements of the service's strategy for a future platform. Fighter jets in 20-years may likely contain the next-generation of stealth technology, electronic warfare, sophisticated computer processing and algorithms, increased autonomy, hypersonic weapons and so-called "smart-skins" where sensors are built into the side of the aircraft itself. Some of these characteristics may have been on display more than a year ago when Northrop Grumman's SuperBowl AD revealed a flashy first look at its rendering of a new 6th-generation fighter jet. Northrop is one of a number of major defense industry manufacturers who will bid for a contract to build the new plane - when the time is right. While there are not many details available on this work, it is safe to assume Northrop is advancing concepts, technology and early design work toward this end. Boeing is also in the early phases of development of a 6th-gen design, according to a report in Defense News. The Navy's new aircraft will, at least in part, replace the existing inventory of F/A-18 Super Hornets which will start to retire by 2035, Navy officials said. The Navy vision for a future carrier air wing in 2040 and beyond is comprised of the carrier-launched variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, and legacy aircraft such as the EA-18G Growler electronic jamming aircraft. Also, around this time is when Navy planners envision its 6th generation aircraft to be ready, an aircraft which will likely be engineered for both manned and unmanned missions. Technologies are rapidly advancing in coatings, electromagnetic spectrum issues, artificial intelligence, maneuvering, superiority in sensing the battlespace, communications and data links, Navy leaders have said. Navy officials also add that the Navy is likely to develop new carrier-launched unmanned air vehicles in coming years as well. For instance, Northrop's historic X-47B demonstrator aircraft was the first unmanned system to successfully launch and land on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Analysts have speculated that as 6th generation developers seek to engineer a sixth-generation aircraft, they will likely explore a range of next-generation technologies such as maximum sensor connectivity, super cruise ability and an aircraft with electronically configured “smart skins.” Super cruise technology would enable the new fighter jet to cruise at supersonic speeds without needing afterburner, analysts have explained. As a result, super cruise brings a substantial tactical advantage because it allows for high-speed maneuvering without needing afterburner, therefore enable much longer on-location mission time. Such a scenario provides a time advantage as the aircraft would likely outlast a rival aircraft likely to run out of fuel earlier. The Air Force F-22 has a version of supercruise technology. Maximum connectivity would mean massively increased communications and sensor technology such as having an ability to achieve real-time connectivity with satellites, other aircraft and anything that could provide relevant battlefield information.The new aircraft might also seek to develop the ability to fire hypersonic weapons, however such a development would hinge upon successful progress with yet-to-be-proven technologies such as scramjets traveling at hypersonic speeds. Some tests of early renderings of this technology have been tested successfully and yet other attempts have failed. The Air Force Chief Scientist, Dr. Geoffrey Zacharias, has told Scout Warrior that the US anticipates having hypersonic weapons by the 2020s, hypersonic drones by the 2030s and recoverable hypersonic drone aircraft by the 2040s. There is little doubt that hypersonic technology, whether it be weaponry or propulsion, or both, will figure prominently into future aircraft designs. Smart aircraft skins would involve dispersing certain technologies or sensors across the fuselage and further integrating them into the aircraft itself, using next-generation computer algorithms to organize and display information for the pilot. We see some of this already in the F-35; the aircraft sensor fusion uses advanced computer technology to collect, organize and display combat relevant information from a variety of otherwise disparate sensors onto a single screen for pilots. In addition, Northrop's Distributed Aperture System is engineered to provide F-35 pilots with a 360-degree view of the battlespace. Cameras on the DAS are engineered into parts of the F-35 fuselage itself to reduce drag and lower the aircraft's radar signature. Smart skins with distributed electronics means that instead of having systems mounted on the aircraft, you would have apertures integrated on the skin of the aircraft, analysts have said. This could reduce drag, increase speed and maneuverability while increasing the technological ability of the sensors. It is also possible that the new 6th-generation fighter could use advanced, futuristic stealth technology able to enable newer, more capable air defenses. The air defenses of potential adversaries are increasingly using faster computing processing power and are better networked together, more digital, able to detect a wider range of frequencies and able to detect stealthy aircraft at farther distances. The new 6th-generation fighter will also likely fire lasers and have the ability to launch offensive electronic attacks. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/f-35s-are-dead-sixth-generation-fighter-aircraft-its-way-114901

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  September 24, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  Canada's special forces seek outside intelligence advice

  Murray Brewster Intelligence expert says Canadian Forces may be preparing for more missions without American help Canada's elite special forces are looking for some outside intelligence advice — a move that one expert said is likely meant to make the highly-trained special forces section less dependent on allies, notably the Americans. A request for proposals was posted late last week to the federal government's tendering website asking private contractors to submit bids to become a "senior intelligence" adviser to the special forces, which undertake some of the military's most secret and dangerous missions. The individual will be expected to "aid and support in the implementation of current intelligence projects, and the design and implementation of future capabilities." Specifically, the new adviser will be responsible for helping to guide "the establishment of specific [Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance] capabilities," which will include aircraft. The special forces recently bought three new surveillance aircraft from the U.S. The planes, which are expected to arrive in 2022, will be equipped with sensors and tracking gear to intercept cell telephone and other electronic transmissions. The request for proposals also says the new adviser will be expected to have a deep background in working with other allied intelligence services. In its defence policy, released three years ago, the Liberal government committed to bolstering the military's intelligence-gathering capability. The special forces section itself emphasized intelligence-gathering in its recently released strategy, called Beyond the Horizon. Within the defence community, the strategy is seen as an important effort to refocus the special forces after nearly two decades of concentrating on counter-insurgency warfare. A spokesperson for the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM), Maj. Amber Bineau, had little to say about the rationale for hiring a contract adviser beyond what was included in the request for proposals. The branch "periodically hires contractors, on a case-by-case basis" and the adviser will be working with "oversight from senior leadership within CANSOFCOM," she said in an email. The University of Ottawa's Wesley Wark, one of the country's leading experts in intelligence, said the decision to bring in outside expertise and establish surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for the special forces is a significant move — especially coming at a moment when the United States is seen as pulling back from engagement with its allies, or focusing on different priorities. Wark said Canada traditionally has relied on the Americans for a variety of intelligence-gathering capabilities, including military intelligence. The request for proposals, he said, amounts to a recognition by the Department of National Defence that some future special forces missions may not involve partnerships with U.S. special forces — and that Canada needs its own independent capabilities. "If you're going to work with some different kinds of partners, the expectation grows that you're going to have to have your own sources and you can't just be relying on the United States," he told CBC News. Wark said he could foresee, for example, Canadian special forces being called upon by the United Nations for specific intelligence help during peace support missions — a task that, in the current political climate, Washington would avoid. Just as important, Wark said, is the fact that the request for proposals asked for someone with expertise in social media intelligence, "which is interesting and indicative of the kind of complex operations" the force will be facing in the future. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/special-forces-intelligence-1.5726861

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  September 19, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  Bombardier livre le premier de trois avions d’affaires Global 6000 pour la flotte de la Luftwaffe

  Bombardier livre le premier de trois avions d'affaires Global 6000 pour la flotte de la Luftwaffe L'avion long-courrier Global 6000 répondra aux besoins de transport diplomatiques et parlementaires allemands Offrant une fiabilité de premier ordre, une technologie de pointe et le vol en douceur emblématique de Bombardier, l'avion Global 6000 est idéal pour les missions gouvernementales et le transport de personnalités Bombardier doit livrer deux autres avions au gouvernement allemand en 2019 MONTRÉAL, 17 sept. 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bombardier a fièrement livré le premier de trois avions d'affaires Global 6000 destinés à être utilisés par la Luftwaffe, les forces aériennes de l'Allemagne. La Luftwaffe, exploitant de longue date d'avions Bombardier, utilisera les biréacteurs d'affaires Global 6000 pour répondre aux besoins de transport des secteurs politiques et parlementaires. « Bombardier est ravie que la Luftwaffe ajoute l'avion Global 6000 à sa flotte », a déclaré David Coleal, président de Bombardier Aviation. « Notre équipe des Avions spécialisés a b'ti des relations de longue date avec des gouvernements du monde entier qui ont confiance en la sécurité et en la performance de nos produits. » La division des Avions spécialisés de Bombardier offre des solutions sur mesure aux exploitants, avec un portefeuille diversifié d'avions qui peuvent assurer les missions de transport aérien les plus exigeantes et les plus critiques en diverses configurations. Les avions Global de Bombardier sont particulièrement intéressants en raison de leur ponctualité de départ, de leur vitesse, de leur agilité et de leur endurance excellentes, ainsi que de leurs coûts d'exploitation optimisés. Propulsés par des moteurs BR710 de Rolls-Royce, développés et construits par Rolls-Royce Deutschland à Dahlewitz, en Allemagne, l'avion Global 6000 a suffisamment d'autonomie pour des vols sans escale intercontinentaux, ce qui est idéal pour les besoins de transport des secteurs politiques et parlementaires. L'avion Global 6000 assure également un vol en douceur qui réduit la fatigue des grands voyages, tant pour les passagers que pour l'équipage, tandis que son poste de pilotage évolué Bombardier Vision est doté d'un affichage tête haute avec la vision améliorée et la vision synthétique, ce qui permet une meilleure expérience de pilotage. La livraison de l'avion resserre les importants liens entre Bombardier et l'Allemagne, où l'avionneur est le principal fournisseur d'avions d'affaires. Bombardier Transport, chef de file mondial de l'industrie ferroviaire, a son siège social à Berlin. http://www.lesailesduquebec.com/bombardier-livre-le-premier-de-trois-avions-daffaires-global-6000-pour-la-flotte-de-la-luftwaffe/