China emerges a key supplier for Ukraine’s defence SME sector - Army Technology

On the same subject

• 

  December 24, 2023 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Year in review: Top stories from 2023

  Russia sends a symbolic message to Turkey, Britain orders new rifles, Hungary clashes with a U.S. senator over weaponry and more!

• 

  June 10, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Is China already inside America’s hypersonic industrial base?

  By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — As the Pentagon focuses on developing new technologies such as artificial intelligence and directed energy, department officials have declared the need to ensure foreign nations are not buying their way into the defense-industrial base. But a new report warns China may already have ownership over a key focus: hypersonic weapons. Hypersonic missiles, which are capable of going faster than five times the speed of sound, are expected to become a backbone of the U.S. military in the coming decades. As part of its annual Federal Scorecard, data and analytics firm Govini found that tier one suppliers in the hypersonic supply chain — seven major companies that are working most closely with the Department of Defense on the technology development — has done a good job of keeping Chinese-owned companies out of the process. But at the tier three level, where companies provide smaller but still critical components, the exposure to Chinese suppliers jumps to nearly 10 percent. And that exposure grows slightly by the time it reaches tier five suppliers, with Govini seeing signs of overlap among companies at those lower levels. “This does not necessarily mean that Chinese parts are ending up in DoD'a hypersonics,” explained Jim Mitre, Govini's senior vice president for strategy and analysis. “However, China may have opportunities to jeopardize the development [of] hypersonics through engagement in the supply chain, and it's critically important for DoD and industry to ensure that's not the case.” That is “an area that we're regularly working with the department on exploring and unpacking” to understand the challenges in the supply chain, Mitre added. A series of Pentagon reports in the last two years have raised concerns about the defense-industrial base, particularly when it comes to high-end materials and design knowledge for missiles. In some cases, the only supplier for critical materials come from China, the exact country the U.S. is looking to counter by investing in hypersonic weapons. In March, the Pentagon announced it was launching a deep dive into the hypersonic industrial base specifically to understand the vulnerabilities at the lower-tier suppliers. That study is ongoing. Meanwhile, officials have acknowledged that smaller suppliers have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Govini also found that the U.S. is under investing compared to China in the realm of quantum technologies, with the Pentagon's fiscal 2021 research, development, testing and evaluation budget for quantum-related programs decreasing by nearly 10 percent from the previous year. The department has requested $3.2 billion for RDT&E funds related to hypersonic weapons in FY21. https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2020/06/09/is-china-already-inside-americas-hypersonic-industrial-base/

• 

  November 20, 2018 | International, Aerospace

  United States Marine Corps Procures the New InstantEye Mk-3 GEN5-D1 SUAS System

  ANDOVER, Mass., Nov. 20, 2018 /CNW/ -- InstantEye Robotics is pleased to announce it has secured a contract with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in support of PMA-263, the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) Program Office, to field 32 InstantEye Mk-3 GEN5-D1 SUAS systems (64 aircraft). This procurement is being executed in support of a United States Marine Corps urgent needs request for field user evaluation. The new InstantEye Mk-3 GEN5-D1 platform expands mission scope and provides additional Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition capability to the individual Marine or Sailor. "We are very excited to start fielding the first system in our new InstantEye Mk-3 line of products, which is designed to further strengthen the security of our SUAS products as well as expand the capabilities and features of our systems," said Tom Vaneck, Vice President of InstantEye Robotics. "The Marines have been great supporters of the InstantEye systems, and we think the InstantEye Mk-3 GEN5 system will greatly complement their existing portfolio and enhance force protection while reducing operational risk." The InstantEye Mk-3 GEN5-D1 is the smallest (~250g) in the InstantEye family of combat-proven, high-performance, affordable systems. It is an encrypted, all-digital system with superb real-time video and still imagery. Due to its small size, it has low audible and visual signatures, enabling it to operate undetected in close proximity to targets of interest. The system requires only a single operator and goes from a stowed configuration to fully operational in approximately one minute. With an ability to operate in all weather and locations, it is an unmatched tactical enabler with operational effects. InstantEye Robotics is a division of Physical Sciences Inc., both located in Andover Massachusetts. InstantEye Robotics is a global leader in tactical unmanned aircraft systems. When customers need a reliable, portfolio-manageable, multi-mission system, they choose InstantEye. Press Contacts Kimberly Kohlhepp InstantEye Robotics 978.918.7364 kkohlhepp@instanteyerobotics.com www.instanteyerobotics.com SOURCE InstantEye Robotics https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/united-states-marine-corps-procures-the-new-instanteye-mk-3-gen5-d1-suas-system-700911791.html