November 13, 2017 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
On 13 November 2017 ministers from 23 member states signed a joint notification on the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and handed it over to the High Representative and the Council.
The possibility of the Permanent Structured Cooperation in the area of defence security and defence policy was introduced by the Lisbon Treaty. It foresees the possibility of a number of EU member states working more closely together in the area of security and defence. This permanent framework for defence cooperation will allow those member states willing and able to jointly develop defence capabilities, invest in shared projects, or enhance the operational readiness and contribution of their armed forces.
The member states who signed the joint notification are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. It is possible for other member states to join at a later stage.
The joint notification is the first formal step to set up the PESCO. It sets out:
Joint notification by member states to the High Representative and to the Council on PESCO
The Council now has to adopt a decision establishing PESCO by reinforced qualified majority. This could take place at the next Foreign Affairs Council (11 December).
A first list of projects to be undertaken within the PESCO framework should be agreed by the participating member states once PESCO has been established. These could cover areas such as training, capabilities development and operational readiness in the field of defence.
Factsheet: https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/pesco_factsheet_13-12-2017_final.pdf
April 19, 2023 | International, Aerospace
Maj. Gen. Walter Rugen, the director of the Army’s Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team, hailed the closely held analysis as "very informative."
July 31, 2020 | International, Aerospace
East Hartford, Conn., July 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- JetBlue Airways ("JetBlue") and Pratt & Whitney, a Raytheon Technologies business (NYSE: RTX), through its affiliate, IAE International Aero Engines AG ("IAE"), announced that the airline has signed a 13-year EngineWise® fixed-price agreement for 230 V2500® engines that power the airline's A320ceo family fleet. "The V2500 engine has been the workhorse of the JetBlue fleet since the airline's inception," said Steve Priest, Chief Financial Officer at JetBlue. "This agreement provides predictable maintenance and supports efficient operations needed to serve our customers for many years to come." The highly reliable and fuel efficient V2500 engine is offered through IAE, a multinational aero engine consortium whose shareholders comprise Pratt & Whitney, Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH, Japanese Aero Engines Corporation and MTU Aero Engines. JetBlue operates a fleet of 193 Airbus A320ceo family aircraft powered by the V2500 engine. The airline has also ordered 85 GTF-powered Airbus A320neo family aircraft, of which 10 have already been delivered. In addition, JetBlue has 70 GTF-powered Airbus A220 aircraft on order, with deliveries scheduled to begin later this year. "We truly appreciate our long-standing and successful relationship with JetBlue," said Rick Deurloo, chief commercial officer at Pratt & Whitney. "We are committed to partnering with the airline on V2500 engine maintenance to optimize fleet performance well into the future." The V2500 engine is backed by an established global network of 18 facilities for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), including nine IAE partner facilities, of which three are managed by Pratt & Whitney and its joint ventures: the Turkish Engine Center in Istanbul, the Shanghai Engine Center in China and the Christchurch Engine Center in New Zealand. Pratt & Whitney's EngineWise service portfolio provides engine operators with a variety of aftermarket services to maximize engine performance and fleet availability. Visit http://www.EngineWise.com for more information About Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney, a unit of Raytheon Technologies (NYSE:RTX) is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft and helicopter engines, and auxiliary power units. Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. To learn more about RTX, visit its website at www.rtx.com To receive press releases and other news directly, please sign up here. About Raytheon Technologies Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. With 195,000 employees and four industry-leading businesses ― Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense ― the company delivers solutions that push the boundaries in avionics, cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics, and quantum physics. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Media Contact Jenny Dervin O: (860).557.1918 C: 860.308.50645630 Jennifer.Dervin@prattwhitney.com View source version on Pratt & Whitney: https://newsroom.prattwhitney.com/2020-07-30-Pratt-Whitney-and-JetBlue-sign-long-term-service-agreement-for-230-V2500-R-engines#assets_all
February 12, 2020 | International, Land
The service is already slowing production of Oshkosh's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and now wants to find an alternative manufacturer —which could create logistical or legal headaches. Other Oshkosh programs are also ramping down. By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR. PENTAGON: As the Army moves billions into new high-tech weapons, truck-maker Oshkosh is feeling the pinch. The 2021 budget request not only decreases spending on three Oshkosh vehicles, the 10-wheel FHTV, the 6-wheel FMTV, and 4×4 JLTV: It also calls for a new competition the following fiscal year for JLTV, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle originally meant to replace the Humvee. That's especially worrying for the Wisconsin company, because JLTV is the youngest program of the three and the most important for the company's long-term future. But then-Army Secretary Mark Esper — now Secretary of Defense — has publicly criticized JLTV as overly specialized for the kind of counterinsurgency conflicts the Pentagon is no longer focused on. While the Army insists it will still buy the planned total of 49,099 trucks, eventually, it keeps slowing down the annual rate and extended the deadline to complete production, which now won't end until 2042. (That leaves the Humvee in service, at least with some units, indefinitely). Why recompete? “We do that to drive the price down,” said Deputy Assistant Army Secretary John Daniels this morning, when my colleague Jen Judson asked about the proposal. But any new competition would be two fiscal years from now and Daniels declined to give any details. The only other information about the plan is buried on page 102 of the fifth volume of the Army's newly released procurement request for 2021, which also includes projections for 2022 and beyond. Under JLTV, the “justification book” says that: “Current contract options may be exercised through 30 November 2023 assuming contractual quantity headspace is still available. Current funding indicates headspace quantity of 16,901 may be achieved in FY 2021, with competitive follow on contract award anticipated in FY 2022. A split procurement will occur between the existing Oshkosh contract and the new competitively awarded contract based on the approved acquisition strategy. The Program Office continues to gather insight from industry partners to better understand their position to ensure strong competition for the follow on contract.” In plain English, this means Oshkosh's current contract to build Joint Light Tactical Vehicles runs though fall 2023. Since production will continue for decades, the Army will have to award a new contract to buy more JLTVs for itself, the other services and allies. But when it comes time to award that follow-on contract, the service doesn't want Oshkosh to be its only option: It wants at least one competitor to drive down costs. https://breakingdefense.com/2020/02/army-seeks-new-jltv-competition-in-2022