February 23, 2023 | International, C4ISR
How JADC2 is like a high-tech grill, according to one Marine colonel
Itâs tricky to define the multibillion-dollar Pentagon initiative aimed at linking up the militaryâs many forces and data.
October 27, 2020 | International, Land, C4ISR
Défense : l'américain Teledyne va racheter Photonis à prix soldé
Le groupe de Thousand Oaks a déclaré avoir obtenu un « accord de principe » pour acquérir le leader français de l'optronique à un prix 15 % moins élevé que celui de départ, soit 425 millions d'euros. Une réduction accordée par le vendeur Ardian suite aux conditions imposées les pouvoirs publics tricolores.
La pépite de l'optronique militaire Photonis s'apprête bien à basculer sous pavillon américain... et pour 15 % moins cher. « Je pense que nous avons un accord de principe maintenant et nous avons besoin de finaliser les formalités administratives », a déclaré à la séance de questions analystes Robert Mehrabian, le président exécutif de l'acquéreur américain Teledyne, lors de ses résultats fin octobre. Le groupe de Thousand Oaks compte mettre ainsi la main sur Photonis pour 75 millions d'euros de moins, soit au final 425 millions d'euros, confirment des sources proches du dossier.
Fin septembre, après des mois de négociations avec le ministère des Finances, des Armées et la reprise en main du dossier par l'Elysée suite à la vaste polémique soulevée par ce projet de cession auprès des parlementaires, Teledyne avait fait part à la SEC son intention de retirer sa demande d'autorisation d'achat auprès du gouvernement français. Une décision que ses opposants dans l'Hexagone ont immédiatement interprété comme un abandon à l'usure, lié aux exigences de gouvernance et le droit de veto imposés par les pouvoirs publics tricolores.
On the same subject
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June 15, 2020 | International, Land
From laundry to cleaning, military willing to pay for creative solutions to pandemic problems
'We know that there is some innovation out there that can help us do those things better and sometimes faster' David Burke · CBC News · Posted: Jun 14, 2020 6:00 AM AT | Last Updated: June 14 The Department of National Defence is reaching out to Canadians for innovative solutions to problems it's facing due to COVID-19. The department is willing to pay $15 million for that assistance. The effort is being funded through DND's Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program, which pays for research by outside organizations, typically businesses and universities. In this case, DND has three specific goals. The military wants to be able to rapidly sanitize workplaces and vehicles containing sensitive equipment like computers. It wants to be able to quickly clean uniforms and COVID-19 protective gear so it can be reused. It's also looking for ways to gather data to support the early detection and monitoring of contagious disease outbreaks. "We're reaching out to Canadian innovators because we know that there is some creativity out there, we know that there is some innovation out there that can help us do those things better and sometimes faster," said Eric Fournier, director general of innovation for DND. He said DND is working with the Centre for Security Science Program, the National Research Council of Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada to hunt for solutions that will benefit the whole country. If a solution to any of the problems is found, it will be passed along to federal, provincial and municipal agencies. "Although the program doing this is a national defence program," said Fournier, "we are doing this for public safety across Canada. So it's for the first responders, it's also for national defence, it's for everybody and those solutions will be made available to all those government entities." Rapid, thorough cleaning is DND's goal. Fournier said it can take a lot of time to sanitize by hand. During a crisis, that time can be in short supply, he said. He said if a military aircraft is used to transport a COVID-19 patient, the entire vehicle, along with the uniforms and the personal protective equipment worn by the crew, would have to be cleaned. "We want to make sure that the people are ready to respond, again and again and again and again," said Fournier. "In a pandemic like this, we see that people have to work constantly." While dropping uniforms and flight suits into the washing machine might be an option, the military wants something faster. "So we want to make sure you can do it quickly," Fournier said. "In some cases just putting it in the laundry might work, but we might not have the time to do it that way. We might need something to clean it up faster for reuse in a few hours, for example." It's the same thing with cleaning vehicles by hand. It works, but getting it done fast is hard to do. Finding a way to sanitize aircraft, ambulances, offices and other spaces without damaging computers or other electronics is essential, Fournier said. He said it's also important to find ways to collect data on how the virus is moving through the population and to locate hot spots. DND will choose several winners in each of the three categories. The winners will be given up to $200,000 and up to six months to deliver on their solution. If the solution works, DND could provide them with more funding for fine-tuning or to adapt it for more widespread use. Anyone looking to apply for the program can go to the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security website. There have only been a handful of applications, but Fournier said that number usually jumps up in the final days before the deadline. Applications for the program are due June 23. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/military-dnd-covid-19-research-solutions-1.5607535
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August 12, 2019 | International, Land
Texas university to build $130M complex to test Army’s combat tech
By: Kelsey Reichmann WASHINGTON — A Texas university will be home to a $130 million combat development complex used by Army Futures Command. Texas A&M University System's RELLIS campus in Bryan will be the new home to accelerator space, laboratories and offices for the four-star command. The announcement was made in a news release Thursday after the board of regents authorized the contract. The building will cost Texas A&M System $50 million, according to the release. It will also invest $30 million in infrastructure improvements for the new facility. The remaining $50 million was appropriated by the Texas legislature and will go toward an outdoor testing area at RELLIS. The complex will include a kilometer-long tunnel that will make Texas A&M Engineering “the hypersonics research capital of the country,” said M. Katherine Banks, vice chancellor and dean of engineering. The campus held a robotic combat vehicle prototyping competition in May involving six industry teams with a total of eight vehicles. The event came in anticipation of Army whitepapers and request for prototype proposals for ground vehicle robots. Gen. John “Mike” Murray, the head of Army Futures Command, said in the release that the command would develop, test and evaluate technology from industry and universities around the country at the facility. “We are humbled and grateful to the people of Texas, Texas elected leaders, and the Texas A&M University System for the opportunity to further develop our strategic partnership through the establishment of the combat development complex on the RELLIS Campus,” he said. “This effort will certainly prove vital as we work together to discover, develop, and test ideas and concepts that will help our Soldiers, and our future Soldiers, to protect America's tomorrows — beginning today.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/the-americas/2019/08/09/texas-university-to-build-130m-complex-to-test-armys-combat-tech/