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March 3, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval

Des Rafale de la Marine nationale s’équipent de pièces imprimées en 3D

Un Rafale de la Marine nationale vient d'effectuer son premier vol avec une pièce imprimée en 3D avec succès : dessinée et prototypée sur le porte-avions Charles de Gaulle, la pièce est un boîtier de commande de vidanges des réservoirs de carburant. C'est une première pour la marine qui peut ainsi compter sur la fabrication additive pour concevoir des pièces détachées rapidement et proposer diverses itérations à moindre coût. Le composant final a été imprimé en 3D par Dassault Systèmes et pourrait bien être le premier d'une longue série.

En février 2019, le porte-avions Charles de Gaulle s'équipait d'une imprimante 3D, probablement d'une machine de bureau à dépôt de matière fondue, afin de concevoir toutes sortes d'objets pour dépanner l'équipage parti en mission. Un ravitaillement ou une réparation en pleine mer est très coûteux et long, un temps que les techniciens de la Marine nationale ne peuvent parfois pas s'offrir. La fabrication additive pourrait être une première solution : en ayant une imprimante 3D à bord du porte-avions, son équipage produirait ce dont il a besoin sur place, s'affranchissant de nombreuses contraintes.

La Marine nationale possède aujourd'hui 40 Rafale, dont 28 en ligne. C'est aujourd'hui l'avion de combat le plus moderne en service sur le territoire français. L'Etat-major des armées (EMA) explique qu'une équipe de techniciens de la Marine nationale a proposé d'utiliser l'imprimante 3D à bord du porte-avions Charles de Gaulle pour imaginer différentes pièces détachées intégrées à leur Rafale. Ils ont donc dessiné une maquette de renfort qui a ensuite été imprimée en 3D sur le bateau directement. L'EMA ajoute : “Le projet est immédiatement retransmis à la Direction de la maintenance aéronautique pour analyse au sein du plateau technique central mis en place dans le cadre du premier marché verticalisé de la flotte et rassemblant les spécialistes étatiques et industriels du domaine.” Le marché évoqué concerne le contrat RAVEL obtenu en mai 2019 par Dassault Aviation et ce pour une durée de 10 ans. Celui-ci a notamment pour objectif d'assurer l'entretien des Rafale, une assistance technique et une meilleure gestion des stocks.

Après quelques jours d'études, le modèle imprimé sur le porte-avions a été adapté afin que le groupe Dassault puisse imprimer en 3D un produit fini. On ne sait pas quels matériaux et technologie ont été utilisés mais les pièces auraient été montées sur l'ensemble des Rafale embarqués dans le cadre de la mission Foch qui a débuté le 22 janvier dernier. La direction de la maintenance aéronautique (DMAé) conclut : « L'endommagement d'un aéronef en mer étant plus sévère qu'à terre, il revient à la DMAé de calculer et d'anticiper les besoins des différents aéronefs embarqués pour soutenir au mieux les équipes du porte-avions dans leur travail quotidien. »

La fabrication additive pourrait donc répondre à ces objectifs et aider les équipes à concevoir des pièces détachées plus rapidement et efficacement. On espère que d'autres Rafale pourront être équipés de pièces imprimées en 3D ! En attendant, vous pouvez retrouver davantage d'informations ICI.

https://www.3dnatives.com/rafale-marine-nationale-impression-3d-03032020/

On the same subject

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 4, 2019

    March 5, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 4, 2019

    MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY Lockheed Martin Corporation Missiles and Fire Control, Dallas, Texas, is being awarded a non-competitive hybrid contract line item numbers type (cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price and cost reimbursement) contract under Foreign Military Sale (FMS) cases to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The total estimated value of this contract is $945,900,000. Under this undefinitized contract action, the contractor will provide Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) FMS KSA Phase I long lead items, obsolescence, tooling and test equipment, key personnel, line requalification activities, initial training development, System Integration Lab and testbeds, three-level maintenance concept, exportability, and early engineering development. The work will be performed in: Dallas, Texas; Lufkin, Texas; Huntsville, Alabama; Anniston, Alabama; Camden, Arkansas; Troy, Alabama; and Sunnyvale, California. The performance period is from Feb. 28, 2019, through Oct. 31, 2026. KSA FMS funds in the amount of $945,900,000 will be used to fund this effort. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ0147-19-C-0007). NAVY Corvid Technologies LLC,* Mooresville, North Carolina, is awarded a $223,277,038 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the delivery of hardware, equipment and components for manufacturing and integration of short- and medium-range sub-orbital flight vehicles supporting Navy, other government agencies, and Foreign Military Sales testing over a five-year ordering period. The flight vehicles are exo-atmospheric rocket-based vehicles specifically configured to deliver payloads and test articles into a flight regime of interest for systems under test. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (76 percent); other government agencies (12 percent); and Foreign Military Sales to the government of Japan (12 percent). Work will be performed at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico (70 percent); Mooresville, North Carolina (10 percent); Herndon, Virginia (5 percent); Glen Burnie, Maryland (5 percent); Las Cruces, New Mexico (5 percent); and Huntsville, Alabama (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by February 2024. Foreign Military Sales (Japan) funding in the amount of $8,021,855 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00178-19-D-5001). General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is being awarded a $76,210,586 cost-plus-fixed-fee completion undefinitized contract action under previously-awarded contract N00024-16-C-2111 to perform planning and execution efforts and alterations during USS South Dakota's (SSN 790) post-delivery work period. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed by December 2020. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount $38,320,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Groton, Connecticut, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut is awarded a $60,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, level-of-effort undefinitized contract action under previously-awarded contract N00024-09-C-2104 to provide additional support and services during USS South Dakota's (SSN 790) post-delivery work period. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed by December 2020. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $30,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Groton, Connecticut, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $55,077,981 cost-plus-fixed-fee, level-of-effort undefinitized contract action under previously-awarded contract N00024-16-C-2111 to perform the planning and execution efforts and installation of the Stern Area System during USS South Dakota's (SSN 790) post-delivery work period. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut, and is expected to be complete by December 2020. Fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2020 (subject to availability of funds) research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount $27,680,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Groton, Connecticut, is the contracting activity. Serco Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $41,304,910 modification under fixed-price contract (N39430-16-C-1811) to exercise Option Period Three for lifecycle sustainment of physical security/access control and command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence systems in support of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection Ashore Program at various Navy installations worldwide. The work to be performed provides for preventive maintenance of hardware, associated firmware, and software; response and resolution of service calls for corrective maintenance to include equipment repair, overhaul, or replacement; information assurance vulnerability alert to include version control, patch management, and vulnerability scanning; asset management to track, maintain, upgrade, and dispose of systems; configuration management to establish and maintain consistency of the system attributes with operational requirements and evolving technical baseline; technical refreshments, upgrades and installation of new systems; and programmatic trend analysis to identify systemic sustainment issues such as technology obsolescence. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $160,741,210. Work will be performed at various installations worldwide, and work is expected to be completed March 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $41,304,910 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity. Gilbane Federal, Concord, California, is awarded an $8,403,802 firm-fixed-price modification to decrease the value of the contract for the cleaning, inspection, and repair of fuel storage tanks 602, 604 and 605 at Defense Fuel Support Point (DFSP) Tsurumi, Japan, from the task order scope of work. After award of this modification, the total remaining task order value will be $4,733,405. Work will be performed in Tsurumi, Japan, and is expected to be completed by May 2019. Fiscal 2016 defense working capital (Defense Logistics Agency) contract funds in the amount of $8,403,802 will be de-obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N39430-15-D-1634). ARMY REEL COH Inc., Mobile, Alabama (W9128F-19-D-0019); PaR Sytstems, Shoreview, Minnesota (W9128F-19-D-0020); Knight Construction & Supply Inc.,* Deer Park, Washington (W9128F-19-D-0021); Crane Technologies,* Rochester Hills, Minnesota (W9128F-19-D-0022); and Garco WEMCO JV, Spokane, Washington (W9128F-19-D-0023), will compete for each order of the $99,900,000 contract for crane rehabilitation and replacement. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work locations and funding will be determined with an estimated completion date of March 3, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Missiles Fire Control, Grand Prairie, Texas, was awarded an $8,469,594 modification (P00026) to Foreign Military Sales (Japan, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Qatar, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Germany and Netherlands) contract W31P4Q-17-D-0026 for Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept On Target Advanced Capability-3 Missile Support Center Field Missile Activities. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2020. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Steris Corp., Mentor, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $48,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories. This was a competitive acquisition with 74 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Ohio, with a March 3, 2024, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-19-D-0011). Aurora Industries LLC,* Camuy, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $18,672,261 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for coats for the Army Combat Uniform and Improved Hot Weather Combat Uniform. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a two-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with a Sept. 3, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1137). AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., Defense Space Security, St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $40,000,000 undefinitized fixed-price-incentive-firm modification (P00003) to previously awarded contract FA8634-18-C-2697 for Infra-Red Search and Track Block II Ship Sets. This modification provides for the production of an additional six Block II IRST Ship Sets. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri; and Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be complete by Oct. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2017 procurement funds in the amount of $19,600,000 are being obligated at the time of award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $249,784,825. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. JASR Systems LLC, La Jolla, California, has been awarded an $8,107,308 firm-fixed-price contract for research and development. This contract provides for the development of chip-scale Optical Phased Arrays and Light Detection and Ranging systems that leverages Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Modular Optical Aperture Building Blocks (MOABB) Phase 1, and maps to Phases 2 and 3 of the MOABB program respectively. Work will be performed in La Jolla, California, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 1, 2020. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2018 research, test, development and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,400,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-C-7916). * Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1774554/

  • Securing US space assets is busting the Air Force budget, Kendall says

    August 27, 2024 | International, Aerospace

    Securing US space assets is busting the Air Force budget, Kendall says

    Money for space "is going to need to double or triple over time,” the Air Force secretary said in an interview, with a resilient architecture top of mind.

  • The Air Force's entire A-10 Warthog fleet is getting a raft of lethal new upgrades

    September 13, 2019 | International, Aerospace

    The Air Force's entire A-10 Warthog fleet is getting a raft of lethal new upgrades

    By Jared Keller Fresh off a fraught decade-long rewinging effort, the Air Force's beloved A-10 Thunderbolt II fleet is poised to keep on BRRRTing in the free world for at least another decade — and the beloved attack aircraft will pick up some tasty new upgrades along the way. Personnel at Air Combat Command are currently working to integrate the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB I) on all A-10 airframes as part of the Common Fleet Initiative (CFI) that, initiated in August 2018, is designed to bring the decades-old fleet "back to a common baseline" for ongoing operations. "GBU-39 munitions have proven to be highly-desired weapons in ongoing conflicts, and the addition of this weapon to the A-10's arsenal will greatly improve the flexibility of ground commanders," Alexi Worley, an ACC spokesman, told Task & Purpose. "Adding the GBU-39 will continue efforts to keep the A-10 relevant in ongoing and future conflicts, where versatility in weaponeering is critical to meeting ground commander needs." Military aviation magazine Combat Aircraft first reported news of the SDB integration on Sept. 5, noting that a new "multi-target engagement capability" will make the A-10 "theoretically ... able to target 18 weapons individually" while hauling four SDBs on a single hardpoint. https://taskandpurpose.com/air-force-a10-warthog-upgrades

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