Despite economic woes, UK leaders tout massive defense-spending hike

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  May 22, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Aviation Week Forecasts: Western Attack Helicopter Deliveries/Retirements 2020-2029

  Aviation Week Network forecasts that over the next ten years, 706 new Western-designed attack helicopters will be built, 588 will be remanufactured, and 193 will be retired. Aviation Week defines attack helicopters as rotary-wing aircraft that are unable to carry cargo internally, are armed with a forward-firing cannon of at least 20mm, and that can carry and self-designate targets for anti-tank guided missiles. The dominance of the Boeing AH-64 in the attack helicopter market is clear, with 63.1%, of global deliveries over the forecast. The U.S. Army intends to continue to upgrade existing AH-64Ds to the AH-64E standard while procuring more newly built AH-64Es in the next decade as part of its plan to build up to the current program of record. The AH-64's future abroad is secured through continuing international popularity across Europe, the Middle East, and increasingly the Asia-Pacific in a second wave. The advanced age of the Bell AH-1 is leading to several high-profile operators in the Asia-Pacific finally retiring their oldest AH-1s, making it the most retired type. However, the latest version, the AH-1Z, shows that there is life still left in the platform, with the second most deliveries. The U.S. Marine Corps will acquire more AH-1Zs this decade, along with several smaller militaries looking for a reliable, but cheaper, AH-64 alternative. The AH-1Z's prospects as a “thrifty” procurement are further bolstered by the fact that its chief non-U.S. competitor, the AW129-based TAI T129, continues to face difficulties in obtaining a U.S. export license for its engine. Hover over charts for more information. Source: Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN) 2020 Military Fleet & MRO Forecast For more information about the 2020 Forecast and other Aviation Week data products, please see: http://pages.aviationweek.com/Forecasts https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/z/aviation-week-forecasts-western-attack-helicopter-deliveriesretirements-2020-2029

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  December 1, 2022 | International, Aerospace

  GA-ASI Flies Autonomous Collaboration Using Avenger UAS

  During this event, all aircraft performed coordinated maneuvers to sense relevant airborne targets in the infrared spectrum

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  February 15, 2020 | International, C4ISR, Security

  Germany moves to protect its military-cyber industry

  Sebastian Sprenger MUNICH — A new German strategy document declares defense-related cyber technologies as key national assets, affording the domestic sector some protection from international competition. Government officials made the move with the publication of a paper this week outlining the types of technology Berlin wants to buy at home, in Europe or from global vendors. The designation of a key technology means the government can sidestep European Union rules requiring public acquisitions be open to companies throughout the bloc. The areas of artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, networked operations and cryptology, and defense-related information and communications technology are in the category deemed so crucial to national security that the government wants to keep the sector healthy. “A technological challenge for our security and defense lies in the area of digitalization and artificial intelligence,” read the strategy document, issued by the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. “Maintaining cybersecurity is the prerequisite for the digital advancement of the state, the economy and society, and it is equally important for the sovereignty of Germany and Europe,” it added. The new designation of cyber technologies as worthy of special protection sets up a delicate dance between maintaining a national industrial ecosystem while remaining true to the idea of a European Union with a single market. German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said her agency remains focused on cyber capabilities from a European perspective. For example, officials are working to ensure the relevant U.K. authorities remain plugged into EU networks after Brexit. The bloc, she said, must increase its cooperation on cyber issues, or risk falling behind China and the United States, Kramp-Karrenbauer said at the Munich Security Conference on Thursday. Germany's contributions to the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force drives the country's plans for fielding a new information backbone for the land forces of the Bundeswehr, she said. In that context, officials have begun studying new approaches to managing the electricity required to power new communications kit on the battlefield, the minister added. It remains to be seen how the government will use the new strategy document on key national technologies to make investment decisions, said Matthias Wachter, a defense analyst with the Federation of German Industries, or BDI. For example, the stated domestic preference in electronic-warfare technology will be put to the test with the Air Force's upcoming buy of new aircraft for electronic warfare, Wachter said. In the running are the Airbus-made Eurofighter as a local option and the Boeing F-18 Growler from the United States. “There is nothing legally binding” in the new document, the analyst said, which means the decision could go either way. “But if you take the paper seriously, the Growler would be out.” https://www.fifthdomain.com/smr/munich-security-conference/2020/02/14/germany-moves-to-protect-its-military-cyber-industry/