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September 8, 2020 | International, Aerospace

Drones on Military Bases: Easy Aerial Competes to Create the Air Force “Base of the Future”

Automated drone solutions have significant value in applications from surveillance to inspections of aircraft, buildings, and infrastructure. Drones on military bases have the same value – and drone startup Easy Aerial is competing to bring their tethered drone technology to the Air Force Base of the Future.

AFWERX, the catalyst for fostering innovation within the U.S. Air Force, announced Easy Aerial as one of the top 92 participating teams selected from across the globe competing to build the Base of the Future Challenge.

“The AFWERX Challenge is centered around six topics – Base Security, Installation Resilience, Leveraging Technology for Operational Effectiveness, Reverse Engineering, Culture of Innovation, and Airman and Family Wellbeing,” says an Easy Aerial press release. Easy Aerial is competing in the Leveraging Technology for Operational Effectiveness Challenge – a challenge to leverage artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing and machine learning to build an Air Force base “that becomes a leader in innovation.”

The Base of the Future theme was inspired by Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, which was destroyed in 2018 by Hurricane Michael. Congress has approved a $ 3 billion military construction rebuild program: the Base of the Future Challenge is based on the hope that Tyndall will be rebuilt as a model of innovation for military services around the world.

Easy Aerial provides drone-based monitoring and inspection solutions designed and built in the U.S. Easy Aerial solutions “are fully autonomous, all-weather capable, portable, rugged, and specifically designed for military applications,” says the announcement. Among Easy Aerial's applications is an autonomous solution for rapid maintenance inspection of large aircraft. “The system features a tethered drone attached to a self-directing base station that moves around an aircraft capturing and securely storing high-resolution images and video from multiple angles. The system dramatically reduces the time needed for current routine and emergency maintenance inspections in large hangars with scaffolding erected around the aircraft.”

“We are honored to be the only participant selected to compete in three of the six Air Force base of the future challenges,” said Ido Gur, Co-Founder, and CEO of Easy Aerial. “As we move into the next phase of the challenge, we look forward to further demonstrating the capabilities and advantages of our autonomous rapid maintenance inspection system of large aircraft.”

“The AFWERX Base of the Future Challenge is critical to our mission of increasing collaboration between large businesses and entrepreneurs to accelerate solutions for the Air Force,” stated Mark Rowland of AFWERX. “On behalf of AFWERX and the Department of Defense, we congratulate the teams advancing to the next phase. Their contributions are invaluable and have the potential to create game-changing results across the Air Force enterprise.”

Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.

https://dronescrunch.com/drones-on-military-bases-easy-aerial-competes-to-create-the-air-force-base-of-the-future/

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 10, 2019

    September 11, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 10, 2019

    NAVY Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded a $310,509,144 modification (P00009) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00421-18-D-0004). This modification exercises an option for the procurement of AN/ARC-210(v) radios for installation in over 400 strategic and tactical airborne, seaborne and land based (mobile and fixed) platforms for the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard, other government agencies and foreign military sales customers. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with deliveries expected to be completed in September 2022. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ViaSat Inc., of Carlsbad, California, is awarded a $100,465,034 modification to its current indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00039-15-D-0008) to increase the ceiling of the existing production contract line item number (CLIN), and the systems engineering and integration CLIN of the referenced contract. This ceiling increase will implement the capabilities identified in the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) memorandum dated Aug. 20, 2018, wherein the JROC endorsed the advanced capabilities of Concurrent Mutli-Netting-4 (CMN-4), Concurrent Contention Receive and Enhanced Throughput as the Department of Defense baseline for all future upgrades to any platform requiring Link-16 tactical data links. In response to the JROC memorandum, current Link-16 platform users identified the need for the procurement and/or retrofit of 3,370 additional Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) CMN-4, F-22 Raptor, Tactical Targeting Network Technology terminals. This increase in scope will be in addition to the current scope in the original Class Justification and Approval (CJ&A) No. 17,226 approved April 25, 2014, for the MIDS JTRS, the amended CJ&A No. 18,012 approved Jan. 18, 2017, for the addition of the MIDS JTRS TTNT development effort, CJ&A No. 18,415 approved Sept. 11, 2018, for the addition of MIDS Modernization Increment 2, retrofits, and additional MIDS JTRS terminals, not including F-22s, and the initial CJ&A 19,415 approved July 2, 2019, to implement the JROC memorandum as described above. The modification will increase the contract value to $889,465,034. This contract combines purchases for the Navy, Air Force and MIDS Program Office, as well as to the governments of Austria, Chile, Finland, Israel, Jordan, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This contract also includes purchases to NATO and all NATO nations under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Carlsbad, California, and is expected to be completed May 2020. No additional funding will be placed on contract or obligated at the time of modification award. Existing contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future contract actions will be issued and funds obligated as individual delivery orders. This contract modification was not competitively procured because it is a follow on, sole source, multiple award procurement pursuant to the authority of Title 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1): only one or a limited number of responsible sources (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1(a)(2)). Non-competitive procedures were approved for this modification under CJ&A 19,415. Naval Information Warfare System Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Siemens Government Technologies Inc., Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a firm-fixed-price modification of $46,677,053 to increase the maximum dollar value of a task order (N39430-18-F-9924) for energy improvements at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Naval Station Rota and Naval Support Activity Naples. The total cumulative value of the contract is $218,220,667. Work will be performed in Naples, Italy (50%); Sigonella, Italy (30%); and Rota, Spain (20%), and is expected to be completed October 2041. The work provides for design and installation of the following energy conservation measures: boiler plants, chiller systems, motors, water and lighting improvements. The work also provides for performance period services consisting of measurement and verification, operations and maintenance, and repair and replacement services. No funds will be obligated with this award, as private financing obtained by the contractor will be used for the construction phase. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity. Data Link Solutions LLC, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded a $30,000,000 modification to its current indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00039-15-D-0007) to increase the ceiling of the existing systems engineering and integration contract line item number (CLIN) of the referenced contract. This ceiling increase will implement the capabilities identified in the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) memorandum dated Aug. 20, 2018, wherein the JROC endorsed the advanced capabilities of Concurrent Mutli-Netting-4 (CMN-4), Concurrent Contention Receive and Enhanced Throughput as the Department of Defense baseline for all future upgrades to any platform requiring Link-16 tactical data links. In response to the JROC memorandum, current Link-16 platform users identified the need for the procurement and/or retrofit of 3,370 additional Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) CMN-4, F-22 Falcon, Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) terminals. This increase in scope will be in addition to the current scope in the original Class Justification and Approval (CJ&A) No. 17,226 approved April 25, 2014, for the MIDS JTRS, the amended CJ&A No. 18,012 approved Jan. 18, 2017, for the addition of the MIDS JTRS TTNT development effort, CJ&A No. 18,415 approved Sept. 11, 2018, for the addition of MIDS Modernization Increment 2, retrofits and additional MIDS JTRS terminals, not including F-22s, and the initial CJ&A 19,415 approved July 2, 2019, to implement the JROC memorandum as described above. The contract covers the production, development and sustainment of the MIDS JTRS terminals. The modification will increase the contract value to $1,254,529,670. This contract combines purchases for the Navy, Air Force and MIDS Program Office, as well as to the governments of Austria, Chile, Finland, Israel, Jordan, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This contract also includes purchases to NATO and all NATO nations under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (50%); and Wayne, New Jersey (50%), and is expected to be completed June 2020. No additional funding will be placed on contract or obligated at the time of modification award. Existing contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future contract actions will be issued, and funds obligated as individual delivery orders. This contract modification was not competitively procured because it is a follow-on sole-source, multiple-award procurement pursuant to the authority of Title 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1): only one or a limited number of responsible sources (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1(a)(2)). Non-competitive procedures were approved for this modification under CJ&A 19,415. Naval Information Warfare System Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. ' Simmonds Precision Products, Vergennes, Vermont, is awarded a $12,986,404 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the "Low Cost Air-Drop Munition Weapon System Development Program." Work will be performed in Simmonds Precision Products, Vergennes, Vermont (58%); Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc., Rancho Cordova, California (19%); Developmental & Demonstration Testing Facilities (to be determined) (11%); Systima Technologies Inc., Kirkland, Washington (6%); Moog Inc., Elma, New York (5%); and National Technical Systems Boxborough, Boxborough, Massachusetts (1%), and is expected to be completed February 2021. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds for $8,208,343 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at end of current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-19-S-B001, long range broad agency announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology. Since proposals will be received throughout the year under the long range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-19-C-1062). Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia, is awarded an $11,765,526 time and material modification to exercise Option Period One under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z362. The work provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Programs and Resources, to address OMB A-123 governance, audit response coordination and audit coaching. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0032. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (75%); and Quantico, Virginia (25%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $1,527,843 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. VSE Corp., Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded a $10,082,812 firm-fixed-price contract for the delivery of counterterrorism and intelligence equipment, and in-country training in support of the Azerbaijan Maritime Security Program for the Caspian Sea under the Foreign Military Sales Building Partner Capacity program. This contract is for the government of Azerbaijan under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Virginia (88%); and Azerbaijan (12%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 FMS funding for $10,082,812 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-4155). KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is being awarded an $8,577,162 time and material modification to exercise Option Period One under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z425. The work to be performed provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Installation and Logistics, for audit remediation activities for property, plant and equipment and inventory related property and process reform within Marine Corps Installation and Logistics and its supporting establishments associated with the Acquire to Retire, Plan to Stock, Procure to Pay and Order to Cash business mission areas. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0045. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (75%); Oceanside, California (20%); Lejeune, North Carolina (2%); Okinawa, Japan (2%); and Oxford, Tennessee (1%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $3,004,275 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $7,971,673 time and material modification to exercise option period one under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z424. The work to be performed provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Installation and Logistics, for audit deficiencies within Marine Corps Installation Command and Marine Corps Systems Command in the Acquire to Retire, Plan to Stock, Procure to Pay and Order to Cash business mission areas. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0044. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (75%); and Quantico, Virginia (25%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $5,256 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $7,903,948 time and material modification to exercise option period one under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z426. The work to be performed provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Installation and Logistics, for remediation of current audit deficiencies and establishment of corrective action plans within Marine Corps Logistics Command for property, plant and equipment and wall-to-wall inventory. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0046. Work will be performed in Albany, Georgia (100%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $5,256 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Austal USA LLC, Mobile, Alabama, is awarded a $7,466,598 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N69316-19-F-4001) against a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00024-15-G-2304) to accomplish the post shakedown availability (PSA) for the Littoral Combat Ship USS Cincinnati (LCS 20). This effort encompasses all of the manpower, support services, material, non-standard equipment and associated technical data and documentation required to prepare for and accomplish the USS Cincinnati PSA. The work to be performed will include correction of government responsible trial card deficiencies, new work identified between custody transfer and the time of PSA, and incorporation of approved engineering changes that were not incorporated during the construction period which are not otherwise the building yard's responsibility under the ship construction contract. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed November 2020. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding for $7,466,598 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, Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi, is the contracting activity. KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $7,265,347 time and material modification to exercise Option Period One under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z428. The work to be performed provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Installation and Logistics, for remediation of audit deficiencies within Marine Corps Logistics Command in the Acquire to Retire, Plan to Stock, Procure to Pay and Order to Cash business mission areas. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0048. Work will be performed in Albany, Georgia (100%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $5,256 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. ARMY American Ordnance LLC, Middletown, Iowa (W15QKN-19-D-0109); and General Dynamics-OTS (Niceville), Niceville, Florida (W15QKN-19-D-0110), will compete for each order of the $133,212,119 firm-fixed-price contract for the Modular Artillery Charge System Load, Assemble and Pack M231/M232 type for the 155mm propelling charges. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 9, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. DonJon Marine Co. Inc., Hillside, New Jersey, was awarded a $43,409,975 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging of Newark Bay. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Newark, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of May 14, 2020. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $43,409,975 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-19-C-0021). Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando Florida, was awarded a $40,614,330 modification (P00001) to contract W52P1J-17-D-0043 for Modernized Turret kits for the Apache attack helicopter. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2023. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Tetra Tech Inc., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $39,774,838 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract to provide operational readiness; closure and transition support; real property support; Department of Army Base Realignment and Closure support; environmental planning; operational readiness support and technical support, igloo closure compliance support; environmental support and real property support. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 9, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911SR-19-D-0010). The Robins & Morton Group, Birmingham, Alabama, was awarded a $32,994,842 firm-fixed-price contract for a single phase design bid-build training support facility at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed in Fort Rucker, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 29, 2021. Fiscal 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $32,994,842 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-19-C-0024). M.C. Dean Inc., Tysons, Virginia, was awarded a $15,334,437 modification (P00004) to contract W912DR-18-C-0006 for additional load centers, uninterruptible power source systems and computer room air conditioner units, at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. Work will be performed in Aurora, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 8, 2021. Fiscal 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $15,334,437 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Ology Bioservices Inc.,* Alachua, Florida, was awarded a $10,870,944 modification (P00054) to contract W911QY-13-C-0010 to establish, commission and support an agile and flexible advanced development and manufacturing capability. Work will be performed in Alachua, Florida, with an estimated completion date of March 19, 2023. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $7,845,964 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., Oak Brook, Illinois, was awarded a $7,561,500 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Cape May, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2019. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $7,561,500 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-19-C-0041). AIR FORCE GE Aviation, doing business as Dowty Propellers Inc., Sterling, Virginia, has been awarded a $20,889,724 firm-fixed-price delivery order. This delivery order provides for Option I quantities of R391 propellers and spares to support the C-130J aircraft, in conjunction with the commercial Rolls Royce AE2100D3 engine managed by Warner Robins, Air Logistics Center, Tactical Airlift Division. Work will be performed in Sterling, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by May 29, 2023. The delivery order is the result of a sole-source commercial acquisition. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft funds in the amount of $20,889,724 are being obligated at the time of delivery order award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8504-19-F-0028). A&P Technology Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, has been awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for $8,904,957 for the Design for Manufacture of Attritable Aircraft Primary Structure program. This contract provides for an alternative design and manufacture of an aircraft structure relative to a baseline aircraft structure that is more unitized and uses fabrication processes that may be automated leading to greatly reduced costs associated with manufacturing. Work will be performed at Cincinnati, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2021. This work is the result of a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase III Acquisition. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $8,904,957 are being obligated at the time of Award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-C-2200). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1956513/source/GovDelivery/

  • L’Allemagne doit confirmer l’achat d’une soixantaine de Chinook à Boeing

    May 2, 2022 | International, Aerospace

    L’Allemagne doit confirmer l’achat d’une soixantaine de Chinook à Boeing

    L'Allemagne doit confirmer l'achat d'une soixantaine de Chinook à Boeing L'armée allemande doit mettre un terme à ce long feuilleton gr'ce à l'enveloppe d'investissements massifs pour la défense annoncée par le chancelier Olaf Scholz, et enfin choisir ses nouveaux hélicoptères lourds. Si la Bundeswehr n'a pas confirmé l'information lundi, les parlementaires allemands s'attendent au dépôt imminent d'une proposition de contrat avec Washington pour l'achat de 60 hélicoptères Chinook de Boeing, selon une information du quotidien Bild. La facture devrait atteindre quelque 5 Md€, maintenance comprise, pour des appareils à livrer à partir de 2026. Depuis 2017, l'Allemagne étudie le renouvellement de sa flotte de quelque 70 hélicoptères lourds CH-53 Sea Stallion. Certains de ces appareils auront bientôt 50 ans d''ge, les premières livraisons datant de 1973. Le 25 mars dernier, Airbus Helicopters avait signé un accord avec Boeing pour participer à la compétition et s'occuper de la maintenance de l'appareil. Les Echos du 26 avril

  • Germany to take up European next-gen fighter funding next week

    May 31, 2019 | International, Aerospace

    Germany to take up European next-gen fighter funding next week

    By: Sebastian Sprenger MADRID — With Spain on track to join a Franco-German quest for a new European combat aircraft, lawmakers in Germany next week are expected to decide on Berlin's initial funding contribution. June 5 will be the penultimate session of the Bundestag's Defence and Budget committees before the parliamentary summer break begins in late June. It is also the last opportunity to secure approval for a €65 million (U.S. $72 million) study contract for the Future Combat Air System before the June 16-23 Paris Air Show. German and French officials envision some level of pomp and circumstance at the event to cement their ambitious sixth-generation fighter plans. For now, the idea is to have a framework agreement signed by the two defense ministers, Florence Parly and Ursula von der Leyen, even if final approval by German lawmakers remains outstanding. In that case, a contingency clause would be added to the text to reflect that the pact is preliminary until Germany's legislature approves it. Defense officials in Berlin said they eventually expect parliamentary approval, but acknowledged that the timing is tight. Meanwhile, staffs are working behind the scenes to modify the slate of program governance documents to reflect Spain's participation. It remains to be seen whether those tweaks, which include questions of intellectual property ownership, can be sorted out in time to warrant a senior-level Spanish government representative joining the festivities at Paris. A German defense spokesman stressed that Spain's participation in the FCAS program was assured and that only legal matters had yet to be sorted out. In that spirit, Germany's choice to lead a delegation to the inaugural FEINDEF defense expo in Madrid, Spain, appears apt: Luftwaffe Brig. Gen. Gerald Funke, who also oversees FCAS planning for Germany, could be spotted at the opening event. If the Bundestag approves, a full integration of Spain into the program would amount to addressing the “devil in the details,” he told Defense News. Airbus and Dassault are the main contractors for the ambitious air warfare program. Including Spain likely would mean that Airbus, which has a sizable footprint in the region, will reshuffle its share of work to include Spanish industry. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/05/29/germany-to-take-up-european-next-gen-fighter-funding-next-week

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