November 19, 2021 | International, Aerospace
What the USAF’s ‘four-plus-one’ fighter fleet looks like - Skies Mag
The Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter, F-15EX, F-35, and F-16 are where the U.S. Air Force sees its fighter future.
September 11, 2019 | International, Land
DSEI: Unleash the hornets: Combat vehicles and robots get new kit to increase standoff
By: Jen Judson
LONDON — A FLIR System that deploys tiny unmanned aerial vehicles from a ruggedized container affixed to the front of a vehicle is helping to shape how advanced teaming can be used on the tactical edge against near peer threats.
At DSEI — a major defense exposition in London — the system that deploys Black Hornet UAVs, which is the system chosen by the U.S. Army for the Soldier Borne Sensor program, made its appearance in several variations around the showroom floor.
Rheinmetall had it built onto the front of its Mission Master Unmanned Ground System representing a surveillance variant.
At Kongsberg, the system is integrated with a remote weapon station. The idea is that the package of tiny UAVs can be forward deployed from a combat vehicle while soldiers stay inside and maintain standoff from enemy forces. The UAVs can perform reconnaissance and possible targeting assistance so the vehicle knows where it can shoot.
The data from the UAVs tiny camera can feed right back into the vehicle's weapon station providing intel to the gunner, for instance.
The concept was first unveiled in a prototype at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual conference in Washington in 2018, but it is now a full-up system ready for the market, according to Ole Aguirre, FLIR senior director of UIS Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships in the company's unmanned systems and integrated solutions division.
The system accommodates four Black Hornets in four individual compartments, which close up to protect the little drones. Two UAVs can be deployed at once while the other two charge using power from the vehicle, Aguirre said.
The entire box that can be attached to the front of the vehicle is ruggedized to the level it can withstand the environment of a tank, he added.
The system can be controlled from inside the vehicle using the remote weapon station or a tablet or the traditional controls that go with the U.S. Army's Soldier Borne Sensor. It has been built using NATO standards so it can be integrated into command and control systems.
Placing the box of UAVs outside of the vehicle is important so that a soldier wouldn't have to open up the hatch on a vehicle to throw one out and space is highly limited inside most tanks and combat vehicles.
The Black Hornet's range is roughly a 2,000 meter radius, but FLIR is looking at how to extend the range of the UAV to meet a requirement defined by a pacing threat of 3,000 meters, Aguirre said.
Because the system is versatile, it can be used on small UGVs all the way up to tanks and so FLIR sees opportunity across the U.S. Army's many vehicle modernization programs and also with current systems.
The company is investing heavily in evaluating utility for the U.S. Army, Aguirre added, but there is also strong international interest in Europe and the Middle East particularly.
The system is a step forward in conceiving feasible integration concepts for advanced teaming between UAVs and manned and unmanned ground vehicles.
Two years ago at DSEI, there was a striking lack of integration of unmanned aircraft systems into vehicle concepts.
For example, Finnish defense company Patria was the only one to display a concept integrating a drone with a vehicle — mounting the hand-launched Black Hornet atop a little stick on the roof of the back end of its armored modular vehicle.
Eurosatory in 2018, held in Paris, showed a little more evolution in advanced teaming between aerial systems and vehicles.
The U.S. Army's plans to evaluate a wide variety of advanced teaming concepts as part of a major modernization effort through its brand new Army Futures Command could be driving much of the proliferation of ideas now popping up at defense trade shows.
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January 22, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - January 21, 2020
ARMY BAE Systems Land & Armaments LP, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $400,905,801 modification (P00080) to contract W56HZV-15-C-A001 to procure 160 armored multi-purpose vehicles. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2023. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 European reassurance initiative, defense; and procurement of weapons and tracked combat vehicles, Army funds in the amount of $400,905,801 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. TechTrans International Inc., Houston, Texas, was awarded a $231,277,398 cost-no-fee contract for non-personal services to provide event planning, coordination and logistical support for training requirements. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2025. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9124J-20-D-0004). Arcadis U.S. Inc., Highlands Ranch, Colorado, was awarded a $32,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect and engineering services. 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 Jan. 21, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-20-D-0002). Agate Construction Co., Cape May Courthouse, New Jersey, was awarded a $9,265,354 firm-fixed-price contract for repairs to the Hereford Inlet seawall. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Cape May, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2021. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $9,265,354 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-20-C-0006). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY AM General LLC, South Bend, Indiana, has been awarded a maximum $40,469,946 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract for transmission hydraulics. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Indiana, with a Jan. 23, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-20-D-0064). Lions Services Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $24,502,400 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for hydration carriers. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(5), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-5. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is North Carolina, with a Jan. 31, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-B080). Federal Prison Industries Inc.,* Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a maximum $24,465,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for trousers. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Locations of performance are District of Columbia, Texas, Alabama and Mississippi, with a Sept. 30, 2021, performance completion date. Using customers are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital fund. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-F056). NAVY Transoceanic Cable Ship Co. LLC, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded an $18,375,084 for a firm-fixed-price modification with reimbursable elements to a previously awarded contract N32205-19-C-3506. This modification provides for the first, six-month option for one cable ship, CS Global Sentinel. This vessel will be utilized to lay and repair cable for the Department of Defense worldwide. Work will be performed worldwide, and is expected to be completed, if all options are exercised, by Dec. 22, 2023. This contract includes a 12-month base period, two six-month option periods, two 12-month option periods, and one 11-month option period. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,500,000; and procurement Navy funds in the amount of $7,875,084 are obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Ternion Corp., Huntsville, Alabama, is awarded a $13,300,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the sustainment and upgrade of the Flexible, Analysis, Modeling, and Exercise System Automated System Trainer software applications, software maintenance, and upgrade and modification services in support of the Common Aviation Command and Control Increment I system. The program is managed within the portfolio of Program Executive Officer Land Systems, Quantico, Virginia. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2025. The ordering period of the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract will be for five years and will begin on Feb. 1, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $670,480; fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy and Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $742,542; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $160,900 for a total amount of $1,593,092 will be obligated on the first delivery order at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 and 10 U.S. Code § 2304(c)(1). The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-20-D-0013). BAE Systems Controls Inc., Endicott, New York, is awarded a $7,727,763 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00007) to a previously award firm-fixed-price delivery order (N00019-18-F-2483) against basic ordering agreement N00019-18-G-0019. This modification provides for non-recurring engineering for the Forward Defense Weapons Systems cockpit controls and cabin intrusion reduction effort and associated prototypes in support of the tiltrotor aircraft, CV-22. Work will be performed in Endicott, New York (88.7%); Fort Worth, Texas (11%); and Fort Wayne, Indiana (0.3%), and is expected to be completed in June 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $1,566,750; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $494,000 will be obligated at time of award, $1,566,750 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. *Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2062046/source/GovDelivery/
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December 4, 2020 | International, Aerospace
KONGSBERG awarded second follow-on JSM contract with Japan valued 820 MNOK
December 1, 2020 - The JSM is a 5th generation stealth air-to surface missile developed to fill F-35A anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and land attack capability gaps. JSM can be carried internally in the F-35 thus ensuring the aircraft's low-signature capabilities. The JSM has superior performance against well-defended sea- and land targets across long distances. “The international F-35 user community is continuing to show great interest in the JSM and KONGSBERG is very proud to have been selected by Japan to provide the JSM for their F-35 fleet. “Our relationship is growing even stronger with this second follow-on contract”, says Eirik Lie, President, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS. For editors: KONGSBERG and the Government of Japan are not disclosing any further detail on value, volume or timeline of the contract. For further information, please contact: Ronny Lie, Group Vice President Communications, Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, Tel.: (+47) 916 10 798. Jan Erik Hoff, Group Vice President Investor Relations, Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, Tel: (+47) 991 11 916. View source version on KONGSBERG: https://www.kongsberg.com/newsandmedia/news-archive/20202/kongsberg-awarded-second-follow-on-jsm-contract-with-japan-valued-820-mnok/