June 8, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
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June 20, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Land
France, Germany kick off race for ‘quantum leaps’ in aircraft and tank tech
COLOGNE, Germany ― The defense ministers of Germany and France have inked new agreements for the joint development of a new combat aircraft and a next-generation tank, key programs that could shape the European defense landscape for decades to come.
Ursula von der Leyen and Florence Parly signed the letters of intent on the sidelines of a bilateral Cabinet meeting in Berlin on Tuesday. The documents are meant to provide the necessary guidance to set up a program of record for the Future Combat Air System and the Main Ground Combat System.
A defense spokesman in Berlin told Defense News the agreement calls for the examination of potential management structures, for example through OCCAR, a European collective for joint weapons acquisition and management. The core members of OCCAR include France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Belgium, though other nations can partake in individual projects.
By: Sebastian Sprenger
According to a German Defence Ministry statement, the signed documents establish the two governments' “left and right boundaries” for the programs.
“Industry is now requested to fill the space,” the statement reads. “Both projects ... stand for technological quantum leaps that shall be approached together while integrating the strengths of each nation's industries.”
Led by France, the Future Combat Air System aims to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon in Germany and the Rafale aircraft in France. The Main Ground Combat System, helmed by Berlin, will succeed the German Leopard 2 tanks ― used widely in Europe and beyond ― and the French Leclerc.
The new aircraft are envisioned to hit the skies by 2040, while the the new tanks are pegged to roll in the mid-2030s. Connected to the tank effort is also an artillery replacement plan, named Common Indirect Fire System.
While both projects initially are exclusively German and French, partner countries will have an opportunity to join once a “strong foundation” is established by the two lead nations, the German Defence Ministry said.
KNDS, a joint venture by German tank-maker Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and France's Nexter, unveiled a European Main Battle Tank as an interim step toward the future tank program at the Eurosatory defense trade show in Paris last week. The next-generation combat aircraft project, which officials said will include a sizable unmanned component, is slated to enter a concept-study phase by the end of the year, according to the German ministry.
Both efforts are still some time away from formulating concrete military requirements, to which companies eventually can tailor their offers. That cooperation process is expected to be thornier than the agreement on political pronouncements so far that paint Germany and France as the motor of Europe's new defense ambitions.
Absent from Tuesday's joint statement was any mention of cooperative work on a new air-to-ground missile and modernization of the Tiger attack helicopter to a Mark 3 version.
The two ministers had announced at the ILA Berlin air show in April that the two countries would cooperate on the airborne weapon and the midlife upgrade of the combat helicopter.
A common weapon for both French and German Tiger helicopters would cut down integration costs for the missiles.
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February 9, 2021 | International, Aerospace
State Department approves $85M missile sale to Chile
By Ed Adamczyk Feb. 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of SM-2 rail-launched missiles to Chile, and has delivered its recommendation to the U.S. Congress. The $85 million sale includes 16 SM-2 Block IIIA rail-launched missiles, two MK 89 Mod 0 guidance section adapter, a target detection device kit, MK 45 Mod 14 naval gun systems and associated training and supplies, according to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency announcement. The determination, the first foreign sale approved by President Joe Biden's administration, by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency typically precedes approval by the U.S. Senate. In the announcement on Friday, DSCA noted that Chile acquired two missile-carrying Adelaide-class frigates, capable of firing the missiles, from the Royal Australian Navy in 2019. It added that the sale would support Chile's anti-warfare capabilities and not alter the region's military balance. Chile's rocket-launching capabilities only include the Rayo truck-mounted artillery missile, a joint project involving Chile and Britain, begun in 1989 and cancelled in 2002. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/02/08/State-Department-approves-85M-missile-sale-to-Chile/2641612809229/
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August 8, 2018 | International, C4ISR
Here’s a look at the Army’s new enterprise cloud strategy
By: Mark Pomerleau The Army, after an intense public focus on the tactical network, is beginning to set its sights on the enterprise network, specifically enterprise cloud. The Army's CIO/G-6 office has been working to update its cloud strategy, as the last strategy was published in 2015. One of the reasons for the update, according to Thomas Sasala, director of operations and architecture and chief data officer within the CIO/G6, is a lot has changed in the private sector in terms of new technologies and solutions. Sasala was presenting the enterprise cloud strategy to members of industry during an Aug. 1 tactical cloud industry day in Raleigh, N.C. At a top level, Sasala explained the Army is moving toward a hybrid cloud environment, noting no one solution will meet all the requirements. Full Article: https://www.c4isrnet.com/it-networks/2018/08/07/heres-a-look-at-the-armys-new-enterprise-cloud-strategy/