February 8, 2024 | International, Land
Military emissions: Global Defence Technology 144
Defence operations are a significant contributor to global emissions, with the US military under renewed emphasis to reduce its carbon footprint.
November 21, 2022 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR
There will be many more defence procurement proposals heading to the German parliament for approval this year, said a defence ministry spokesperson on Monday, as the war in Ukraine has put renewed focus on bringing the country's military up to speed.
February 8, 2024 | International, Land
Defence operations are a significant contributor to global emissions, with the US military under renewed emphasis to reduce its carbon footprint.
January 19, 2021 | International, Aerospace
By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is tapping industry for drones that can deliver supplies to infantry brigade combat teams in the field, according to a request for information posted to the federal contracting website Beta.Sam.Gov on Jan. 13. Army Futures Command's Sustainment Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate as well as the Marine Corps' Capabilities Development and Integration office began looking in earnest at a concept called the “Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply System,” about two years ago with the hope of getting a capabilities development document signed in three years. But the concept has been alive for much longer. In 2018, the JTAARS concept was on an evaluation list for the Joint Warfighting Assessment in Grafenwoehr, Germany. The services plan to field the system by 2026. The drone should already be technologically mature to demonstrate capability, weigh less than a Group 3 drone — or less than approximately 1,300 pounds — and be able to haul up to 800 pounds of supplies to the field to provide an organic sustainment capability for infantry brigade combat teams in a multidomain operational environment, according to the request for information. The drone should also be able to operate in a 110-mile radius at day or night, and in bad weather conditions, as well as plug into current and future tactical command-and-control systems, the RFI read. Setup time to launch a package should take 15 minutes, and two to four soldiers should be able to lift it out of a transport container, the RFI said. This means the system should be lightweight and easy to use, the document explained. The drone must automatically launch, navigate in GPS-denied environments, drop cargo, land and return to its point of origin, the document added. The system should also be able to avoid obstacles and pick optimal flight paths and landing sites on its own, the RFI explained. Turnaround time between missions should be minimal, according to the RFI, and the system should be modular and open in order to integrate a variety of payloads and software needed, but it also must be secure from cyberattacks. The Army and Marine Corps have worked on autonomous resupply concepts for over a decade. Perhaps most well-known is the evaluation of Lockheed Martin's K-MAX unmanned helicopter, which had the capability to sling-load cargo. Two of the aircraft were evaluated for several years in Afghanistan beginning in late 2011; one aircraft crashed. The services completed the operational assessment but did not pursue the capability beyond that. While the Army has focused on robotic ground convoys for resupply — including developing leader-follower capability — it's expected that autonomous resupply will happen in the air before ground systems provide sustainment due to the increased complication of navigating unpredictable terrain and obstacles on land. And as the commercial sector — such as Amazon and Google — continues to invest in the drone delivery market, systems designed for the task will become more reliable, more capable and less expensive, likely benefiting the U.S. military. That market is projected to be worth almost $29 billion by the late 2020s. Responses from industry are due Feb. 12. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/01/15/us-army-taps-industry-for-autonomous-drones-to-resupply-troops
May 29, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Rome May 28, 2020 - Leonardo's U.S. subsidiary, Selex ES Inc., developer of surveillance, en route navigation, and precision approach and landing systems, was recently awarded a contract by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to continue to build USA's Distance Measuring Equipment (DME). The contract has a one-year base period and two one-year option periods. Along with the previous FAA Selex ES DME contract; Selex ES expects to provide more than 200 DMEs to the National Airspace (NAS). Work will be performed in Overland Park, Kansas. The scope of the contract includes program management, systems engineering, design and development, system test and evaluation, training, production, Interim Contractor Depot Logistics Support (ICDLS), and site implementation. The DME system will help the FAA increase operational availability and performance of the NAS, supporting common and consistent interface requirements, and providing a modern system that complies with current FAA security standards. Selex ES is the world's premiere vendor of DMEs, having delivered over 1200 DME systems over the last 25 years to key customers around the globe including FAA, DFS in Germany, Skeyes in Belgium, EANA in Argentina, and ANWS in Taiwan. The company is proud to be a trusted supplier to the FAA and grateful for the continued confidence that FAA has in its team and technology. About Leonardo and its U.S. subsidiary, Selex ES Inc. Leonardo is a global player in the high-tech sectors and a major operator worldwide in the Aerospace, Defense and Security sectors. Headquartered in Italy, Leonardo employs over 49,000 people in over 20 countries with offices and industrial plants across five continents. Leonardo's U.S. subsidiary, Selex ES Inc., is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, USA and is a leading supplier of surveillance, en route navigation, precision approach, and systems to Air Navigation Service Providers, airport authorities, militaries, government agencies, and commercial and industrial operators. In the heartland of the United States, Selex ES has designed, produced, delivered, and supported ground-based radio navigation aids and surveillance solutions for over 30 years on all seven continents. Selex ES provides complete design, development, production, test, installation, training, integration, maintenance, and customer service. View source version on Leonardo: https://www.leonardocompany.com/en/press-release-detail/-/detail/28-05-2020-leonardos-u-s-subsidiary-selex-es-inc-awarded-a-contract-for-faas-distance-measuring-equipment-system