Gilday expects new US Navy force study to call for more than 373 ships

On the same subject

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  January 31, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Stealthy UAS Unveiled For USAF Target, Loyal Wingman Needs

  Steve Trimble A small start-up company in California has unveiled a new proposal for a stealthy unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to offer the U.S. Air Force as a “fifth-generation” target drone or a low-cost attritable aircraft. Tehachapi, California-based Sierra Technical Services, a company founded by previously retired Lockheed Martin Skunk Works engineers, unveiled the first photos of the completed Fifth Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) prototype after completing engine tests on the ground. A first flight of the 5GAT is scheduled in early 2020. The name of the aircraft is derived from its origins as a prototype funded by the Defense Department's Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E), says Roger Hayes, president and CEO of Sierra Technical Services. Several years ago, DOT&E recognized an emerging gap for a new target drone that could fly as a surrogate for fifth-generation fighters emerging in Russia and China such as the Sukhoi Su-57 and AVIC Chengdu J-20. In 2017, DOT&E awarded Sierra Technical Services a $15.9 million contract to develop the 5GAT prototype, Hayes said. The pace of assembly has been dictated by the availability of parts cannibalized from other military aircraft, such as the engines and metallic components from the Northrop T-38 trainer and F-5 fighter, as well as aileron actuators from the Boeing F/A-18, Hayes said. Sierra Technical Services supplemented its revenue as assembly continued by working on other programs, including supplying components for the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie. As development continued, the Air Force started to develop interest in a fifth-generation target. The service has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to develop the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, which is being designed to counter the PL-15 missile fielded on China's J-20 fighter. The Air Force needs to test the AIM-260 and other missiles against a representative threat. Last May, the Air Force released a request for information for the Next Generation Aerial Target, which included a version that can replicate fifth-generation fighter attributes, such as a stealthy airframe with canted tails and serpentine inlet ducts. The Air Force also is developing a concept to pair manned fighters such as the F-22 and F-35 with an unmanned partner, known sometimes as a Loyal Wingman. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) funded Kratos' XQ-58A, which completed a first flight in March. AFRL also plans to demonstrate a UAS controlled by a “software brain” using artificial intelligence. This Skyborg program is sometimes considered a follow-on for the XQ-58A program, but Hayes said Sierra Technical Services could offer the 5GAT for the Skyborg contract. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/stealthy-uas-unveiled-usaf-target-loyal-wingman-needs

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  August 23, 2021 | International, Land

  General Dynamics building lightweight vehicle electronic warfare system for US Army

  The Army recently awarded the company a contract to prototype the EW system aboard the new Infantry Squad Vehicle.

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  July 6, 2020 | International, Naval

  Ottawa awards $72.6M contract for Halifax-class frigate maintenance to Irving company

  By Alexander Quon Global News Posted June 29, 2020 7:30 pm The Government of Canada has awarded a six-year, $72.6-million contract to a Halifax-based company for the maintenance of the Royal Canadian Navy's Halifax-class frigates. Ottawa announced the decision to award the contract to Fleetway Inc., a company of J.D. Irving Ltd., on Monday. The contract, award as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, can be extended up to 22 years for a total of up to $552 million. It will support 140 jobs in the region and is meant to ensure the Halifax-class frigates remain operational until the construction of the Canadian Surface Combatant vessels is complete, expected in the early 2040s. “Our Halifax-class frigates remain the backbone of our Navy, enabling us to maintain our presence at sea both at home and abroad,” said Vice-Admiral Art McDonald, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, in a press release. “As we continue to transition to our future fleet, it is essential that we continue to foster an environment that enables the (Royal Canadian Navy) to keep our frigates floating, moving, and fighting.” The contract will provide a “full range of technical data management and systems engineering support services” for the 12 vessels used by the Royal Canadian Navy. Fleetway will be expected to secure a team of workers that will store and manage thousands of critical ship documents, ensuring that key information is up to date to support maintenance teams, the federal government said in a press release. “By investing in our fleet of Halifax class frigates, we will be able to provide our members in uniform what they need to continue advancing peace and security around the world,” said National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan in a press release. Work for the contract began earlier this year and it will replace an existing contract provided by Fleetway Inc., which will expire in October 2020. The new contract was awarded through the federal procurement process. Irving Shipbuilding, another company based in Halifax and owned by J.D. Irving, has been awarded the contract to build the 15 Canadian Surface Combatant vessels that will replace the 12 Halifax-class frigates and the three already-retired Iroquois-class destroyers. https://globalnews.ca/news/7122823/ottawa-awards-contract-irving-company/