November 25, 2019 | International, Aerospace
PAR LAURENT LAGNEAU
En février 2018, la ministre des Armées, Florence Parly, avait annoncé le lancement du programme « CUGE » pour « Capacité universelle de guerre électronique », destiné à remplacer les deux avions C-160 Gabriel actuellement en service au sein de l'Escadron électronique aéroporté 00.054 « Dunkerque ».
Il était question d'équiper non pas deux mais trois avions avec cette nouvelle charge de guerre électronique. La seule indication donnée était qu'ils appartiendraient à la gamme « Falcon » de Dassault Aviation.
Il fallut attendre le dernier salon de l'aéronautique et de l'espace du Bourget pour apprendre qu'il s'agirait de trois Falcon 8X, capables de franchir la distance de 6.450 nautiques [11.945 km] et de voler à la vitesse maximale de Mach 0,9 à l'altitude de 51.000 pieds [15.545 m]. Le tout en étant 30% plus « éco-efficient » que les autres appareils de mpeme catégorie.
Restait alors à lancer le développement et l'acquisition de ces trois Falcon 8X adaptés à recevoir cette capacité universelle de guerre électronique. Ce qui vient d'être fait, à l'issue d'un comité ministériel d'investissement réuni le 18 novembre.
« Le renseignement est indispensable à nos opérations militaires. Fruit de 10 ans d'études, le programme ARCHANGE équipera l'armée de l'air dès 2025. Sa mission : la guerre électronique, soit l'interception d'émissions radio et radar », a commenté Mme Parly, via Twitter.
Pour rappel, ARCHANGE signifie « Avions de Renseignement à CHArge utile de Nouvelle GEnération. »
« Résultat de dix années d'études sur des technologies de pointe, l'ensemble des capteurs constituant la charge utile sera développé par Thales. Cette charge utile, basée sur des technologies innovantes [antennes multi-polarisation, intelligence artificielle pour améliorer les traitements automatiques], permettra de détecter et d'analyser les signaux radar et de communication gr'ce à des capteurs intégrés sur un avion d'affaire Falcon 8X construit par Dassault Aviation », a expliqué le ministère des Armées.
Outre la livraison des trois Falcon 8X « ARCHANGE », il est prévu de mettre en place une plateforme d'entraînement pour leurs futurs équipages sur la base aérienne d'Évreux.
« Les systèmes ARCHANGE accroîtront significativement les capacités de renseignement électromagnétique aéroporté français et contribueront à l'effort particulier sur la fonction stratégique ‘connaissance et anticipation', gage de l'autonomie de décision de la France et de sa supériorité en opération », fait encore valoir le ministère des Armées.
Mis en service il y a maintenant 30 ans, le remplacement des deux C-160 Gabriel est une priorité, d'autant plus que la flotte de Transall C-160 ne tardera pas à s'éteindre. Ces appareils sont essentiels pour le renseignement militaire français dans la mesure ils permettent de collecter et d'analyser des signaux électromagnétiques, et donc de pouvoir évaluer les forces d'un adversaire et d'adapter, par exemple, les contre-mesures électroniques à ses moyens de protection.
March 23, 2021 | International, Aerospace
The US Director of Operational Test and Evaluation's annual report says the CH-53K engine's performance degrades bellow the accepted minimum after 21 minutes of dust exposure. This is causing great concern in the IAF as it eyes buying the first batch of 20 helicopters.
August 6, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Nathan Strout WASHINGTON - The U.S. Air Force has completed critical design review of an experimental navigation satellite, clearing the way for fabrication to begin and keeping the launch on track for 2022. The Air Force Research Laboratory's Navigation Technology Satellite 3 (NTS-3) is one of the Air Force's first Vanguard programs — platforms that can delivers remarkable new capabilities to the war fighter. NTS-3 is being developed to demonstrate new positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) technologies that will inform how future GPS satellites work. AFRL plans to operate the satellite in geosynchronous orbit for one year to experiment with new PNT signals and test new architectures. Beyond the space-based test vehicle itself, NTS-3 will also demonstrate new ground-based command and control as well as new software-defined radios. And, once on orbit, NTS-3 could provide immediate support to the war fighter. The experimental satellite will augment the GPS constellation from geosynchronous orbit, providing a geographically focused signal. “The NTS-3 Vanguard is an experimental, end-to-end demonstration of agile, resilient space-based positioning, navigation, and timing,” Arlen Biersgreen, the NTS-3 program manager, said in a statement. “It has the potential for game-changing advancements to the way the Air Force provides these critical capabilities to war fighters across the Department of Defense.” L3Harris is the prime contractor on NTS-3, and was awarded an $84 million contract for the experimental satellite in 2018. With the critical design review complete, the company can now move forward with fabrication, demonstration and testing. The NTS-3 contract includes a follow-on option for production of an entire constellation, if the Air Force chooses to exercise it. “Collaboration with our customers has enabled us to move rapidly through important milestones to design this experimental satellite,” said Ed Zoiss, president of space and airborne systems at L3Harris. “Our goal is to deliver new signals to support rapidly evolving warfighter missions.” Due to scheduling, NTS-3 technology is unlikely to be included on the any of the GPS III satellites in production, but it will likely inform aspects of the subsequent GPS IIIF satellites which are set to go on orbit in the late 2020s. L3Harris is developing the payloads for those satellites as well. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/08/04/the-air-forces-experimental-navigation-satellite-cleared-for-fabrication
March 15, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence
ARMY Northrop Grumman, Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $349,377,402 firm-fixed-price, Foreign Military Sales (Poland) contract for the procurement of two complete battery sets of Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System production hardware and software. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2026. Fiscal 2019 foreign military sales funds in the amount of $349,377,402 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-19-C-0003). Intuitive Research and Technology Corp.,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $36,479,628 modification (0014 45) to Foreign Military Sales (Taiwan) contract W31P4Q-09-A-0016 to provide rapid response and cost effective hardware solutions. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of March 12, 2020. Fiscal 2019 foreign military sales; research, development, test and evaluation; operations and maintenance, Army; and other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $36,479,628 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Manson Construction Co., Seattle, Washington, was awarded an $18,122,000 firm-fixed-price contract for dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon; and San Francisco, California, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 26, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $18,122,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland, Oregon, is the contracting activity (W9127N-19-C-0011). Zodiac-Poettker HBZ JV LLC,* St. Louis, Missouri, was awarded a $7,330,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Department of Energy Interpretive Center. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in St. Charles, Missouri, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 7, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $7,330,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912P9-19-C-0002). AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been awarded a $250,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Long Range Stand-Off Cruise Missile weapon system integration. This contract provides for aircraft and missile carriage equipment development and modification, engineering, testing, software development, training, facilities, and support necessary to fully integrate the Long Range Stand-Off Cruise Missile on the B-52H bomber platform. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2024. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $6,343,893 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA2103-19-D-3000). Schuyler Line Navigation Company LLC, Annapolis, Maryland, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $23,042,991, indefinite‐delivery/indefinite‐quantity contract for the Thule Base Air Base Sea Lift Support contract. This contract provides for all management, labor and services to accomplish the functions and responsibilities of receiving cargo from vendors, providing in‐transit origin storage, loading/offloading and transporting U.S. government and U.S. government-sponsored cargo to and from Denmark and Thule Air Base, Greenland. Work is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2023. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $846,000 are being obligated on the first task order at the time of award. The 21st Contracting Squadron, Detachment 1, Copenhagen, Denmark, is the contracting activity (FA2523‐19‐D‐0001). The Raytheon Co., Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, has been awarded a $21,186,712 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and time-and-materials contract to retrofit the F-15 fleet. This contract provides for retrofitting the F-15 fleets current Identify Friend of Foe units, which provides Mode 5 capability for the APX-114 and APX-119 on the F-15 models C/D/E via a hardware retrofit and software upgrade. These units also provide National Security Agency approved cryptography and robust anti-jam interrogation and reply encryption capabilities. Work will be performed at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland; and Largo, Florida, and is expected to be complete by August 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 procurement funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8634-19-C-2700). NAVY Omega Aerial Refueling Services Inc., Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded $92,370,920 for modification P00024 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-type contract (N00019-13-D-0010). This modification provides for additional aerial refueling services in support of the Department of the Navy, other Department of Defense agencies, and Foreign Military Sales customers during missions ranging from basic training to multi-national exercises. Work will be performed in Riverside, California (50 percent); Brunswick, Georgia (40 percent); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2020. 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. United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is awarded $71,407,381 for firm-fixed-price-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee task order N0001919F0001 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-17-G-0005) in support of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Aircraft for the Navy, Air Force; non- Department of Defense (DoD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. This order provides for supplies or services for non-recurring engineering for the identification and correction of service safety and durability deficiencies, maintains specification performance, and matures the propulsion system in advance of service operational use. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (92 percent); and Indianapolis, Indiana (8 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2023. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy and Air Force); non-DoD participant; and FMS funds in the amount of $64,600,166 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This order combines purchases for the Navy ($25,363,518; 36 percent); Air Force ($24,943,370; 35 percent); non-DoD Participants ($12,930,389; 18 percent); and FMS customers ($8,170,105; 11 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Space Ground Systems Solutions LLC, West Melbourne, Florida, is awarded a $19,729,508 modification for task order N00173-17-F-6203 under previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00173-15-D-2015 for spacecraft engineering, software, research and development services to the Naval Center for Space Technology. Work will be performed at the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia (50 percent); and Space Ground Systems Solutions LLC, Melbourne, Florida (50 percent), and is expected to be competed July 1, 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,796,029 will be obligated at the time of award. These funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Ocean Ships Inc., Houston, Texas, is awarded a $13,097,120 modification under previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract N3220517C3001 to exercise the first one-year option period for operation and maintenance of two USNS Gordon Class Surge Large, Medium-Speed Roll-On/Roll-Off vessels and two USNS Shughart Class Surge Large, Medium-Speed Roll-On/Roll-Off vessels. With all options exercised, it would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $220,028,462. Work will be performed at sea worldwide and is expected to be completed March 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through March 2023. Fiscal 2019 and availability of 2020 working capital contract funds in the amount of $13,097,120, and will not expire at the end of the fiscal years. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1784315/