January 27, 2021 | International, Aerospace
Jan 25, 2021 - IAI signed two deals, one to sell and one to lease two Heron MK II UAV systems to a central Asian country. The deal is valued at tens of millions of dollars. The systems include reconnaissance payloads, Heron MK II drones and land arrays.
The Heron MK II reaches an altitude of 35,000 feet, maximum speed of 140 knots, and can stay in the air for up to 45 hours. Thanks to improved production technologies, the Heron MK II has a wider and stronger chassis enabling quick and easy maintenance without affecting the UAV's net weight. The UAV enables the use of new configurations and has a long-range reconnaissance sensor and radar. It can carry a range of additional payloads like COMINT and ELINT equipment. The UAV's outstanding characteristic is its standoff capability, i.e. the capability of gathering intelligence on targets from a long distance (dozens of miles) with no need to cross borders, thanks to its ability to carry larger, improved sensors. In addition, the Heron MK II boasts improved avionics and an improved and reinforced engine.
IAI Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Military Aircraft Group, Moshe Levy, said: “I commend the signing of the two Heron MK II deals. The systems will operate in a land configuration and will carry out different missions, border protection among them. The Heron MK II UAVs can land on any airstrip and can maneuver under extreme weather conditions. I am certain that these deals will open the door to additional Heron MK II deals.”
The Heron MK II is another member of the Heron family, a significant bonus to Heron operators around the world, since it shares the first model's operational use concepts. These concepts are based on extensive experience and knowledge in the field of UAVs, that IAI has been accumulating over nearly 50 years of activity, almost 2 million hours of flight time and more than 50 operational customers.
View source version on IAI: https://www.iai.co.il/two-deals-to-supply-heron-mk-ii-uav-to-asian-country
February 1, 2022 | International, Aerospace
The Federal Trade Commission's complaint, released Wednesday, is heavily redacted but argues the proposed purchase of Aerojet Rocketdyne would hurt rival defense contractors in ways that would significantly reduce competition in multiple markets.
August 2, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR
By: Leo Shane III WASHINGTON — Senators gave final approval to the annual defense authorization bill on Wednesday, sending the $717 billion budget package to the White House to become law in the next few weeks. The move marks the 58th consecutive year Congress has approved the military spending policy measure and the earliest that lawmakers have finished the work in 41 years. Typically, lawmakers labor until late fall before reaching agreement on the legislation. It sets the military pay raise at 2.6 percent starting next January, adds 15,600 more troops to services' overall end strength, and boosts aircraft and ship purchases above what the White House had requested. It also gives lawmakers a solid legislative victory to tout before voters in the lead-up to the November mid-term elections, and some parliamentary breathing room they hope can lead to progress on appropriations bills in the next few weeks. WASHINGTON — Senators gave final approval to the annual defense authorization bill on Wednesday, sending the $717 billion budget package to the White House to become law in the next few weeks. The move marks the 58th consecutive year Congress has approved the military spending policy measure and the earliest that lawmakers have finished the work in 41 years. Typically, lawmakers labor until late fall before reaching agreement on the legislation. It sets the military pay raise at 2.6 percent starting next January, adds 15,600 more troops to services' overall end strength, and boosts aircraft and ship purchases above what the White House had requested. It also gives lawmakers a solid legislative victory to tout before voters in the lead-up to the November mid-term elections, and some parliamentary breathing room they hope can lead to progress on appropriations bills in the next few weeks. Congress is giving the officer promotion system a massive overhaul The changes will have a far-reaching impact on military culture and change the incentives for how individual officers manage their careers. By: Leo Shane III A day earlier, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced that he had reached an agreement with Senate Democrats on bringing defense appropriations legislation to the Senate floor later this month, as part of a broader effort to wrap up fiscal 2019 military spending issues before the election. Full article: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2018/08/01/congress-finalizes-defense-budget-authorization-months-ahead-of-schedule/
July 24, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Dirk Hoke, CEO d'Airbus Defence and Space, accorde une interview à Aviation Week. Il souligne la volonté de «maintenir l'élan» des initiatives européennes en matière de défense, en dépit des conséquences liées à la crise de la Covid-19. «L'utilisation étendue des A440M et des MRTT durant la crise de la Covid-19 est un exemple parfait de l'importance des ressources militaires dans les missions humanitaires», souligne-t-il notamment. Concernant le programme SCAF, «il y a un énorme élan dans le projet. Tous les partis, tant du côté politique que du côté industriel, font pression pour progresser et peuvent être fiers de ce qui a été réalisé en moins de trois ans après avoir été mentionné pour la première fois dans la déclaration franco-allemande du 13 juillet 2017», déclare-t-il. Au sujet de l'Eurofighter, il indique : «il y a de bonnes opportunités à venir», «récemment, nous avons signé le contrat pour l'équipement de 115 Eurofighters avec le nouveau Captor E-Radar», rappelle-t-il entre autres. Aviation Week du 13 juillet