Innovation Road Show: US Navy Seeks Acquisition Solutions from Small Businesses

On the same subject

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  July 25, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR

  Rebuilding America’s Military: Thinking About the Future

  Dakota Wood SUMMARY America's military—engaged beyond capacity and in need of rebuilding—is at a crucial juncture. Its current “big-leap” approach to preparing for future conflict carries great risk in searching for revolutionary capabilities through force-wide commitments to major single-solution programs. The Heritage Foundation's Rebuilding America's Military Project (RAMP) recommends that the U.S. military instead adopt an iterative, experimentation-heavy approach that can achieve revolutionary outcomes at less risk through evolutionary improvements that build on each other until transformative tipping points are reached. Critical to this is a military culture that is immersed in the study of war and a force of sufficient capacity to prepare for the future while also handling current operational commitments. https://www.heritage.org/defense/report/rebuilding-americas-military-thinking-about-the-future

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  November 8, 2018 | International, Aerospace

  Companies line up to deliver Turkey hundreds of micro drones

  By: Burak Ege Bekdil ANKARA — The Turkish government has launched a competition to buy hundreds of multi-rotor micro drones, with scores of local companies having already expressed interest. SSB, Turkey's procurement authority, has said that the planned drones would be used in homeland security missions like search and rescue, surveillance and reconnaissance, remote sensing and mapping. An SSB official said all drone programs come with a “priority” tag. Under the multi-rotor micro drone program, SSB will procure a total of 499 units. Twenty-two companies have replied to SSB's Request for Proposal (RfP). “The level of interest [in the contract] and potential competition during the race reflects the vibrancy of Turkey's fast-growing drone industry,” said Özgür Ekşi, an analyst with C4Defense.com, a defense industry specialist. “Especially when you think that only a decade ago there was not a single drone maker in the country.” Turkey has long prioritized developmental and operation of unmanned systems for its military and for export. The Turkish military was largely dependent on the Israeli-made Heron unmanned aerial vehicles in its fight with Kurdish insurgents in early 2000s when the government-controlled Tusas Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) started working on the Anka, Turkey's first indigenous drone. In 2013 TAI won a contract from the Turkish government to supply 10 Ankas and ground control stations. The Anka, a medium-altitude, long-endurance drone, can fly at an altitude of 30,000 feet for 24 hours and can carry up to 200 kg payload. TAI later developed the armed and satellite-controlled versions of the Anka as the country's dependency on drones in its asymmetrical warfare against Kurdish insurgency deepened. The Anka has paved the way for the entry into the market of private sector players. Kale-Baykar, a consortium, has successfully developed the Bayraktar TB-2, a drone system that comes in unarmed and armed versions, and delivered to the military six systems in 2017. The Bayraktar uses the MAM-L and MAM-C, two mini smart munitions developed and produced by state-controlled missile specialist Roketsan. Turkey's local industry also is developing BSI-101, a SIGINT system, for the Bayraktar to end Turkey's dependence on U.S.-made SIGINT systems for drones. The Bayraktar can fly at a maximum altitude of 24,000 feet. Its communications range is 150 kilometers. The aircraft can carry up to 55 kilograms of payload. “We encourage private companies to spend more on drone R&D and come up with solutions cut for our specific (mostly asymmetrical) requirements,” said one procurement official. “there is a lot of activity going on and the market will deepen in quantity and quality in the years ahead.” Ekşi from C4Defence.com said: “Twenty-two local bidders in a relatively small drone competition is a sign that the market, infant by age, will flourish soon.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/11/07/companies-line-up-to-deliver-turkey-hundreds-of-micro-drones

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  September 16, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Land

  Israel Seeks $8B Arms Deal At White House: F-35s, V-22s, KC-46s

  ARIE EGOZI TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked President Donald Trump today for 12 Boeing V-22s, another squadron of F-35s to bring the total to 75, and the very early delivery of two Boeing KC-46As at the White House today. The request was made during a day of extraordinary meetings as President Trump, the Prime Minister of Israel and the Foreign Ministers of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates were to sign what are being called the Abraham Accords, meant to normalize relations between the Arab states and Israel. The new weapons are meant to keep Israel's qualitative edge after the U.S agreed to sell the F-35 to the UAE and Teheran rattles its homemade swords, furious about the new era between Israel and some Gulf states. Hours before hosting the signing of historic peace agreements between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, President Trump doubled down on the idea of selling F-35s to the UAE. “I personally would have no problem with it,” the president told Fox and Friends this morning, “I would have no problem in selling them the F-35.” The Israelis, who understand the US political system well, are likely to press Trump to put the new sales in motion before the November elections to minimize the chances they might fall victim to a change in power in Washington. “The Israeli request will be based on an accelerated process aimed at getting all the approvals before the November presidential elections” one Israeli source told BD. The request is also likely to include a replacement for Israeli Apache AH-64A combat helicopters that are planned to go out of service in 2025. Israel, one source says, will also ask for “increased numbers” of bunker buster bombs, usually thought to be designed to strike Iranian nuclear sites. On top of all that, the Israelis may seek an advanced communication satellite, a source told Breaking D. The request for a new weapons package would be in addition to the existing Foreign Military Financing agreement with the US. The current agreement, signed in 2016, increased US assistance from $ 34 billion in the decade to $38 billion between 2019 and 2028. Why is Israeli seeking so much new gear? It's not, Israeli sources explain, because of the prospective sale of F-35s to the UAE, but because they believe this deal will open a new arms race in the region and they want to stay head of it. Israel is also concerned about the possibility of leadership changes in some Gulf countries The assessments for what's needed were drawn up when the IDF formed a special team headed by Maj. General Tomer Bar, the IDF's head of its planning and force building department. This team is reviewing the operational demands of some of the IDF ground forces units. https://breakingdefense.com/2020/09/israel-seeks-8b-arms-deal-at-white-house-f-35s-v-22s-kc-46s/