February 24, 2024 | International, Land
Marines pass full financial audit, a first for any US military branch
The Marine Corps was deemed by a third-party auditor to have a full accounting of all its assets and their financial values.
October 21, 2018 | International, Aerospace
La Belgique devrait choisir Lockheed plutôt qu'Eurofighter
BERLIN (Reuters) - La Belgique devrait choisir d'ici la fin du mois quel avion de combat remplacera ses F-16 vieillissants, a appris Reuters de plusieurs sources, et elle devrait, selon des experts du secteur, préférer le F35 de Lockheed Martin au Typhoon d'Eurofighter.
L'attribution de ce marché de plusieurs milliards de dollars était attendue en juillet avant le sommet de l'Otan à Bruxelles. Elle a été repoussée en raison des élections communales en Belgique, dimanche dernier, et d'un rapport qui a semé le trouble en suggérant que la durée d'exploitation des F-16 aurait pu être prolongée.
Les Etats-Unis, à la demande de Bruxelles, ont prolongé de deux semaines, jusqu'au 31 octobre, les termes de leur offre portant sur 34 chasseurs F-35, ont dit des sources américaines.
Un nouveau report, ont-elles ajouté, pourrait entraîner une modification du prix proposé.
Harry Breach, analyste chez Raymond James basé à Londres, a estimé que la compétition tournait à l'avantage du F-35, en notant que les pilotes belges sont déjà familiarisés avec les F-16, qui sont aussi construits par Lockheed.
Le Typhoon d'Eurofighter serait une option plus onéreuse, a-t-il ajouté. "Pour des raisons de coût, les petits pays ont tendance à choisir un avion à réaction de taille, charge utile et portée plus réduites. Tout cela suggère le choix des F-35."
Aucun commentaire n'a pu être obtenu auprès du ministère belge de la Défense mais, selon des sources haut placées, une décision est probable avant la fin du mois.
Eurofighter est un consortium constitué du Royaume-Uni, de l'Allemagne, de l'Italie et de l'Espagne.
La France, qui dispose du Rafale fabriqué par Dassault Aviation, n'a pas répondu à l'appel d'offres officiel de la Belgique. Selon des sources industrielles, elle serait cependant soucieuse d'éviter que le F-16 gagne du terrain en Europe et aurait proposé à la Belgique une coopération étroite en matière de défense.
(Andrea Shalal, Dominique Rodriguez pour le service français, édité par Marc Angrand)
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February 22, 2018 | International, C4ISR
US Army requests $429 million for new cyber training platform
In 2016, the Pentagon tapped the Army to lead development of a persistent cyber training environment, or PCTE, to help train experts from Cyber Command in a live-virtual-constructed environment. Since then, cyber officials have repeatedly said such an environment is among their top priorities. “The service cyber components have established their own training environments but do not have standardized capabilities or content,” Army budget documents say. In the Army's research and development budget documents, the service requested $65.8 million in fiscal 2019 for the training environment and $429.4 million through fiscal 2023. Under the various line items in the Army's research and development budget, the Army is looking to develop event scheduling for the environment. It also wants to develop realistic vignettes or scenarios as part of individual and collective training to include real-world mission rehearsal, on-demand reliable and secure physical and virtual global access from dispersed geographic locations. In addition, the Army is asking for $3 million in fiscal 2019 base budget money to find and close gaps in hardware and software infrastructure related to virtual environments needed for cyber operational training. Additional funds will go toward virtual environments such as blue, grey, red or installation control system that the cyber mission force use for maneuver terrain. Moreover, the documents indicate that the Army will use Other Transaction Authorities vehicles for contract awards. The program will be delivered through incremental capability drops. The document states a “full and open competitive contract will be awarded in FY20 for further integration of new or refinement of existing capabilities, hardware refreshes, accreditation, and software licensing.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/dod/2018/02/21/army-requests-429-million-for-new-cyber-training-platform/
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December 14, 2018 | International, Aerospace
Japan Calls For STOVL Fighters, Plan For 42 F-35Bs Reported
Bradley Perrett | Aerospace Daily & Defense Report BEIJING—A national security meeting of Japan's ruling party has called for the acquisition of shipboard fighters capable of short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL), as a newspaper reports that substantial orders are planned for the version of the Lockheed Martin F-35Lightning that has that ability. Japan needs STOVL aircraft operated from currently available ships to guard against threats from its Pacific Ocean side of the country, according to a summary of results of the meeting published by the office of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, days before the expected release of a five-year defense acquisition program. Buying 100 F-35s, including some of the F-35B STOVL version, has been expected in the five-year plan, which will start on April 1, 2019; they would be in addition to a current program for 42 F-35As. In fact, there will be 42 F-35Bs, the Mainichi newspaper said. They will operate from the helicopter carrier Izumo, which will reportedly be modified for that purpose. Modification of Izumo's sibling, Kaga, is not mentioned but would surely also occur, to ensure that one ship with F-35Bs was always available. Full article: http://aviationweek.com/defense/japan-calls-stovl-fighters-plan-42-f-35bs-reported