December 13, 2023 | International, Land, Security
Newest F-35s stalled by slow production of key parts
“The hardware is good,” Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt said. “It’s the rate at which they’re producing them to meet our production and retrofit needs."
February 23, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
La Commission européenne crée un « Observatoire des technologies critiques » pour favoriser l’innovation et les synergies
La Commission européenne a présenté, lundi 22 février, un plan d'action afin de créer des synergies entre les secteurs de la défense, du civil et du spatial. Le commissaire européen Thierry Breton a souligné que le FED (Fonds européen de défense), dont la vocation est de pousser les entreprises du secteur à former des alliances transfrontalières, afin de doper l'innovation, représente « un moyen très puissant à notre disposition ». Des synergies peuvent être créées entre ce fonds et d'autres programmes de l'UE, dans les domaines du spatial, du numérique, de la sécurité intérieure, notamment. Le plan d'action de Bruxelles repose en particulier sur l'identification d'industries clés pour l'avenir. La Commission va créer un « Observatoire des technologies critiques », qui fournira des rapports bisannuels, visant à orienter les efforts sur quelques domaines ciblés. Les secteurs du cloud, des processeurs, du spatial et des technologies quantiques ont notamment été mis en avant. Trois projets sont déjà cités, concernant les drones, la connectivité aux réseaux par satellite et la gestion du trafic spatial. Le plan entend inclure les PME, les startups ou les petits centres de recherche, en les aiguillant au mieux vers les mécanismes de financement auxquels ils pourraient prétendre au-delà de leur domaine traditionnel. « Nombreuses sont les innovations qui sont nées dans des petits labos », a souligné la vice-présidente de la Commission européenne, Margrethe Vestager.
Les Echos et Le Figaro du 23 février
On the same subject
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December 3, 2019 | International, Naval
Navy awards $732M contract for satellite ground systems
By: Nathan Strout General Dynamics will provide sustainment services for the ground system for the Navy's narrowband satellite communication systems over the next decade, the company announced Nov. 27. The sole-source $732 million contract was awarded Nov. 8 and work expected to be completed by Nov. 2029. The Mobile User Objective System is the Navy's next generation narrowband satellite communications system, providing secure voice, video and data communications to military users all over the globe. MUOS was built to replace the Ultra High Frequency constellation, although the new system will support the legacy system for now. According to General Dynamics, just one MUOS satellite can provide four times the capacity of the entire legacy system. The MUOS ground segment is made up of four ground station facilities located around the world. According to the General Dynamics web site, each ground station has three free-standing antennas to receive radio call relayed through the MUOS satellites. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the MUOS satellites, while General Dynamics was selected to build the ground system. “MUOS will provide our warfighters with the ability to communicate securely, anywhere, anytime, with voice clarity and data transmission speed similar to using a civilian cellphone,” said Manny Mora, vice president and general manager for General Dynamics' space and intelligence systems. “This capability delivers a whole new level of connectivity for troops in the field." On Oct. 16, the Navy announced that MUOS was deemed operationally effective following its months-long multiservice operational test and evaluation over the summer. With that designation, the new system is ready to be used in unrestricted operation. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/c2-comms/2019/12/02/navy-awards-732m-contract-for-satellite-ground-systems
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June 3, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Lockheed to Retrofit F-35s for Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses Role
June 2, 2020 | By John A. Tirpak The Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a $26.7 million contract on June 1 to develop a structural modification for the F-35 strike fighter to improve its Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses capability (SEAD/DEAD). The retrofit design will be applied to both U.S. and foreign F-35s in Lots 14 and 15, and will be completed by August 2022. The contract, issued by Naval Air Systems Command on behalf of all F-35 users, says Lockheed will perform the engineering necessary to modify the aircraft to perform “full up” SEAD and DEAD. When the Air Force declared the F-35 operational in 2016, it described the F-35's SEAD/DEAD suite as able to perform the mission in a “limited” fashion. The need for a structural modification indicates the aircraft will be fitted with new munitions and/or sensors to carry out the role, which usually involves detecting, fixing, and attacking ground-based air defense threats, which can be mobile or stationary. When the service declared initial operational capability for the F-35A, the aircraft was in the 3i configuration, which gave it capability to release satellite-guided bombs. With the 3F version, the F-35 gained capability for the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb and AGM-154 Stand-Off Weapon—both used for SEAD/DEAD. The Block 4 upgrade will enable the F-35 to carry the in-development Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW). The Navy plans to field its AGM-88E Anti-Radiation Guided Missile, a successor to the HARM anti-radiation missile, and the Air Force is considering the weapon, as well. The ARRGM and HARM home in on the last known emissions of a surface-to-air missile radar at high speed; their presence and success in previous conflicts has dissuaded enemies from turning their radars on in some instances, hence “suppression.” The F-35's ASQ-239 electronic warfare system can passively detect an enemy air defense system's emissions and geo-locate these targets in concert with the F-35's other systems. Air Force leaders have said the F-35, by virtue of its stealth, will become the main platform for the SEAD/DEAD mission in the coming decade. That role is now primarily performed by the F-16 with the HARM. https://www.airforcemag.com/lockheed-to-retrofit-f-35s-for-suppression-destruction-of-enemy-air-defenses-role