L’Allemagne doit confirmer l’achat d’une soixantaine de Chinook à Boeing

On the same subject

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  October 25, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Italy plans to slash half a billion dollars from defense in 2019

  By: Tom Kington ROME — Italy will cut €450 million (U.S. $512.3 million) from its planned defense spending in 2019 by suspending helicopter and missile purchases and canceling an office move by the defense ministry to help shore up social welfare and tax cuts, a defense source has told Defense News. Italy's total outlay on defense in 2019 will be announced in parliament in the next few days, as Rome's populist government seeks support by members of parliament for its state budget, which contains billions of euros for a new wage for the unemployed. To free up funds to cover spending, Rome has made its cut to the defense budget, just as most European states are increasing their military outlay. During 2019 all ongoing purchases of NH-90 helicopters for the Italian Army and Navy will be suspended, the source said. Italy is planning to buy 60 NH-90s for the Army and 56 for the Navy at a total cost of €4 billion, with the procurement due to wind up in 2024. Upgrades to Tornado aircraft will also be suspended, said the source, who added that the two measures would save €370 million. Italy's purchase of the MBDA Camm-Er missile defense system will also be put off for a year, saving €30 million in 2019, the source added. Another €50 million — to reach the total of €450 million — will come from the cancellation of plans to move the headquarters of Italy's armed forces out of their separate buildings in Rome's city center to a unified HQ in the suburbs. The plan, dubbed ‘Italy's Pentagon,' was due to cost a total of €1.1 billion, the source said. The source added that F-35 purchases would be “slowed” in order to spread out payments. Italy is currently planning to buy 90 aircraft. Italian defense minister Elisabetta Trenta will discuss the plan with U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis when she visits the United States in November, the source said. The Italian coalition government which took office in June combines the anti-migrant League party with the anti-establishment Five Star party, which has long criticized spending on defense in Italy. A second defense source said that the defense ministry was about to publish its much delayed document breaking down the year's defense spending by program, which is normally released in the spring. The source said the document would this year indicate military procurement programs considered “ethical” by the new government. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/10/24/italy-plans-to-slash-half-a-billion-dollars-from-defense-in-2019

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  October 7, 2020 | International, Naval, C4ISR, Security

  DoD Taps Sea Machines for Autonomous VTOL Replenishment Vessels

  Seapower Staff BOSTON — Sea Machines Robotics, a Boston-based developer of autonomous command and control systems for surface vessels, has been awarded a multi-year Other Transaction agreement by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)'s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the company announced in an Oct. 5 release. The primary purpose of the agreement is to initiate a prototype that will enable commercial ocean-service barges as autonomous Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) units for an Amphibious Maritime Projection Platform (AMPP). Under this OT agreement, Sea Machines will engineer, build and demonstrate ready-to-deploy system kits that enable autonomous, self-propelled operation of opportunistically available barges to land and replenish military aircraft. The kits will include Sea Machines' SM300 autonomous-command and control systems, barge propulsion, sensing, positioning, communications and refueling equipment, as well as items required for global deployment. Each modular kit will meet U.S. Navy criteria and will be in compliance with classifications and regulations from the DoD's aviation bodies. The contract includes a concept demonstration phase, with an option for following phases to deploy SM300 Operational Kits. The live concept demonstration is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2020, in Washington state, for which Sea Machines has teamed with FOSS Maritime, a leading maritime transportation and logistics provider based in Seattle. FOSS will provide naval architecture, support engineering and operations management to outfit a remotely commanded deck barge to land helicopters and host a scaled fueling station for aircraft, surface vessels and shore replenishment. Using the SM300, shoreside operators will have remote situational awareness and will be able to demonstrate the capabilities of remote command and control of the vessel, her operating systems and flight deck. Sea Machines is the prime contractor for the multi-year contract and is working closely alongside FOSS Maritime and other significant industry leaders, including Huntington Ingalls, America's largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services, based in Newport News, Virginia, and Bell Flight, a producer of commercial and military, vertical-lift aircraft, based in Fort Worth, Texas, to ensure a successful demonstration. “The AMPP autonomous replenishment systems will solve critical logistics challenges of expeditionary missions. We are pleased to enable this innovative capability, which will increase the effectiveness and flexibility for the U.S. military,” said Sea Machines' Phil Bourque, director, sales. “With Sea Machines systems already working off the waters of four continents, this project is well suited for us and one that we look forward to delivering on for the U.S. government.” “Foss is excited about this new opportunity with Sea Machines.This contract has led to discussions with Sea Machines in a number of other areas where their expertise can help Foss, including bringing more technology to our tug fleet. What they are doing in automation is very interesting and that technology could help our mariners and our vessels safety,” said FOSS's Will Roberts, chief operating officer. DIU's work is part of the DoD's Resilient Expeditionary Agile Littoral Logistics (REALL) Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) project. Funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Research & Engineering, the JCTD Program addresses Combatant Command and Joint warfighting gaps through prototyping and demonstration of innovative and game-changing technologies. The following offices are involved with defining performance requirements and developing capabilities for REALL: U.S. Central Command, U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Army Engineer Research and Development Center, and the Naval Aviation Warfare Center – Lakehurst. https://seapowermagazine.org/dod-taps-sea-machines-for-autonomous-vtol-replenishment-vessels/

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  August 16, 2018 | International, Aerospace

  Mattis says US will work more closely with Argentina

  By: Robert Burns, The Associated Press BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The U.S. and Argentinian militaries will pursue closer cooperation on numerous fronts, including military education and training, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday after meeting with his counterpart during the first visit to Argentina by an American defense chief in 13 years. "We focused on what we can do working together as they go through very difficult economic times," Mattis told reporters as he was departing Buenos Aires for a flight to Santiago, Chile. "Both sides are very open to a stronger military-to-military relationship in complete transparency, so there cannot be any doubt about what's going on." Before they met, Mattis and Argentinian Defense Minister Oscar Aguad publicly expressed their hope for better ties. Mattis alluded to the help the U.S. Navy provided Argentina last November when one of its submarines went missing with 44 sailors aboard. The last U.S. secretary of defense to visit Argentina was Donald H. Rumsfeld in 2005. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2018/08/16/mattis-says-us-will-work-more-closely-with-argentina/