Lockheed Martin Awarded Air Force ICBM Contract

On the same subject

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  March 29, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  Les employés du DDPS sommés de refuser les invitations

  Les employés du DDPS ne peuvent plus accepter d'invitations d'entreprises actives dans le domaine de la défense, a décrété la conseillère fédérale Viola Amherd. Cette mesure vise à contrer des accusations de conflits d'intérêts dans le cadre du projet Air2030. Le projet Air2030 comprend l'acquisition de nouveaux avions de combat et d'un nouveau système de défense sol-air. En décembre, les médias avaient parlé d'officiers suisses participant à un buffet suédois dans un hôtel à Berne. Concrètement, la directive de la ministre de la défense Viola Amherd stipule que les employés de son département ne doivent pas participer à des manifestations organisées ou sponsorisées par des entreprises impliquées dans le projet Air2030, a déclaré jeudi le porte-parole du DDPS, Lorenz Frischknecht, confirmant une information des journaux CH-Media. Les contrevenants pourront être sanctionnés. Cela est également valable pour les invitations d'Etats impliqués dans l'acquisition d'avions de chasse, a dit M. Frischknecht. Il s'agit notamment de l'Allemagne, de la France, de la Suède, d'Israël et des Etats-Unis. Il peut s'agir de réceptions à l'occasion de fêtes nationales ou d'autres événements, tels que des conférences ou des expositions. Cinq avionneurs présentent leurs appareils dans le cadre du projet Air2030. L'Eurofighter (Airbus, Allemagne), le F/A-18 Super Hornet (Boeing, Etats-Unis), le Rafale (Dassault, France), le F-35A (Lockheed-Martin, Etats-Unis) et le Gripen E (Saab, Suède) seront testés au sol et dans les airs en Suisse de mi-avril à fin juin. https://www.rfj.ch/rfj/Actualite/Suisse/Les-employes-du-DDPS-sommes-de-refuser-les-invitations.html

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  December 6, 2021 | International, Aerospace

  Egyptian defense expo highlights homemade tech to counter small drones

  The Arab Organization for Industrialization and Benha Electronics each showed off their locally made systems.

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  June 8, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  How Much Does It Cost To Insure A Russian-Made Stealth Drone?

  David Axe The Russian defense ministry has insured its new stealth drone and its control station for 1.4 billion rubles. That's $20 million. And it's probably worth every ruble. The S-70 Hunter-B, a jet-powered flying-wing drone, perhaps is the most significant new warplane to emerge in Russia since the Su-57 stealth fighter that first flew in 2010 and now is in low-rate production. The Hunter-B first appeared in January 2019 on the ground at an airfield in Novosibirsk in southern Russia. It flew for the first time on Aug. 3, 2019. The Sukhoi-designed drone zoomed over the airfield for more than 20 minutes at a maximum altitude of around 2,000 feet, according to TASS, the state news organization that also reported the value of the robot's insurance. It's easy to dismiss the Hunter-B as a developmental dead-end, owing to Russia's poor track record when it comes to fielding unmanned aerial vehicles and the satellite infrastructure that helps controllers on the ground direct a UAV's flight. But the likelihood of Hunter-B eventually entering front-line service with the Russian air force is "big," said Tom Cooper, an author and independent expert on Russian military. "The Russian military is running multiple UAV-related projects," Cooper said. "Thus the emergence of this project is perfectly normal." "At this point, it is going to be the heaviest and fastest UAV [in Russian service] if and when fielded,” said Samuel Bendett, an analyst with the Center for a New American Security in Washington, D.C. Bendett estimated the Hunter-B's weight at around 20 tons and its top speed at more than 600 miles per hour. The drone is in the same class as a manned lighter fighter. The Russian air force reportedly is considering assigning Hunter-Bs as robotic wingmen for Su-57 pilots, extending the coverage of an Su-57 flight's sensors and adding to the manned pilots' firepower. On Sept. 27, the sole Hunter-B prototype flew in formation with an Su-57. The U.S., Japanese and Australian air forces are developing their own wingman drones. But Sukhoi has its work cut out for it completing the Hunter-B. “A a host of aerodynamic, electronic and high-tech issues need to be worked out,” Bendett said. And to be stealthy, the drone needs a new engine layout. In its current configuration, the Hunter-B's AL-31F motor projects from the rear of the airframe, creating a major source of radar reflectivity. Sukhoi has tinkered with a new version of Hunter-B that buries that engine deep inside the airframe, in the same way that Western firms do with their own stealth drones. As the high-stakes development continues, Sukhoi at least can take comfort that its drone is fully insured. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2020/06/05/how-much-does-it-cost-to-insure-your-russian-made-stealth-drone/#5a88c68023aa