April 29, 2021 | International, Aerospace
B-21 bomber is on time, on budget, US Air Force briefing says
The B-21 Raider seems to be safely on schedule and on budget, a top lawmaker in the US has said after a recent briefing on the programme.
May 17, 2021 | International, C4ISR
Soldiers Can Now Control MQ-1C Gray Eagle via Tablet on Ground
Soldiers on the ground can now control the airstrikes conducted by a MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone via a tablet.
On Thursday, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) said it demonstrated enhanced situational awareness and targeting capability for ground forces during a company-funded technology demonstration at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona.
The demonstration focused on enabling a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) to control the Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor on a Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and rapidly call for direct and indirect fire on an array of targets.
The JTAC was able to see GE-ER video, aircraft location, and sensor field of regard utilizing an Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) and a TrellisWare TW-950 TSM Shadow Radio. Utilizing the GE-ER's open-architecture, the JTAC was able to send digital ‘Call for Fires' to request artillery support, and a digital 9-line for Close Air Support with the push of a few buttons. The GE-ER, configured for Multi-Domain Operations, autonomously re-routed its flight path to provide the sensor data that the JTAC requested without commands from the GE-ER operator.
This demonstration is another step in a series of demonstrations that began in November 2019.
The use of this newly developed technology marks a significant improvement in situational awareness compared to the use of voice communications. The technology improved efficiency, reduced latency, and reduced risk of collateral damage. In addition, the JTAC's ability to orient GE-ER sensors on targets from an ATAK tablet reduces man-in-the-loop errors and increases targeting speed. These advancements are critical elements to current and future armed conflicts that reduce the risk to Soldiers forward on the battlefield.
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July 15, 2022 | International, Aerospace, Naval
Rafael unveils once-secret Ice Breaker missile
A Rafael official told Defense News the missile is nearing full-scale development and that the company has spoke with customers on three different continents regarding potential contracts.
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November 16, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Les EAU profitent du Dubai Airshow pour renforcer leurs équipements militaires
Pleins feux sur les Emirats arabes unis et leur salon de l'aéronautique, le Dubai Airshow. Afin d'assurer le plus grand rayonnement possible à l'évènement, les EAU ont annoncé une série de contrats militaires, pour un montant global dépassant les 4 Md€. L'annonce la plus notable a été la commande de deux ravitailleurs supplémentaires Airbus A330 MRTT, pour un montant de 625 M€. Les livraisons débuteront en 2024 et les deux appareils bénéficieront des dernières améliorations opérationnelles développées par les équipes d'Airbus Military Aircraft. Autre contrat d'importance, celui passé auprès de Progressive Technologies pour la fourniture de munitions pour la Force aérienne et la Défense aérienne des Emirats Arabes Unis. L'américain Goodrich s'est vu attribuer 16,5 M€ pour la fourniture de services de soutien et d'assistance technique ainsi que de pièces de rechange. Thales a de son côté enregistré deux contrats, l'un portant sur l'achat de systèmes de communication, l'autre portant sur l'achat de pièces de rechange et de maintenance. Air & Cosmos du 15 novembre