July 9, 2022 | International, Aerospace
US to send more HIMARS precision rockets to Ukraine
'If the Russians think they can outlast the Ukrainians, they need to rethink that," a senior defense official said Friday.
April 9, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Open source platforms, flexible airframes for new drones
Kelsey D. Atherton
Designing a drone body is about settling on the right compromise.
Multirotor drones excel at vertical lift and hover, while fixed wing drones are great at both distance and wide-open spaces. In February, Auterion Government Solutions and Quantum-Systems announced a two-pronged approach to the rotor- or fixed-wing drone market, with a pair of drones that use the same sensor packages and fuselage to operate as either the Scorpion Trirotor or the Vector fixed wing craft.
“As we started to develop our tactical UAS Platform, our plan was only to develop a VTOL fixed wing solution (like our Vector),” said Florian Siebel, managing director of Quantum-Systems. “During the development process we decided to build a Tri-Copter Platform as well, as a result of many discussions with law enforcement agencies and Search and Rescue Units.”
Adapting the fixed-wing fuselage to the tri-copter attachments means the drone can now operate in narrow spaces and harsh conditions. Scorpion, with the rotors, can fly for about 45 minutes, with a cruising speed of zero to 33 mph. Put the fixed wings back on for Vector, and the flight time is now two hours, with a cruising speed of 33 to 44 mph.
The parts snap into place without any need for special tooling, and Auterion recommends the drone for missions in rain or snow. Both platforms share a gimbal EO/IR with 10x optical zoom, 720p EO video, 480p IR video, laser illuminator, IR laser ranger. Common between modes is also a tactical mapping tool using a 21 megapixel Sony UMC R10C camera. For the scorpion, there's also the option of a gimbaled electro-optical camera with a 30x optical zoom.
Both drones are designed to fit in rucksacks that a person can carry one at a time. While many features are common across Vector and Scorpion, the plan is not to include both rotors or wings in the same kit. Once a team packs into the field with a drone on its back, that's the mode the drone can be used in.
Auterion intends to ship the drones by the fourth quarter of 2020, with preorders available.
Designing a drone body is about settling on the right compromise. Vector and Scorpion are built on top of open source code. This includes an operating system capable of programmable autopilot , as well as machine-vision collision prevention and obstacle detection and avoidance. Software for the ground station and cloud data management of the drone are also built on open source code. The Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit awarded Auterion a $2 million contract last year to work on the PX4 software to help drive compatibility standards in the drone industry.
As militaries across the world look to the enterprise sector for capable drones at smaller profile than existing military models, transparency in code and flexibility in airframe could become more widely adopted trends. In the meantime, there is Vector, and there is Scorpion.
https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/2020/03/25/open-source-platforms-flexible-airframes-for-new-drones
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July 13, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Calspan Awarded DARPA Air Combat Evolution (ACE) Contract
July 08, 2020 10:04 ET | Source: Calspan photo-release DARPA ACE Buffalo, New York, July 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calspan Corporation has been awarded a $14.1M, four-year contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop full-scale air combat experimentation infrastructure for its Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program. The overall focus of ACE is to develop and measure human trust in artificial intelligence (AI). The technologies developed within the ACE program will ultimately enable future pilots to confidently offload some high workload tactical tasks like visual air-to-air engagements so they can better focus on managing the larger battlespace. Under this contract Calspan Flight Research will modify up to four Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros jet trainers with Calspan's proprietary autonomous fly-by-wire flight control system technology to allow implementation and demonstration of advanced Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) and AI algorithms. Flight tests and demonstrations will be conducted from the Calspan Flight Research Facility at the Niagara Falls, NY, International Airport and flown in the Misty Military Operating Area (MOA) over nearby Lake Ontario. “Calspan is proud of our selection by DARPA to build an airborne air combat experimentation lab for the ACE program,” said Peter Sauer, Calspan President. Louis Knotts, Calspan Owner and CEO added “Since 1947, Calspan has been the world's premier innovator, developer, and operator of in-flight simulators and UAV surrogates. This program presents an outstanding opportunity for Calspan to partner with DARPA for the use of our programmable flight control technology and provide them with a safe and flexible means to flight test these advanced algorithms.” The program will be conducted over three phases of development with Phase 1 beginning immediately. About Calspan For more than 75 years, Calspan has been providing research and testing services in the aviation and transportation industries. Internationally recognized for safety research and innovation, the company's headquarters is located in Buffalo, NY, housing a variety of research and testing facilities, including a transonic wind tunnel, ground vehicle crash testing, dynamic sled testing and research, and tire research and performance testing. Calspan conducts flight testing, flight training, and aircraft modifications in Niagara Falls, NY where they own a fleet of seven airborne testbeds. Calspan also has prototype test device manufacturing capabilities in Newport News, Virginia, as well as force measurement equipment manufacturing capabilities in San Diego, California. For more information about Calspan, please visit http://www.Calspan.com. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/07/08/2059382/0/en/Calspan-Awarded-DARPA-Air-Combat-Evolution-ACE-Contract.html
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October 23, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 23, 2020
NAVY Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $149,238,311 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract containing cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursement and firm-fixed-price provisions. This contract provides services and supplies for the operation of the Naval Array Technical Support Center facility. Work will be performed in Newport, Rhode Island (99%); and Reston, Virginia; and Virginia Beach, Virginia (each location less than 1%), and is expected to be completed in November 2025. Service Cost Center funding (a type of overhead funding that is not authorized/appropriated in a particular fiscal year) in the amount of $13,837,718 will be obligated on the first task order and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using full and open competition via the Federal Business Opportunities website with four offers received in response to solicitation no. N66604-19-R-0182. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, Rhode Island, is the contracting activity (N66604-21-D-A000). Raytheon Co., Tewksbury, Massachusetts, is awarded a $12,699,161 ceiling increase and a 21-day period of performance extension modification to previously awarded, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N65236-18-C-8009 for Cross Domain Maritime Surveillance and Targeting. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Massachusetts (53%); Cambridge, Massachusetts (24%); San Diego, California (10%); Woburn, Massachusetts (7%); Portsmouth, Rhode Island (5%); and Arlington, Virginia (1%), and is expected to be completed by November 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative value of the contract to $53,456,317. Fiscal 2020 research, development, testing, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,527,793 will be obligated at time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Information Warfare Center, Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY WGL Energy Services Inc., Vienna, Virginia (SPE604-21-D-7500, $35,243,557); Direct Energy Business Marketing LLC, Iselin, New Jersey (SPE604-21-D-7505, $22,671,935); Enspire Energy LLC, Chesapeake, Virginia (SPE604-21-D-7504, $16,476,727); and UGI Energy Services Inc., Wyomissing, Pennsylvania (SPE604-21-D-7502, $12,570,456), have each been awarded a fixed‐price with economic‐price-adjustment contract under solicitation SPE604-20-R-0407 for natural gas. These were competitive acquisitions with seven offers received. These are two-year contracts with no option periods. Locations of performance are Delaware; Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Virginia; Massachusetts; New York; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; and Maryland, with a March 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, Coast Guard and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Honeywell International Inc. Aerospace, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a maximum $15,851,900 firm-fixed-price delivery order (SPRPA1-21-F-Q800) against five-year basic ordering agreement SPE4A1-17-G-0016 for V-22 spare parts. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Arizona, with an Oct. 31, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 Navy aircraft procurement funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. National Industries for the Blind,* Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $13,676,269 modification (P00014) exercising the fourth one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-17-D-B003) with four one-year option periods for advanced combat helmet pad suspension systems. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, with an Oct. 26, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. CORRECTION: The contract announced on Sept. 30, 2020, for Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, for $30,322,385, was announced with an incorrect award date and incorrect contract number. The correct award date is Oct. 22, 2020, and the correct contract number is SPRRA1-21-C-0002. AIR FORCE L3 Technologies Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, has been awarded a $23,836,458 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to perform survivable super high frequency (SSHF) upgrades to the E-4B platform. The SSHF upgrade seeks to build new capabilities that form the foundation for maintaining the E-4B as an effective nuclear command, control and communications platform. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City, Utah; and Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and is expected to be completed by April 18, 2022. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 67 offers were received. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $20,000,000 will be obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8612-21-C-5007). Palantir USG Inc., Palo Alto, California, has been awarded a $9,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the Palantir Gotham platform for the COVID-19 response at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. The contract modification is for the procurement and utilization of the Palantir Gotham Platform, which is a commercial software that will be accessed by the Air Force to facilitate the critical efforts necessary to coordinate decisions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Work will be performed in Palo Alto, California, and is expected to be completed April 30, 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. U. S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA8806-21-C-0002). SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY Perspecta Engineering Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, is awarded a $17,890,322 task order on an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide mission system engineering and integration support for the Space Development Agency's Tranche 0 capabilities. The awardee will provide overall technical leadership for integrating Tranche 0 elements and executing on-orbit tests and experiments, culminating in a Capstone event which demonstrates potential capabilities to the warfighter. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia; Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; Blossom Point, Maryland; Colorado Springs, Colorado; El Segundo, California; Huntsville, Alabama; Melbourne, Florida; and Space Development Agency, Washington, D.C. This award was made based on specifications in the Tranche 0 Mission Systems Engineering and Integration request for proposal HQ0850-20-R-0004. Funds obligated at the time of award are defense-wide fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds. Space Development Agency, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (HQ0850-21-F-0001). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a $7,869,884 modification (P00053) to previously awarded contract HR0011-16-C-0001 for classified information technology services. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $167,187,910 from $159,318,026. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of February 2021. Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $7,428,876 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2391498/source/GovDelivery/