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  November 14, 2018 | International, Aerospace

  NASA wants Canadian boots on the moon

  By Mike Blanchfield OTTAWA — The head of the U.S. space agency says he wants to see Canadian astronauts walking on the moon as part of a first step toward the farther reaches of space. Jim Bridenstine, the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, says he wants Canada's decades-long space partnership with the U.S. to continue as NASA embarks on the creation of its new Lunar Gateway. The U.S. is seeking broad international support for the next-generation space station it is planning to send into orbit around the moon starting in 2021. Bridenstine says he wants Canada to contribute its expertise in artificial intelligence and robotics, and that could include a next-generation Canadarm on the Lunar Gateway and more Canadian technology inside. He says NASA wants to create a “sustainable lunar architecture” that would allow people and equipment to go back and forth to the moon regularly. “If Canadians want to be involved in missions to the surface of the moon with astronauts, we welcome that. We want to see that day materialize,” he said told a small group of journalists in Ottawa today. “We think it would be fantastic for the world to see people on the surface of the moon that are not just wearing the American flag, but wearing the flags of other nations.” He says the return to the moon is a stepping stone to a much more ambitious goal: exploration that could include reaching Mars in the next two decades. “The moon is, in essence, a proving ground for deeper space exploration,” he said. Bridenstine is in Ottawa for a large gathering of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, where speculation is running high about Canada's possible participation in the U.S. space program. Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, a vocal booster of Canada's AI hubs in Ontario and Quebec, is also scheduled to speak, along with one of Canada's former astronauts, Marc Garneau, the current federal transport minister. On Dec. 3, Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques will travel to the International Space Station on his first mission. The Canadian Press https://ipolitics.ca/2018/11/14/nasa-wants-canadian-boots-on-the-moon/

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  July 25, 2018 | International, Land

  France to hand off 40 percent of land vehicle maintenance to industry by 2025

  By: Pierre Tran PARIS — The French Armed Forces Minister called July 23 for industry to play a greater role in servicing heavily used military vehicles, with companies called to support 40 percent of the mixed fleet by the middle of the next decade. Speaking at Bruz, a base for vehicle support in western France, Minister Florence Parly said the service goal compares to the present 15 percent, with a target of 2025. The minister announced a “transformation plan” for vehicle support based on an official report by defense procurement official Vincent Imbert and Army Gen. Bernard Guillet. "The improvement of our maintenance process and availability of our equipment is one of my priorities,” she said. That call for greater support reflects problems in servicing a highly mixed fleet, including new-generation armored vehicles to be delivered in the Scorpion program, modern VBCI infantry fighting vehicles and Caesar truck-mounted artillery, and an aging park of VAB troop carriers and VBL scout cars. The plan seeks to boost the availability of vehicles by restructuring the industrial and technological base for service, boost a sense of responsibility of the personnel using the vehicles, and reshaping links between the armed forces and industry, the ministry said in a briefing note. There are also plans to increase local support in the deployed theaters and adopt new technology in monitoring and predicting breakdowns. There is a high availability of more than 90 percent for vehicles in overseas operations, but those vehicles return to France in poor condition, with only 65 percent of the various fleets available for use once back on national territory, the ministry said. That availability varies greatly depending on the type of vehicle. That means there is a lack of vehicles for training troops for deployment. Some 3,500 vehicles are broken down and there is a lack of capability to reduce that number. The British and German forces face similar problems, with lower availability and lack of an organization to improve the situation, the ministry said. The modernization plan calls for closer ties between government maintenance organizations, the armed forces and manufacturers including Arquus, Nexter, Safran and Thales, as well as specialist NSE and small- and medium-sized enterprises, the ministry said. Those actors should use more efficient tools and methods, and cut out duplication and waste of resources and time. The official report pointed up a “lack of sense of responsibility” of the users as the vehicles are held in pools rather than assigned specifically, a contrast to an attachment of Air Force and Navy personnel who are closely tied to their aircraft and ships. Companies showed a weak link with service support in the land sector, also in contrast to ties seen between industry and the naval and aeronautical sectors, the report said. There should be greater use of new technology, adopting 3D printing and the use of health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) to predict breakdowns, the report said. Development under the Scorpion program offered industry an opportunity not to be missed to incorporate such technology. The report called for equipment which was beyond repair to be handed over to industry to repair and resell, with the money to be shared between the government and industry. "This reform requires a mobilization and a greater responsibility of industry in their performance and their capacity to honor the client's needs, whose objective is both to be effective on the ground and to guarantee the safety of soldiers,” Parly said. Some 13,000 personnel are employed on vehicle service, with 11,000 in the armed forces. The balance is split between two government organizations — SMITer and SIMMT. The latter awards service contracts to companies. Some €1 billion (US $1.2 billion) has been earmarked for land vehicle service in the 2019-2015 defense budget law. A plan to improve service of land vehicles follows a program for improved support for military aircraft. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/07/24/france-to-hand-off-40-percent-of-land-vehicle-maintenence-to-industry-by-2025/

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  January 22, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Top Military Engine Manufacturers By Deliveries/Retirements 2020-2029

  Aviation Week Network forecasts that over the next ten years, 18,631 new, western-developed engines will be delivered for new military aircraft or as part of re-engining processes. In the same period 11,669 engines will be retired from service. Note: Engines produced by industrial partnerships such as Eurojet are tracked separately from their partner companies. General Electric will deliver 27.7% of total global deliveries of engines. Out of General Electric's total deliveries, 3,560 will be variants of their T700 series of engines, found on most U.S. military helicopters, including the Sikorsky S-70/H-60. The T700 family alone will account for 19.1% of the total deliveries of engines for military aircraft. In a distant second is Pratt & Whitney, which will deliver 12.7% of total global deliveries. Of those deliveries, 70.9%, will be variants of the F135 engine that powers Lockheed Martin's F-35. Following Pratt & Whitney is Rolls-Royce, which will deliver just 7% engines under their own name but contribute heavily to numerous industrial partnerships. A full 25% of engines are tied to competitions or requirements for which an engine manufacturer has not yet been selected, leaving ample growth opportunity for all manufacturers. General Electric also will see the most engine retirements of any manufacturer between 2020 to 2029, with 36.8% of global retirements. The T700 engine family once again makes up the bulk of General Electric's activity, with 24.4% retirements. Rolls-Royce will have more than twice as many engine retirements as deliveries with 23.4% of all global retirements in the next decade. The retirement of T56 (501) engines, mainly on older-model Lockheed Martin C-130s, is the single-largest driver of retirements for Rolls-Royce. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/z/top-military-engine-manufacturers-deliveriesretirements-2020-2029