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February 13, 2020 | International, Aerospace

SCAF : la phase du démonstrateur est lancée

Les gouvernements français et allemands ont notifié à Dassault Aviation, Airbus, MTU Aero Engines, Safran, MBDA et Thales le contrat cadre initial de démonstrateur du Système de combat aérien du futur (SCAF)

Les gouvernements français et allemands ont notifié ce jeudi 13 février le contrat cadre initial de démonstrateur du Système de combat aérien du futur ou SCAF aux industriels français et allemands associés au programme. En l'occurrence, Dassault Aviation, Airbus et leurs partenaires MTU Aero Engines, Safran, MBDA et Thales. Cette notification était attendue à l'occasion du dernier salon du Bourget en juin 2019, puis avait été repoussée pour l'automne. En parallèle aux discussions serrées entre partenaires industriels sur la répartition du rôle de chacun, les gouvernements français et allemand devaient trouver un accord concernant l'exportation des systèmes, dont le SCAF. Un véritable enjeu pour les industriels impliqués dans ces programmes car leur permettant de trouver des débouchés commerciaux et de pérenniser leurs activités. Et le 16 octobre 2019, Florence Parly, ministre des Armées, pouvait annoncer : « Décision fondamentale qui acte une confiance mutuelle : un accord a été conclu aujourd'hui entre France et Allemagne. Il permet l'exportation d'équipements issus de nos coopérations. Etape essentielle pour construire sereinement une Europe de la défense ambitieuse ». Florence Parly indiquait également que le contrat visant à lancer de démonstration pour le NGF ou "New Generation Fighter" devait être signé "dès janvier 2020" et que "le premier vol devant ensuite être réalisé en 2026". « Cet avion de combat du futur et les drones qui l'accompagneront entreront dans nos forces à l'horizon 2035/2040 », avait précisé Florence Parly. Le contrat cadre notifié aujourd'hui porte sur une première phase (Phase 1A) de 18 mois et lance donc les travaux qui mèneront au développement d'un démonstrateur du NGF avec pour rappel Dassault Aviation associé à Airbus pour le NGF, Airbus et MBDA sur les "remote carriers" à la fois drones et missiles et dont le rôle sera de saturer les défenses ennemies, mener des missions de brouillage, désigner des cibles ou même larguer des missiles; Airbus et Thales sur le "combat cloud" (mise en réseau informationnelle et opérationnelle de tous les éléments du SCAF), et Safran et MTU Aero Engines sur la motorisation du SCAF. "Les entreprises concernées développeront conjointement un environnement de simulation visant à garantir la cohérence des différents démonstrateurs".

https://www.air-cosmos.com/article/scaf-la-phase-du-dmonstrateur-est-lance-22559

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - November 18, 2019

    November 19, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - November 18, 2019

    NAVY BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $104,775,349 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract will provide engineering and technical services to support production, lifetime support engineering and in-service engineering for the radio communication system/command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems aboard Navy surface combatants and at associated shore sites. The shipboard efforts are focused primarily on Coast Guard 47 Class and Destroyer, Guided Missile 51 Class AEGIS ships but will be applied to all Navy ships, to include Coast Guard ships, subsurface vessels and non-combatants in support of the Ship and Air Integration Warfare Division, Naval Air Warfare Center Webster Outlying Field. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (30%); Patuxent River, Maryland (30%); Norfolk, Virginia (25%); Mayport, Florida (7%); St. Inigoes, Maryland (5%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (3%), and is expected to be completed in April 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-20-D-0004). CH2M Hill Constructors Inc., Englewood, Colorado (N62470-13-D-6019); Environmental Chemical Corp., Burlingame, California (N62470-13-D-6020); Kellogg, Brown, and Root Services Inc., Arlington, Virginia (N62470-13-D-6021); and URS Group Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina (N62470-13-D-6022), are awarded a $92,000,000 modification to increase the maximum dollar value of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for global contingency construction projects. The work to be performed provides for the Navy, the Navy on behalf of the Department of Defense, and the Navy on behalf of other federal agencies when authorized, an immediate response for construction services. The construction and related engineering services would respond to natural disasters, humanitarian assistance, conflict, or projects with similar characteristics. Work will be predominately construction. The contractor, in support of the construction effort, may be required to provide initial base operating support services, which will be incidental to construction efforts. Work will be performed worldwide. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $1,058,000,000. The term of the contract is not to exceed 71 months with a completion date of May 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on subsequent modifications for work on existing individual task orders. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. CACI Inc. - Federal, Chantilly, Virginia, is awarded a $41,514,235 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for the Automated Data Capture System (ADCS) application and support services to U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Centers at organization and depot level activities. The ADCS application captures data and information associated with integrated maintenance concept inspection results for all Navy and Marine Corps aircraft as well as inspection and configuration management of applicable aircraft engines. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia (85%); Jacksonville, Florida (10%); North Island, California (3%); and Cherry Point, North Carolina (2%), and is expected to be completed in November 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-20-D-0005). Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon (N3220520C2048), is awarded a $19,963,709 firm-fixed-price contract for a 75-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry-docking of USNS Matthew Perry (T-AKE 9). The contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $20,217,869. Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon, and is expected to be completed by March 16, 2020. Fiscal 2019 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $19,963,709 are obligated at the time of the award and none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website and one offer was received. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220520C2048). Turner Construction Co., New York, New York, is awarded a $17,500,000 modification for the negotiated changes to the firm-fixed-price construction contract for the Academic Center for Cyber Security Studies at the U.S. Naval Academy. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $133,042,235. The work to be performed provides for all management, supervision, labor hours, training, equipment, materials, bonding, and insurance necessary for construction and commissioning of the Academic Center for Cyber Security Studies in accordance with Department of Defense unified facilities criteria. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Maryland, with a contract completion date of May 22, 2020. Fiscal 2017 military construction (Navy) in the amount of $17,500,000 will be obligated via award of modification number A00035. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N40080-16-C-0156). Hamilton Sundstrand Corp., Rockford, Illinois, is awarded a $10,075,122 modification (P00003) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-19-C-0006). This modification exercises an option to procure non-recurring engineering and equipment for system integration lab activities in support of the V-22 aircraft Constant Frequency Generator Control Unit design improvement effort for the Navy, Air Force and the government of Japan. Work will be performed in Rockford, Illinois (96%); Patuxent River, Maryland (2%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (2%), and is expected to be completed in October 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy and Air Force); and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $10,075,122 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Navy ($7,073,336; 70%); Air Force ($1,742,396; 17%); and the government of Japan ($1,259,390; 13%). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Canadian Commercial Corp., Ontario, Canada, is awarded a $9,895,077 firm-fixed-price delivery order (N0017420F0039) under previously-awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00174-19-D-0002 for the Mk 200 Mod 0 propelling charge. This delivery order combines purchases for the Navy (62%); and the government of Australia (38%) under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems in Quebec, Canada, and is expected to be completed by November 2021. Fiscal 2020 procurement of ammunition (Navy and Marine Corps) funding in the amount of $3,986,575; Foreign Military Sales (Australia) funding in the amount of $3,771,900; and fiscal 2019 procurement of ammunition (Navy and Marine Corps) funding in the amount of $2,136,602 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY Dyncorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $21,564,568 modification (P00259) to Foreign Military Sales (Sweden) contract W58RGZ-13-C-0040 for the aviation field maintenance services and operations. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, Germany, Sweden, Honduras, Egypt, Iraq and South Korea, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2019. Fiscal 2010, 2019 and 2020 Foreign Military Sales, aircraft procurement and operations and maintenance, Army funds in the combined amount of $21,564,568 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Titusville, New Jersey, has been awarded a maximum $12,013,872 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for pharmaceutical products. This is a one-year base contract with nine one-year option periods. Location of performance is New Jersey, with a Dec. 14, 2020, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 warstopper funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D0-20-D-0001). AIR FORCE iCAMR Inc., Kissimmee, Florida, has been awarded a $7,585,850 cost-type contract with no fee for research and development. The Trusted Semiconductor Manufacturing Pilot Project involves developing a Secure Digital Twin for Semiconductors manufacturing methodology by applying block-chain trust and assurance security concepts and "digital twin" manufacturing concepts to the semiconductor manufacturing process. While the focus of this project is on security aspects, the "digital twin" concept provides the framework on which the security and provenance data will be collected and analyzed. Work will be performed at Kissimmee, Florida, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 22, 2022. This award is the result of a broad agency announcement and one offer was received. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $7,585,850 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Research Lab, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-20-C-1911). https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2019820/source/GovDelivery/

  • LEONARDO SIGNS DEAL WORTH AROUND €180M TO UPGRADE NATO'S ELECTRONIC WARFARE TRAINING EQUIPMENT

    February 4, 2019 | International, C4ISR

    LEONARDO SIGNS DEAL WORTH AROUND €180M TO UPGRADE NATO'S ELECTRONIC WARFARE TRAINING EQUIPMENT

    Leonardo will deliver a range of new equipment to NATO JEWCS, the Alliance agency which supports armed forces training to face hostile electro-magnetic conditions Equipment will cover air, land and maritime domains and also includes a capability for training crews to defend against anti-ship missiles Leonardo's range of contracts in support of NATO signal a leadership position in a number of areas. This leadership position is driving sustainable growth, as laid out in the Company's 2018-2022 Industrial Plan Leonardo has signed a contract worth approximately €180M to provide new electronic warfare training equipment for the NATO Joint Electronic Warfare Core Staff (JEWCS). Leonardo was selected in an international competition and will incorporate technology from partners Cobham and Elettronica. The contract was placed by the UK Ministry of Defence as the host nation for NATO JEWCS, which is based at the Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) in Yeovilton. Equipment will be delivered in tranches over the next 4 years from Leonardo's Electronic Warfare (EW) centre of excellence in Luton, UK. NATO JEWCS is the Alliance agency responsible for the high-tech world of electronic warfare. When NATO forces go on operations, they can expect the enemy to try and disrupt their radars, GPS and communications. Therefore, to train realistically, it is important that NATO Forces experience these effects and practice how to counter them. Part of NATO JEWCS's remit is to improve armed forces training by simulating the effects of an enemy's latest electronic warfare equipment during exercises, creating a ‘hostile environment' in which to train. To deliver the service, NATO JEWCS deploys high-tech EW equipment at training sites around Europe, allowing armed forces to practice their skills in areas such as electronic surveillance and electronic countermeasures while facing true-to-life attempts to disrupt their activity. In delivering this support, it is important that the EW effects being simulated are state of the art, keeping pace with opposing forces' latest tech developments. Leonardo is Europe's leading provider of electronic warfare technology and training and will be providing representative equipment across three domains: air, land and maritime. In the air, highly capable and flexible pod-based EW systems will be supplied for deployment on aircraft, alongside a NATO Anti-Ship Missile Defence Evaluation Facility (NASMDEF). NASMDEF comprises a set of pods that can be installed on aircraft to simulate anti-ship missiles. They allow forces to train in the use of ‘soft-kill countermeasures' which are used to protect ships from incoming threats. Cobham will be Leonardo's principle sub-contractor for these elements. For land and maritime applications, fully ruggedised shelters and vehicles will be provided, equipped with modular and flexible EW simulators, stimulators and jamming equipment. Elettronica will act as Leonardo's principal sub-contractor for these elements. Leonardo's electronic warfare expertise includes designing and manufacturing protective and ISR (Intelligence Surveillance and Recconaisance) equipment for UK and allied aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and AW159 helicopters, delivering specialist EW training at its Academy in Lincoln and investing in the development of the latest generation of countermeasures such as the anti-IED ‘Guardian' system for troops on the ground and the ‘BriteCloud' decoy for fighter jet pilots. This contract to upgrade electronic warfare equipment is just the latest example of Leonardo's on-going provision of security technology and expertise to NATO. Leonardo is the Alliance's cyber security mission partner, working with the NATO Communications and Information Agency to protect more than 70,000 Alliance users around the world from cyber-attacks. The Company has also provided a significant amount of equipment and support for the NATO Air Command and Control System (ACCS). In October 2018, Leonardo received the NATO Science and Technology Organization's (STO) Scientific Achievement Award for its contributions to the development of a promising new approach to modelling, simulation and training. Leonardo has also provided over 50 air defence radars to multiple Alliance member countries under the NATO Security Investment Programme (NSIP) and has delivered its ‘Guardian' counter-IED (improvised explosive device) systems to protect NATO vehicles operating in Afghanistan. https://www.leonardocompany.com/en/-/nato-protezione-elettronic-warfare-training-academy

  • This company wants to launch satellites into space via drone

    December 4, 2020 | International, Aerospace

    This company wants to launch satellites into space via drone

    Nathan Strout WASHINGTON — Could drones hold the answer to putting satellites on orbit faster? Space logistics company Aevum is betting on it with its new Ravn X drone, which it built in the hopes of launching rockets into orbit every three hours. “Aevum is completely reimagining access to space,” said Jay Skylus, Aevum's founder and chief executive, said in a statement unveiling the new launch solution Dec. 3. “U.S. leadership has identified the critical need for extremely fast access to low Earth orbit. We're faster than anybody. “Through our autonomous technologies, Aevum will shorten the lead time of launches from years to months, and when our customers demand it, minutes,” he added. Founded in 2016, the company has been developing its product in stealth mode for years. On Dec. 3, they officially unveiled the new Ravn X autonomous launch solution ― an 80-foot long drone designed to launch small payloads into low Earth orbit. The company has yet to conduct its first test flight but is working toward airworthiness certification. Leaders hope to launch a payload for the military before the end of 2021. “We have a small launch vehicle that's more or less designed from scratch to be reusable and for responsive space access,” Skylus told C4ISRNET in an interview. “We do this by operating this sort of three stage launch vehicle stack. The first stage is an unmanned aircraft that is completely autonomous. The second and third stages are rocket systems.” Following take off, the drone rises to between 30,000 and 60,000 feet, where the rocket separates and ignites, launching the payload into orbit. Ravn X can take off and land horizontally on any airstrip at least one mile long. “The entire system is designed for a turnaround time and response time of about 180 minutes,” Skylus explained. The idea of launching satellites into space from the air isn't a new concept. For example, Northrop Grumman's Pegasus rocket ― designed to be launched into orbit from a carrier aircraft ― has been used for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Air Force and NASA missions since the 1990s, with the most recent mission taking place in October 2019. A more recent entrant into the air-launch-to-orbit arena is Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket. The company's first test flight, which failed to reach orbit, was conducted in May 2020. Aevum thinks of itself as taking the concept one step further by adding autonomy to the launch process. “This entire process is more or less fully autonomous, and this allows us to basically reduce the cost of labor that's required by about 90 percent,” said Skylus. Aevum's approach also gets at one of the most frustrating issues with launch: weather. In 2018, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced the DARPA Launch Challenge, where small launch companies were asked to show that they could put a payload into space within just 30 days. While about 50 companies applied, by 2019 their were only three companies remaining in the competition. By 2020, there was just one: Astra Space. The company came close to achieving its goal, ultimately failing after inclement weather forced them to scrub multiple launch attempts. Ravn X is largely impervious to those issues. “Because of the architecture, we're really not dependent on weather and those types of things. We expect to be available more than 96 percent of the year,” said Skylus. The company is already drawing attention from the Department of Defense. Ravn X's first mission will be the ASLON-45 mission for the U.S. Space Force, a $5 million contract. With that mission, the focus is on showing how the company can get a payload into orbit in 24 hours or less, said Skylus. That launch is expected to be complete before the end of 2021. In addition, the company has received a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research award, a classified contract, and is one of eight company's to receive a $986 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for Orbital Services Program-4. “I'm excited to see the bold innovation and responsiveness in development today by our small launch industry partners to support emerging war fighter needs” said Lt. Col. Ryan Rose, Chief of the Space and Missile Systems Center's Small Launch and Targets Division, in a statement coordinated with Aevum's announcement. “The U.S. Space Force is proactively partnering with industry to support U.S. space superiority objectives. Having a robust U.S. industry providing responsive launch capability is key to ensuring the U.S. Space Force can respond to future threats.” The Pentagon has been pushing industry for responsive launch solutions, ensuring that they can place payloads into orbit with little notice. Aevum's focus on software and automation gives them an edge in meeting those elusive responsive launch requirements, Skylus said. “The responsive space launch type of problem has been a problem for several decades now, and the government has been seeking a solution to this. While others, our peers, are trying to tackle this from a technology/engineering perspective, Aevum is really tackling the problem from a system level perspective,” said Skylus. That's meant taking proven hardware solutions and applying autonomous software solutions to the ground processes and mission assurance elements. “If you look at our financials and things like that, we really do look more like a software company as opposed to a launch company,” said Skylus. “Which is great, because that means we're profitable right out of the gate.” For Aevum, the focus is on being that dependable, responsive launch service, and that may come at a premium for prospective customers, including the Pentagon. “We're not looking to be the lowest cost provider. That was never something that we claimed to be,” said Skylus. “Our focus has been: How do we make sure that we can go when our customers need to go? “Our niche market is going to be composed of customers like the Department of Defense who can't afford to wait a week to gather intel ... Or a customer like a commercial constellation customer who if they're down for over a week, they're going to lose more in revenue than they would be willing to pay for a launch,” he continued. “Those are the customers that we're really targeting.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/12/03/this-company-wants-to-launch-satellites-into-space-via-drone/

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