Space Development Agency awards L3Harris $919 Million contract to build satellites for missile tracking program

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  December 27, 2018 | International, Land

  First Harris T7 bomb disposal robots sent to British army

  By Ed Adamczyk Dec. 26 (UPI) -- The British army accepted the first four of 56 bomb disposal robots it ordered from Harris Corporation, the U.K. government announced. The T7 ground vehicles, manufactured by Florida-based Harris, are equipped with high-definition cameras, data links, an adjustable manipulation arm, and tank-like all-terrain treads. They also employ "haptic feedback," which recreates the sense of the robot's touch and gives an operator a better understanding of the object being diffused. They also offer vibrations when wires or other elements of the bomb are touched by the robot, to guide the operator. Full article: https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2018/12/26/First-Harris-T7-bomb-disposal-robots-sent-to-British-army/6771545850861/

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  November 2, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval

  Elbit Systems Selected to Provide Maritime UAS to the European Union Maritime Safety Agency

  HAIFA, Israel, November 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT) (TASE: ESLT) ("Elbit Systems") announced today that it was awarded a framework contract to provide maritime Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) patrol services to be provided by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to countries in the European Union. The contract that will be executed in cooperation with CEiiA is for a two-year base period and two single year option periods. If fully ordered, the total contract value is €59 million (approximately $68 million). Under the contract and in cooperation with CEiiA, a leading engineering company in Portugal, Elbit Systems will lease and operate its Hermes[TM] 900 Maritime Patrol and its Ground Control Station. A persistent long-range unmanned maritime surveillance system tailored for littoral and blue water operations, the Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol will feature maritime radar, an Electro Optic payload, Satellite Communication and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver. Thus configured, the Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol will enable persistent monitoring of vast swathes of sea and long coastlines and effective identification of suspicious activities and potential hazards. Elad Aharonson, General Manager of Elbit Systems ISTAR Division, commented: "Having been selected by the European Union authorities is yet another vote of confidence in the Hermes 900 by following additional contract awards for this UAS in Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Israel. Extensively deployed, the Hermes 900 family of UAS continuously expands its capabilities introducing the capability to operate in civilian airspace and integrating self-protection suites and stronger payloads." About Elbit Systems Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international high technology company engaged in a wide range of defense, homeland security and commercial programs throughout the world. The Company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance ("C4ISR"), unmanned aircraft systems, advanced electro-optics, electro-optic space systems, EW suites, signal intelligence systems, data links and communications systems, radios and cyber-based systems. The Company also focuses on the upgrading of existing platforms, developing new technologies for defense, homeland security and commercial applications and providing a range of support services, including training and simulation systems. For additional information, visit: http://elbitsystems.com, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or visit our official YouTube Channel. About CEiiA CEiiA is a Portuguese Centre of Engineering and Product Development that designs, implements and operates innovative products and services, alongside with its partners, for high-tech industries, such as, the aeronautics, unmanned aircraft systems, automotive, smart mobility, oceans and space. CEiiA offers complete solutions, covering all product development phases from concept to the production of small series or prototypes, and operation of intelligent systems and unmanned aircraft systems. CEiiA's Vision is to "Establish Portugal as a reference within the mobility industries, particularly in the development of technologies, products and systems, conceived, industrialized and operated from Portugal." This press release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) regarding Elbit Systems Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries (collectively the Company), to the extent such statements do not relate to historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results, performance and trends may differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: scope and length of customer contracts; governmental regulations and approvals; changes in governmental budgeting priorities; general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates or sells, including Israel and the United States among others; differences in anticipated and actual program performance, including the ability to perform under long-term fixed-price contracts; and the outcome of legal and/or regulatory proceedings. The factors listed above are not all-inclusive, and further information is contained in Elbit Systems Ltd.'s latest annual report on Form 20-F, which is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. Elbit Systems Ltd., its logo, brand, product, service and process names appearing in this Press Release are the trademarks or service marks of Elbit Systems Ltd. or its affiliated companies. All other brand, product, service and process names appearing are the trademarks of their respective holders. Reference to or use of a product, service or process other than those of Elbit Systems Ltd. does not imply recommendation, approval, affiliation or sponsorship of that product, service or process by Elbit Systems Ltd. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as conferring by implication, estoppel or otherwise any license or right under any patent, copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right of Elbit Systems Ltd. or any third party, except as expressly granted herein. Contacts: David Vaaknin VP, Head of Corporate Communications Tel: 972-77-2946691 Cell: 972-52-8000403 david.vaaknin@elbitsystems.com Dana Tal-Noyman Manager Corporate Communications & Digital Tel: 972-77-2948809 Cell: 972-54-9998809 dana.tal@elbitsystems.com SOURCE Elbit Systems Ltd. http://ir.elbitsystems.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=61849&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2374625

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  September 12, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  US Air Force restricts KC-46 from carrying cargo and passengers

  By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — In a move that could have major impacts on the already-delayed tanker program, the U.S. Air Force has indefinitely barred the KC-46 from carrying cargo and passengers, Defense News has learned. The decision was made after an incident occurred where the cargo locks on the bottom of the floor of the aircraft became unlocked during a recent flight, creating concerns that airmen could potentially be hurt or even killed by heavy equipment that suddenly bursts free during a flight. “As a result of this discovery, the Air Force has submitted a Category 1 deficiency report and is working with Boeing to identify a solution,” Air Force Mobility Command spokesman Col. Damien Pickart said in a statement. The service uses the term Category 1 to describe serious technical issues that could endanger the aircrew and aircraft or have other major effects. “Until we find a viable solution with Boeing to remedy this problem, we can't jeopardize the safety of our aircrew and this aircraft,” he said. The problem was discovered during a recent overseas operational test and evaluation flight, when KC-46 aircrew noticed that numerous cargo restraint devices had come unlocked over the course of the multiple legs of the trip. “Prior to departing for each of these missions, aircrew fully installed, locked and thoroughly inspected each restraint, and performed routine inspections of the restraints in flight,” Pickart said. “Despite these safety measures, the unlocking of cargo floor restraints occurred during flight, although no cargo or equipment moved and there was no specific risk to the aircraft or crew.” A source with knowledge of the issue told Defense News that if all restraints on a particular pallet had become unlocked, it would be able to roll freely throughout the cabin. If all cargo became unlatched, it could pose a safety risk to aircrew or even unbalance the aircraft — making the plane “difficult, if not impossible” to control. While this problem has only been observed on one KC-46, the Air Force does not have enough information to rule out other aircraft having a similar defect. The problem also poses a danger to the tanker's operational test schedule, Pickart said. The program was set to start initial operational test and evaluation this fall, with pre-IOT&E activities already initiated. “This is a multi-mission aircraft, it's for carrying cargo and passengers, it's for refueling and also the aeromedical evacuation mission,” he said. “If you can't carry cargo pallets and patient litters, a significant amount of your core missions cannot be properly tested.” In a statement, KC-46 manufacturer Boeing acknowledged that it had been notified of the new issue. “The company and the Air Force are cooperatively analyzing the locks to determine a root cause,” Boeing stated. “The safety of KC-46 aircraft and crew is our top priority. Once a cause has been identified, the tanker team will implement any required actions as quickly as possible.” But the problem could be bad news for Boeing's bottom line. The company is locked into a fixed-price contract for where it is responsible for paying for any expenses beyond the initial $4.9 billion award for development of the aircraft. So far, the company has paid more than $3.5 billion of its own money to fund corrections to ongoing technical issues. The latest Cat-1 deficiency brings the total up to four: The tanker's remote vision system or RVS — the camera system that allows KC-46 boom operators to steer the boom into a receiver aircraft without having to look out a window and use visual cues — provides imagery in certain lighting conditions that appears warped or misleading. Boeing has agreed to pay for potentially extensive hardware and software fixes, but the Air Force believes it will be three or four years until the system is fully functional. The Air Force has recorded instances of the boom scraping against the airframe of receiver aircraft. Boeing and the Air Force believe this problem is a symptom of the RVS's acuity problems and will be eliminated once the camera system is fixed. Boeing must redesign the boom to accommodate the A-10, which currently does not generate the thrust necessary to push into the boom for refueling. This problem is a requirements change by the Air Force, which approved Boeing's design in 2016. Last month, Boeing received a $55.5 million contract to begin work on the new boom actuator. While the KC-46 program has clocked several key milestones this year, it has also hit some publicly embarrassing stumbles. After several years of delays, the Air Force finally signed off on the acceptance of the first tanker. However, due to the list of technical problems, Boeing was forced to accept an agreement where the service could withhold up to $28 million per aircraft upon delivery. About $360 million has been withheld so far, Defense One reported in July. The Air Force plans to buy 179 KC-46s over the life of the program, and 52 are currently on contract. So far, Boeing has delivered 18 tankers to McConnell Air Force Base, Kan.; Altus Air Force Base, Okla; and Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H. But deliveries were interrupted earlier this year by the discovery of foreign object debris in multiple planes. The Air Force suspended KC-46 flights at Boeing's production line in Everett, Wash., this February after finding debris. Then it paused all tanker deliveries in March as the service investigated the extent of the problem. The service began accepting tankers again later that month, only for deliveries to stop — and restart — in April due to similar problems. Will Roper, the service's acquisition executive, told reporters at the Paris Air Show this July that the service expects to find foreign object debris in KC-46s moving through the line, and it may be months before planes are reliably clean. “As those airplanes flow forward down the line, we think it's going to take some time for the new quality assurance inspection processes to start early enough so that airplanes will flow that are FOD-free,” he said, according to Defense One. “It's not the way we want to get airplanes into the Air Force, but it's what we're going to have to do in the meantime.” https://www.defensenews.com/breaking-news/2019/09/11/air-force-restricts-kc-46-from-carrying-cargo-and-personnel