Spain buys Rheinmetall munitions amid calls for more ammo production

On the same subject

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  September 11, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  THALESRAYTHEONSYSTEMS ET LEONARDO RENFORCENT LEUR COOPÉRATION SUR LES ACTIVITÉS DU SYSTÈME DE CONTRÔLE ET COMMANDEMENT AÉRIEN (ACCS) DE L’OTAN

  MASSY, 10 septembre 2019 - ThalesRaytheonSystems et Leonardo renforcent leur coopération sur l'ensemble du périmètre ACCS. Cette coopération portera sur le soutien du système sur site, le déploiement de l'ACCS sur de nouveaux sites et les rétrofits de sites actuels. Elle permettra aussi de faire bénéficier l'ACCS de plusieurs innovations développées par Leonardo dans le domaine des C2, des communications, des traitements radar et de la défense antimissile balistique. Via cet accord, ThalesRaytheonSystems, Leonardo et leurs partenaires proposeront à l'OTAN et aux opérateurs des Nations membres le meilleur des technologies disponibles sur le marché. Ces nouvelles coopérations vont permettre de gérer de façon plus dynamique et innovante les évolutions d'ACCS. L'ACCS est opérationnel en Italie depuis mars 2015 et le système est en cours de transition dans 10 pays de l'OTAN. La composante anti-missile est opérationnelle depuis 2012 et la composante déployable de l'OTAN est utilisée depuis 2015 dans un certain nombre de pays de l'Alliance. Le système de contrôle et commandement aérien aide les nations membres des pays de l'Alliance à renforcer la souveraineté de leurs territoires, la protection de leurs populations et de leurs forces armées contre toute menace aérienne, y compris les missiles balistiques. Pour les aider à assurer cette mission, ThalesRaytheonSystems développe ACCS, un système unique de commandement et de contrôle aérien unifié et interopérable qui permettra aux pays membres de gérer tous types d'opérations aériennes, tant au-dessus du territoire des pays européens de l'OTAN que lors de déploiements extérieurs. Une fois pleinement déployé, l'ACCS de l'OTAN couvrira 10 millions de km² d'espace aérien. Depuis le début du programme ACCS, plus de 40 entreprises de 15 Nations de l'OTAN ont participé au projet. Leonardo est un partenaire historique fournissant le composant essentiel de fusion des données de plus de 50 types de radars appartenant aux pays membres de l'OTAN. « ThalesRaytheonSystems souhaite renforcer les apports technologiques sur l'ACCS afin de proposer à l'OTAN les dernières innovations de ses partenaires industriels. » Thierry Weulersse, Président-directeur général de ThalesRaytheonSystems « Avant l'ACCS, chaque pays disposait de son propre système. Les membres de l'Alliance bénéficieront bientôt de capacités unifiées qui constituent une véritable révolution en matière d'opérations aériennes. ThalesRaytheonSystems continue d'investir avec ses partenaires pour soutenir l'OTAN dans ses actions et sa transformation. » Thomas Got, Directeur général des activités opérations aériennes et systèmes d'armes de Thales. « L'évolution prévue par ce protocole d'accord est une nouvelle reconnaissance des capacités que Leonardo peut offrir à l'OTAN dans le cadre de l'évolution de l'ACCS vers la défense antimissile aérienne intégrée », a déclaré Manlio Cuccaro, Directeur général adjoint de l'électronique de défense terrestre et navale Italie chez Leonardo. « Leonardo a joué un rôle clé au cours des deux dernières décennies dans la définition et le développement du projet ACCS et nous sommes impatients de renforcer de plus en plus cette relation avec TRS ». https://www.thalesgroup.com/fr/group/press-release/thalesraytheonsystems-et-leonardo-renforcent-leur-cooperation-activites-du

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  February 18, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  DARPA Eyes New Weapon Concepts In 2021 Program Plans

  A multi-target air-to-air weapon and gun-armed close-support missile are among new projects DARPA plans to launch in fiscal 2021. New approaches to communicating in contested environments, attacking signals and countering laser weapons are also on the list. The Defense Department is seeking $3.57 billion in funding for its advanced research projects agency in 2021, an increase of just over 3% from 2020. Among the projects planned for initiation in 2021 is LongShot, for which DARPA is seeking $22 million. LongShot will demonstrate an air-launched weapon system that will use a slower-speed, longer-range air vehicle for transit to the engagement zone where it will launch multiple air-to-air missiles. The weapon will be carried externally on existing fighters or internally on bombers. Multi-mode propulsion will significantly increase engagement range while allowing air-to-air missiles to be launched closer to their targets, reducing reaction time and increasing terminal energy and kill probability. LongShot appears to be a follow-on to the Flying Missile Rail concept revealed by DARPA in 2017. This was a device carrying a pair of AIM-120 air-to-air missiles that could remain under the wing of and F-16 or F/A-18 or fly away from the host aircraft, acting as a booster to extend the range of the missiles. “LongShot will explore new engagement concepts for multi-modal, multi-kill systems that can engage more than one target,” according to DARPA budget documents. Fiscal 2021 funding would take the program through to a preliminary design review for the demonstration system. DARPA is seeking $13.3 million for begin the Gunslinger program to demonstrate a tactical-range weapon that will combine the maneuverability of a missile with ability of a gun to engage different types of target. Envisioned missions are close air support, counter insurgency and air-to-air engagements. Metrics for the system are total range, including transit, loiter and engagement, as well as effectiveness, according to the documents. Development of such a missile system will require vehicle concepts that have the aerodynamic, propulsion and payload to enable a wide operational envelope, says DARPA. Gunslinger will also require “algorithms that support maneuvering and target recognition to enable expedited command decision making for selecting and engaging targets, and approaches to incorporating modularity of design to reduce cost,” the documents say. DARPA is seeking $15.1 million in 2021 for another new project, Counter High Energy Lasers (C-HEL), which aims to develop a system to detect, locate and disrupt energy laser weapons before they can inflict irreversible damage. The project will study novel sensors, protective materials and obscurants as well as optical and kinetic defeat systems. Fiscal 2021 funding would take the project through the conceptual design review for an initial operational C-HEL system and field testing of protective coatings. Developing small photonic terminals that can establish high-bandwidth communications links between microsatellites and mobile platforms is the goal of Portable Optical Integrated Network Transceivers (POINT), a new project for which $9.2 million is sought in 2021. Existing optical terminals with gimballed telescopes are too large for microsatellites, and POINT will leverage the recent developments in optical phased-array transmitters to develop transceivers with no moving parts, dramatically reducing their size, weight and power requirements. Providing tactical beyond-line-of-sight communications in an anti-access/area-denial environment by deploying low-cost expendable repeaters ground vehicles, unmanned aircraft, high-altitude platforms and low-orbiting satellites is the goal of the new Resilient Networked Distributed Multi-Transceiver Communications (RNDMC) project, for which $7.4 million is sought in 2021. Proportional Weapons, for which $6 million is sought in 2021, is a new project to develop a real-time capability to tune the effects of families of munitions to be able to breach a structure, or clear an area, while minimizing collateral damage. “Novel approaches are needed that are absolutely effective from the air or ground against several scales of primarily urban, concealed threats while not being catastrophically destructive,” say DARPA budget documents. Other new projects for fiscal 2021 include: Dynamic Airspace Control ($13.7 million), to develop ways to surveil and manage local airspace without using high-power radar; Non-Kinetic Effects ($7.5 million), to develop new electronic-warfare systems to sense, attack and also protect signals; and Port Defense ($7.4 million), to use expendable unmanned undersea vehicles for mine countermeasures. https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/darpa-eyes-new-weapon-concepts-2021-program-plans

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  September 20, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  France’s Armée De L’ Air Receives First KC-130J Super Hercules Aerial Refueler

  ORLÉANS, France, September 19, 2019 – Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) delivered the first of two KC-130J Super Hercules aerial refuelers to representatives from France's Armée de l'Air's 62st Transport Wing at Orléans-Bricy Air Base today. France will receive a total of four Super Hercules aircraft — two C-130J-30 combat delivery airlifters and two KC-130J aerial refuelers — through a Foreign Military Sale with the U.S. government. The two C-130J-30 airlifters were delivered in 2017 and 2018, and a second KC-130J will deliver in 2020. All of these Super Hercules are operated in conjunction with France's existing C-130H fleet. “The KC-130J provides Armée de l'Air crews with a proven solution that delivers much-needed fuel in any environment, at any time,” said Rod McLean, vice president and general manager, Air Mobility & Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin. “In choosing to operate both the C-130J-30 and the KC-130J, France has built a diverse airlift fleet that expands both the capabilities and global reach of the French Armed Forces.” France is the 17th country to choose the C-130J for its airlift needs. The C-130J Super Hercules is the most advanced tactical airlifter in operation today, offering superior performance and enhanced capabilities with the range and versatility for every theater of operations and evolving requirements. As the preeminent tactical aerial refueling tanker, the KC-130J is a battle-tested solution that takes full advantage of the tremendous technological and performance improvements inherent in the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. A true force multiplier, the KC-130J refuels both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft as well as conducts rapid ground refueling. With this delivery, France joins a global community of KC-130J operators. In 2018, Germany announced the acquisition of a C-130J-30/KC-130J fleet, to be operated in partnership with France — making this first such operator relationship in C-130J history. www.lockheedmartin.com/c130.