Supplier bottlenecks threaten US Navy effort to grow arms stockpiles

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  November 17, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  National Reconnaissance Office launches new intelligence satellite

  Nathan Strout WASHINGTON — The National Reconnaissance launched a new intelligence satellite into orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on Nov. 13, marking the American agency's fourth successful launch of the year. “We're excited to be back at CCAFS with another successful launch alongside our partners at ULA [United Launch Alliance], the 45th Space Wing, and the U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center. The successful launch of NROL-101 is another example of the NRO's commitment to constantly evolving our crucial national security systems to support our defense and intelligence partners,” said Col. Chad Davis, director of NRO's Office of Space Launch. NROL-101 was launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with help from the Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center's Launch Enterprise. The Atlas family of rockets have been used for 668 successful launches since it was first introduced in 1957. For this mission, ULA incorporated new Northrop Grumman Graphite Epoxy Motors 63 solid-fuel rocket boosters, which helped the first stage lift more weight by burning solid propellant. Each of the 66-foot rocket boosters contributed a maximum 371,550 pounds of thrust to help lift the rocket and its payload off the ground. Those boosters will be an important component for ULA's future generation of Vulcan Centaur launch vehicles. This was the fourth successful NRO launch of the year. Previously, the agency had conducted two launches from New Zealand and one from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. NRO does not usually reveal details of its satellites or their specific functions. In a statement, the agency simply noted that the classified national security payload was built by NRO in support of its overhead reconnaissance mission. NRO's next scheduled launch is NROL-108, which is slated to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in December 2020. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/11/16/national-reconnaissance-office-launches-new-intelligence-satellite/

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  May 31, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  French Military Launches Development Of Future Joint Light Helicopter

  Program Based On Airbus Helicopters H160 Brought Forward To 2021 The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, has announced that the launch of the Joint Light Helicopter (Hélicoptère Interarmées Léger; HIL) program has been brought forward to 2021. The HIL program, for which the Airbus Helicopters' H160 was selected in 2017, was initially scheduled for launch in 2022 by the current military budget law. Launching the program earlier will enable delivery of the first H160Ms to the French Armed Forces to be advanced to 2026. During a visit to the Airbus Helicopters headquarters, the Minister also revealed the full-scale mock-up of the H160M that will be presented on the Ministry of the Armed Forces stand at the next Paris Air Show. The helicopter was also given its official name and will be designated as “Guépard” (“Cheetah”) by the French Armed Forces. The H160 was designed to be a modular helicopter, enabling its military version, with a single platform, to perform missions ranging from commando infiltration to air intercept, fire support, and anti-ship warfare in order to meet the needs of the army, the navy and the air force through the HIL program. “We are proud that the HIL is considered a strategic program. I would like to thank the Ministry, the French Defence Procurement Agency DGA and the armed forces for their trust and for the close collaboration which helped create the conditions for the program to be brought forward within the framework of the current military budget law. This will make it possible to speed up the replacement of the older generation of aircraft, while optimising the support and availability of the French State's helicopter fleet,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “Our teams are committed to delivering an aircraft in 2026 that meets the needs of the French armed forces in terms of availability, performance and capability, thus enabling it to rapidly become the new benchmark on the world's medium-lift military helicopter market.” Built around a platform that will enter service next year, the HIL program will benefit from many of the advantages inherent in the civil H160, particularly in terms of support, with simplified maintenance and lower operating costs than the previous generation of helicopters in this category. http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=5c30e0d6-3111-42dc-a6fa-63252c17dd58

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  July 18, 2023 | International, Aerospace

  Teledyne FLIR Defense Awarded Contract to Supply 1,000 More Black Hornet Nano-Drones to Ukraine

  The Norwegian MOD will procure an additional 1,000 Black Hornet UAS, as well as spare parts, maintenance, and training for Ukrainian operators and instructors