December 16, 2021 | International, Aerospace
Kuwait gets its first two Eurofighters
The first two of 28 Eurofighters ordered by Kuwait have been delivered to the Gulf state, Italy's Leonardo announced on Tuesday.
June 15, 2018 | International, C4ISR
The Army wants a better way to update software, buy smarter
By: Mark Pomerleau
The Army is holding what it calls software solariums as a way to improve the business side of the service's multi-billion software efforts during the life of programs.
“Software has become both a critically important element to readiness and a critically under-managed element of our capability portfolio,” Maj. Gen. Randy Taylor, commander of Communications and Electronics Command, said at the event held May 22-23. “Cohesive software management is a necessary enabler to maintaining overmatch in the multi-domain battle.”
Providing software updates to units in austere field locations can be challenging. Prolonging such updates can make the systems they run on vulnerable.
The Army has sought to develop new and innovative ways for automated software updates to these units.
As the Army is also undergoing major IT modernization, both to its tactical and enterprise networks, software becomes a critical enabler in that future end state.
“I believe that we are literally in the midst of the largest modernization of our networks,” Lt. Gen. Bruce Crawford, the Army CIO who began the software solariums as commander of CECOM, said at the recent event. “And that's all of our networks, from the tactical to the enterprise, to the business to the intelligence systems in the last 30 years.”
With these modernization efforts, the Army realizes it must be better stewards of overall software costs.
“We've got to be more holistic on how we approach this, especially when you consider that we, the U.S. taxpayer, spend 55 to 70 percent of a program's lifecycle on that post-acquisition and post-operations sustainment. That's a pretty big bill,” Taylor said.
During a March conference, Crawford noted the service spends about $3 billion over a five year period on enterprise software sustainment.
The previous solariums, officials said, have included new patching solutions and a goal to have no more than two fielded software baselines at any one time for all programs of record.
Army leaders said CECOM will coordinate with stakeholders to finalize recommendations in the coming months. Those goals then will be submitted to the Army level Information Technology Oversight Council for approval and implementation.
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November 15, 2021 | International, Aerospace
Dubai Airshow team aims to help aerospace sector recover from pandemic
Amid a decline in aerospace sector revenues caused by the coronavirus pandemic, organizers hope the event will contribute to the industry's recovery and shape its future.
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January 13, 2021 | International, Aerospace
BAE, Vertex announce deal to maintain Harrier II fleet
By Christen McCurdy Jan. 12 (UPI) -- BAE Systems and Vertex Aerospace announced Tuesday that they have signed a nine-year agreement to enhance availability of the U.S. Marine Corps' AV-8B Harrier II fleet. Vertex, which received a $123 million task order for maintenance of the fleet in July, chose BAE as its subcontractor for the logistics support contract. Under the contract, BAE and Vertex will "support the crucial training and combat operations conducted from U.S. Navy's aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, and forward operating bases," said an announcement from BAE. "The Harrier is one of the most iconic military aircraft ever created, with its British designed short take-off and vertical landing technology," Tom Fillingham, senior vice president of US Programs for BAE Systems Air, said in a press release. "Our expertise with the aircraft goes back 40 years and this new contract with Vertex Aerospace ensures we can continue to apply our expertise to support the U.S. Marine Corps in their crucial operations," Fillingham said. In May, Boeing was awarded two contracts worth $87.5 million to upgrade the U.S. Marines' T/AV-8B Harrier II trainer aircraft. The Harrier, meanwhile, is due to be phased out in 2025 while the Marines extend the life of Boeing F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters, per an aviation plan released in 2014. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/01/12/BAE-Vertex-announce-deal-to-maintain-Harrier-II-fleet/6641610478105/