July 18, 2018 | International, Aerospace

US Air Force awards Rolls-Royce with Global Hawk, Triton sustainment contract

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force has awarded Rolls-Royce a sustainment contract to maintain, repair and overhaul engines for the Air Force Global Hawk and U.S. Navy Triton fleets.

The six-year, $420 milllion indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract also includes sustainment engineering services for Rolls-Royce's AE 3007H engine, the same one that powers the Global Hawk and Triton, as well as several commercial airliners. The contract services will be completed at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, where Rolls-Royce and the Air Force have a public-private partnership to operate an engine depot.

“Rolls-Royce has a long and successful history of supporting U.S. Air Force and Navy engines, and our innovative public-private partnership at Tinker Air Force Base has enabled us to work together in a new way and will be a key component of maximizing engine availability," said Paul Craig, president of Rolls-Royce's defense services division.

“This new contract includes engine services for the Navy's Triton fleet, and we look forward to continuing this public-private partnership for years to come, focusing on customer support and enhancing mission success,” he added.

The Global Hawk has been suggested as a possible alternative to the JSTARS battle management program.

Gen. Mike Holmes, head of Air Combat Command, told reporters in February the Global Hawk could see further investment as the service looks to replace JSTARS' ground moving target indicator, or GMTI, radar capability.

"The Global Hawk Block 40 is certainly not the same thing as JSTARS, but it does provide useful GMTI information,” Holmes said. “We'll spend some money to bring that information and make it more useful in real time.”

The Triton UAV is preparing to take on a key role in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions for the Navy, given its high-altitude, long-endurance capabilities. While the Navy relies on the P-8 Poseidon for anti-submarine surveillance, the Triton will perform high-altitude ISR to fill gaps.

The Australian government announced June 26 it will purhcase six Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Tritons for more than $1 billion. When life sustainment costs are calculated into the deal, the estimated value increases to more than $5 billion.

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/07/17/us-air-force-awards-rolls-royce-with-global-hawk-triton-sustainment-contract/

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November 19, 2021 | International, Aerospace

The DoD Small Business and Technology Partnerships Office announces the opening of the following Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) topic:
The DoD Small Business and Technology Partnerships Office announces the opening of the following Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) topic: Air Force STTR AF21S STTR Topic AF21S-TCSO1: “SpaceWERX Orbital Prime,” published at at https://sam.gov/opp/31c4bfe055944ed68abc14f780781564/view IMPORTANT DATES: November 17, 2021: Topic opens, begin submitted proposals in DSIP December 1, 2021: Topic Q&A opens to questions January 20, 2022: Topic Q&A closes to new questions at 12:00 pm ET February 3, 2022: Topic closes, full proposals must be submitted in DSIP no later than 12:00 p.m. ET Full topic and instructions are available at the links provided above. Customer Support Guide To ensure your firm is best prepared throughout the lifecycle of the DoD SBIR/STTR proposal process, we have compiled some notable do's and don'ts for your convenience: Customer Support Guide
September 24, 2018 | International, Naval

4 questions with analyst and retired Marine Lt. Col. Dakota Wood
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August 24, 2020 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR, Security

FAA issues guide to Tactical BVLOS waivers to assist first responders with emergency drone operations
To support the approval of “Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight” operations, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a guide to TBVLOS waivers, aimed at first responders with emergency drone operations. The FAA introduced TBVLOS to support drone operations which take place away from busy locations and where the safety case can be supported by factors such as a particular location or application. In a time of extreme emergencies to safeguard human life, first responders require the capability to operate their unmanned aircraft (UAS) beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) to assess the operational environment such as a fire scene at a large structural fire, to conduct an aerial search on a large roof area for a burglary in progress, or to fly over a heavily forested area to look for a missing person (see diagram below for a visual perception). To support public UAS operators acting in an active first responder capacity, the FAA may approve “First Responder Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight” (TBVLOS) waivers to 14 CFR 91.113(b). These temporary BVLOS flights are flown to both reduce risk to first responders and to ensure the safety of the communities they serve. The FAA will issue in advance, upon receipt of a complete and accurate application, a 14 CFR 91.113(b) waiver that will allow temporary UAS TBVLOS operations within specific conditions and requirements. These requirements are listed in the guidance document, along with the application and approval process. The guide can be accessed here: https://www.faa.gov/uas/public_safety_gov/public_safety_toolkit/media/TBVLOS_Waiver_Final.pdf For more information visit: www.faa.gov/uas https://www.unmannedairspace.info/latest-news-and-information/faa-issues-guide-to-tactical-bvlos-waivers-to-assist-first-responders-with-emergency-drone-operations/

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