Back to news

October 28, 2024 | International, Aerospace

US Space Force sees surge in foreign military sales demand

Space Systems Command’s FMS division saw a 500% increase in requests between 2023 and 2024.

https://www.defensenews.com/space/2024/10/28/us-space-force-sees-surge-in-foreign-military-sales-demand/

On the same subject

  • Le français Parrot retenu par l’armée américaine pour construire des drones de reconnaissance

    May 31, 2019 | International, Aerospace

    Le français Parrot retenu par l’armée américaine pour construire des drones de reconnaissance

    Sérieusement concurrencée par DJI sur le domaine des drones grand public, la marque française Parrot élargit son horizon. Elle travaille de plus en plus sur des engins destinés aux professionnels et pourrait bientôt décrocher un contrat de grande ampleur. La firme a en effet été retenue (avec cinq autres sociétés) par le département de la Défense des États-Unis pour un appel d'offres visant à développer et à prototyper une nouvelle génération de drones compacts, de courte portée et dédiée à la surveillance (« Short Range Reconnaissance drone » ou SRR). Il semblerait donc que la méfiance envers les acteurs chinois (majoritaires) du secteur fasse le bonheur des autres. Henri Seydoux, président et PDG de Parrot, a réagit à l'annonce de la sélection : « Parrot est fier d'avoir été sélectionné par l'U.S. Army pour travailler sur ce projet hautement stratégique [...] Nous comprenons parfaitement combien un drone ultra-compact, à l'instar de la plateforme de drone ANAFI, possède les atouts pour devenir un élément central de la défense. Nous sommes impatients de mettre à profit l'excellence de notre R&D pour répondre aux plus hautes exigences de l'U.S. Army afin d'intégrer l'efficacité offerte par les drones dans leurs opérations et d'accompagner la plus importante force armée et de défense au monde. » Ledit programme a en effet alloué 11 millions de dollars de dollars à ces six acteurs afin qu'il puisse rapidement mettre au point un drone capable d'être déployé rapidement sur le terrain par les soldats. Il permettra ainsi de disposer d'un meilleur champ de vision et d'une « compréhension immédiate et élargie » de l'environnement dans lequel ils évoluent. Évidemment, l'armée a défini plusieurs objectifs que l'appareil doit remplir pour être sélectionné. Il devra notamment bénéficier d'un temps de vol de 30 minutes et d'une portée allant jusqu'à 3 kilomètres. Son poids ne pourra excéder 1,3 kg/ Il faudra qu'il soit opérationnel en moins de 2 minutes et doit pouvoir être transporté dans les sacs à dos standards utilisés par les soldats. Rien qui ne paraisse impossible à réaliser pour la firme, qui joue très gros sur ce marché. https://www.journaldugeek.com/2019/05/30/le-francais-parrot-retenu-par-larmee-americaine-pour-construire-des-drones-de-reconnaissance/

  • L'équipementier Rafaut se renforce dans la Défense

    March 15, 2021 | International, Aerospace

    L'équipementier Rafaut se renforce dans la Défense

    L'Usine Nouvelle revient sur la croissance de Rafaut, qui a annoncé le 4 mars avoir acquis Lace, filiale de Lisi Aerospace, spécialisée dans les accroches pour hélicoptères. Une acquisition qui représente la seconde opération de croissance externe en deux mois pour Rafaut, après le rachat en janvier de Secapem, qui développe des radars et des systèmes d'entraînement au tir pour les forces armées. « Nous complétons nos métiers dans la Défense. Dans ce secteur, les contrats internationaux imposent désormais une taille critique », explique Bruno Berthet, président de Rafaut, basé à Villeneuve-la-Garenne (Hauts-de-Seine). Ces deux nouvelles activités, qui représentent environ 80 nouveaux salariés, apportent un volume d'affaires de 13 millions d'euros. L'Usine Nouvelle du 15 mars

  • Opinion: Aviation’s Cybersecurity Imperative

    May 22, 2020 | International, C4ISR, Security

    Opinion: Aviation’s Cybersecurity Imperative

    Remzi Seker May 22, 2020 With the expansion across the aviation industry of connectivity and computing services, cybersecurity has become ever more important. Connecting people, processes and assets creates new vulnerabilities and multiple attack points—from flight-critical avionics to passenger inflight entertainment networks and airline backend operations. Information about systems, protocols and technologies such as software-defined radio are now readily available well beyond the industry. Demand for greater efficiency meanwhile continues to increase connectivity and accelerate computerization within aviation infrastructure, including aircraft. Fortunately, ongoing efforts to protect aircraft, airlines and passengers from cybersecurity threats have been largely unaffected by the global pandemic, suggesting an opportunity for the industry to ramp up cybersafety programs and training amid the current slowdown. The comprehensive, coordinated nature of aviation cybersecurity initiatives means committees have long carried out their work primarily through virtual meetings, so those efforts are able to continue in full swing. With slowdowns taking place in other areas, the industry can address cybersafety at a more rapid pace. The aviation industry and its stakeholders have been working hard to tackle cybersecurity challenges comprehensively—from the supply chain and the maintenance of aircraft to operations. Such efforts remain essential so that cyberthreats affecting safety can be mitigated before they materialize, whether that happens during flight through physical access to a bus, by interfering with equipment through Wi-Fi or remotely disrupting operations. The need to weigh cyberthreats according to their safety impact, a practice referred to as “cybersafety,” requires a different perspective than that of IT cybersecurity. Cybersafety differs from traditional IT cybersecurity because of the need for safety certification, which relies on guaranteeing a system's behavior, or “determinism.” This unique characteristic of aviation cybersafety means that solutions widely used across traditional computing systems may pose serious certification challenges. Imagine rolling out security patches for every avionics component on a commercial aircraft. Tackling cybersafety challenges requires a coordinated, comprehensive, global effort. Multiple agencies are cooperating to establish much-needed standards. For example, the U.S. FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency have been working with the RTCA and the European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment to set harmonized cybersecurity standards. Efforts to secure the aviation ecosystem also include dedicated committees such as the FAA's Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee Aircraft System Information Security/Protection working group. Similarly, the Aerospace Industries Association has established the Civil Aviation Cybersecurity Subcommittee. In the U.S., the Aviation Cyber Initiative (ACI) is led by the Defense Department, Department of Homeland Security and FAA. The ACI includes experts representing government, defense, industry and academia who collaborate to tackle aviation cybersecurity threats. The Aviation Information Sharing and Analysis Center shares global threat intelligence among aviation companies. Globally, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) leads this work. Its Trust Framework Study Group (TFSG) includes experts from the FAA, EASA, commercial industry and academia and has established three important working groups. Academic institutions play a critical role in advancing cybersecurity research and training, too. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, for example, develops engineering solutions and provides degree, certification and training programs in aviation cybsersecurity. Faculty researchers contribute expertise to cyberdefense and preparedness efforts by serving on national and international committees and working groups and by organizing the annual Aero-Cybersecurity Symposium. Aviation's impeccable safety culture positions it well to combat and defeat cybersafety risks. In the years ahead, the industry will need to invest in expanded education and training as well as research to secure high-assurance systems that can be updated with minimal impact on certification. Computerization and Cyberphysical Systems As computing becomes ever more affordable, functions that were traditionally implemented through hardware are now being realized through software, and inclusion of software has supported increased customization. Cyberphysical systems are designed to perform a set of functions with limited impact on the physical environment, such as temperature control, welding and parts assembly. One feature of cyberphysical systems is a failsafe property that involves shutting down—an approach that is clearly not desirable midflight. Connectivity Inexpensive and ubiquitously available computing, combined with advancements in networking, have accelerated the networking of devices. The Internet of Things concept does not require any form of certification or service-quality assurance, let alone any safety requirement or oversight. Rather than leveraging the Internet of Things, the aviation industry might consider using “networked wings” to underscore its safety commitment. Remzi Seker is the associate provost for research at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The views expressed are not necessarily those of Aviation Week. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/opinion-aviations-cybersecurity-imperative

All news