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February 18, 2021 | International, Aerospace

USAF rethinks future fleet, ponders clean-sheet 4.5-generation fighter

The US Air Force is studying a future fighter fleet that might include new Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters or possibly a clean-sheet 4.5-generation fighter.

https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/usaf-rethinks-future-fleet-ponders-clean-sheet-45-generation-fighter/142471.article

On the same subject

  • Why the British army tested robots in muddy fields

    January 14, 2019 | International, Land

    Why the British army tested robots in muddy fields

    By: Grant Turnbull Senior British army officers have signaled their intent to accelerate the fielding of several unmanned — and increasingly autonomous systems — following successful army trials at the end of 2018, but much like other forces around the world the United Kingdom faces challenges from how to modify archaic acquisition processes, to overcoming technical issues. In December, the British army concluded its landmark experimentation exercise known as Autonomous Warrior, in which the service evaluated more than 50 unmanned systems from industry over a month-long period in the south of England. The exercise, which put the robotic systems through grueling trials in muddy fields and a purpose-built facility for urban fighting, was the first attempt by the British army, as well as industry, to determine how the technology will work in a combat environment. Much like other forces around the world, the service hopes to use robots to carry out the dangerous, and often tedious, elements of combat. Over 200 troops — made up of infantry, marines, engineers, airmen as well as U.S. Army personnel — were equipped with a variety of robotic and autonomous systems with the aim of improving areas such as combat mass, soldier lethality and overall information gathering. For example, in one scenario, soldiers used robotic engineering vehicles to clear an obstacle, while a small quadcopter flew overhead to provide infrared imagery before armored infantry rolled in to take an enemy position. Robotic systems with varying levels of autonomy were a key part of the exercise, ranging from radar-equipped drones for detecting buried IEDs, to small two-wheeled robots that are thrown into buildings to search for enemy fighters. The head of the British army, Gen. Mark Carleton-Smith, has directed the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to speed up the fielding of technology used during the exercise. “His direction to me is very clear,” said Maj. Gen. Chris Tickell, director of capability for the British army. “He wants to see some of this kit in the hands of the field army in 12 to 18 months. “Success or failure will absolutely hinge on what happens after the experiment,” he added. “And that is about the exploitation and proving to industry that we are as good as our word and we are going to take some of these ideas and put them into the hands of the user.” For Tickell, an equipment budget of £22 billion ($28 billion) over the next decade will allow the MoD to purchase new unmanned technologies, but the “trick is to turn the ideas that you see here into tangible capability.” This may require the MoD “to adjust and even devise new acquisition processes to enable rapid acquisition”, said Trevor Taylor, an expert in defense acquisition at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. “How will requirements, business cases, competitive tendering or ‘partnering,' testing and safety cases be addressed?” A related challenge continues to be the British army's lack of experience using unmanned and autonomous systems, with commanders using the Autonomous Warrior exercise to better understand capability enhancements as well as the inevitable shortfalls. The officer responsible for coordinating the exercise, Lt Col Nick Serle, told C4ISRNET that while the British army has worked with industry on new technologies it had not previously focused on robots and autonomous systems. “That's why this year we decided to spend a month on Salisbury Plain just focusing on robotics and autonomous systems,” Serle said. He also commands the British army's experimentation unit, known as the Infantry Trials and Development Unit. “This is a real opportunity to bring stuff into the field and really see if it does what industry thinks it's going to do, but also to see if military users will use it the way [industry] thinks they will use it,” Serle said. “There's no one single piece of kit that will solve all our problems, it's a combination of something in the air such as a surveillance asset, something on the ground, perhaps with a weapon on it or just doing logistics, but then it all links through an information system where you can pass that data and make better decisions to generate tempo.” An issue highlighted by Serle was an increasingly crowded radiofrequency spectrum, especially as several unmanned systems jostle for space to beam back high-resolution data from onboard sensors. “The problem is when they start cutting each other out, we are dealing with physics here, if we want to have great high definition video passing across the battlefield we need to trade somewhere else.” Taylor noted that not only will there be a need to ensure that the control systems do not interfere with each other, but also that army leaders “will have to be convinced that new systems are not simply too vulnerable to jamming and other disruptive techniques by an adversary.” A promising development from the exercise is the ability to optionally man a standard vehicle using applique kits that can be fitted within a few hours. Several examples were on display when we visited the exercise in December, including a remote-controlled Warrior infantry fighting vehicle and a lightweight MRZR tactical vehicle. As part of the experimentation, troops used the vehicles in unintended ways. One U.S. Army soldier noting that the MRZR had been a helpful surveillance tool because of its onboard camera. Squads were also keen to use the UGVs to help in entering buildings and also as modern-day pack horses to carry supplies or people. “What we have found is that when troops are using these [UGVs], naturally they just want to jump on the vehicle because it goes faster than they can, and you can move groups very quickly on them,” Serle said. He added that for safety reasons the soldiers were not allowed to hop on board during the exercise. “Optionally manned is good, but whether it needs to be optionally manned with a steering wheel and a seat I don't know, I think you could do it more like a Segway. But there's no doubt people want to get on them.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/robotics/2019/01/11/why-the-british-army-tested-robots-in-muddy-fields/

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 10, 2021

    February 11, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 10, 2021

    NAVY BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Sterling Heights, Michigan, is awarded an $183,840,645 fixed-price incentive (firm target) modification to previously awarded contract M67854-16-0006 for Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs). The total cumulative face value of the contract is $3,304,536,113. This modification provides for the exercise of options for the procurement of 36 full rate production ACVs and associated production and fielding and support costs. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania (60%); Aiken, South Carolina (15%); San Jose, California (15%); Sterling Heights, Michigan (5%); and Stafford, Virginia (5%). Work is expected to be completed in April 2023. Fiscal 2021 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $183,840,645 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-16-C-0006). Utility Works JV, Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded a not-to-exceed $70,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for architect-engineer services for utilities engineering and management support for Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) worldwide. The work to be performed includes, but is not limited to, utility engineering, infrastructure management, operation and maintenance and utility management services, which will support electrical generation, transmission and distribution systems; water supply, transmission, treatment and distribution systems; wastewater collection and treatment systems; steam generation, transmission and distribution systems; compressed air generation and distribution systems; and natural gas transmission and distribution systems. No task orders are being awarded at this time. All work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Atlantic and Pacific areas of operations, and worldwide including, but not limited to California (20 %); Virginia (20%); Florida (15%); North Carolina (5%); South Carolina (5%); Maryland (5%); Washington state (5%); Georgia (5%); Hawaii (5%); Texas (5%); Europe, Africa, Central (5%); and Far East (5%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of February 2026. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) (O&M,N) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by (O&M,N) funds. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website with two proposals received. NAVFAC Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-21-D-0005). Detyens Shipyards Inc., North Charleston, South Carolina, is awarded an $11,510,913 firm-fixed-price contract for a 50-calendar day shipyard availability. The work to be performed provides for services for the mid-term availability of the fleet oiler USNS John Lenthall (T-AO 189). The contract also contains seven unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase cumulative contract value to $12,329,310. Work will be performed in North Charleston, South Carolina, and is expected to be completed by June 2, 2021. Fiscal 2021 working capital contract funds (Navy) in the amount of $11,510,913 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website with four proposals received. The Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-21-C-4009). ARMY Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, was awarded a $53,861,439 modification (P00009) to contract W15QKN-19-C-0017 for Excalibur Ib projectiles. Work will be performed in Healdsburg, California; Karlskoga, Sweden; East Camden, Arizona; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Southway, United Kingdom; Cincinnati, Ohio; Glenrothes, Scotland; Salt Lake City, Utah; Joplin, Missouri; Gilbert, Arizona; Lansdale, Pennsylvania; Santa Clara, California; Woodridge, Illinois; Trenton, Texas; Valencia, California; Cookstown, New Jersey; Tucson, Arizona; Phoenix, Arizona; Anniston, Alabama; Chino, California; Inglewood, California; McAlester, Oklahoma; and Farmington, New Mexico, with an estimated completion date of April 29, 2024. Fiscal 2019 and 2021 other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $53,861,439 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. Mnemonics Inc.,* Melbourne, Florida, was awarded a $48,954,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the production and delivery of the Receiver Radio Firing Device, Nonelectric Blasting Cap Actuating M17A1 and the Trainer, Receiver, Radio Firing Device, Nonexplosive M85A1. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 9, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-21-D-0012). Kilgore Flares Co. LLC, Toone, Tennessee, was awarded a $29,089,992 firm-fixed-price contract for Flare Aircraft Countermeasure M206 and Flare Aircraft Countermeasure MJU-7A/B. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Toone, Tennessee, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2026. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 aircraft procurement appropriations funds in the amount of $29,089,992 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-21-F-0103). Resource Management Associates Inc., Davis, California, was awarded an $11,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for hydrologic and hydraulic computer programming. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 9, 2022. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, California, is the contracting activity (W91238-21-D-0001). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Leading Technology Composites Inc., doing business as LTC Inc., Wichita, Kansas, has been awarded a maximum $28,542,400 modification (P00019) exercising the third one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-18-D-1073) with three one-year option periods for enhanced side ballistic inserts. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Kansas, with a Feb. 9, 2022, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AIR FORCE Armorworks Enterprises Inc., Chandler, Arizona, has been awarded a $14,488,133 firm-fixed-price contract modification for the Minuteman III Payload Transporter Replacement (PTR) program for the exercise of Option Two, which provides the purchase of two production PTR vehicles. Work will be performed in Chandler, Arizona, and is expected to be completed Oct. 10, 2022. Fiscal 2021 missile procurement funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8204-19-C-0005). Rohde & Schwarz USA Inc., Columbia, Maryland, has been awarded a $9,218,160 firm-fixed-price, requirements contract for the purchase of Versatile Diagnostic Automatic Test Station (VDATS) kits. The purpose of this acquisition is to procure the kits required to assemble the VDATS stations. The VDATS is an organically designed test station with open architecture and virtual modular equipment extensions for instrumentation technology. Work will be performed in Columbia, Maryland, and is expected to be completed Feb. 9, 2026, and no funds are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8571-21-D-0006). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Raytheon Co., Tewksbury, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $7,580,414 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Airspace TacticaL Automation System (ATLAS) effort supporting the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Air Space Total Awareness for Rapid Tactical Execution (ASTARTE) program, Phase One. This contract provides for the research, development and demonstration of virtual and live testbed for airspace management systems, a series of algorithms for airspace planning and operations and a sensor network for delivering real-time spatial and temporal tracking of airborne platforms. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Massachusetts (32%); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (3%); Fulton, Maryland (7%); Cambridge, Massachusetts (48%); Dulles, Virginia (5%); and Durham, North Carolina (5%), with an estimated completion date of February 2021. Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $670,000; and Fiscal 2021 research and development funds in the amount of $1,724,000 are being obligated at the time of award. This contract is a competitive acquisition in accordance with the original broad agency announcement HR0011-20-S-0039. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2500379/source/GovDelivery/

  • Defence minister Rajnath Singh asks IAF to make plans to counter future threats

    April 19, 2021 | International, Aerospace

    Defence minister Rajnath Singh asks IAF to make plans to counter future threats

    IAF has projected its capability to carry out day-and-night, all-weather combat missions in the Ladakh sector, with front-line fighter jets, attack helicopters and multi-mission choppers deployed there. It has also deployed its new Rafale fighter jets in the sector.

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